Maryland and DC

Hello world, since we've been busy and collecting a lot of great pictures you get another post!

September 7th we flew from Oakland (11:30PM) to Washington, DC (arrived at 7:30AM) for a very fulfilling family vacation.  We stayed with my aunt and uncle in Silver Springs for the ten days we were there.  The best part was spending time with them and their two daughters (Sophie-3 years and Lilly- 7 months).  The children had a great time playing with each other, I think my favorite part of the trip was seeing the kids play together so well. It is also very convenient to stay in a house that's already set up for your children! There was everything we could possibly need.

During our stay we attended the pinning ceremony for CCAI Angels in Adoption, the CCAI Gala, toured the Capital Building and visited a lot of local parks with the kids.

Capper's first plane ride

College Park Aviation Museum

The gala was very fancy and well done at the Ronald Reagan Building.  We brought Anellah with us even though it was scheduled to get over well past her bedtime but she did great and had a blast. It was fun to see her interact with so many other people and say, "nice to meet-choo."  There were many inspirational speeches done by politicians, celebrities and first hand stories from adopted children.

Angels in Adoption Gala

National Zoo

"Special Donut for Breakfast" Song

Sandy Point State Park (Annapolis, MD)

Baby fights (Lilly and Capper)

Eating crabs in Annapolis, MD

Resting after a long day at the beach

Two incredibly good looking babies (Capper and Lilly)

Cupcake time with Sophie and Anellah

We had scheduled a White House tour, but the day prior it was rescheduled and didn't end up coordinating with other plans.  We did get a chance to meet up with Anthony Clark, one of Daniel's Mom's cousins.  He was an integral part in getting us in contact with Congresswoman Lee and expediting Anellah's skull surgery along with helping with a few other frustrating issues.  He took us on a top-notch tour of the Capital (including access to restricted areas), transportation to and from and a delicious dinner!  It was a great time!

Capital Tour with Cousin Tony

Capital Tour

Monday came all too soon and it was time for us to fly back home.  Luckily the flight's timing was a little more forgiving.  The kids did great on the plane again.  

We were even all able to take naps on the plane.

It was an entirely great trip.