Memorial Day Weekend at Fredericksburg National Cemetery

Each year on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Boy Scouts from the Fredericksburg area set out American flags and light luminary on the graves at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, where 16,000 Civil War Union soldiers are buried. 

It is a beautiful, solemn and moving experience to walk through this cemetery in the dark, the way lit only by the candlelight from the luminary.  Though there are hundreds of people making their way to, from, and around the cemetery during this time, it is quiet and there is a reverent atmosphere, punctuated every 30 minutes by the playing of Taps.



The entrance to the cemetery is at the base of a hill, and as we walked up more and more luminary came into sight, until we crested the hill and they were spread out before and around us.  My first thought when I saw the candles spread out in front of me was how incredibly beautiful it was, and a second later I remembered that all that beauty represents thousands of people who died tragically in war time and I was filled with awe at the pain and suffering this sight represents, not only of those who died, but of their families and friends.

 

History Comes Alive

I had explained to the girls where we were going that night, but they didn't fully understand until we got there how large the cemetery is and how many people are buried there.  I told the girls they had to be quiet going through the cemetery to show their respect and they were.  They also started bowing to each grave we passed, and with 16,000 graves in the cemetery that would have taken forever, so I complemented them on their good manners then told them they didn't have to bow to each grave.

I think Elise really grasped the significance of this Memorial Day event, because she told me she was thankful these people had fought for our country.  Experiences like this make history personal and more memorable.

The girls investigated several gravestones, to find the
name of the person buried there.

Our friend Will, who is an American
History professor and works with
Jason, helped the girls figure out
the abbreviations on the gravestones.

Living in a historical place certainly has benefits when it comes to gaining an appreciation for historical events.  This is a unique experience and it is nice to think we can go every year if we want, and be reminded of where our country has come from.

A Visit to the National Zoo

Being 50 miles from Washington, D.C. gives us opportunities for all kinds of great things.  Last weekend we drove up and visited the National Zoo!

Elise and Anja are animal lovers and they enjoy anything having to do with animals.  They prefer hands-on animal activities, but still get excited about a visit to the zoo.

Pandas!

The biggest attraction at the zoo right now are the pandas.  Last summer a panda cub was born at the zoo, and people have been pretty excited to see Bao Bao, the baby.  We headed to see the pandas first and were fortunate to find them outside!

The mama, Mei Xiang

Mei seemed to be looking for her baby.

Baby Bao Bao was hiding down below the ledge,
so cute!

Lions and tigers and wolves, oh my!

We got to see some tigers from a distance, and outside the exhibit the girls compared their hands to the huge paws of a tiger.

So much to see and do

We made plenty of stops for snacks
and treats.



The view is better from on top
of Jason's shoulders.

AAAAAGH!  Elise is being eaten by a dinosaur!

Anja found the dinosaur much less threatening.

That dinosaur footprint is HUGE!

Anja got a lift from Grandpa
when she got tired.

These girls love amphibians!

Getting a closer look

Taking a ride on the carousel.

Otters!  The real ones were
fun to watch.

A very happy girl.

This is in the Amazonia exhibit.  There were even
bigger fish in the tank, but I didn't get
them in the picture.  These fish are huge!
It made me decide I never want to be in any
water of the Amazon.

The National Zoo is pretty large, and we visited as many animals as we could before we got worn out and headed home.  We didn't feel too bad about not seeing them all, as the National Zoo is free and we will certainly go back again.  Whatever we missed on this trip we will see next time!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day!  We made a whole weekend out of it.  On Saturday while Jason was at UMW commencement, the girls and I wandered around the farmer's market, where we bought crab cakes and locally grown asparagus and strawberries (I LOVE living in a warmer climate!).  We also got cinnamon rolls :) 

The beautiful bounty of the
farmer's market.

Anja thought the fennel looked like
hair so she tried it on.

 At the farmer's market I entered a raffle to win a cake and later that day got a call saying I won!  Woo hoo, dessert for Mother's Day!

The cake I won in a raffle!

Sunday started early with the girls waking me up to deliver handmade presents. (I got to enjoy a nap later while Jason entertained the girls.  A NAP!  What a treat!)

Later, we went to Mom and Dad's and just hung out. 

Me and the world's best mom.

 Jason cooked us an excellent lunch (of crab cakes and asparagus -- YUM!).  It was a totally delightful weekend!

A Parkside Singer

Elise and Anja's school has a chorus for 4th and 5th graders, with practice in the mornings or afterschool twice a week.  In January they invite 3rd graders to participate for the second half of the school year, and Elise jumped at the chance to join. 

Elise loves to sing.  She sings all the time around the house and in the car.  Being in a chorus has been interesting for her, because she has had to read music and practice her singing.  One day she was complaining because when they made a mistake the chorus director made them stop and do it again.  She didn't like that they had to do things over and over, she just wanted to keep going.  She auditioned for a solo this spring, which required her to sing in front of the whole chorus by herself during a practice.  She didn't get the solo, but I was deeply proud of her for trying out.  Valuable lessons are being learned here.

Recently, Elise had her first performance with the Parkside Singers and she did a great job!

Here is some video of the Parkside Singers performing El Gato.

My Beloved Geriatric Dog

In the past few weeks we have been to the vet several times with Dutch.  He is 12 years old, and is in his "golden years" as the vet put it some time ago.  The last time we made a vet visit was a few days ago, and as they took him back for his second blood draw of the day, I passed the time by examining the pictures and posters on the wall.  One I noticed across the room was a chart showing the physiological age of cats and dogs.  I leaned in to read it and had to hang there a while as I traced the numbers down to "12 Years" then across to poundage.  My heart sank when I realized my beloved dog is in the "Geriatric" range.  Geriatric??  That makes me think decrepit and frail.  But my dear dog is robust and filled with vitality, how can he be geriatric? 

But how I perceive him is not how he really is.  The truth is that my poor dog has slowed down dramatically in the past couple of years.  He walks slowly, has trouble navigating stairs, and stumbles often.  From the results of blood tests we know things we can't see on the outside:  that his liver is starting to give out on him.  The vet has said that at the most we have a few more months to enjoy Dutch.  He's been with me for 12 years.  It is hard to think about life without this big guy.


Tae Kwon Do Blue Belt Test

When Anja started doing Tae Kwon Do in Fredericksburg, she told her instructor, Master Lee, that she wanted to be a black belt.  If she keeps up her current pace, she may be a junior black belt by the time she is 10!  Her most recent test was to advance to a blue belt. 

Anja had TKD testing after her field trip day at
school, so she was worn-out before she even
got started.

At each test, she must perform a new form pattern, self-defense moves, sparring moves, and she must break a board in a proscribed way (with a certain kind of kick or hand strike).  The girl works hard and focuses!

Doing her form.

One part of testing that many students get nervous about is board breaking.  It is pretty exciting to watch them.  You can see a video of Anja breaking her board here.  It is pretty quick, so don't blink!


She did it, and has the broken board to prove it.

 

 

After finishing her test, Anja's group watched
the next group test and waited to be
awarded their new belts.

Taking off the old belt...

and putting on the new belt.

Ta da!