a break from our regularly scheduled programming

I have had a whirlwind last three days: Saturday in Harrisonburg, Sunday in DC, dinner last night with visiting family members. 

I didn't decide to head South until Thursday evening, when I realized that my parents were definitely going down to help my brother with some car issues and also watch him play in the alumni-student soccer match. I stayed at my aunt's place in Massanutten, which is where this daffodil picture is from:

A brief stop on discipleship hill to visit my writing-tree...

Then back to DC to meet up with Thia's family, who were visiting from Colorado. We went to the fish market near the junction of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers...

Rode the metro (all 9 of us...what an adventure)...

Walked by the White House, where I just happened to run into my great-aunt and -uncle, who are visiting the area from Iowa. They knew Thia's grandfather - file this one under #MennoniteGame...

And finished the day out by retreating to Thia's uncle's apartment in downtown DC, where we cooked up the fish we bought at the market.

Then, yesterday night, I had dinner with my great-aunt and -uncle, which was lovely. We talked for a long time about family, work, food, all sorts of Mennonite news...I was so happy to have family around. It's funny how being around family, even if they are people you haven't seen for a while, somehow makes a place feel more like home.