What we've been up to

So, sometimes we DO actually do things, I mean apart from Colby going to work and me sitting around at home and watching Pocahontas and making paper snowflakes, which I don't exactly count as things. And because I finally figured out how to get the pictures off of my camera onto Colby's computer, here is a start on the sort of things we've been doing. At least one example, anyhow, with I hope a lot more to follow.

Two weekends ago (weekend before last?) we took the metro downtown to the national botanical garden. It is my new most favorite place in all of the D.C. metro area and I would happily go every week if I could. Not only was it jungly and humid and warm, with all kinds of great tropical plants, it was decorated for Christmas!

This is just to give you an idea of how beautiful it was in there. Just felt like another country. Maybe one a lot closer to the equator. And the Christmas tree was spectacular!

Here you can see the Christmas tree again. And behind me, that little building, is one of tons of these teeny replicas they had of D.C. landmarks, all made out of botanical materials!

Here's Colby on a log bridge! See how great the foliage was (and how attractive he is)?

This is so you can see the catwalks they had. You could walk around the whole perimeter of the main atrium a whole story in the air, and see everything from another perspective! Also there were more plants up there.

The atrium we have pictures of wasn't even the only one - there were many more rooms, each with different kinds of plants from different climates. It was so much fun.

After the botanical garden we went to the National Archives where we saw the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. I am so grateful to live in this country, and I think it's so appropriate that anyone can go see these founding documents. We finished up the day at the National Portrait Gallery, where there was a fantastic Norman Rockwell exhibit. And the best part? All we paid was the cost of riding the metro (which was so fun that we didn't mind very much). Hooray for free museums! The whole day made us feel like true locals. We love living here.