God Bless America

Our First Leg

Saying farewell to my folks at the gate was a little harder than I thought it would be. I expected tears from all adults involved, but what I didn't anticipate was the heartache experienced by my four year old, Paisley. Over the last 3 weeks, her and grandma had formed quite the special bond. I guess that is what happens during late night slumber parties in the basement with books, giggles, and pajamas. Grandma Jane had quickly become my wee one's best friend. Once Paisley realized that Grandma would not be accompanying her to Europe, she lost it! Big whopping tears streamed down her growingly red cheeks as her heart shattered before my eyes. 

AJ chose to deal with the separation of his grandparents differently. I can always tell when AJ is having a hard time, because he fixates on one thing and can't let it go until his situation changes. That day AJ chose to fixate on a moose toy he spotted in the gift shop at the airport. For the next 10 hours, all I heard out of AJ was, "Moose toy? Mom, we need to go back to Montana. I need my moose toy. Tell grandpa and grandma, I need to come back. I need my moose toy!" If I were to translate this for the unassuming person, AJ wanted to return back to Montana where his grandparents were, and the moose was in Montana. In a situation like this, I am at a loss. There are no words of comfort for him, there are no promises I can make, all I can do is redirect his little mind and try to help him look forward to the future. So that's what I did for the next 10 hours.

I have asked for angels to minister to me along my travels to the UK several times over the last month as my anxieties started to creep up on me. Just as we were departing, the captain could see I was at my wits end with all three of my children and husband in tow. He stopped me from exiting the aircraft and asked me if my kids would like to "fly" the plane. Not understanding his offer, I am sure I gave him one of those deer in headlights looks. He said, "Come on. Let's give your kids a memory they'll never forget." I followed him into the cockpit where he let AJ and Paisley climb in and push all the buttons they wanted and "fly" us to England! As we were leaving the plane, he told me that relocating can be hard on kids. He was a retired Navy pilot flying commercial planes now and recognized a military move when he saw one. I thanked him many times over for the small act of kindness he gave my children that day and walked away into the terminal with an attitude of gratitude. That man was an answer to my prayers!

The Smithsonian is Epic

Oh my the nation's capital is a city of beauty and profound patriotism. On every corner is an opportunity to learn, love, and appreciate one's country. I told Aaron I wanted to take in as many sites as possible while we were here, but had a few top picks. My very first stop would be the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. My son's delighted expressions and loud spontaneous outbursts were in sweet supply. He was tickled beyond measure as we approached the museum and could hardly contain himself. Display after display seemed to grow in magnitude and AJ's smile did not disappoint. He supplied us with fits of giggles and camera worthy snaps at every turn. By far his favorite experiences were the giant humpback whale hanging from the ceiling, the massive T-Rex and Triceratops, and never-ending bug collection. Here are just a few shots I took of my two sidekicks exploring the museum:

I knew there would be dinosaur bones of great proportions and displays only little boy's dreams were made of, but I didn't expect the glittering jewelry display donated by the one and only Harry Winston to include the magnificent Hope Diamond. I will take one of those "to go", please! But seriously, every piece was as exquisite as the story behind the gem.

I also happened upon the one and only "Lucy". I couldn't resist getting a picture with her to send to my high-school science teacher just to remind him his teachings were definitely not lost on me. I always find it enjoyable to link education with the actual imagery of what I was taught. Forgive my geek out, but this will go down in my books as a cool moment in my adulthood.

Virginia Nights

We wrapped up our day in DC and spent the rest of the evening with my friend, Susannah, and her children. She has a delightful, family-friendly park in her neighborhood so we journeyed out for a pleasant walk. Virginia is stunning in the evening! Hundreds of trees arch over each sidewalk giving a buffer between you and the intense heat of the setting sun. The skies are alit with streaming colors of orange and purple as the sun puts itself to bed for the night. Your footsteps are accompanied by the growing harmony of all types of insects singing around you. All types of beauty surrounded us that night while we played rambunctiously at the playground! Aaron met his match with a few rounds of tag and racing up and around the jungle gyms. AJ of course was the champion in each round. You can feels Aaron's turmoil in the picture below. LOL!

History is Haunting

Aaron and I found a day to slip into the city without kids to tour some of our must sees that are a little too sensitive for children's eyes or appreciation. The top tourist attraction on my list was the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I have always loved studying and reading books on WWII. As I have grown older, I have repeatedly discovered a person's high school education is simply just baseline. You really only learn snippets of history and facts involved; just enough to win a trivial pursuit match or pass your ACT. It has been my mission since my late 20's to dive into history books and try to glean as much from authors and survivors as I can. It's like the old saying goes, "Those that don't know their history are doomed to repeat it". If you ever find yourself in the Holocaust Museum, that sentiment will start to resonate in your mind. 

Before you begin, you are handed a pamphlet of an individual and their story. They ask you to carry this person with you as you experience the Holocaust and try to imagine the individual as they lived through the coming-to-power Nazi regime and the attempted extinction of the Jewish bloodline. Already my heart is in my throat as I am fighting back tears reading someone's escape from death in a cruel, cruel world to a hopeful promising new life in America. 

The tour opens into blackness. It is dead silent and not even a whisper can be heard throughout the hallways scattered with people. You witness hundreds of pictures of Adolf Hitler and his rise to Chancellor as the Nazi party is born. I have often wondered how such a large population could bow down to such a crazy and evil lunatic! The museum paints the picture perfectly for you as it described the desperation for a political savior that citizens felt after their awful defeat in WWI. They had little hope or faith in their weakened government and then a charismatic and spellbinding speaker enters their lives promising for a better life and a new and glorious Germany. What they didn't know was how little too late it was for their people after Hitler took power. 

