Well Deserved Weekend

Burke and I celebrated ten eventful and amazing years of marriage on April 11th. 

To celebrate I hopped on a plane and joined him in Maryland for the Weekend.   I got there Thursday night and had all day Friday to myself.  It was not hard to find some

Rest and Relaxation…

History…

and Charm in the lovely coastal town of California, Maryland.

That evening we drove into Washington DC.  We caught a bus from Union Station that took us on a twilight tour of the City.  It was a great way to see all of DC and get wonderful tours of the monuments and memorials.

Union Station

 

The Capitol

The Washington Monument

  Jefferson Memorial

I have not read a lot of Thomas Jefferson besides the Declaration of Independence and was so empowered by his words.  He speaks of God, Justice and Freedom with amazing power.  I felt so proud to be an American and renewed my commitment to fight for a nation where we honor God and the causes of freedom and justice.

 

The Lincoln Memorial

Seeing the Lincoln Memorial at night was iconic.  I felt such a part of history.  As I read the Gettysburg Address and gazed upon the image of this great Man I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for his gift to us; “One Nation Under God”.

 

The Korean War Memorial

I read that this memorial had to be seen at night as the soldiers look startlingly real and one can gain a greater appreciation for the sacrifice of a Soldier.  I have to agree.  It was amazing and my pictures can not do this memorial justice.

The Vietnam Memorial

It was too dark to take a picture of the memorial wall.  However, I will never forget the impact walking through the Memorial had on me.  I can’t begin to describe in words the overwhelming feelings this memorial invokes.  It is something every American should experience.  I also had similar feeling at the World War II memorial. 

As I  gazed upon the the field of stars, where each of the four thousand stars represents one hundred soldiers that gave their lives, and read the words “Here we mark the price of freedom” I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. I will never again take for granted the freedom witch I enjoy and privileges that I have living in America.  As we finished our twilight tour I had a renewed determination to honor the sacrifices of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who gave their lives by fighting for freedom, truth and justice in any way that I can.

Saturday was a downpour.  In our rush to catch the metro and survive the rain I left my camera in the hotel room.  It was sad but since we spent most of the day inside the museums where you can’t take pictures anyway it was not a total loss. We did brave the rain to gaze upon the White House and Burke was most disappointed to find that they had weeds in their garden.  I guess it is to much to ask that the President’s Gardner to be prefect. I truly enjoyed seeing the Star Spangled Banner and left the National Gallery of Art in tears after gazing upon a Leonardo Da Vinci painting.  I became so enthralled with it that I got too close and the guard had to ask me to step back.  Then I made Burke go back and look at it three different times because, well  how often do you get to see a Da Vinci?!  It is the only one in the entire Western Hemisphere and it was beautiful…so beautiful!

Sunday the sun was shining and it was a perfect day to tour Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.

It was not only beautiful but awe inspiring.  I gained an amazing appreciation for the sacrifice Washington made to be the Father of our Nation.  He never asked for the job and forever felt inadequate in the office.  Yet I felt so strongly as I walked through his home and paid my respects at his grave that he was chosen before the world began to preserve this land for the cause of freedom. He did not do his great work alone but walked hand in hand with The Lord All Mighty.       

We were very moved by our visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

I knew that it was a large cemetery but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer number of graves. When Burke reminded me that these graves only represent a small percentage of the lives that have been sacrificed on our behalf I was humbled even further. 

Everyone who walked through the cemetery showed a respect and reverence far above what was displayed at the monuments.  There was an almost tangible presence that whispered “this is hallowed ground”.

This was felt no where more strongly then at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

As a grieving family placed a wreath upon the tomb in honor of their fallen loved one a solitary soldier played Taps on his trumpet. My tears flowed freely. 

Witnessing the changing of the guard was also incredibly moving. There is a guard on duty at the tomb twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. 

It is impossible to describe the level of respect, honor, and grief that the careful observance of this ritual imparts. It is performed so precisely that evidence of it’s perfection has been worn into the stone and can be captured in a picture

We left Arlington with a new perspective on the price of freedom and a greater respect for those men and women who sacrifice to protect this Great Nation.

Our last stop was the National Cathedral.

Even though it is considered modern -by Cathedral standards- it is still the sixth largest Cathedral in the world. They were having a practice so we could not take a tour but what we were able to see was beautiful. 

From there I caught a plane back home and got to kiss my girls while they lay snuggled in their beds.  I missed them but was so glad for the chance to spend the weekend with the love of my life.  We were able to share some wonderful experiences together and it made me so excited for the time we will have together when all the kiddies are grown up.  I know the next ten years are going to be amazing and the next and the next……..