Jason in DC

I had a work conference in Washington DC this week, and it was the first time I have ever visited our nation's capital.  I don't profess to be the most patriotic guy in the world, or very interested in politics at all, but it was an amazing place.

Capitol building

What would a blog post about DC be without a picture of the White House.  If you look closely, you can see Obama inside...running our country into the ground.  (That was for you Kendall).  :-)

Random building...with artwork reminiscent of what you would come across in everyday life.  Don't you always run into naked ladies riding horses backwards, with miniature dolphins jumping around them?  Happens to me ALL THE TIME.

I think there was a famous picture like this...maybe a historic speech, or something like that from this point.
Oh yea, that's right, Forrest Gump spoke from here, and then ran out majestically into the water to meet "Jen-nae" (c'mon, go ahead and use your Forrest Gump voice to say it..."Jen-nae").

Now onto the more serious portion of this post...

Just outside Vietnam Memorial

A section of the Vietnam Memorial

A photo from the WWII Memorial

Arlington National Cemetery

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
If you haven't seen this, you are missing out!  AMAZINGLY POWERFUL!

I was humbled, amazed, and overcome with a sense of gratitude to all the men and women (and their families) who give their time, energy, even their lives to defend this amazing country we live in...giving each of us the ability to enjoy the freedom's that we too often take for granted.  Thank you all!

Courtney turns 7!

My little princess is growing up.  Here are a few snapshots from her special day(s)...you can't only have 1 b-day party around here.

B-Day party with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins...that cake looks really freakin' good right now.

"Yo, Yo, Whatz Up Boyz?"  Courtney and a bunch of friends at some over-priced pizza joint.

I am posting this picture for posterity.  This is the boy Courtney has a HUGE crush on (Joseph) - although she won't admit to it.  Look at how he makes her smile.  You better watch it Joseph...I've got my eyes on you.

Just a cute pic of Courtney opening presents.  Also, a classic pic of the two girls in the back.  One enjoying every moment of her cupcake...the other, puking all over the ground.  :-)

Fun times in Prescott, AZ

For Labor Day weekend, we escaped the heat up in beautiful Prescott, AZ with a group of friends. Here are a bunch of the pics from the fun-filled weekend.

So many things to discuss in this picture...I don't even know where to start. Maybe with Carter's sweet muscle-man costume as he sits on the pillar...or Cassidy's evil smile as she shoots defenseless animals?

There's nothing like teaching the little ones to handle firearms...that's how we roll.

All the cute kids during one of our day-hikes. Don't you hate it when you're taking a picture of a group of kids, and everyone in the entire picture looks so cute, until you notice that one random, annoying kid that is flexing and screaming like he's wearing a muscle-man costume? Who's kid is that?!

Dave showing off his mad tree-climbing abilities....not to mention his "ass-ets".

Harry: Holly jeez look and the butt on that.

Lloyd: Yeah, he must work out.

If you know where that quote comes from in less than 10 seconds, you are "cool" in my book.

Teaching the kids the critically important skill of skipping rocks.

Anytime I catch Kimberly trying to take a picture of me, I strike this pose. Usually that keeps her from taking the pic...but not this time.

Yep, it's OK to be jealous. Not all of us can be hung like a hamster. It's genetic.

Another pic of a bunch of cute kids with a beautiful scenic backdrop.

Can you hear the birds singing in the distance?

Here's a pic of me doing the dishes. Yep, I'm domestic like that. Not only do I slave away at the office all day to provide for the family - then I come home and do the laundry / dishes / clean toilets / wash windows...you know, the usual stuff.

What's that ladies? Don't all your husbands do that too? They must not love you as much as I love my beautiful wife. :-)

I figured we'd conclude the weekend festivities with this nice pic of all of us at a local park, eating ice cream. If nothing else, I wanted to highlight Brock's SWEET outfit. What's your favorite part? I personally love the boot / short combo. Although there are a lot of fun things ot see in this picture...like the kid falling off the wall in the background, or the random crippled lady (notice the walking boot) laying on various bathroom towels, covering her face.

First Day of School

Our little ones are growing up...here are the first day of school pics (even though it was the first week of August that school started, not September).

Carter started pre-school this year (2 of them actually - he was too smart for just 1). As a random side note, do any of you have the problem where your boy will ONLY wear basketball shorts? Literally, 24/7! We have to tackle him and force pants on him every Sunday for church (the only time he isn't wearing basketball shorts).

Courtney started 1st grade. Another random fun fact - this summer Courtney decided that she wanted to cut her hair super short (this photo has a couple of months growth on it). As any loving parent, I said, "That's fine with me, if you want to look like a boy." to which she quickly responded, "Nuh uh Dad! I will look like Pink!" (I'm still trying to figure out how she knows who Pink is...I just made a mental note to block MTV and VH1)

Cassidy started 4th grade this year, and is growing up WAY too fast. She is a great big sister, and a good example for her siblings (most of the time).