Washington DC

BJ had the incredible honor of being invited to audition for the US Navy Band in Washington DC. So BJ and I took a trip to Washington DC for his audition. We got there the day before his audition and had a quiet night and went to sleep early so we could make it to the Navy Yard with plenty of time for BJ to get warmed up and ready. The Navy Yard had giant anchors everywhere! It was real neat! 

Here is BJ with one of the many anchor monuments!

This is the sign at the main entry gate.
BJ went through his audition and did a great job...however, he didn't get the position. He was pretty bummed. But, because we were done with auditions earlier than expected we used the extra time to do some sightseeing! Because...seriously, what are the chances of us getting back to DC in the near future???!!

Ya, pretty much ZERO!

So we went to the Mall. First we saw the Washington Monument and then headed over to see the Lincoln Memorial.

On the way over we saw this cool tree. I had to take a picture!

Also on the way over to the Lincoln Monument was this big WWII Memorial.

It was amazing! 

A big fountain was surrounded by these giant granite pillars with one representing each state. Of course we found the Utah and Arizona ones!

Then we got to the Lincoln Monument. It was so cool to be there! Almost surreal!

Seeing the Lincoln Memorial was one of the things on BJ's 'Bucket List' so we were excited to be able to do that!
Toward the top of the stairs up to the Lincoln Memorial, in the place where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, was this memorial imprinted into the stone.

SO INCREDIBLE! 

Such history. 

Wow.

On the way back we saw the Vietnam Wall... a quiet respect was felt there that can't be described.

Then we went to see the White House. As we were approaching it, a security guard started pushing and yelling at everyone to get back. He wasn't letting anyone up closer on the lawn, the tourist helicopters all started to turn away and weren't being allowed to fly over the area, and we could see snipers lining the top of the White House. It was a little nerve wracking. 

What was going on??!?! 

Soon we saw the Presidents entourage of a dozen black SUV's all with black tinted windows and flags attached to the antennae pull up to the front door. Apparently the President and the First Family was just getting back from lunch..... 

Nice. 

If you look close at the picture you can see the security guard on the left that was keeping people back and the entourage on the drive in front of the White House.

After we wandered around the gift shops there and saw most of what we wanted, we decided to go and see the Washington DC LDS Temple.

It was beautiful.

There were these beautiful purple flowers everywhere! I loved them!

As we walked around the temple, we noticed this nature path that branched off of the temple grounds. So we decided to walk it. It was so lush and green. Absolutely beautiful. The trees were tall and shaded the area except for a few places where the sun broke through. There were little benches placed along the path occasionally. It was so peaceful! It's about what I image the Sacred Grove (where Joseph Smith prayed and saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Chris) looking like. It was a great opportunity for BJ and I to reflect on all the blessings we have. It allowed BJ to feel better about the audition and brought back the comfort of knowing that all things that happen are guiding us to where we need to be in our life. As we walked we saw a herd of deer grazing. It was such a peaceful moment that I will not forget!

When we left the temple grounds we went out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Delish!
The next morning we got up and decided to go see the Arlington National Cemetery before we had to be to the airport to catch our flight home.

What. An. Amazing. And. Humbling. Experience. 

No pictures can ever capture the full experience and the reverence you feel there.

It was a short trip, but BJ and I enjoyed our time there. It was a great opportunity and a wonderful experience! We're excited to see what the future holds for us!