Family Time!

3rd big brother Zach was in town last week for his last week of training for work - Congrats to him for finishing succession school! And condolences to me for losing a guaranteed visit from Z every other month...

This is Zach and his family - aren't they cute?! Yes, yes they are. Zo-bot's fancy dress is particularly fetching.

Since it was my last shot to prove what a big deal I am to Zach, I pulled out the big guns and got him into the White House!

I personally think the White House tour is most exciting at Christmas. The rest of the year, it's just a large handful of rooms with pictures of former White House tenants and important people in history. But at Christmas, it's taken over by Christmas decor - the perfect template for the indecisive decorator. They've got everything.

(Me, Z, and the head of Mr. Lincoln. Oh yeah, and some trees. There are just a few of those around here)

You first walk into a tree dedicated to the soldiers serving our Country, where you can write a little heartfelt note of Season's Greetings.A giant replica of Bo the dog comes up on your side in the next room, and festive trees abound - everywhere you turn, another one pops up.

(Note: this is not the real Bo - just a stand-in. Bo's currently on holiday, getting his tummy rubbed)

The Red Room has a tree filled with red and gold ornaments and ribbons; the Green Room has green and gold decor; the Blue Room has blue and silver. The two giant rooms capping the ends of the hallway have multiple trees and nativity scenes, and stars are hung in windows, reflecting the lights all around.

(George Washington Presents: a Christmas tree)

And as you walk through, your basking in the glow of lights and warmth is heightened by the sound of music wafting through the hall and open doorways. The main entrance (which is actually the last room in the tour, where you walk out through) plays host to a choir, a quartet - an assortment of varying numbers of angelic voices, sincerely wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas. Their voices echo and bounce all around you, hugging you with peace and contentment as you stroll through the rooms. And when you make your way to the exit, you stop in front of them, waiting just a little longer to leave, grasping for their joyful refrains a little more, before you walk out, their heavenly sounds settling into the crevices of peaceful memories of happy Christmases.

When you finally step back out into the cold, you turn once more to bid farewell to the bright and cheery home, well lit and comfortable. You take one last picture with it, for good measure, but the light is hard to capture so permanently, and you say, "good enough," as you end up just making sure you at least look good enough and then try not to interrupt anyone else's picture attempts.

(the White House - if you weren't sure. Yup, I'm still talking about that place)

(Honestly, I-Phones are so hard to know where to look when you're taking a picture of yourself...)

Was that winsome and ethereal enough for you?

But it was a lot of fun to go and see the White House during Christmas again (I went this time last year), and to show Zach. It was particularly enjoyable because I wasn't sure we'd get in - our tour was scheduled for 2:30, but we couldn't go until 5:30. I also had to be home by 7:30, so if they let us come in late, it was going to be a tight squeeze if there was any sort of line to wait through. But the stars were aligned right, because not only were the Secret Service very obliging to our extremely late arrival, but there was also no line whatsoever to wait in - we just walked up, cleared all the checkpoints, and moseyed on into the White House. It was fabulous. I like to think my congressional badge hanging from my pocket made some sort of difference in their attitudes toward us, but it's actually quite likely they didn't even notice it...but we'll still pretend like my importance is greater than it really is.

Anyway, it was so great to see Zach, and to take him somewhere he hasn't been yet in DC! Thanks for always making some time for me when you've come out, Z!

(Last picture. promise. On our way out of the Ritz Carlton to go to brunch. That sentence sounds so snooty...)