TRACY BLOGS

This Spring Break I took the kids down to Washington DC to visit Grandmommy and see some more of the Smithsonian Museums and Monuments. We go almost every year.

Grandmommy was beautiful as always.
95 years old and doesn't look a day over 80!

She loved watching the kids climb in her her favorite kind of tree, the Cherry Tree.

On the 5 hour drive down we listened to a book on tape about Abraham Lincoln 

We all think Abraham Lincoln is the bomb even though we learned that people really hated him while he was president, that happens a lot with Republicans. Hated in office but loved in history.

This is at the National Gardens we checked out to see if it would be a good place to take Grandmommy. The only great part was this spot.

Corban at the Washington Monument which we could not go into as it has been roped off and not safe since the big earthquake last year. 

I grew up (as did my mom) playing on this beautiful land full of trees where Grandaddy and Grandmommy built their dream home so many years ago. The home and the land have now been totally leveled, not one tree left. It only remains in our memory.  They are building 5 homes like the one you see here on the land. 

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Love going to the Mall, the Washington Mall

Boys playing at the National Garden in an empty fountain. Everything was deserted and looked like it was from the 60's besides this Roman spot. 

River's best friend in the world moved to Washington DC this past year and met us in the city.

They had fun together exploring on their own and eating yummy Indian food.

River is holding the Washington Monument in her hand, boy that girl is strong!

Always a joy to share meals with Grandmommy, what a view she has!

Kelly, River, Me with a fat vest on and Connor with his Abraham Lincoln hat he wore the entire trip.

Boys play tag, love this one.

Connor aka Abraham

Corban will be twelve in June, need to get as many photos of him little as I can - the clock is ticking.

River played and sang songs she wrote for Grandmommy, one called "You are the most beautiful, wonderful Grandmommy I've ever had" Grandmommy was thrilled as always :)

The Hope Diamond

A space saucer was landing, or a finger.

That's the White House back behind the boys. The kids Great, Great Grandfather William Charles Cronenberg worked in the Department of Accounting just to the right of the White House.
The boys had a great Spring Break! So did River, so did I - though I did miss Juan, he had to work. I am so thankful that I still have my Grandmother to talk to and hear all the old stories of how her father would go quail hunting at the title basin right by the White House or how Grandaddy would Lead a Forth of July parade in "The District" dressed as Uncle Sam because he was the tallest boy in the neighborhood. One of the first people to walk into the Pentagon after it was first built (and not a pentagon shape yet) was my Grandfather. There is so much family history in this town and I love love love to come here again and again. Sharing our family history with my children is so much fun. Now it is time to go on to South Philadelphia so I can learn more of the Lucia family history and teach that to my children as well. Hopefully we will have a chance to do that this summer...