Great Patriotic Vacation!

In May, Ted and I found great airfare to Williamsbury and used a "Getaway" week through a timeshare company to get a week's condo vacation for under $200! Sweeeet!

We stayed for 6 days and it was way to short, but with the kids in school (staying with champion friends, the DelCurtos) we didn't want to be gone too long. Next time we need about 2 weeks or more to cover that part of Virginia as well as Washington DC, which we were eager to visit, never having been to our nation's capital.

Here's a few photos (out of hundreds) of Washington D.C.

Washington DC. Smithsonian museum #1...

We toured the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History and the American History museums. We just loved it! We love traveling together and rekindling our life as a couple! :)

This was the absolute best lunch I've ever had! We took this just to remember it. I had a lavendar dressing on a gourmet salad and a luscious chicken salad sandwich. This cafe is in the gardens of the Smithsonian Museum of Art. Korean War Memorial; very touching to see these soldiers walking thru land-mine fields.

WW II memorial. Every state has a wall with a wreath (right behind the fountain).

More Smithsonian museums

We did not know how many Smithsonian Museums there are! We are already planning to go back in 2 years, (with the kids that time) to see the rest.

Ted's big moment...

I walked into this butterfly room that was full of gorgeous butterflies. Ted thought that would be too close for comfort, so he stayed outside waiting for me to get my butterfly fill.

Nick FAVORITE animal: the megalodon. These jaws are from one the prehistoric sharks that "ate 30 foot whales" which Nick has us trained to say :)

After being in Chile a few years ago, we had to take a photo with this Easter Island Moai guy.

The capitol, Senate close up.

Big Abe is REALLY big. It was inspiring to see him and to read all the quotes around the rotunda where he sits. His love of freedom, reliance and faith in God, the American people was obvious in the words we read; we love 'honest Abe'--what an exemplary leader and man.

Favorite Abe quote:

"Most folks are as happy as they make their minds up to be." Jefferson Memorial, statue inside. Also VERY tall!

One of my favorite museums: the Halocaust Museum

After having been to one in Jerusalem back in 1988, this was the first museum on my list. We spent hours inside and saw and heard amazing things that truly seem impossible to have happened in the world. Yet we saw the photos, the propaganda movies, the PILES of shoes, parts of the crematoriums, and so much more. We bought some books and talked with a Russian Jew who survived the Halocaust who was in the bookstore signing a book he wrote about it. Of course, I bought it.

Washington Monument

Near Williamsburg, VA is a town where "the decisive battle of Independence was won"

Yorktown.

Here are a few photos to show how beautiful this little town is:

Yorktown Harbor

Ted trying to engage in conversation with General George Washington.

We ate at this pub during a rainstorm and had this view before we finished. Ahhh, we were missing New England in the extreme during this whole trip: the trees, the trees, the smells, the old architecture, the patriotism, the water. We were tempted to look at houses! :)

This is very remiscent of Porstmouth, NH's bridge over to Maine...what nostalgia!

We got to Jamestown, VA on the anniversary of the British's arrival to this country. They had a bunch of actors portraying John Rolfe's mother (Pocahontas' husband) and other early settlers. We even heard there was going to be a smal reuion of Pocahontas' descendants...and we (Ted, being the 11th great-grandson of Pocahontas) showed up! So cool!!!

Jamestown militia celebrating the arrival of the British to Jamestown

These musicians were playing real 18th century instruments and it was gorgeous!

Ted and his great, great... grandmother, Rebecca Matoaks (Pocahontas)

Here is where we stayed in Williamsburg -- condos called Kings' Crossings.

This condo had jacuzzi tub, fireplace, 2nd balcony looking out to the forest (love), and very nice kitchen and den. We got it thru Interval International:to find some fabulous vacation places and resorts--check out their website! www.intervalworld.com

Fashion hats from the 1800s...

Williamsburg doesn't feel to kindly about intruders...

Hats (Caps) For Sale (anyone read that cute kids book about monkeys and caps)

People dress up in Williamsburg every day in the old, cobblestreet part of town and you can tour the old churches, artisan shops, etc.

We took a "Ghost Tour" one night and heard long-supported stories about ghostly damsels in distress, Indians boys schooled who lived in the buildings of the College of William and Mary, and other ghostly folks that are rumored to still be around. The guy took us out late at night with a black lantern in the drizzling rain and told us stories for 2 hours. Once he changed his voice from soft to really loud and Ted cried out--it jarred him and it was HILARIOUS! But since Ted knows a couple of people who have had "ghosts" in their houses so he was taking the tour VERY seriously.

One of the oldest churches in the nation, 1781.

I just loved this cottage and the huge fireplace.

