Mount Vernon

On Tuesday, May 11th, Matt and I packed up our little family and drove to Reston, VA. The Keller's had volunteered to take our kids for the week while Matt and I went on a action packed week in California. The trip to California was a real whirlwind. Seeing family, celebrating my Dad's life and taking in the sights made for a fast paced trip that could not be missed. Without the Keller's, we could not have done it. They are destined for the Celestial Kingdom!

After our California adventures, we decided to slow it down and go sight seeing in Virgina for a bit. First on our list was Mount Vernon, the home of our first President, George Washington. Being married to Matt, I have learned to appreciate history more. And being my parents' daughter, I love a good adventure.

We drove about 45 minutes and arrived at the home of George Washington. The grounds were open for visitors to wander the plantation along with a tour of his home. This was the gate to the garden and his Greenhouse. I felt that I had stepped back in time and I felt the peace and tranquility of my surroundings.

The kids loved wandering through the garden. Looking at the beautiful flowers as well as the crops that were being grown and tended by volunteers. The kids were also given a treasure map with clues that helped them to earn a reward at the end. With the help of our maps and the clues, we all learned a lot.

After a tour of the house that held original artifacts, we rested a spell on the porch and took in the view of the Potomac River.


The kids ran, climbed the gate and picked flowers.



Another favorite game was rolling down the hill. Being that close to history was amazing.

These are the "HAHA walls" that we learned about thanks to our treasure map. George needed a way to keep the cattle in the meadow and not close to the house without a tacky wall. So he built these short walls. The house was on top of the wall and the animals below, and we all know that cows can't climb walls. But if you were playing a game of tag on the house lawn and did not know that the walls were there, you would fall off. Then everyone would laugh at you...hence the "HAHA walls"

Some of us got a little carried away with the name...

What an amazing sight! Thinking of George Washington riding his horse up to this same point to return home from the battlefields, then retiring to his small den to run our newly formed Country. Amazing.

This was a great day to make memories. Claire said over and over again, "I wish I was George Washington's Granddaughter so I could live here". Lance and Jack loved seeing statues of Washington as a solider. Each one of them had their favorite part of Mount Vernon. It was a wonderful experience to bring history to life.