Capitol Fun

Matt and I have been back from D.C. now for almost a week. Matt has been traveling on business lately and through frugal living and generosity from certain individuals, I have gotten to go along for the ride! 

Here are the pictures we took along the way. 

This was a burger place about a 5-minute walk from the apartment we rented. 

Capitol Dome---the place where all the magic happens. Or, mostly, doesn't happen

Matt has a work project going on here: The Cannon Building.

Inside were some of the offices of Congressmen and House Members.

The Cannon building is a few minutes walk from the Capitol dome

One day while Matt was working, I got to hang out in a nearby neighborhood.

Eastern Market was one place I went into. It has many mom-and-pop vendors who sell cheeses, meats, goodies, baked goods, etc. I was hoping for more art-and-crafts, but apparently that day wasn't the day for it. Matt and I were able to try a few items for a snack later on.

These houses are the first thing I think of when I think of Washington D.C. I know, I know....weird. Why not the Capitol, memorials, white house you ask? I don't really know, but I love these houses and am mostly fond of just walking in places that have them.

We were waiting for the subway to take us into D.C. when we first got in. Matt and I really enjoy public transportation like the Metro in D.C., and though it's not practical for where we lived, I kinda wished there was one here.

Another quaint store I found while walking around. They were closed when I happened upon it, but these are the gems I love to find in a town.

Matt and I rode bikes as much as we could possibly could while we were there---so easy to get around on, faster than walking and cheaper than the Metro. It also gave us a couple of good workouts while we were there :) It was very nice this day and we rode alongside the Potomac River on the way to a fish market. You can see the river in the background.

Us in front of the Potomac River

This was a neat fish market we heard of before we went to D.C. It has been operating for over 200 years and has great fresh fish from the Chesapeake Bay.

Matt eating seafood at the Maine Avenue Fish Market 

We rode our bikes over a bridge near the Fish Market. Yes that is the Potomac.

After we shot this picture, we rode down the bridge and where all the trees are. We did alot of bike riding that day....sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't.

One of our favorite times, was going to an outdoor market where vendors had their wares. There was even a man that had a small donut making machine---it made mini donuts! Matt, of course, had to have some :) 

Late one night (maybe 9pm, you can tell I'm a mom) we walked by the White House, but they had not yet lit the Christmas tree. Still a beautiful sight to see at night!

Arlington National Cemetery.

 We went to the Holocaust Museum (were not allowed to take pictures) and though we spent 3 hours there, we did not have enough time to look at everything. It was amazing to see.

We also took a bus out to see Mount Vernon (forgot to take pictures..ooops). We ate at the colonial eatery they have on site and were able to walk around and see the house, gardens and livestock. Made Matt and I start thinking about our next garden to plan and our own mini-one day farm :)

Yet the terrible and wonderful thing that happened, was that while all these experiences were great, they did not satisfy us in the least. We enjoyed ourselves, yet saw how fleeting this world is. All of these building will one day be less than ruins, they will be non-existent. Only what is apart of Christ's kingdom will matter. How much our focus can be on these great white buildings, or even our hope be put in these "great" men we call our forefathers. Yes, while they are men to be honored, they are not God. Not even close, yet too often we place our hope in what the leaders of our country do and do not do. The Bible calls us to place our hope in the Lord. And his hope does not disappoint!