Tomb of the Unknown Solider

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns ---- All three missed it --

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance,

Very fascinating.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is

the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time

and if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path,he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes,

twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be
between 5' 10' an d 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe
E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approachingWashington , DC , our
US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assign ment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

Not the biggest fan of birthday parties...

I only really like them when I don't have to plan and carry them out. I threw one for Hunter on Saturday. Lucky for me it was gorgeous weather for the past three days....so so nice...and then party day comes and it was freezing cold ( I did it at a park to avoid chaos/mess at my house). There was a light fluff of snow/rain and by the end of the hour and a half I couldn't feel my hands or hear out of my ears. Good thing for me Tricia was able to help me man the thing, since Travis and Matthew were out of town on business. She kept taking the girls to the car to get warm...it topped it off that Gwendalin was running a fever, but wanted to go to Huntie's party. She, Jocilyn, McKenna, and Tricia and I were so cold...the boys didn't seem to mind it at all...they just ran around hitting each other. :) Boys...enough said.


Wrestling....only boys.

Pinata


It finally broke but not everyone got a turn so we hit at it on the ground...and then I ripped it open.


Trying to stay warm in the car and on the swing set.



I made the cake...it was an easy one so I could handle it.

Hunter had a nice birthday though...in fact, when I woke up on the 18th---he was already up and walked to me saying "Mom, don't you have something to say to me?" So, I quickly told him "Happy Birthday." and he replied with a "thanks." and seemed to content and walked away. go figure?! His favorite gifts were a football from Jocilyn and McKenna and a nerf type baseball and bat from Grandma and Grandpa. All in all, successful to be 6 I would say.

(He had fallen asleep with the baseball and bat but woke up a little when the camera flashed.)

Not a whole lot more...here are some pictures of the plants I have started for our garden this year....we are making progress...can't plant until it's done frosting, but they are coming along nicely I might say. I am such a rookie at this whole gardening thing. :)
BEFORE (ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO):

AFTER( 2 DAYS AGO):

(nice...that's my prego belly over the counter....I thought I took a better picture but can't find it.)

Yes, it is what you think...

Lint on paper.

Hunter wanted to help me with the laundry, particularly emptying the lint screen. Well, who am I to turn down any help from a young enthusiast? So, I told him to make me a note since I had just emptied it and he could do the next one. This is proof that he is my child...he went above and beyond a note, he tool old lint out of the trash can and taped it to a piece of paper to serve as my reminder. What a guy! I thought it was very clever...he worked on it for like an hour.

This has been a whirlwind week. Mom and dad left today after being set apart this morning before our 9am church block. Tricia and my husbands are out of town on business, so we were the lone mothers to get our kids ready and make it to the setting apart before church...and...tada! We made it. The blessings were very nice...lengthy but nice. I most wandered the stake president's office making sure Tyler didn't make too large of a mess. He really wanted to talk on the phone...which eventually he did get to and I just held down the button to keep it connected. He managed to remove the lamp from a table, take all the dry erase markers and erasers off the white board and walk past the stake president during both blessings. It was joyful. :) There was a large sigh of relief when it was done.

Church was great, mom and dad spoke on living by faith rather than fear. It was a nice meeting. Tricia and I sang "Jesus the Very th ought of Thee", at dad's request...our accompanist was a gem and rewrote a lot of the accompaniment so it sounded less "hymn like". We got to mom and dad's after the block and enjoyed a quick lunch and then off they went....I don't think the kids have any clue what is happening...but it was nice to hang out for the better part of the morning.

OTHER EVENTS OF THE WEEK:

Tyler loves wearing Hunter's karate sparring gear...he even wears the helmet backwards sometimes...it is darling.

This is a picture of Tyler after I let him have a little bag of chocolate cookies and left the room only for moments, to come back and find him like this - this first picture is blurry but I love the look he is giving- like he knows something I don't.



Scottie was here for a few minutes at the beginning of the week. I consider our family very close (sibling wise / parent wise) and it is always nice to be together. Travis had to adjust to the closeness of our family, but he has come around and loves to hang our with them as much as I do. :) I am glad I can honestly say that I adore my husband's side of the family as much as my own....a blessing I think he appreciates as well as do I. Here is Scottie with my kids (Tyler was a beast ...and Hunter had stamped his forehead with a stamp he got from school) and then a picture of him with Tricia's kiddos. (Kenna did her own hair.)



And my kiddos sitting on their chairs on the couch...(dangerous, but they love it) a common scene at our house.


This is my darling husband taking the kiddies for a ride around the neighborhood last week. They love rides with their daddy.

Remember Your Good Name

This post is primarily for posterity's sake...most of it ramblings from my brain...but I wanted to write it nonetheless.

