Washington DC trip: Jared, Weston, Alan

 

December 13 - 16, 2025

Jared's summary of the itinerary he put together and pulled off seamlessly! (Pictures below might be in reverse order, sorry!) The boys had a fun time!

Saturday December 13, 2025

• Flew out of Provo to Dulles International

• Caught Metro to Hotel

• Ate Hamburgers at McDonalds

Sunday December 14, 2025

• Ate breakfast at McDonalds

• Took Uber to Capitol Hill Ward

• Back to Hotel to get ready for a day of sightseeing

• Dwight Eisenhower Memorial

• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

• Viewed presentation in Plantarium

• National Archives Museum 

• Declaration of Independence

• US Constitution

• Bill of Rights

• One of 4 original copies of Magna Carta

• Bought Hotdogs from street vendor

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

• Walked back to hotel, passed the Smithsonian Castle which was closed for Renovation

• Alan bought a very tasty, very large pizza to eat for dinner

Monday December 15, 2025

• Ate Breakfast at 2 Sisters Deli

• Ubered over to Jefferson Memorial, beautiful views of Potomac River

• Walked to United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

• Visited Washington Monument where we had amazing view in every direction of the city 

• World War II Memorial

• Reflection Pool

• Lincoln Memorial

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

• White house from south side, then walked to north side of white house

• Lunch at Potbelly’s in downtown DC

• Tour Ford’s Theater, Museum, and Peterson House where Abraham Lincoln died

• Ate dinner at McDonalds

Tuesday December 16, 2025

• Ulysses S Grant Memorial

• Walked to Capitol Building and enjoyed a guided tour

• Ate breakfast at Capitol Cafe

• Observed Senate Gallery, session started with Prayer and pledge of allegiance

• Library of Congress self- guided tour

• Ubered to Arlington National Cemetery

• Tram Tour of Cemetary

• Watched Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History

• Ate dinner at the Federal Building food court

• Endowment Session at the Washington DC Temple

December 2025

December Happenings and Christmas celebrations:

• Juliette Visits Santa Claus 
• Babysitting Elsie Ryn Raymond while Jaren and Kynsie see a play  
• Christmas Choir Concert at BYU for Kaiya Wilkinson 
• Todd Schauers Christmas worship service St Paul Cathedral 
• Lunch with Juliette and daughters at Zaos 
• Babysitting Juliette wile Savanna helps friend with bridal shower 
• MTC FS office work Christmas party at Scera house 
• Wilkinsons over for dinner and gifts 
• Jared and Weston and Alan go to Washington DC (pictures in separate post) 
• Barrett family Christmas party, sibling gift exchange, and nativity
• Church Christmas program choir and musical number
• Jared's birthday/Christmas celebration combo party
• HBRE Tucanos lunch
• Christmas Eve Progressive Dinner with Schauers family
• Luminaries to invite the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
• Cat sitting and dog sitting while Fiora is in Vernal and Savanna is in Bear Lake
• Christmas dinner hosted by Justin and Shawna
• Visit from Afton on Friday and Saturday after Christmas

I missed Juliette my little buddy while she was in Bear Lake with the Garvins but she came to see me for Sunday dinner. Christmas gift to our kids this year is a family cruise out of Galvaston TX to Honduras in March 2026. We're excited! So blessed! Also, Jared (with the help of Chat GPT) wrote me a Christmas poem this year and I love it: 

The Constant of Christmas 

When Christmas came in early years, 

Just you and I—no little cheers— 

The quiet glow, the peaceful nights, 

Two newly married hearts alight. 

A simple tree, a modest start, 

Yet wonder wrapped around each heart. 

Then seasons turned and little feet 

Made Christmas bright and bittersweet. 

Their whispered hopes, their morning calls, 

The paper snowstorms in the halls. 

The magic grew in every room, 

Joy bursting wide, too big to loom. 

But time, as always, walks us on— 

The children grown, the children gone. 

Now Christmas dawns in quieter ways, 

A softer echo of young days. 

We set the table—just us two— 

Remembering times we once lived through. 

And though the house may feel more still, 

And though the years move where they will, 

The heart of Christmas does not fade— 

Its One True Gift was always made 

Before our memories came to be, Before our children’s history. 

For Christ remains—through joy, through tears— 

Unchanged across our shifting years. 

From early love to parent’s pride,

To quiet evenings side by side. He is the constant, firm and true— 

The light that all our seasons knew. 

And so we celebrate again, 

Not longing for what might have been, 

But grateful that in every part, 

The Savior holds our changing heart. 

For though our lives move on and through, 

The reason stays the whole way through: 

He came for us—our Hope, our Song— 

The Christ who’s been our joy all along. 

Merry Christmas