We're a military family, in case you couldn't tell....

Well, in case anyone was wondering, which if you are reading this blog you're not but its still kind of funny to say, we are a military family.  And if you know Christopher and I at all we're kind of nerdy when it comes to history, and all things military related.  So its no surprise that some of the first things we have done after moving here have been military related.  For this post I want to share attending our first Twilight Tattoo and our visit to the Marine Museum, both of which were absolutely amazing.

Now I'm sure there are some people that might be wondering, "What the heck is a Twilight Tattoo?"  A) it has nothing to do with Twilight and B) it has nothing to do with tattoos.  Here's a brief run-down :

“Twilight Tattoo” is a time-honored tradition that blends the precision and discipline of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) with the orchestral sounds of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”
The history of Twilight Tattoo began more than 300 years ago as British troops were summoned from the warmth and hospitality of local pubs by a bugle and drum call to return to the barracks. The familiar tune told tavern owners “doe den tap toe,” or “time to turn off the taps.” The troops knew the call to mean “taps off,” and minutes later they were back in their tents.
The modern-day call is known as “Tattoo” and during basic training the call signals the time to quiet down and hit the bunks. For the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW), the call serves as a tribute dedicated to the vitality of our nation and to the sacrifices of those who forged America into the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is for our forefathers and fellow Americans that MDW proudly presents “Twilight Tattoo.”
The U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW) Twilight Tattoo can trace its own history back to the years before World War II. At that time, on the grounds of Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., the 3rd Cavalry Regiment held military shows during the winter months. The Military District of Washington revived the traditional show in 1961 to showcase the talents of its ceremonial units.
As Twilight Tattoo grew in popularity, the Army adapted the show, its location and the time of year it was performed to fit the growing needs of the American people. Settling on performances in Washington, D.C., throughout the summer months, has allowed for thousands of audience members to experience the ceremony and pageantry of the United States Army.

The kids had a ton of fun, and sat still and behaved basically the whole time.  It was a super kid friendly event and there were lots of kids and they all sat in the grass.  They got up and danced during the singing and it was wonderful.  The one down side was the group of ladies sitting in the front, yapping the whole time...far enough way that you wouldn't expect to hear them but we did.  It was frustrating and drove me nuts.  But other than that it was a really cool experience and I suspect we will go a lot more during the year.  Brian asks to go a lot in fact.

We spent another weekend as our "Marine Weekend" by visiting Quantico, The National Marine Corp headquarters and the Marine Memorial.  They did an absolutely fabulous job on the Marine Corp Museum.  It was fun to see the adorable little freshly minted Marines working the security at the Museum.  We also got to see several military groups from other countries visiting, including Israel.  That was cool.  We also got to experience the Marine Corp Memorial when it was fairly quiet which was not.  It wasn't all busy with too many tourists.  There were several groups of kids that went through, and I was shocked at the lack of respect that was displayed.  I mean, I made sure to give my five and three year old a pep-talk before we walked over and they were behaving better than some of the kids.  And yes,  I was that person that yelled at the kids.  I mean, I didn't like scream at them or anything, but seriously people...they were old enough to know that walking up to the chain roping and swinging it around as fast as you can while Mr. Marine Corp that served in WWII is standing there trying to pay his respects to his fallen comrades, probably isn't a good idea.  I will say that after I asked them to please show a little respect, there was a chorus of adults chiming in with a similar attitude.  The statue is quite amazing and I would definitely make sure to make that a top priority if you ever make it to DC.  It is much bigger and much more awe inspiring than I had expected.  The story behind the making of it was pretty incredible.  The surviving men posed for the sculpting of their likenesses.  Very cool.  If you don't know the story behind the pictures, and the fact that there was a flag raising prior to this one please take the time to read about it here.

Civil War Battlefield - Cali Style

Well we went to our first Civil War Battlefield, and I was pretty excited about it.  Christopher picked our outing for the day, so we got up, packed a lunch and headed out to Manassas National Battlefield Park.  This is the Battle For Bull Run.  Not only was it beautiful but it was really cool.  There was a neat little trail that had placards at various points.  You actually were walking in the direction the troops were moving.  It was pretty powerful.  I get caught up in it all, rose-colored glasses...its all very Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler.  But what's wrong with that.  I know the reality of it was horrible.  State vs. State, brother vs. brother.  I had relatives from West Virginia for crying out loud.  So, I get it.  But it still is amazing.  Walking there.  One of my favorite places that I've been is Savannah, Georgia.  Talk about old school and history.  Walking the cobblestone streets down by the water.  Walking around in Forts from the American Revolution.  Such a history nerd.

