Visiting Aunt Remi

WARNING- this is a very long post! When I got home from D.C. and loaded my pictures on to the computer I realized I took 295 pictures!! I guess I was a little camera crazy to average about 40 pictures per day! LUCKILY I previously discovered Picasa so was able to make a TON of collages instead of trying to load a million pictures into blogger.

This was not the first time Aiden has flown but it was the first time that I flew with Aiden ALONE. He decided to be cranky for most of the flight and wouldn't fall asleep or let me nurse him. Before the flight took off though he was being SUPER cute and fun and was playing all over the seats. Luckily for me on the way home I brought on my car seat and so Aiden had his own seat for the flight and took a nice long nap.



The night I got there Aiden set the precedent for how the week would go for us. He decided to wake up 3 times in the night and cry. The ONLY way to get him to stop crying was to nurse him, which meant I got about 3 hours of sleep that first night. I couldn't just let him cry it out because my sister has roommates and I couldn't let Aiden wake them up. I was near tears and told myself I would change my flight home and leave the next day- not even caring about the waste of money it would be. BUT when morning finally came I tried out the day and was glad I stayed... until night time again when the previous night repeated itself. By the third night I had consigned myself to no sleep and misery and hell and decided to just stick out the remainder of the trip. WHICH BY-THE-WAY I am very glad I did.

That 1st day we went to the Smithsonian Zoo and saw the Giant Pandas which supposedly have to be returned to China at the end of this year. They were so cute and cuddly and it would be easy to forget that they are BEARS and could kill you very easily. We also saw Red Pandas (who knew??) which are quite a bit smaller but cute as well- though not quite the favorite that the Giant Pandas are.

Giant Panda

Red Panda

The bird exhibit was really cool because when we got there it was feeding time, which included a lovely menu of dead baby mice and worms. This meant that all of the birds were flying around and close by so we were able to get some great pics. The bird in the bottom left corner is the world's largest pigeon- it was about the size of a wild turkey.

We also saw the elephants and the HUGE new place they are building for them, the cheetahs, and the monkeys. That day was EXTREMELY hot and humid and we tried to stick to as many indoor exhibits as we could find because we all wanted to stay where there was AC. Outside they had misters which were BLISS to stand under to help cool off. Even Aiden didn't mind getting soaked.

The next day we went to Arlington Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Well, I guess my mom and Kurt saw it because after the first 30 seconds it started to pour rain and I had to run the sleeping Aiden inside to the awards building. The guards stay there all day every day in any kind of weather- even on blistering hot days and pouring rain. After the ceremony was over Kurt and mom came in and we discovered that there were 3 awards there for Kurt's units when he was in Vietnam so I was glad I had been forced to go inside so we could discover those.


Saturday was the BIG day for Remi. The events started at 3pm with the White Coat Ceremony and didn't end until after 9pm. This was the ceremony where they are allowed to switch their (student) short white coats for the long white PROFESSIONAL white coat of a health professional. After the ceremony was a reception with appetizers and drinks. Remi ACCIDENTALLY cut line when she didn't notice that it wrapped around the room. But hey she was a grad so I say she had rights to do that anyway! Next was the YUMMY dinner of salmon and steak. We were all VERY happy that the food was so good because by the time dinner started we were all starving; especially my father because he had been traveling all day from Utah so that he could get out to Remi's graduation in time. After dinner was the DANCING!! Aiden loved the music and kept on bouncing up and down. My father is FOREVER the country dancer and somehow managed to make his country dance style work with Apple Bottom Jeans. After the graduation activities were over Remi and I went with dad to a movie and had a great time going to a late night movie - especially dad who fell asleep for most of it. :)

The WHITE COAT~!

The reception which EQUALED an extremely long wait for dinner.

Dinner and dancing time. Aiden REALLY loved his dinner and sang to us about it with his mouth full of food. He was hilarious!

My dad helping Remi practice dancing before they hit the real dance floor in the middle of the room.

Sunday we went to the different war memorials and the Lincoln Memorial. Remi and Kurt wore there military uniforms for the day and it was really an amazing experience to go with them to these memorials. I think we were all close to tears that day. Starting at the Lincoln Memorial (our first stop) all the way through the Korean War Memorial (our last stop) we had people coming up to Remi and Kurt thanking them for their service and asking to take a picture with them. I LOVED watching and hearing how sincerely grateful these people were for my sister's and step-dad's service. I AM so grateful for their service too and for all of those who so bravely defend and serve our nation.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Vietnam Memorial was so amazing to go to with Kurt. He served in the Vietnam War and so this was a BIG stop for him. He left a prayer card at the wall that has the names of all those who died in the Vietnam war and when we left that wall he was crying. This was my favorite stop.

At the World War II Memorial we met a WWII Vet which was really neat. His family came up to Remi and Kurt and asked if they would take a picture with him. They were able to talk to him for a while which I thought was so perfect to do at this memorial. My mom was able to sit by Bataan Corregidor, where her father was held POW for about 4 years. I love my family and the history they have with service to our country. I LOVE you grandpa, Kurt and Remi!

The Korean War Memorial

At the end of the day Kurt told me that he was surprised and didn't know how to react to all of the people that had come up to him during the day to thank him for his service. He said that when he returned home from the Vietnam war that people treated him like trash (the lovely 70's) by spitting at him and yelling curses at him, so this was such a different experience for him. I am so happy he was able to have such a WONDERFUL experience with us - even if it was 30 years later than it should have been. Now he can know how grateful people really are for his service.

The last day was just Aiden and I with Remi. We went swimming and then cleaned up and packed. When Remi dropped us off in the morning, that next day, is when she laid the news on me that she had been reactivated into the military (she was supposed to be done with the military for good this coming May) and will have at least another year and a half in the military with ACTIVE duty in Lincoln, NE. Which means she lost her high paying job working with an Orthopedic Surgeon. We are all praying that her orders DO NOT change to being deployed somewhere overseas. We love you Remi and miss you already!