The Copa Chronicles: Washington, D.C.

Happy Birthday! Mon and Dad
are taking you to Washington, D.C.

Avery turned 9 in November. Cameron and I took her to Washington, D.C. to celebrate and left the boys at home. Since I am attempting to get my blog act together, I really couldn't start the new year of blogs without adding a post about our amazing trip to D.C. We love to travel and have been very fortunate to have traveled all over the world. This trip to Washington, D.C. however, was truly one of my favorite trips EVER. Maybe it was because it was my first trip to D.C., but I suspect it was because it was Avery's dream trip and seeing your child be so excited about everything they see makes you realize that making your kids' dreams come true tops just about anything else you can do. We spent the whole week celebrating Avery's 9th birthday by cramming in as many museums we could. We loved riding the metro, taking pictures and learning new things. Avery's favorite spots were Georgetown University Medical School (she has decided this is her top medical school of choice) and the National Museum of Health and Medicine. We also visited the National Museums of Air and Space, American History, Natural History, African Art, American Indian, the National Zoo, the White House, the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress, which Avery decided after she becomes a medical doctor she will need to get a PhD in something so she can request an assigned desk in the Main Reading Room (she sounds like her Uncle Eddie!). Avery crossed off some major Bucket List items on this trip: seeing live panda bears (at the National Zoo), seeing live seahorses (at the National Aquarium) and holding a hissing Madagascar Cockroach (at the National Museum of Natural History). We also got to visit Ford Theatre and the Petersen House (where Lincoln died). I really thought she was going to pass out when we were at the Natural History Museum Insect Hall looking at different exhibits. An insect specialist brought some insects out in little cages for us to observe. He looked at Avery and asked her if she would like to hold some. Of course she said yes and she held a grasshopper and a millipede. Then he opened a cage and brought out the cockroach. He asked her if she knew what it was and she said a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, and then she got to hold it. It was second on her bucket list behind scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Seriously, dreams were made true on this trip. Here are a ton of pictures you may (or may not) want to take a look at.