They certainly were spectacular, and I understand why they are such a tourist attraction. The combination of perfect blooms, the grandeur of the city, and the walkway along the Tidal Basin make the atmosphere practically enchanting.
In addition to the cherry blossoms, the magnolias were equally stunning, and wondrously fragrant.
Candy had never seen the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial, so we made it a point to venture through it. I love the waterfalls that are scattered throughout the area, because I find the sound incredibly relaxing. I really wanted to sit on a “rock” (my dad would probably be mad if I didn’t distinguish that they were fake rocks) and just be quite before God, enjoying His glorious forms of creation.
Candy on the other hand, not much for sitting and being quiet, enjoyed jumping off of the "rocks".
Due to the astounding number of tourists, we had to park in Africa (as Kimberly put it) - so we enjoyed a long ride on a free "Blossom" shuttle.
On Friday afternoon, Kimberly took us to a park situated right next to Reagan Airport for a picnic. It was a lot of fun watching the kids try to catch the airplane shadows. One little girl, however - too young to grasp the concept of shadow catching, was frightened by the loud sound of the jets and ran to her mother crying when they flew over. As soon as her mom picked her up, she stopped crying; and although she still didn't look completely at ease, she was more so. It reminded me of the times we are frightened by the world around us, and how life feels so much safer when we place ourselves in the arms of our Protector - even in the midst of alarming situations.
Although you can see it from the highway, none of us had ever actually been to the Air Force Memorial. It is very much set apart – located on a promontory adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery and overlooking the Pentagon.
The words that were etched in stone resonated with me as particularly significant in the Christian life. Valor. Courage. Sacrifice. Integrity. Service. Excellence.
In her excursions with friends around the city, Candy had discovered the FUNNEST yogurt experience, and she wanted us to check it out. They have an extensive list of outrageous toppings - gummi bears, cracker jacks, toasted mini eggos...and others that I would never even consider putting on my frozen yogurt (because I think it's gross) - wheat germ, olive oil, balsamic vinairagette...and others. Candy choose the most interesting (shocking, I know) with fruity pebbles and raspberries. I played it safe with raspberries, coconut and chocolate while Kimberly choose blueberries and honey. It was a lot of fun, and after a we enjoyed our frozen yogurt, we played a few games of Connect Four. I even won!
Candy and I ended the outdoor portion of our night by rollerblading (well, she rollerbladed while I took pictures). She received them for Christmas and hasn't had many opportunities to use them, so it was fun watching her. If you want to see videos, you can go to my Facebook page.
My fun pick for the weekend was for us to go and watch the animated 3-D movie "How to Train Your Dragon". It turned out to be quite the experience, even without the 3-D aspect. We watched the previews...then the screen went blank...then the previews started again...and then a movie started. A movie. Not our movie. Oops! It took them about 8 minutes to realize that something was wrong, and then the screen went blank again. So, the movie started about 40 minutes late but I thought it was very cute and worth it...and very cool since none of us had ever seen a full length movie in 3-D before.
Saturday evening we went to the Pentagon Memorial park, another place we had never visited. The field is organized as a timeline of the victims’ ages, spanning from the youngest ( a three-year-old), to the oldest (a 71-year-old). The “terrazzo” finish of each memorial unit rises from the ground on one end, and on the other end hovers over a small pool of lighted water. Each unit has a specific directionality to distinguish victims on board Flight 77 from victims within the Pentagon. The 59 lives lost on Flight 77 face so that when reading the name of the victim, the visitor faces the sky. When standing at a memorial to a victim who was inside the Pentagon, the victim’s name and the Pentagon are in the same view.
Easter Sunday we attended Kimberly's church at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse. We ended the service singing the song "Happy Day", and I thought it would be a fitting way to end this blog post. Thank you, Lord for the happy days...most of all for the glorious gift of Your sacrifice, love and power. Let us be forever changed by it.
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