Tuesday

We spent a couple nights with Jeff and Brenna while Bryan and Brittany moved into their townhouse.  We joked that it was like having an out of body experience, watching Jeff and Brenna live our life.  They have two boys similar in age to Cameron and Eli, and a little girl who sucks her thumb.  It did make us a little homesick. 

We didn't get home from the game until after 2:00am and so we slept in Tuesday morning.  Unfortunately with said children, Jeff and Brenna didn't have that luxury.  That made us a little less homesick.  We caught the Metro and then took a connector bus out to Mt. Vernon.  The bus ride is a story for another day, but it involved a blind woman that might have been crazy and a European couple who kept looking at me like "Is her behavior normal?"

Mt. Vernon was George Washington's home.  It is one of my favorite places to visit in D.C.  Something about Colonial life is so charming, I never tire of learning and observing it.  I also never tire of learning about inspiring people and these are the two things about George Washington that inspire me.

1.  He led an army of inexperienced volunteer soldiers in a war with the most powerful paid army in the world at that time.  Not only did he have the personal courage to do so, he somehow inspired these men enough to win that war.  And the help of the Almighty God is undeniable. 

2.  When asked to serve his country he dutifully stepped forward, twice.  After serving as General during the Revolutionary War he felt he had fulfilled his duty (I'd say so!) and stepped down.  Then of course he was encouraged by friends to step forward as the first president of our infant country.  Again, after serving as he deemed suitable he willingly resigned, thus setting a crucial precedent for our nation.  The man was brave and patriotic, but not greedy or power hungry. 



After we returned to D.C. early in the evening all the museums were closed so we headed to Union Station for dinner.  It is a train station with, possibly the most glorious Baroque-inspired architecture I have ever seen.  (Obviously I have never been to Europe.) We ate in the atrium and although the food wasn't great the ambiance was. 

By this point we were exhausted.  For that matter, by this point each day thereafter we were exhausted.