T's parents and the cherry blossom festival

For his mom's birthday, T's siblings got her a flight to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms.  Now, I'm not sure if you know this, but... WE live in D.C. which means we got to see them March 30 - April 2!  I felt a bit bad because this year's cherry blossoms peaked so fast and so early (because it was so unusually warm, some trees started blooming in January!) that it was mostly over before T's parents were here.  Also interesting to note that this year 90% of the blossoms were pink and last year 90% of the blossoms were white.  I wonder if the weather affects the color?

Anyway, prepare for a total onslaught of photos:

We started at East Potomac Park / The Jefferson

Pondering how airplanes stay in the sky in preparation for a visit to the Air and Space Museum.

The Jefferson

How giant are those cut outs for faces?!

With my man, Lincoln.

The next day was the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum by Dulles.

 The SR-71 Blackbird!

The Enterprise, which has since been replaced by Discovery.

The Concord aka the fastest passenger plane.

After the Air and Space Museum was the Holocaust Museum Memorial.  No photos are allowed, but it was good.


Sunday before we watched General Conference we visited Arlington Cemetery.  Tulips are my favorite.

T's mom under her much-loved wisteria near Arlington House.

 The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  This is a really great (but long) article on the changing of the guard by the Washington Post.

Arlington is always just so lovely.

Monday we took a tour of the capitol.  It was my fifth tour and everyone else's first.  It is ridiculously hard to get a great shot of the Rotunda.  As you can see, I didn't quite succeed.

T's photo turned out much better.

T and I are "Reagan-ing!" (I've mentioned Reagan-ing before - It's a reference from "30 Rock."  Basically, if you're Reagan-ing you've entered a "magic zone of error free living.")

Then we hit up the National History Museum.

The Hope Diamond.  Ooh, sparkly! (Yes, and blurry.  Sorry about that.)

In the middle of the National Mall facing the Capitol (East).

In the middle of the National Mall facing the Washington Monument (west).

 The tulips at the bridge to Arlington!  Told you I love tulips!

 Then it was off to the airport!  It was a pretty busy trip, but I'm also pretty sure they had a good time.