I think it is fairly well known that Hitler intended to kill anyone of Jewish decent and that was a big part of his efforts. What you don't learn is how it was almost accomplished. The museum walks you through the steps accordingly: racially defining and marking Jewish decent, crippling them economically by boycotting their businesses, revoking their civil rights and making them second class citizens, prohibiting procreation between any German and Jewish bloodlines, and then finally the origins of the "final solution" which entailed unthinkable acts of brutality and murderous annihilation of the European Jew, not to mention experimentation and torture. At this point, it was almost unbearable to finish the tour. The heaviness of the stories and visuals surrounding me were all encompassing. Testimonies of survivors played in the background at certain theaters throughout. Just as you think you are about to lose your mind, the hallway breaks and the war takes a turn as Americans and other countries come to the realization of the need to act. It was interesting to see the desperation of the refugees begging to enter other countries to escape genocide and everyone but one or two refused them. The attitude of many, including the USA, was one of disapproval of the genocide but the desire to act did not coincide. If you are tracking today's current events, this leaves you in a state of irony. 

Toward the end you are taken to a room to view the events in Syria, to listen and see the experiences of Syrian refugees as their leaders use villainous forms of torture and extinction methods. You are begged to remember what you saw and what you learned in the museum, and then you are asked what you are going to do about it! This was an experience I will NEVER forget. 

Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, you walk into the memorial dedicated to those who suffered and those who were lost. Powerful scripture lines the walls and a flame burns brightly in the distance. Behind the dancing fire sits an engraved statement that gives you cause to ponder:

It was an interesting sensation being in the memorial. It was as if I had heard a 100,000 voices all crying out in testimony of what they went through, but also ones that were no longer at the mercy of a ruthless dictator. The silence was indeed deafening. 

Our Nation's Capital

After experiencing such intense emotions, I needed something more upbeat. Aaron and I trekked up the busy streets of Washington to see the National Archives Museum, the Washington Monument, the Capital building, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. Each treasure we saw restored my happiness and sparked pride in my country and its origins. Here are some pictures of Aaron and I taking in the sites of Washington DC:

Air and Space Museum

We spent an evening touring the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center which we knew the kids would love. It turns out my husband was just as pumped by the experience. We saw the beginnings of aeronautics and the birth of the space age, rockets and satellites alike. To be fair, it was indeed pretty sweet! 

Aaron and Kristi go to Congress

If you are tracking our experience with Aaron's orders, you know that AJ was not approved for travel to the UK due to his autism diagnosis. We have requested a congressional inquiry for our case. Rep. Chaffetz from Utah has taken interest in our story and made a request for us to come and see his team while in DC. We were able to make an appointment at the close of the week to speak with his people and were even privileged to talk with the congressman himself. He was especially supportive and offered his help in the future of ABA care and our military children. 

R. Chaffetz also hooked us up with a personal tour of the capital with one of his aids. Although it was a special treat to see the behind the scenes look of the capital building in all its working order, I think the thing that stood out to me the most was the memorial of Flight 93 which was headed to take out the Capital on September 11, 2001. The brave men and women aboard the flight gave up their own lives in the service and protection of the infrastructure of our country that grim day and their memory lives on inside the Capital as a reminder to all that grace the halls. 

The Pentagon

In the spirit of remembrance, Aaron and I set out on the metro to see the Pentagon and the 9/11 memorial as well. We got caught in a true east coast rain storm and found ourselves hovered under a bus stop for protection. As the storm gave way to sprinkles, we decided it was now or never, off to the memorial we went. I can honestly say, the light sprinkle was just the tone needed while visiting the memorial. It was as if the tears shed over the last 15 years were falling down upon us. I closed my eyes to take in the senses about me. The entire time we were there flights from Ronald Reagan airport had been taking off in the background. Once I closed my eyes, and heard the planes exclusively, it made me think, "How normal was the sound of the plane coming for the Pentagon that day until it wasn't normal anymore?" 

What a beautiful dedication to the friends and family lost that day. There is a bench for every member of the Pentagon and every passenger aboard the plane that plunged into the side of the building. The benches face towards and away from the Pentagon to symbolize where the person was during the attack. Each bench is engraved with a name that is in line with their birth year starting from age 3 (youngest passenger) to age 71 (oldest passenger). A trickling water pond lays beneath each bench with a light that illuminates at night. Gorgeous blossoming trees are scattered throughout the parkway and a retention wall lines the grounds growing in one inch at a time to signify the ages of each person in the memorial. 

Next Stop...England

My time in Washington was well spent. I didn't get to see everything I wanted while we were here. We got hit with an ugly virus that swept through the house taking a few kids out at a time. It just means a return trip is in my future!

Saying good-bye to my friend, Susannah, will by far be one of the hardest farewells yet. There is a reason I left her until the end of my good-bye tour. We have been friends for over five years and been through two pregnancies together. She has been my constant champion in becoming a pioneer parent in the autism community. She has loved our family and my son unconditionally our entire relationship. My days aren't complete without a text or a call from her, and I don't know what I am going to do without seeing her over the next three years. I guess I better scavenge for deals on flights, because she is coming with me!!! It doesn't help that her girls are like the sisters Paisley never had. These three girls are trouble in the best way! I love this family with every bone of my body and will constantly miss them.

We embark on our journey across the Atlantic on Monday! I so loved being able to experience my nation's capital before seeing those of other countries. Our first days after we arrive in country will be a whirlwind of taskers. We have to find a home, a car, and a school for the kiddos. I am promised oodles of culture shocks and will try to keep track of the odd looks I get from locals as I try to fit in to their culture. There should be plenty of material for my upcoming blog! 

Keep reading!

~K