A wonderful trip

Last weekend my good friend Will got married in Alexandria,Va.  I was his "best woman".   We flew in to DCA on Thursday.  We stayed with our friends, Elaine and Allen.  They have two boys:  Jake who is 6, and Josh who will turn 4 in December.  Gabe had a lot of fun with the boys and loved playing with their toys.

On Friday, we took the Metro downtown and went to Air and Space Museum and then walked up to the Capitol.  The weather was great.  Gabe enjoyed looking at the planes and space ships at the Museum and running on the Mall. 

After we got back, Drew came and visited with us for a while.  It is always good to see him and to catch up.

On Saturday, the kids played outside, riding their bikes in the alley behind the house.  Later, Dave, Elaine, Al, and the boys went to the waterfront, while I tried to put Gabe for a nap.  It didn't work.  His nap schedule was messed up the whole time we were in Va.  Most of the days, he didn't even take a nap. 

In the evening, I attended a wedding rehearsal and then dinner afterwards at Austin Grill.  At the rehearsal, I met Cecelia, Will's then fiancee, now wife, Cecelia's sister and two nieces.  Everyone was very nice and dinner was a lot of fun.

Sunday, we grabbed a lunch and spend some time at a local park trying to take pictures of the boys.

Afterwards, I got ready and headed to meet Will ... and then to the park to get ready for the wedding.  Everything went well and the ceremony was beautiful.  Afterwards, the wedding party, followed by a band that played New Orleans music, and most of the guests marched 16 blocks up Duke Street from the waterfront to Lorien Hotel, for the wedding reception.  The reception started with a cocktail hour, followed by dinner, and dancing.  Good times were had by all.

On Monday, Dave, Gabe, and I drove to Richmond Ginter Botanical Gardens and met up with Patrycja, Eric, and little baby Bennett.  We couldn't have planned the trip any better, as we arrived at the Gardens within minutes of each other.  It was a little hot, but we found shady places to hang out, watch Gabe play, and talk.  I expected that we would stay for about 2 hours, but we stayed for almost 4.  By the time we left, Gabe was exhausted.  He slept all the way back to Alexandria. 

Patrycja and Eric were very relaxed and happy and little Bennett is adorable.  It will be so fun to watch him grow.

Tuesday was our last day in town.  I invited my friend Susan Hartford over and she brought her new baby Lily with her.  Lily is a very cute and calm baby.  We sat outside while Gabe played and talked.  Before I knew it, it was time to pack up and head to the airport. 

The flight was uneventful and we arrived in SLC safe and sound.  Dave's dad picked us up at the airport.  Jojo and Gypsie were very happy to see us. 

It was a fantastic trip.  Thank you Elaine and Allen for your hospitality.