Thanksgiving Break in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

We spent the Thanksgiving break in Nashville, Tennessee.  Kyle is working on a project that recently started there until the person who will be the conversion guru finishes on another project.  This means that as a short term assignment the company provides an apartment for him.  We came and made use of that apartment and did a little exploring.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

We spent the Thanksgiving afternoon/evening at the Wardle's home.  Emily (Haroldsen) and family welcomed us and it was nice to see a familiar face and enjoy some yummy food.  The boys enjoyed playing on the Switch with Denny, Hannah entertained us all (especially Zachary), the Elders brought a good feeling of community, Emily prepared a delicious meal, and finally pies were enjoyed for dessert.  

The Parthenon

The Parthenon was originally built for the centennial celebration of Tennessee becoming a state so 1896.  It had to be rebuilt/repaired in 1937 but it is a exact duplicate architecture wise of the one in Greece.  Kyle and I saw it when I was bringing him home from work on Wednesday, and then we visited it as well as the surrounding Centennial Park Friday morning.

The Tennessee Mall

We walked along the Mall (grassy area) near the Capital building.  There were a few memorials to different wars and this Carillion plaza that played some music for us.  It was put in in 1996 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Tennessee becoming a state. 

Broadway in Nashville

We spent the early evening walking along Broadway in Nashville.  This is the road that has all the Honkey Tonks playing live music.  We went early so things were just getting started and we did not encounter the rougher crowd.  We ate at Taco Bell with live music playing.

Mammoth Cave National Park

We drove home on Saturday.  We stopped and took a hike and had lunch in Mammoth Cave National Park.  We hiked the Cedar Sink trail.  We enjoyed gorgeous weather which made all the stairs doable.

 

First Snow!

This week demonstrated how fickle the weather is.  Wednesday's high was 71 and Saturday we got our first snow of the season.  The younger kids were excited to go play.

 

Happy Halloween!

 

We had Hallow Knight, a Robber, A Peacock, and a "Tall" Wendy.  The weather turned out great and the kids came home with way too much candy.

Here is our decorated car for the ward Trunk or Treat and our home on Halloween.

8th Grade Washington DC trip

Miss Sally was our tour guide.  She was wonderful with the youth and knowledgeable about the history. 

Lucy, Molly, Wendy, Garisha, and Sophia were the friends I got to hang out with.

The 9/11 Memorial at The Pentagon

The 9/11 Memorial at The Pentagon, each bench represents someone who died their placement was based on age and the direction they faced on whether they were on the plane or in The Pentagon.

Mt. Vernon

Mt Vernon was one of the last stops on our tour.  The weather was beautiful.

Arlington Cemetery

Arlington Cemetery was a solemn experience.  We were able to see Kennedy's grave, the memorial to the crew of the Challenger and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

Monuments around the Mall

Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Military Women Memorial, The Three Soldiers statue, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, FDR Memorial, WWI Memorial, Washington Memorial

The Supreme Court, & The Capital

Here is a picture of Bus #5 on the steps of the Supreme Court, and a picture of all 5 busses on the steps of the Capital.

The Museum of American History

One of my favorite exhibits was about girls in America.  It went through occupations, fashion, health, and lots more.  I also enjoyed the First Ladies exhibit, but did not get pictures. 

 

While we were at the Museum of Natural History the President was suppose to leave for a day trip to Pennsylvania.  So we went outside and watched for his helicopter.  It was a fun break in a busy day.

Museum of Natural History

This museum is chuck full of a lot of things.  The girls liked the Hope Diamond and the other gems.  I enjoyed the bugs.  We all enjoyed the Ocean exhibit.

The Portrait Gallery

We saw all Presidents Portraits.  The kids were assigned to pick which one they would want to hang out with and which one looked most "presidential."

The Holocaust Museum

This museum is amazing.  It takes your through the event leading up and during the Holocaust and makes you think.

The last picture is the first picture we took on the trip.  This is our lunch break at a food court in a mall in Ohio.  Wendy was ready to have fun!