Willeitners in Washington

The countdown to go home has started. We leave in 9 days and I have to say that in spite of all the fun things we have seen and done, I am ready to go home. Fortunately we had some visitors last week to distract us from our homesickness. Warren's sister Brianna and husband Ryan decided to celebrate their one year anniversary by visiting us! They visited the typical tourist attractions of the Nation's Capitol and we tagged along to some places not yet visited - Georgetown, Mount Vernon, and the National Archives. We visited the temple together to celebrate their anniversary. Being the outdoorsy type Ryan and Brianna expressed interest in visiting several nearby National Parks. We took a Sunday drive and short walk in Shenandoah National Park and viewed the Potomac waterfalls at Great Falls National Park. Highlights of our week with them -

Mount Vernon
Curly petting a mule at Mt Vernon, Nikki & Lory came too!
Happy Anniversary!
Shenandoah National Park

Brianna, truly young at heart on the Carousel at the National Mall

We visited the monuments at dusk and that is now what I recommend - Less crowded, cooler, and they glow!

Great Falls National Park - This day was super hot!!! Notice Ryan and Brianna carrying the girls - they insisted on being helpful all the time! It is a great talent they have!

I guess this blog post wouldn't be complete without a mini history lesson - so here you go. The colonies were set up to produce goods for the mother land. Many farmers in the colonies were going into debt trying to farm tobacco as it was taxed heavily. George Washington decided to beat the British system. He grew some tobacco that he would sell to Britain, but on the side he grew wheat and developed faster ways of threshing. He sold his wheat all over the world and made quite a profit.

Both he and Jefferson took seriously the management of their households, even while away serving the nation. In detailed letters, they specified how they wanted things run at their homes.

Interestingly, President Washington wasn't home much to enjoy the place. After leading the military in the War for Independence, then retiring as Commander in Chief, he headed the Continental Congress that wrote the Constitution and then was elected President. He served two terms before returning home, where he died two years later. He basically served his country all of this adult life.