Washington DC Trip - 2014

My first trip to Washington, DC was phenomenal!  I recently drove (yes 11.5 hrs) up to DC during the recent AEA vacation to visit our nation's capital.  I was so excited!  I absolutely love history especially American History, what a great opportunity to see our history in person.

I got the opportunity to visit the Library of Congress. The building was gorgeous, the architecture of each of these buildings is unique and very detailed.  I got the opportunity to see the actual book collections of Thomas Jefferson.  He believed that all books contained a great deal of education and insight that is one of the most valuable tools we could ever need.

We next moved to Union Station, which is one of the most historic rail stations in the U.S.  It was pretty large and inviting, with  crowds coming and going.  We didn't get the opportunity to actually ride on one of the trains but we did get to see this piece of history!  We did however decide to eat a snack in the food court, which contained pretty much any type of food you would want!

We next moved onto the Museums, including the Holocaust Museum, and the Smithsonian American History Museum.  While the Smithsonian was great in viewing our own American History, nothing quite compares to the World History involved with the Holocaust Museum.

The Holocaust Museum was a moving experience and contained many articles from that era in history with stories of many that survived the concentration camps and stories of those that empathized with the Jewish people and attempted to save them by either hiding them, or helping them escape the Nazi's.

Anyway you look at it, this was a very "moving and emotional" museum.  We were grateful to have had the opportunity to see it.

We also decided to see the White House even though we are not a fan of the current administration!  The front of the White House was blocked off as we arrived and we lately found out that President Obama had arrived from his recent European tour.  The White House was beautiful and surreal!

On to the monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Washington's Monument.  We have only seen these monuments on TV or in magazines, etc....but those images don't do these monuments justice!

These monuments are huge, very impressive pieces, made of the finest materials.  These monuments are a great reminder of our rich history.

The last place we visited was the Arlington National Cemetery.   We wanted to pay our respects to our nation's fallen soldiers, those that served our country.  We were fortunate enough to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during the guard changeover.  This ceremony is a very special memorial to these soldiers that have never been identified. The guards that guard this tomb are a select few that pass a rigorous training. Watch below the video that we recorded of this actual ceremony!

Home Project ~ Spring Painting !!!

Here we go again, it's that time to put up new coats of fresh paint in our home.  I think we will start with our son's room first, it's one of the smallest rooms and we will be moving in a new bed next week so it's a great time to make improvements and changes.  We let our son Caleb pick our his color, and he chose an  "off blue", typical for a boy isn't it?

Once we get his room completed we will probably move onto the main bathroom, Court's room and so on.  We will be uploading pics of before and after, it will be sooooo cool (I hope!)

New Addition to the Family

We have a new addition to our family!  Her name is "Harper".   Harper is approximately 5 months old, chocolate brown with golden colored eyes.  She is already 22lbs. and quite the festive little pup.  Harper is welcomed to the family by Sheba, our Australian Shepherd (it will take her a little adjustment period).  

We are continuing Harper's potty training as started by the former parents.  She is doing extremely well, had only one accident on her first day in her new surroundings but none since ( 3 days later ).   So glad to have her with us, and a huge Thank You to the Jeff Brooks family!

2014 Will be an interesting New Year!

Wow 2014 is now upon us and it's already looking like it will be one of the most interesting if not controversial year.  I guess it's safe to say we had better do our homework and research on news worthy items daily.  One of my favorite sites is Caintv.com which is a site that is owned/managed by Herman Cain a former Presidential candidate, check them out daily for the newest scoop.  

I think it's extremely important to gain wisdom through prayer, making yourself aware of ALL the facts when reading or viewing news worthy articles that affect our nation, our culture, our government and our families.

Each one of us is responsible for being knowledgeable stewards.  It's pretty easy to see or hear using the top influential sources in today's world how information can be skewed, that's why we as Americans that hold the values of our Constitution as strongly as we do.

Ask yourself what did you learn about your government, your world, your community, your family TODAY?

On Assignment for God

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is here on earth? Why me, why was I created, was it merely because my parents wanted to have children in order to fulfill their lives or was it all a part of a master plan by our creator?

I'd like to think we were and are created by our master creator - "God". I have felt a "pull" on my life since I was in my early teens and I stress "pull" not a "call" do not be confused. I think I was merely being pointed in the right direction and my interest being sparked....I mean let's be honest what pre-teen in their right mind is going to sit and watch Oral Roberts and the Day of Discovery on Sunday mornings right? Yep, that's exactly what I did!

I can't explain my inspiration at that age, nor can I explain my desire for a (red) Bible for my 13th birthday. I used to write personal letters to God asking some very intimate questions because in Him I had anonymity.

I think we all have one common assignment, and that's to witness to our brothers and sisters, but what's my actual God Assignment? That's something I'm still seeking through prayer....so what's our God Assignment?

What Defines You?

After listening to a great sermon this weekend I have taken a look at my life and asked myself "What is defining me?". My pastor posed the following, "Does your past define you?", "Do others define you?" because God sees what we are capable of when man doesn't....

What type of "character" do we portray? If we look a little deeper than the surface what would your find? Many of us allow us to see one side of our personalities. We appear to have no problems, and the world is great and wonderful when we greet those at church, but deep down we are hurting and have so many issues in our lives that we attempt to "hide" from everyone outside our family.

When you think about your life in those context, you begin to ponder do I live my life by the way others see me? or do I live my life because of my past? Looking deep into your own soul and knowing your own heart makes we realize what is truly important in life and that's our relationship with God, our Father in Heaven because our relationship with Him is the key.

If we to prioritize our lives, focusing on the important aspects of our lives including God, family, jobs, etc....I think it changes the way that we look at life and the manner in which we focus our attention. We should strive to "help" others in any manner possible. There are always others less fortunate than ourselves, ALWAYS. I feel ashamed when I'm having a "bad" day and begin to feel sorry for myself, then I'm reminded of those less fortunate.

Let's not forget a scripture found in Galations 6:9 - "Let us not become weary of doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".

The Little Things

It's the little things in life that we often overlook. We all want to be recognized for our achievements, we all want to look good and feel like we are the best at everything we do but all in all it's the little things or insignificant things that we forget to recognize.

We are so concerned about ourselves being recognized that we totally forget about giving God the credit! One of the best ways to show God that we praise Him is to do EVERYTHING, and yes I mean everything to His glory!

It doesn't matter what you are doing no matter how insignificant or minor, you should always strive to glorify God with doing your absolute best, we don't expect less of God.

Praise and Glory to our God for He continues to give us grace that we don't deserve but need more and more everyday! Let your light shine in all you do so that you may inspire others....