Cousin Crusades

So the temple is closed for the whole month of September since it is being cleaned and having roof repairs.  We are having some extra guests out to visit since Grandma and Grandpa Smyth will have all this down time.  The first round included Uncle Spencer and Aunt Stacy with their 3 boys, Adam, Lincoln, and Joshy--and as a bonus, sweet little Avery who's adoption is going way faster than expected.  Here is a smattering of what we were up to during their 10 day visit:

Porter set up a fireworks show--confetti blown up in balloons which he first tried shooting with paperclips sticking out of the end of darts (yikes!  We had no idea of this carefully engineered danger until he started shooting them.)  Aaron then rigged up a stick with a poker on the end.

Daddy wowed us with his super-human, kid lifting strength!

Shirtless water balloon fight!  Luckily Jane didn't get left out with all the extra boy cousins.  She and Lincoln (in the blue stripes), who are the same age, hit it off pretty well.

Pretty baby eyes- this doll is only 5 weeks old!

Playing games on cousins' Ipads.

Metro ride into Washington DC.

We ate lunch before our tour of the Capitol.  We don't go into the city much, so it was kind of a big deal figuring out how to do the metro and timing and all.  We had to wait in this sluggish, long line to go through security before we met our tour.  By the time we finally got up to the front, I was so busy trying to fold strollers and count heads that I didn't notice someone sneak off with my watch and metro cards that had been on the conveyor belt.  Apparently, the perpetrator forgot his badge and had to come back so he admitted he had accidentally picked up a ladies watch, but when I asked about my metro cards he turned and hurried off.  A security guard caught up with him a little later and searched him to find them, after which Grandma had a few stern words with him:) 

Philo Farnsworth-inventor of the TV from Utah-Ginger, are you related to this smarty??

Here we are standing in what is said to be the geographic center of Washington DC.

Our tour guide was this aweosme young lady, Miss Eliza.  She was LDS and consequently didn't mind leading around our group of 12 with 5 strollers.  

Spencer and Stacy made us some yummy chicken tortilla soup.

Lots of dress up--lots!  These 2 were particularly funny and inseparable.

Another sight seeing day at Arlington Cemetery.  We haven't done mcu cemetery visiting of any kind in our lives, but as soon as we stepped foot on this ground we could feel how special and sacred it was.  I can't even describe it.  This is the eternal flame at John F. Kennedy's grave.  

It was neat to read these many quotes, etched in stone, reflecting the faith in God that our country was founded on and sustained by.  It makes me sad to think that we have drifted so far from our inspired beginnings.

The tomb of the unknown soldier-we stayed to watch the changing of the guard and were so impressed with the exactness and symbolism of this procedure.  It reminded me of the temple.  

Professional stick training-

Loving baby Avery-

More dress up-

The big boys made a goal to play 10 games of classic Monopoly, which they did with surprisingly little contention.  We didn't see much of them that day.  

Thanks for a great visit cousins!