Recent Martin/Evans outings

I've gotten behind, but here are some of the places we've been in the last few weeks in our weekly Tuesday outings.

The Old Stone House in Georgetown (the oldest building in DC; pre-revolution)

Alas, I can't remember under what name I stored these pics.

Hidden Pond Nature Center

Gunston Hall Plantation (home of George Mason)

Roosevelt Island

Two Sundays ago we took a walk on Roosevelt Island. A great Sunday outing (and have I mentioned what a neat place this is to live?).
Crossing the bridge over the Potomac to get to the island.

Aren't they cute boys? And getting so big? Teddy's looking good, too.

Does he look like he's mine?! I'm sending him to Kindergarten in just over two weeks...aaaahhhh!!

The West Wing

We have these friends we'll call Adam and Marie. Marie has this brother we'll call Aaron. Aaron works as a staffer at this place called the White House. Last week, Adam emailed Cory and Scott to tell them there were 3 spots for a West Wing tour with Aaron that night (which you do not see on the normal White House tour, btw). How could we pass up that?!

I quickly arranged for babysitting and recording of the So You Think You Can Dance finale (you think I'd miss it?!).

It was really awesome. I told Cory and Scott that I'm used to taking tours of historical places with roped off parts, but this one is still in use! And, not only that, but by the highest offices in our country!

It was really quite small. If you've ever seen the TV series "The West Wing", they took a lot of artistic license to make it look much bigger than it is. The hallways are narrow and some rooms smell like...old rooms. And it's not at all too showy or ostentacious (sp?). I thought it was great.

We saw the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, Roosevelt Room, the door of the Situation Room, the Press Room...all the big ones! Of course, we couldn't take pics inside, but here are some of what we could...

This is the Rose Garden at night (the tour started at 9pm). I know; for all you know, we could be standing next to any pillar in DC and telling you it's the Rose Garden. But it really is! The very one right outside the Oval Office.

Here's Cory briefing the press in the Press Room (did you know there's a swimming pool underneath the floor of that room? It's not in use anymore but it's still there!).

Standing in front of a set of doors into the West Wing, complete with the Presidential Seal.

In front of the White House INSIDE the gates.

Thanks, Adam for thinking of us! What an experience!

Nephews....and Neice!?!?!

I love being an aunt. I think my nephews are the cutest in the world. I really miss them living far away from everyone. We've got...

Alex

Logan (I'm sure you can figure by the red hair that they are brothers)
Hayden


Tad
Lincoln
(perhaps not quite as obvious, but Linc and Tadders are brothers).



With my 2 boys that makes....7 little boys. And this next week we're all going to be at my parents' house. 7 boys under age 6. Sound fun?! I think so!!

My brother David and his wife Maida had their first baby on Saturday. They gave our family the first girl...and she is beautiful!!




Welcome to the world, Abigail!

Isn't she beautiful? I hope we can see her soon. Congratulations, David and Maida!!


I have to add this pic because I think it is just about the sweetes picture of my little brother. I knew David would be a good dad when, when he was a freshman at BYU and I had just had Lucas, he watched him for me one time (well, several times, but I remember this one :)) while I had meetings. I learned afterwards that Lucas had given him a hard time (read: cried). David tried everything to calm him down and decided maybe he needed a diaper change. He laid him on the changing table...where Lucas promptly fell asleep. David was no dummy; he didn't want to move him and risk waking him up, but he also didn't want to risk him falling off. He sat on the edge of our bed for...at least an hour (I don't remember exactly) to watch him until he woke up. Isn't that about the sweetest thing you ever heard?

US Navy Museum

I love all the free museums here. A couple of weeks ago Diana and I took the kids to the Naval Base to see the Navy Museum. It's on the Anacostia River, which means it's in a not so good part of DC, but since we were on the base, it was very secure and safe.

We had a great time! The museum itself was really interesting. I added it to my list of places to visit with Cory, sans kids, so I can actually read and browse more thoroughly. There model ships from the earliest naval ships (Revolutionary War) to the present. The kids particuarly liked finding all the cannons/guns that they could climb on.

They were having some free crafts that day which the kids really enjoyed (particularly Lucas; he loves artsty stuff).

Making sailor valentine'sColoring Naval Officer apparel to wear (hats, badges, etc.).

4 proud Naval Officers!

The climax of the trip was the USS Barry, the decomissioned Destroyer that you could tour. Pretty cool!

There it is in the background. I didn't take pictures on the actual ship. I guess you'll have to come visit us to see that.

The Dark Knight

Cory and I saw "Batman Begins" when it came out 3 years ago. I wanted to see it because I like Christian Bale (any other Newsies fans out there?!) and Cory had no expectations. It changed our lives. OK, not really, but we liked it. A lot. We own it. So, we've been anticipating the 2nd one...

We saw it last night and WHOA. Intense. Dark. Good story. Good characters. Every bit as good as the first. If you're into that sort of thing, go see it.
If not, don't.
But we liked it.
Hoping there's a 3rd.

So You Think You Can Dance

No, but I WISH I could!

Cory and I are no strangers to dance. It may a little known fact to many of you, but Cory's mom has taught dance and owned her own dance studio for years. How could Cory not have danced with that kind of upbringing?

A few of his ribbons from dance competitions.

One of my favorite pictures.

This was Cory's first girlfriend. Well, look who's dancin' with him now, Marly.

I took clogging when I was younger but, alas, those pictures are in Utah. I took some tap classes and a jazz class at BYU. And, you know those people you've dated where you think, "now, why did we date? Because that was a really weird relationship." Well, I have one of those, but I figured out his purpose: he took me swing dancing several times, which is something I'd always wanted to do, and it was fun.

Anyway, I love dancing. In the next life I am going to be a dancer. I would love to perform on stage and really be in the dance I'm doing. But, for now...

Those who can't dance, watch. And I love to watch it -- all kinds. Well, most kinds. Contemporary is a little beyond me sometimes. So, to the point of this post, I really enjoy watching the Fox "reality" show "So You Think You Can Dance". There is some incredible dancing on there. I've even gotten Cory watching it with me and, since Scott is at our mercy as far as TV, he's watching it (and I think at least being entertained by it). They are now down to the top 8 dancers (one of them being from Utah -- woohoo!), so, uh....I recommend it.

The end.