Jenica has been raising funds for 2 years through many fundraisers (thank you to everyone who bought something from her) for the Jr. High trip to D.C. and the day has finally come when she could take that trip. (#840) It's an incredible opportunity for these 7th and 8th graders to spend 5 days in our Nation's Capitol. And I was very blessed that I could go with Jenica as one of the adult chaperones. (#841)
Our group consisted of 38 students and 14 adults. We loaded onto a motorcoach last Sunday afternoon and spent the night in Omaha. We got up at 4am, left the hotel at 5am, and landed in D.C. at noon. As soon as our feet hit the ground, we were pounding the pavement. I decided to wear my pedometer each day, out of curiousity. At the end of our trip, we had walked 68,369 steps. (34 miles) We walked all over the place, and the fact that my RA didn't flare up is a gift. (#842)
As I listened to our expert tour guide (the lady with the blue cap and red/white/blue flag thingy), walking in the heart of D.C., I stood in awe at the way God chose our founding fathers and how He used them to establish our country. It's very clear how His mighty hand was involved from the beginning.
The center of DC happens to be at this very spot in the center of the Capitol.
We had many reasons to be thankful. (#843) Besides all the first-hand experiences at each place, we had safety while traveling, no one got hurt, no one got lost, our students were well behaved, we had beautiful weather, it only rained while we were inside buildings or on the bus, great photo opps all week, being able to buy bottled water from our bus driver, and just experiencing the impressive city that my husband (and son) dreams about working in some day.
This wasn't my first trip to D.C. It's my second. My first trip was in either 2003 or '04 when Chad took a group of Seniors on a 1-day "Senior Sneak Trip" to D.C. It was insane, trying to see DC in 1 day. So, I'm happy that this trip wasn't a blur.
8th grade girls pose for a picture
Senator Ben Nelson took time to chat with us, answer our questions, and pose for a photo.
The sun beaming on the west side of the Washington Monument created a beautiful relfection in the Tidal Basin, as we walked from the FDR Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. (#844) Did I mention that the weather was just perfect last week? Everyone in trips past, has complained about the extremetly hot and humid weather in DC. We lucked out! Definitely recognized as a gift from Above.
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