A Weekend Getaway

We're back! We had a great little getaway to our nation's capital. The trip that almost wasn't!

Two hours into our car ride I got a call from my mom that Amelia had fallen in my parents' kitchen and they were on their way to the ER, as she lacerated her frenulum. I proceeded to break out in tears, question whether we should turn around, and when we decided to press on, then question whether I was the worst mother alive and if my child would think I was abandoning her.

So grateful to my parents' next door neighbor, a nurse, who not only recommended a hospital with a pediatric ER, but also called ahead to see what the wait times were AND drove her there! Angel on earth. Thankfully no stitches were needed and she is on the mend.

Hotel bar. We stayed in Alexandria and loved it! Old Town is so charming and reminded us of Charleston, but much closer! We definitely plan on returning. We had a great dinner the night before the race at Il Porto, and also spent some time walking through Waterfront Park gawking at all the lovely homes.

7am in front of the Pentagon. Some of the races Nick has done through the years have had terrible logistics (I'm looking at you, Boston Marathon) but the Army Ten-Miler was seamless. Leave it to the military! We took our first-ever Uber right to the Pentagon, where the start and finish lines were, and I was able to cheer Nick on at both places, which in my 12 years of being a superfan, makes for an enjoyable spectating experience.

Canons at the start line. In true superfan fashion, I ended up climbing over the wall I'm standing behind in the above photo so I could get to the wall pictured. One woman was giving me a bit of a hard time about this as I was mid-climb so I asked the nearest man in uniform whether I was allowed to do so and he didn't seem to have a preference either way, so to the start line I ran!

The view at the finish line. American flags flying, Blackhawk helicopters hovering overhead, patriotic music playing, and, unpictured, wounded warriors completing their race below. It was humbling and inspiring to be surrounded by so many military men, women, and families and be reminded of all the good that still exists in this great country. I can't think of a more industrious, courteous, selfless or brave group of people and I was proud to be among all 30,000 of them.

Like Mr. Rodgers and Daniel Tiger say, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Yes, so much is broken and needs fixing, but so many people are working hard every day and are willing to give life and limb for us--and many already have.

Post-race bananas for miles.

Finish line for the wounded warriors. I was a tearful mess for a good part of this race.

The winners! There was a group of four Army men who finished within two seconds of each other. As they approached, the announcer, seeing how close they all were, said, "Oh boy, this is going to be a footrace!" And in the true spirit of Army teamwork and camaraderie, not one of the four changed his pace as they jogged it in. Never have I ever seen at a race any of the showboating that is so common in much of athletics--distance runners are humble, humble, humble. Can you run 10 miles in 48 minutes? I can't!

Post-race. I once again got in trouble for attempting to join up with Nick outside of the designated reunion area. Superfan for life! I hope your week is off to a good start!