Ok it didn't take me that many hours to write part 4. Some really bad weather & seizures to deal with.
What a wonderful day to rest! I am not sure how Mike made it through another day of conferences after the late night we had. After some of us (not me) had enough of being lazy we went to the pool to pass some time before dad got back.
That night when Mike got back we had supper & spent the beautiful evening walking around the wonderfully accessible National Harbor. Another stop by the Peeps store. On the way back to our room we discovered Godiva now makes milkshakes. Let me tell you the chocolate caramel one is delicious. I walked enough this week that it was ok if I had one. LOL!!!
Next morning Mike was up & out early again for his conference. We torn between the zoo, Alexandria, & the botanic garden. Everyone said the zoo out of those 3. We knew we would have a couple of hours when Mike got done with his conference. I was getting everyone ready when Mike walked in & the fire alarm went off. We get everyone in their wheelchairs trying to figure out how to get down the stairs with them. We called the front desk. No answer as I am sure all of them had headed outside. Thankfully the fire was taken care of with no one hurt. I had just fed Abe got up to get his clothes & before I could turn around Michala had pulled his gtube out. Balloon still completely blown up. I search for a syringe to deflate it & put it in. Forgot how much water & so thankful my friend Mary Jane was by the phone to answer & help me.
We get ready & as we walk outside the bottom falls out. We still head to the zoo but only to sit in DC traffic. Some how we made it & had time to most of it & definitely everything we wanted to see. As we are walking out of an exhibit I tell Mike the sky doesn't look good. We are at the very bottom of the zoo. My friend Maggie said the zoo is very hilly & boy was she right. Especially when you are pushing a wheelchair while running in down pouring rain.
We drive back through the DC traffic in the rain this time. It had cleared in National Harbor so we decided to try Grace's Mandarin for dinner. Very nice fancy restaurant with a beautiful view of the Potomac. We had just ordered & Michala flooded the beautiful marble floor with her daily episode. I get up & push her out. Our waiter was so kind & very concerned about Michala & me not getting my meal. She & I went left the restaurant just as it happened again. We get to the room, start the laundry yet again, finish a bath just as they walk in with my food. Perfect timing!
Friday morning Mike & Marlee Anne get up early to go get in line to see if they can get us tickets for the Washington monument. We had been trying to get them online but it was booked. They were 300th in line and were able to get 10 tickets. We were meeting my soul sista & her family that day & wanted them to get to come with us.
We ended up meeting Cyndi, her husband & their 2 daughters at Mount Vernon. As we are looking for a place to park my phone rings. It's Cyndi saying did you not even see us? I laugh & say no where are ya'll. She laughs & says we are the only black people around. We are all cracking up & Mike says we don't see color.
You would think it had only been a few days since we had seen each other. It's the most relaxing wonderful time with our families together. What blessings they are to us. Some of our most wonderful prayer warriors. We always giggle when we are together. This was no exception. At least we didn't know if the stares were for the wheelchairs or the 2 families together. Well ok one time we know what the stare meant. Nicki (black girl) was pushing Abe (white baby) & this older gentleman working there was too funny. His expression was priceless. At least Nicki was acting ok at the time & not being one of her aliases.
George & Martha's home was really lovely. The land was incredible. Their graves were very nice. The slave memorial was very beautiful the way it was set in the trees.
Again hills. Had it not been for Marcus taking over for me & Nicki taking over for Cyndi I do not think we would have made it back up the mountain. We were a hot mess!!! LOL!!! Quisha & Marlee Anne sat patiently at the top waiting on us.
Oh I forgot to mention that we were all taking picture of this tree that no one wants to claim said it was an apple. As I got closer I saw it was actually an orange. The gardens were absolutely beautiful along with the huge majestic trees.
We were not able to see it all in a day and would love to go back sometime to the museum. We decided to all have dinner together at the country buffet. It was so good to have some real food while enjoying the fellowship together. More giggles as Nicki brought her aliases out. Quisha was sitting quietly & we figured out she was enjoying her food.
They decide to start on their 3.5 hour drive home & skip the monument. As we walk out once again the bottom falls out. As we are driving we all see trees blown down over the fence into the street. Thankful that we were protected from whatever blew through.
We get to the Washington monument & find a HC parking place right beside it. We have 4 extra tickets so Marlee Anne, Michala, Abe & I go look got someone we can give them to. We see a family of 4 looking at their map and ask if they had been to the top. They tell us no that they weren't able to get tickets. We asked it they would like them & the mom starts crying. The dad tears up and said are you serious. We explain to them that our friends were not able to come with us. They were all so excited & could not thank us enough.
When it's our turn we go through security check & up the elevator. We go up 500 feet. When we step off the elevator & look out the window - WOW! That has to be one of the most amazing experiences in my life.
Out one window we watched as a plane landed. Has anyone flown into Ronald Reagan airport? I think it would be really cool! Out one window we saw Maryland & Virginia. We saw The White House, the Capital, pentagon & all the memorials. Oh and the mall with all the museums. On the way down in the elevator we get to see some of the walls as the windows open on the elevator. Very neat experience! So thankful that worked out.
Abe's seizures finally stopped after 2 doses of Ativan. It's still raining & storming. We have just 2 more hours to go & we will be home. Thanks for letting me share our trip with ya'll! Now my journaling is done for the scrapbook.
