Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Spring Break - Washington DC

For spring break we decided to take a family trip to Washington DC as Kate and Noah have never been there before and we thought it was about time.  Arriving in DC at Reagan international - waiting for the train at the Subway.  We got really accustom to public transportation and DC was no different.

Noah and Kate posing:
Outside the FBI building
More of the FBI building:
Inside the capital rotunda.
The library of Congress:
Capital day:
US supreme court:

Only a bill, and were sitting on capital hill:
Senator David Gardner?
Kate outside the Hirshhorn, with one of her favorite pieces of art:

Noah in the Lincoln Memorial:
WWII war memorial:
Found it:
Jefferson memorial - first time we were able to see it close up, worth the trip:
Jefferson:
Washington Memorial from the Jefferson Memorial:
FDR memorial, near the Jefferson Memorial, we all really liked, one of our favorite memorials in DC.  Four different rooms, one for each of FDR's terms in office.
The bread line, Kate noticed the qoute next to the bread line and thought it very profound and valid today. I was touched when we walked toward the MLK memorial and she commented that more people should take this quote to heart:


The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little
MLK monument, about to be unvailed:
Smithsonian castle, our favorite spot to take a break (Magnolias in bloom):
We met up with one of Noah's good friends family, Noah enjoyed spending time with a good friend in DC:

Back in the Magnolias at the Smithsonian:

Dinner in China town at Vapianos, we were all exited to go here as Vapianos was one of our favorite restaurants in Dresden, we went most Sundays.  We don't have one near us so this brought back great memories.
The kids, in one of the museums, Noah about to be chewed out for carrying a soda bottle:
Museum of Natual History:

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Itasca Minnesota (August 2010)

Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the Mississippi river and also a research outpost for the University of Minnesota (where Melissa is now an Associate Professor!  http://www.gcd.umn.edu/html/faculty_pages/Gardner.html).  Melissa had a presentation to new Graduate students and Noah and I joined along to take advantage of the prime Minnesota location, as Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 lakes".



Fishing on Itasca, Noah looking for the next good fishing spot, Melissa relaxing and enjoying the outdoors.

Noah and Keith on walking down the Mississippi River, where it is only about 10 feet (3 meters) wide.

Cape Cod (July 2010 -Woods Hole, MA) Melissa was teaching and we were Beaching.

 Melissa left Germany first to teach at Woods Hole, so we joined up with here there to enjoy the beaches.  


One of the light houses that the Cape is known for.

Old blog from our adventures in and around Dresden

Link to our original blog from our year stay in Dresden:


Looking back i wish it would have been longer, we all loved Dresden, Germany, and Europe and it has changed us all.



Back home cheering on the German team in the World Cup!