Week Thirty- Seven | Team Starnes Takes Washington DC

Let me start out by saying, I'm almost three weeks behind on my Weekly Recaps and I am having such a hard time getting back into the swing of things here on the blog. While I should be working on Week 39, I am struggling to get through Week 37. So much has happened in such a short amount of time— these past three weeks have just blurred together. I haven't had any time to devote to this blog, so bear with me.

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James and I made a quick trip back to the States to attend my grandmother's burial at the Arlington Nation Cemetery. Initially, we weren't sure if we were going to be able to make the trip home, but luckily everything worked out and we were able to attend the beautiful service and catch up with my crazy Catholic family.

My family is NOT a typical family. My mom is one of ten children, so whenever we get together it is nothing short of a spectacle. Trust me, I love it, I wouldn't have it any other way, but it's one of those "I need a vacation after my vacation" kind of scenarios, you know what I mean?

All in all, I have approximately 60 immediate family members including aunts, uncles, cousins and children of children. When we roll, we roll deep. Think of any statistic; you can apply it to my family. Think of any apostle, I have a cousin with that name! 

Clan Alexan knows how to have F-U-N. My family is spread out all over the world, so when we all do get together, we have a lot of catching up to do. Lots of hugging and kissing, lots of inquisitive questions, and of course, lots of drankin'. Oh yes, the wine, beer and whiskey were free flowing all weekend. Irish Catholic, what can I say!

When my dad picked James and I up at the airport, I cried like a baby. This trip home had weighed on me for months and I think all my emotions just came to a head when I wrapped my arms around my dear ol' dad. Don't get me wrong, I do get emotional about parts of my life that I miss from America, but I think we both were taken aback by this particular reaction. 

When we got to the hotel, we immediately dropped off our bags and set out to meet up with some of my family members to do some sightseeing. The weather was perfect and the blue skies were the ideal backdrop for taking some pictures around the Capitol. It's been several years since I've been up to DC, so it was nice to get a little refresher course of what our nation's capitol looks like.

People arrived in DC between Thursday and Saturday and Grammy's burial was on Monday, so that left plenty of time for the Alexander's to dominate the hotel's social areas, mainly the bar and lounge balcony. At any given time, you could find AT LEAST 15 of my family members lounging, drinking and/or smoking cigars on the balcony or watching the World Cup at the bar. When in doubt, follow the noise— I have a very loud family.

cutest little nose-picker I've ever seen!

Family get-togethers are always a great time, but we can't forget why we got together in the first place—to lay to rest my beloved Grandmother.

My Grammy was an amazing woman. She gave birth to ten children, she lived all over the world, she spoiled all of her grandchildren relentlessly, but above all else, she was the matriarch of our family.

I lost my Grampy nine years ago, and he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors, and boy, it was an amazing sight. It took my breath away. I am so proud to say that both my grandparents are resting together at the most honorable cemetery in the world and after everything they gave for this country, I can not imagine it any other way.

Grammy's burial service was beautiful and respectful; we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to honor my grandmother. Though it was a very emotional service for me, I find peace in the fact that my grandparents are reunited and that's enough closure for me.

Now it is our job as a family to keep her memory alive in the tales that we tell and photographs that we keep because Barbara Bowen Alexander certainly left her mark on the world.

I love you Grammy! RIP xx