Love & respect to all!!!
What a wonderful day to rest! I am not sure how Mike made it through another day of conferences after the late night we had. After some of us (not me) had enough of being lazy we went to the pool to pass some time before dad got back.
That night when Mike got back we had supper & spent the beautiful evening walking around the wonderfully accessible National Harbor. Another stop by the Peeps store. On the way back to our room we discovered Godiva now makes milkshakes. Let me tell you the chocolate caramel one is delicious. I walked enough this week that it was ok if I had one. LOL!!!
Next morning Mike was up & out early again for his conference. We torn between the zoo, Alexandria, & the botanic garden. Everyone said the zoo out of those 3. We knew we would have a couple of hours when Mike got done with his conference. I was getting everyone ready when Mike walked in & the fire alarm went off. We get everyone in their wheelchairs trying to figure out how to get down the stairs with them. We called the front desk. No answer as I am sure all of them had headed outside. Thankfully the fire was taken care of with no one hurt. I had just fed Abe got up to get his clothes & before I could turn around Michala had pulled his gtube out. Balloon still completely blown up. I search for a syringe to deflate it & put it in. Forgot how much water & so thankful my friend Mary Jane was by the phone to answer & help me.
We get ready & as we walk outside the bottom falls out. We still head to the zoo but only to sit in DC traffic. Some how we made it & had time to most of it & definitely everything we wanted to see. As we are walking out of an exhibit I tell Mike the sky doesn't look good. We are at the very bottom of the zoo. My friend Maggie said the zoo is very hilly & boy was she right. Especially when you are pushing a wheelchair while running in down pouring rain.
We drive back through the DC traffic in the rain this time. It had cleared in National Harbor so we decided to try Grace's Mandarin for dinner. Very nice fancy restaurant with a beautiful view of the Potomac. We had just ordered & Michala flooded the beautiful marble floor with her daily episode. I get up & push her out. Our waiter was so kind & very concerned about Michala & me not getting my meal. She & I went left the restaurant just as it happened again. We get to the room, start the laundry yet again, finish a bath just as they walk in with my food. Perfect timing!
Friday morning Mike & Marlee Anne get up early to go get in line to see if they can get us tickets for the Washington monument. We had been trying to get them online but it was booked. They were 300th in line and were able to get 10 tickets. We were meeting my soul sista & her family that day & wanted them to get to come with us.
We ended up meeting Cyndi, her husband & their 2 daughters at Mount Vernon. As we are looking for a place to park my phone rings. It's Cyndi saying did you not even see us? I laugh & say no where are ya'll. She laughs & says we are the only black people around. We are all cracking up & Mike says we don't see color.
You would think it had only been a few days since we had seen each other. It's the most relaxing wonderful time with our families together. What blessings they are to us. Some of our most wonderful prayer warriors. We always giggle when we are together. This was no exception. At least we didn't know if the stares were for the wheelchairs or the 2 families together. Well ok one time we know what the stare meant. Nicki (black girl) was pushing Abe (white baby) & this older gentleman working there was too funny. His expression was priceless. At least Nicki was acting ok at the time & not being one of her aliases.
George & Martha's home was really lovely. The land was incredible. Their graves were very nice. The slave memorial was very beautiful the way it was set in the trees.
Again hills. Had it not been for Marcus taking over for me & Nicki taking over for Cyndi I do not think we would have made it back up the mountain. We were a hot mess!!! LOL!!! Quisha & Marlee Anne sat patiently at the top waiting on us.
Oh I forgot to mention that we were all taking picture of this tree that no one wants to claim said it was an apple. As I got closer I saw it was actually an orange. The gardens were absolutely beautiful along with the huge majestic trees.
We were not able to see it all in a day and would love to go back sometime to the museum. We decided to all have dinner together at the country buffet. It was so good to have some real food while enjoying the fellowship together. More giggles as Nicki brought her aliases out. Quisha was sitting quietly & we figured out she was enjoying her food.
They decide to start on their 3.5 hour drive home & skip the monument. As we walk out once again the bottom falls out. As we are driving we all see trees blown down over the fence into the street. Thankful that we were protected from whatever blew through.
We get to the Washington monument & find a HC parking place right beside it. We have 4 extra tickets so Marlee Anne, Michala, Abe & I go look got someone we can give them to. We see a family of 4 looking at their map and ask if they had been to the top. They tell us no that they weren't able to get tickets. We asked it they would like them & the mom starts crying. The dad tears up and said are you serious. We explain to them that our friends were not able to come with us. They were all so excited & could not thank us enough.
When it's our turn we go through security check & up the elevator. We go up 500 feet. When we step off the elevator & look out the window - WOW! That has to be one of the most amazing experiences in my life.
Out one window we watched as a plane landed. Has anyone flown into Ronald Reagan airport? I think it would be really cool! Out one window we saw Maryland & Virginia. We saw The White House, the Capital, pentagon & all the memorials. Oh and the mall with all the museums. On the way down in the elevator we get to see some of the walls as the windows open on the elevator. Very neat experience! So thankful that worked out.
Abe's seizures finally stopped after 2 doses of Ativan. It's still raining & storming. We have just 2 more hours to go & we will be home. Thanks for letting me share our trip with ya'll! Now my journaling is done for the scrapbook.
Love & respect to all!!!
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