So it's been a really long time since I posted last. A lot has happened since then. Especially with Jake and I. We decided about 5-6 months ago to lose some weight. Neither one of us were really over-weight, but still wanted to get healthy. We have 5 little kiddos to raise. So Jake has lost a total of about 34 pounds and I've lost 27 pounds. I'm really surprised that we were able to get down as far as we have. I go to the gym 6 days a week and Jake goes 4 days a week. Its really hard and very exhausting, but it's now it just schedule into the days so we never miss.
I am so glad that we are so physically fit because we took a family vacation this summer to Washington D.C. It's a lot of walking!! At least 3-7 miles a day pushing strollers. This was one of the best vacation we have taken as a family thus far. We have never had so much fun. We went to so many national monuments and we were in DC for the 4th of July. I have never seen so much security in my life. The military and the police were throughout the streets in large numbers. The first day we were there it was the 4th of July (we actually flew out on the 3rd), we attended the parade that went forever and listened and watched the reading of the Declaration of Independence by George Washington, Martha Washington and someone else I can remember. We went to The Ford Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shoot. And then ended that day watching the fireworks between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The fireworks show was amazing! (I always wish I blogged when we are on vacation so I don't forget anything)
Some of the big things that happened were: going to the Holocaust Museum. Where we learned even more about the Holocaust. When you first get the museum you are given a card of a person male or female that was in the Concentration Camps. It tell about their life and says if they survived the camp. As I'm sure some of you can remember where the prisoners hair was cut before or after they were killed in the gas chamber. Their hair was used for mattresses or pillows. It was incredibly sad! And the endless number of shoes. It was a very eye opening experience.
We got tickets to the White House for the tour. I have to say though, if we just got a "normal" tour it wouldn't be worth it for everything we went through to get the tickets. But when we were waiting for the elevator to go up to the next floor we ran into BO the presidents dog. That was really cool the kids were able to meet him.
We did so many thing. I think we saw everything possible. And the kids were such troopers. We got tickets to go up in the Washington Monument. Its so high up. And of course the wind was blowing really hard. I felt like the monument would just fall over. The weather was getting so crazy and the winds so bad that it was evacuated. So we ran back to our hotel to wait out the storm. And last but not least, we went to the Arlington Cemetery. That place is just huge! With so many hills. It was exhausting pushing the strollers up and down the hills. I felt like we were mostly going uphill. We took some short cuts up a dirt hill where we got stuck at the down because of the steep incline. But a nice man came over and helped me. We were getting really tired and decided to put the girls on our backs and take them down the stairs. I was in the process of putting Maliyah on my back to carry her down the stairs and a Lieutenant in the military ran over and insisted that he help me. He got Maliyah on his back and walked down the stairs and up the next hill to where we were going to eat lunch. I was so grateful to him.
The kids are doing so well. I've been homeschooling them over the Summer. I wake them up early in the morning and they do school work for 2 1/2 to 3 hours five days a week. They get rewards on Friday for their hard work.
Courtney will be in the 9th grade this year. She's on the dance team again this year. She told me the other day, she's the only one that has been on the team for the straight 4 years they've had it.
Maliyah and Kendra will be starting their 7th grade year. And both are very healthy. The last surgery they had in May went so great. I was so glad. They are having a great summer too. They are starting to be into pre-teen stuff. Going to hangout at the mall, talking on the phone, texting, clothes, hair, make-up etc. I'm so happy I can teach them all about those things. We are coming up on their anniversary of their separation day, its been 8 years since that day.
Justin and Austin are going into the 4th grade. They are keeping me on my toes. Boys are hard! But they sure do show me everyday how much they love me. They are little gentleman. They take care of their sisters and me when Jake isn't around.
Jake got a new calling at church, so he is gone more with that, and work has been crazy for him. And I'm just as busy as ever. Thanks for reading sorry it's been so long.
Have a good day!
The Herrin's
