The Everhart 8 is now 4 couples - it has symmetry - like the Beatles - Jack - Kate - Drew - Robin - Liz - Keith - Harry - Lulu.
Kate - Drew - Liz - Keith - Robin - Drew - Lulu - Harry celebrated a wonderful year with a Christmas in the Nation's Capital. Harry and Lulu flew in for 5 days from Tallahassee FL. Drew and family drove up from Richmond VA. We celebrated in Liz and Keith's condo.
There have been a few big changes this year for the Everhart's. Jack started kindergarten and Kate started pre-school. Liz and Keith were married in August. Lulu and Harry are finishing up a new home - hopefully the family will meet there next Christmas.
On Christmas Eve - Keith and Liz prepared a meal of lobster - shrimp - and steak. On Christmas Day they prepared a ham dinner. They also prepared pear tarts from scratch.
This year - presents were exchanged at Keith and Liz's. It was so exciting when the kids arrived in the black CRV. When they left the Honda station wagon was full of Christmas booty.
Lulu and Harry spent the 4 nights at the Embassy Suite a few blocks away on 22nd Street. Lulu found a super discount that included a fantastic breakfast - wifi - evening snacks and drinks -and a nice warm pool. The suite contained a living room - bedroom - bathroom - and a little kitchenette. Keith and Liz's present condo has just one bedroom - and it would have been tight on the two sofas in their living room.
It is Saturday morning - we have one day of entertainment left. We are going to a Georgetown Hoya basketball game with Keith and Liz. Then we fly home late tonight.
The National Mall was crowded with visitors up until sunset. Then it was empty even though several of the museums were still open. Lulu and I can't get enough of those museums. We cherish all the trips we made there with our kids and our students. We went to see the Capitol Christmas tree. The Botanical Gardens were packed with people wanting to see the model trains weaving among the plants. The Museums of National History and American History were packed until sunset - then things opened up nicely.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - our hotel was empty. We sat at the giant breakfast buffet all alone - smugly enjoying the quiet atrium. But the next 3 days it was packed. Imagine that. It seems that the days after Christmas are prime tourist days here.
We love seeing friends and families - the weather may have been nice for Northerners - but it was very cold by Florida standards. But Florida's warm climate - history - flora - and fauna beckon us home. In 9 days - our new Florida Cracker Plantation Home - will be done.
When we get home today - we plan to rest up a bit. Then - we will fire up the Roadtrek Camper and drive south for a few days. Destination is Sarasota and the Ringling Circus Musuem. FSU owns it and there is free admission for faculty. :-) We will spend New Year's Eve on some obscure beach - just the two of us. We will celebrate 2014 - and all of the changes to come for the Everhart 8.
Jack loved all the presents he found under Keith's Christmas tree.
Drew and Robin got shirts.
Jack is in kindergarten - but he is already a fluent reader. I do not know who is reading here.
Liz was the perfect host to our party. Lulu - Jack - Kate - and Robin were playing with the new gifts.
The elevator is quite Euro - once I hopped in the Everhart 8 filled it up to bulging.
One of the best times was walking down the street to the playground. Kate had her pretty red Christmas dress on.
Directly across the street from "California House" where Keith and Liz live - is a Catholic school and church.
Drew - Lulu - Kate - Jack.
Lulu loves Christmas trees - the National Tree came from a farm in Lehighton PA - just 14 miles from Tamaqua.
The mall was crowded Christmas Day - but as the sun set people vanished.
At sunset - the ice rink in front of the National Archives on the mall was busy.
This is the USS Philadelphia in the National History Museum. It was built in 1776 by Benedict Arnold and used to defend the colonies on Lake Champlain. It was sunk in battle - preventing England from dividing the colonies. It sat on the lake bottom with its mast straight up for 160 years. When found in 1939 - it was lifted and placed in the museum before the walls were completed. It is over 200 years old and still intact.
Lulu found this book about Lulu - in the Golden Book display.
I found this Golden Book about Two Miners.
I would like to find a copy of Two Little Miners.
I would like to get the Costume from the "Nurse Nancy" Golden Book.
After driving north to Wilmington DE to visit my sister Judy and her husband Rich - we drove home via Annapolis MD. We listened as Maryland lost the Military Bowl to Marshall University there. After we returned the rental car - we had supper at the Beer Baron just a couple blocks up the street from our hotel. I never saw so many different beer cans. I enjoyed a Sam Adams Chocolate Squirrel and a chicken pot pie. Lulu had crab cakes.
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