A Trip to Our Nation's Capitol

Last weekend, Charlie and I traveled to Washington D.C. for a long weekend to visit Andi in her new home! Mollie met us there from Denver. What a fabulous trip!

Andi lives in Vienna, VA, a quaint suburb 15 minutes outside of the Capitol. On Friday night, when Andi got home from her new job as a nurse in a Maryland rehabilitation hospital, we ate slices of fresh pizza and listened to the Navy band perform jazz in the park. Mollie's flight landed around midnight, so Andi and I stayed up late talking, eager for her to join us!

On Saturday, we dressed up for Mollie's appointment to try on wedding dresses at an upscale bridal boutique (sandwiched between Tiffany and Hermes - ooh la la). Mollie looked gorgeous and radiant -- absolutely breathtaking. Afterwards, we sipped wine at an outdoor cafe and discussed all sorts of grown-up topics that we couldn't quite imagine discussing five -- or even two? -- years ago, like jobs, children, health care reform (how can you not talk politics on Capitol Hill? We had to look the part). We popped our head in a few shops, split a custard, and met Andi's boyfriend, Kyle, for dinner at a fantastic Turkish restaurant walking distance from Andi's apartment. That night, we popped a celebratory bottle of champagne.

The next morning, we all drove to downtown D.C. to see the National Mall -- the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial and more. I've been to DC as a kid twice -- once with a girl scout troop when we lived in Boston, and once with my choir to sing for president George Bush in the White House -- but it was different visiting as an adult. I kept thinking about all that I have to teach my children about the freedom we enjoy as American citizens. It was an amazing weekend, and Andrea was a lovely hostess.

Meanwhile back in Nashville, Rob and Madeline had the time of their lives going to the zoo, the farmer's market and the swimming pool. They also baked a batch of cookies and whipped up a huge vat of gumbo (six times the recipe!). On Sunday night, as Rob put Madeline to bed, he told her he had to go to work the next day, but that he loved their weekend together....she burst into tears! Rob admitted that he teared up a little too (who wouldn't?). They had a lot of fun, but it was also really special father-daughter time together.