Friends visit!

Warning... lots of pictures.

Jeff & Marissa McCormick were so sweet to stop in DC and see us for a few days while they were on a business trip! We had such a great time; it was so refreshing to see familiar faces that we sure have missed!
When we arrived downtown on Saturday afternoon, they were in this building: ARCHIVES of the USA...
...There was a long line to get in, so we just waited outside. :) It was H-O-T!
Federal Trade Commission building
Sculpture outside FTC
Then we moved on to the International Spy Museum. It's one of the few in DC that actually costs $$ to get in ($18/person) but is probably worth it once to at least say you've been there. The spying tools/techniques that they show are very dated, but just for the history lesson it's neat! Plus if you're a gadget person, their store has some great things to waste money on. :)
Finally dinner. Peter has an application on his phone that helps you to find restaurants in the area you're at, so we used that to find this place. I actually don't remember what it was called... probably doesn't matter anyway as it wasn't stellar. Good company tho!
After dinner we decided to walk around DC some more, so we meandered over to the White House. It looks pretty magnificent at night!
I love how Peter's holding my purse in this picture and totally thinks nothing of it!! :-) He's so sweet!
Jeff & Marissa in front of the WH.
Huge, amazing building... It's called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Beautiful architecture (not-so-beautiful photography skills...)
Getting artsy... :) (Front of the White house in the background)
Peter and Jeff contemplating how to get a personal "tour" of the US Treasury @ 11pm... they could only think of one way to accomplish this that late at night & us girls weren't about to be part of their antics! :)Sunday afternoon we spent w/ J&M as well as another young couple in the area. Of course, I forgot to take photos!
And finally, dinner on Sunday! This time we went to a Tuscan restaurant here in Virginia at the Tyson's Corner mall... too late to shop tho! Bummer.
Waiting for our scrumptious meal!
Desert was mmm, mmm, good! This was my caramel creme bruleé, w/a white chocolate straw.
Monday I was off to Arlington National Cemetary w/ J&M, unfortunately Peter had to work. :(
Who knew a cemetary could be an all day excursion? We didn't see even 1/2 of the cemetary... lots of walking, lots of hills, but well worth it!
The Arlington House... you can read the history of it here - very interesting.
JFK Memorial. You can faintly see the eternal flame burning... look close.
J&M eating lunch. Notice J's chipmunk cheeks. :)
Don't know whose grave this was, but I thought the flag carved in the stone was neat.
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - changing of the guard. This is very neat to watch.
J&M at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetary. Good photo you guys!
After visiting Arlington Cemetary we walked back across the bridge and down the National Mall (this is the grassy area that separates the Washington Monument and the Capitol building) back to the Smithsonian Metro stop to meet Peter when he got off work.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial... I love this one.
Looking North from the Abraham Lincoln Memorial towards the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. At the North end of the reflecting pool you can barely see the WWII Memorial. (click on the photo to enlarge) I didn't get any close up photos of it as we were hurrying to meet Peter, but I definitely want to go back to that one!
Finally we made it to the Smithsonian Metro stop, met Peter and boarded our Metro. We waved them off at the Metro Station stop & are anxiously awaiting their next visit! :) (I think it's our turn to go see them tho!)
Thanks J&M for coming... we had such a great time!