Cherry Blossoms in DC

Well, Lance went on another business trip. He went to Washington DC again. I think this was like his fifth time going there. He absolutely loves it there. It's pretty, people are friendly, and the best places to visit are free! This time he was able to fulfill one of his dreams of seeing the cherry blossoms in DC. I wasn't there in person, but all of his pictures were amazing!!! Also while on his trip, he was able to sit in on a hearing about Arizona's border patrol. Guess who one of the senators was! McCain! So, Lance got to see him in person. However, he didn't get to talk to him or shake his hand or anything. But he got to see him in action. The hearing was in the capitol building. That was Lance's first time inside the capitol building, which was another one of his dreams, to go in there. He found out that pretty much anyone can go in there. Too bad we didn't know that when I went with him two years ago. That's okay, though. I saw tons while I was there.

Here are some pictures of the lovely cherry blossoms. Did you know that in 1912 the Japanese gave the U.S. a cherry tree as a peace offering? That's a fun little fact that Lance discovered on his trip.

Lance and the Jefferson Monument framed by cherry blossoms

Jefferson Monument framed by cherry blossoms

Cherry Blossoms and the Washington Monument

I know you're thinking that it's kind of weird that with all of the budget disagreements why would Lance get to go on a work trip, working for the government? Well, they had enough money in the budget to send a few people to the training last week, and Lance was a lucky winner. Speaking of the budget, when do you think they'll figure out the budget for the rest of the year? One or two weeks at a time is a little ridiculous, don't you think? We're already halfway over with the year (the government's year starts in October). I'm glad that the government hasn't shut down . . . yet. But really, agree on something long term! These one to two week extensions don't solve any problems.

So, what did I do while Lance was gone? I spent most of my time at my parents' house again. They love having me around, and I like having human contact. Of course I would stop by my house daily to check on things and scrape my kitchen floor some more. (Will this project ever get done?) I also did activity days on Wednesday. I have tons of girls in activity days, which is a little overwhelming at times, but I love each and every one of those girls. They're fun to hang out with. I also got to hang out with my sister and her kids on Monday after dropping Lance off at the airport. We had a blast! My nephew who just turned one is starting to take a few steps! It's super exciting! My three year old niece is very clingy to me. She didn't want anyone else invading her territory (me). My nieces make me feel so loved!

Well, that's what we've been up to in the past little while.