Trip to DC & Baltimore

Last week Chuck and I had the opportunity to take some time away since I had a conference in Baltimore. We made it a 5-day trip and really had a great time, despite all the working I did too!

Our first stop was in Fredericksburg, VA on the way to meet some friends for coffee. This is Carl's Ice Cream and is THE BEST ice cream ever. Chuck thought it was good, but wouldn't call it the best...he thought I was just being nostalgic because I had that ice cream so much as a kid. Either way, it will always be my favorite. When I told my dad and sister that I was going to stop by there, both of them said "eat a cone for me too!" Although I didn't have three ice cream cones, I did have the large size and enjoyed every bit of it.

As a side note, we were in line with another lady who was pregnant. She asked if we had picked out a baby name. Almost immediately, I said "yes, but we're not telling anyone the name until she's born." Chuck laughed and said, "well, these people don't know us...we can tell them!" So, sorry to all of you out there who are pining to learn our baby's name, but the ladies in line at Carl's are the only ones who know!

After the mandatory stop for ice cream, we headed to Stafford, VA for a chat with some long time friends at a new coffee shop. We then enjoyed a relaxing evening with the family we stayed with Saturday and Sunday nights before the conference began. Sunday included a wonderful time of worship with some of my favorite people - people who helped raise me to be the person I am today. It was great to be back there and reflect on all the good memories created through the years.

After church and a wonderful authentic German meal of goulash with our friends, we headed to Washington, DC for the afternoon. We spent the day walking around taking in the sites and checking out a few of the museums. This is me in front of the Smithsonian Castle.

Chuck found a cool outside exhibit that showed the solar system and the relative distance between the planets. In this picture he's excited that he found the last planet...far far away from the others!

We were hoping to get to DC in time for Chuck to see the inside of the capitol building, but it was closed by the time we arrived. We did walk around the outside though and talked with the security people, taking time to thank them for the jobs they do everyday. Chuck is always so good to remember to encourage people like that!

Here's a picture of the house I grew up in from 5th - 12th grade. I always like to stop by and check it out when I'm in town :).