Day trippers

On Saturday we took a trip to D.C. for the day.  We started out by braving the cold weather at the National Zoo:

 Abby was excited to see "Raja" from Aladdin.

 We loved the lions, too.  The big/scary animals are always the most fun to see.

Every time Ellie saw any animal, she pointed and screamed, "Puppy!" Everything is a puppy these days.

 These guys..... not as much.

 This one's for you, Mike.

"I love big pandas!"

Of course, the only shot that comes out clearly is the one where they aren't all looking! :)

By the second hour there, Abby (now sitting in the front) wanted to be completely covered by the blanket.  (Like I said, it was pretty chilly and windy, too).  Glad we brought the double stroller!

Then we had lunch and headed over to the Museum of Natural History.

Could not believe the size of those jaws!  Taller than I was!

We loved the dinosaurs....

 Okay, you can't really tell but we are CRAMMED into this elevator.  Two double strollers, 2 kids not even sitting in the strollers, and 5 adults (for some reason there was an elevator attendant....).  It was a tight squeeze.

The aquarium room....

Ellie loved that giant moon hanging from the ceiling and kept pointing to it and screaming, "ball!".

We ended the day by going to "Good Stuff Eatery", a hamburger joint on Capitol Hill, just a few blocks from the Capitol building.  It was loud and busy but good.... and great french fries, which is always essential.

All in all, it was a fun trip with friends.  I am glad that we went, but I would love to go back sometime when it is less crowded and when there is more time for things like taking tours, etc. (I don't think there's such a thing as "less crowded" in a place like that, but I can dream.)

I always think that I love big cities and that I would love to live in one - the energy, the hustle and bustle, the fact that there is always something to do and always something exciting going on.  Then we get there and it's next to impossible to find parking, everywhere is packed with people, and the food is expensive (Garrett may or may not have been mumbling things like "miserable" and "ridiculous" as we were trying to find parking for the museum).  So, I am thankful that I don't live in the big city, but glad that we live close enough to take day trips to one, especially one like D.C. where there is so much history.  Hopefully we'll make it back a couple more times - I still have never done some of the more historic things like going to the White House, etc.  I am also so thankful that Garrett and Rob had a day off at the same time, with no one "on call", and that we made it there and back safely - it was a very long day but we made some great memories, and isn't that what it's all about?