But I'm yammering on.  Here's a little bit about where we went.  I'm pretty excited to go back and see the rest of the Park.  We saw so much but there is still so much more to see. 

On the morning of July 21, McDowell sent his attack columns in a long march north towards Sudley Springs Ford. This route took the Federals around the Confederate left. To distract the Southerners, McDowell ordered a diversionary attack where the Warrenton Turnpike crossed Bull Run at the Stone Bridge. At 5:30a.m. the deep-throated roar of a 30-pounder Parrott rifle shattered the morning calm, and signaled the start of the battle.
McDowell’s new plan depended on speed and surprise, both difficult with inexperienced troops. Valuable time was lost as the men stumbled through the darkness along narrow roads. Confederate Col. Nathan Evans, commanding at the Stone Bridge, soon realized that the attack on his front was only a diversion. Leaving a small force to hold the bridge, Evans rushed the remainder of his command to Matthews Hill in time to check McDowell’s lead unit. But Evans’ force was too small to hold back the Federals for long.
Soon brigades under Barnard Bee and Francis Bartow marched to Evans’ assistance. But even with these reinforcements, the thin gray line collapsed and Southerners fled in disorder toward Henry Hill. Attempting to rally his men, Bee used Gen. Thomas J. Jackson’s newly arrived brigade as an anchor. Pointing to Jackson, Bee shouted, “There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!” Generals Johnston and Beauregard then arrived on Henry Hill, where they assisted in rallying shattered brigades and redeploying fresh units that were marching to the point of danger.
About noon, the Federals stopped their advance to reorganize for a new attack. The lull lasted for about an hour, giving the Confederates enough time to reform their lines. Then the fighting resumed, each side trying to force the other off Henry Hill. The battle continued until just after 4p.m., when fresh Southern units crashed into the Union right flank on Chinn Ridge, causing McDowell’s tired and discouraged soldiers to withdraw.
At first the withdrawal was orderly. Screened by the regulars, the three-month volunteers retired across Bull Run, where they found the road to Washington jammed with the carriages of congressmen and others who had driven out to Centreville to watch the fight. Panic now seized many of the soldiers and the retreat became a rout. The Confederates, though bolstered by the arrival of President Jefferson Davis on the field just as the battle was ending, were too disorganized to follow up on their success. Daybreak on July 22 found the defeated Union army back behind the bristling defenses of Washington.

Afterwards Christopher took me to Cracker Barrell.  Oh man, I'm in Southern Girl Heaven!  Yes, I realize I'm not in the south, and I realize that West Virginia isn't "The South" either, but its a sensibility that I'm speaking about. *wink wink* I'll post more on the book of my Face, but some of these are just for you guys

Our First Virginia Easter

Our first major holiday in our new home was Easter.  I'm not going to lie, I was kind of worried about it.  Not worried worried, but I wondered would the kids ask if we were going to see the grandparents or when was Nanny going to come and dye eggs (something we've always done with my parents).  Our house is still mostly in boxes, I have no dining room table and we know no one!  Luckily our amazing neighbors came to the rescue and have adopted us into their family!  They have a bunch of people over, Easter Egg Hunt, good food - reminds me of how my family does it.  They have grand kids that were there to play with Brian and Ami, and their daughter, Katie, who has become my friend, has a little boy that just loved Brian and Ami.  Easter Morning we made our way to New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Abraham Lincoln's church and one of my personal hero's, Peter Marshall, was pastor there, when he was Chaplain to the Senate.  All in all it was a wonderful day.  We are hoping to go back to take the tour and look around a little bit more. 

 Phillp is six months old now and eating rice cereal, which is just so crazy!  I wish he would stop it already.  Before I know it he'll be crawling.  He's already rolling over all the time and trying to push up on his knees.