I have been in deep thought lately, and the trigger of it was a conversation I had with my sister while visiting a few weeks ago. She remarked that as a teenager she was going out and my grandpa was visiting - he stopped her at the door and said, "Remember your good name." She was reflecting on that statement as she prepared for the blessing of her first baby...but likened it to all of us leaving our Father's presence.

My parents are nearing departure for their adventure in New Hampshire/Vermont...and this thought has come back to my mind. They raised five children...I would say very well...we are all good productive members of society, we are faithful members of the church and I would venture to say for the most part, very well rounded individuals. Now as we are raising our own families, it seems like it was an easy task for them to teach us...but not so easy (at least for me) to teach my children. I want them to remember their good name and make good choices as they embark in society and its corruption.

It is hard for me as a parent to watch my kids make mistakes and know the hurt that will come when they choose badly. But I'm sure my parents did it for me. For instance, Hunter is only 6 has already been exposed to more information that I would like. He seems to understand the consequences of bad choices and has been trying to make "happy choices" instead and for that I am grateful.

I think it must make our Father in Heaven sad when we don't remember "our good name" and live like he would have. So, I have made a resolution to try harder to treat people kinder, make better choices, be a better example. After all, aren't we all just doing our best? It seems like if we remembered that on a daily basis it would be easier to remember how to treat others and make good decisions. I am glad that my husband had the parents he had and the family/friends that have helped him remember his good name to share with me and my children. What kind of example am I setting for people watching...am I remembering my good name?

Week O' Fun

This week was a fun one. Travis had a hunting trip planned and was out of town for a few days, so like tradition, Marie came up while he was gone and we played. I love it when she is here, as do my kids, she makes us laugh!

We went out on Thursday evening with Tricia and her girls and let the kids play at Carl's Jr. while we sat around and chatted. Gwendalin was exhausted (due to no nap) and was crying at the drop of a hat. At one point she may have had reason because her lip was bleeding. I had my camera, so I captured it on film. :) She has definitely been an emotional female the past weeks.


My birthday was on the 4th so we ventured out with the kids to have a picnic. I think we may have picked possibly the coldest day to go...but it was still fun. The kids packed their lunch boxes and felt ever so grown up. I indulged myself( or should I say, Travis indulged me - that will be his present to me.:)) by getting my hair done (thanks to Marie watching my kids) and I bought a French Silk pie to celebrate the occasion. It was so so good. We also ventured to the store and bought some fabric for a blanket and some new sleepers for Ty. It was a successful day.







Marie's birthday was on the 5th so we went out to dinner (Texas Roadhouse)...yum! Tricia was able to come with us and we spent most of the evening brainstorming boy names....I've got a nice list to discuss with Travis upon his arrival home...we'll see if our efforts were successful. :)


Today we had lunch between conference sessions with my parents and Tricia and her girls. It is so fun to have them so close. I am anxious for them to embark on this new mission adventure, but definitely sad to have them go...we will miss them so much. I think the kids will even more. The highlight of the afternoon was seeing/playing with their new home (trailer) . The kids thought it was fantastic and are anxious to go camping. I think it will suit them well for their living arrangements while they are gone.


This is just a picture of Tyler asleep (yes, that is the edge of my bed) watching The Sandlot this week. He is a darling- feet crossed and all. :)


I loved conference, the bits that I was able to catch with my full attention. What a wonderful gospel we have. I am grateful that Christ stands at its head and that with all the change that takes place, there is still personal revelation that the mantle is with the right person.

Spring Break

Gwendalin is very intrigued with me being pregnant and walks around holding her belly all the time. (By the way, I don't do that, I don't know where she picked it up). Anyway, she'll eat and then show me how fat her belly is and tell me she's having a girl and her name is Annabelle. It's pretty cute.

Hunter is driving me crazy with his social need to be with someone all the time. (Playing) He makes me nuts on the afternoons after school when he can't find a friend to play with...what happened to good old fashioned pretend play by yourself? He doesn't understand the concept. Spring break was okay because the whole neighborhood was out of school, so he could play with pretty much anyone he wanted. I have become very picky about his friends however, just because we have had some issues with inappropriate discussions with some "friends." Makes me CRAZY!

Tyler's latest is to lay on my bed and watch The Sandlot. He will watch it forever if he could. He's darling...laying on his stomach feet propped up and swaying back and forth. He is very into giving kisses lately too, which has also been lots of fun.

I was fortunate enough to go see my sister Lynn in California last weekend with my sister Tricia. She and Jake blessed Annabelle on Sunday so my parents and brothers drove up and we got to see them for a few hours before we all went our separate ways...it is always fun to join back as siblings...doesn't happen often enough anymore. Anyway, the trip was fun, lots of good weather, long walks, some shopping, lounging, and playing with sweet baby. I didn't take my camera so I don't have any pictures....and I left Travis with it and he didn't take any either...so there are none.

Travis stayed home with the kids and played for the most part - taking them to fast food play places, neighbors for bbq's, etc. they had a blast and I think he did too.