Our first day we walked all around the cobblestone streets of Colonial Williamsbury, where the College of William and Mary is located. The streets were full of charm! Outdoor cafes, quaint shops, super old college campus, great architecture, etc. We really loved it and would love to have a permanent vacation planned for that part of the country. In the Spring (when we went the climate was perfect) or even better, the Fall!

In our dreams we would travel with the kids all year long--all over the world!

Happy beautiful EARTH DAY!

Knowledge is Power

At the heart of Earth Day is the idea that the more people know about our national environmental policies, the more likely they will be to play a role in shaping them. Earth Day has always sought to inform and educate. Of course, knowledge isn’t worth much if it can’t be put to use, and Earth Day celebrations provide every individual an opportunity to get involved. From local beach cleanups and rallies for clean energy, to petitioning representatives to pass environmental legislation, April 22 is the focal point for environmental causes we might otherwise take for granted. In 1970, the same year of the first Earth Day celebration, President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s work in studying and regulating pollution springs from the same spirit of stewardship as Earth Day.

In honor of this day dedicated to loving our planet, I have put in some photos of some of the most beautiful places I have been on the planet. What gorgeous creations and I am all in favor of helping to care for the planet we live on to keep the beauty pure and thriving.

Tulum, Mexico

While on the BYU Mexico Study Abroad in 1992, we swam at this beach after touring the many ruins. We saw a baptismal font that looks like those we use today in our churches; we visited an observatory for star-searching, temples, etc. There are Mormon tour guides on site and they offer unique insights into the ancient cultures which we know began with the peoples whose lives are recorded in the Book of Mormon.

Palenque, Mexico

Southern Mexico, in the state of Chiapas.

This was a stop on our week-long bus ride from Puebla to Cancún and it was soooo worth the stop-over. We went down inside one of the temples and saw Mayan carvings and artistry, perfectly preserved. The history is amazing--there are even more ancient ruins still buried in the jungle waiting for time and money to be uncovered.

Zions National Park

Zions (near St. George), UTAH

My mom and step-dad now live near this incredible park.

I have not seen as much of it as I want to see, but we will have lots of opportunities!

Arches National Park

Southern Utah

I love the earth and have been collecting so many articles about Green Living for Body and Planet, that I have decided to start a blog for myself (and anyone like-minded) about healthy living, recycling, reusing, growing your own stuff, herbs and whole foods, safe household cleansers and beauty products. I an NOT an expert, far from it, I am a novice, but I am so interested in having knowledge that will bless our family with health on the inside and the outside--and I need a place to store all the links, articles, tips that I find. I was printing up all these articles on being Green and realized how un-Green it was to use so much paper; plus the clutter and filing required can be daunting...so now you and I can find it all on:

http://www.groovygreen4peopleandplanet.blogspot.com/

I welcome anyone's tips or ideas, articles or web links that could contribute to our knowing what is really going on in the world, with river contamination (frogs born with 6 legs instead of 4, female frogs with male sex organs...our rivers are so full of contaminants that have permanently damaged the hormones and normal growth of frogs; for more details go to http://www.pbs.org/ and look around for what was on KERA last night about the Potomac, the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound--seriously "dead" rivers, dead whales, poisoned fish--and all that becomes our food or our drinking water!), toxic foods (chemical additives, pesticides, hormone injections), toxic beauty products (formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane=carcinogen which are in MOST grocery story brand shampoos, soaps, lotions, make-up -- and even in some of the expensive ones)...anyway, to read a bit more research, see the links on my blog or google your own.

I have realized that if we don't do something to care for the planet then we share in the blame of habitats disappearing, animals dying, ground contamination, water toxicity, and even the great obesity problem (foods have more additives and toxic ingredients than ever). We can do small things in our home and to teach our kids priciples of self-reliance and real health for their bodies and for the home we live on.

Today a new IMAX Disney movie comes out -- I think it's called Planet Earth and it looks fabulous! Gorgeous cinematography from all over the world, the movie follows 3 groups of animals and how the world is changing. We are going this weekend.

Recently, Ted and I went to the see the IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River (Lake Powell had some appearances too, which is where Ted and I realized that we were completely interested in each other...and the dating began after that Lake Powell trip with our church congregation). Anyway, the Grand Canyon River movie was so informative and so interesting. We learned that the earth's rivers and oceans are a life-source for us and all animals and need to be treated with more respect--with less pollutants and trash and toxic waste.

I hope the world's peoples will learn about Green Living for daily life and adopt at least one or two new habits. They are easy and not expensive. We started really adding new habits to our life last year, like:

Composting the 60-70% of what we eat (fruits/veggies)

Replacing light bulbs with long-lasting low energy bulbs

Using "used" water to water plants

Using 1 compartmentalized tupperware for kids' lunches (no plastic bag waste)

Buying more local and organic foods and drinks

Using cleaning supplies that don't harm (from either Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers or 'homemake' vinegar/lemon solutions)

Happy, healthy, long life!