Susan Campbell (no relation) and the Girlies Come to Visit

So my crazy friend Sue calls me Friday at just about the time I think she'll be getting on a plane in SLC to tell me it turns out her flight is actually the next day.  She's discovered this as she gets to the airport.  Her niece has recently become a flight attendant and Sue has her companion pass, so she's just learning the ropes of this flying stand by thing.  She will let me know when she is coming in.

So Saturday she calls as she is running down the concourse to tell me she is hoping to catch the plane that will bring her into BWI later that afternoon.  After that has been confirmed, I plan to meet her plane at Baltimore.  As I'm sitting in the call and wait lot for her, she sends me a text that says her flight is in and she's going to hop the train to DC?  What?!!!  "Oh no you're not!!!", I text frantically.  She seems amazed that I am there to pick her up even though I have told her I would do this very thing.

She has asked if I wanted anything special from Utah so I asked her to grab me some Real Salt (which is made in Utah and is the most amazing thing ever!) but instead of bringing me a small shaker she brings me all of this.  Flavored, seasoned, kosher, regular.....Gotta love that girl!

So we have just enough time to fix a quick dinner and dash to the Metro to go to Union Station to meet her god-daughter Kate who is coming on the train from Philly.  Because it is the weekend the Metro takes FORever but we finally arrive to find Kate happily sitting in the Great Hall people watching.  Back on the Metro and head home as we've gotten word that Sue's niece (the flight attendant) is on a flight into Dulles Airport in VA.  We get back to the apartment and get Kate settled in before Sue and I hop in the car and drive the 45 minutes to pick up Kealy.  Back after midnight and straight into bed.

Kealy, Kate and Sue

 Tom had to work the Army Ten Miler on Sunday so we got up at 4:30 so I could take him to the Pentagon then I went back for some quiet time.  The girls all got up and decided they wanted to go to church with me so off we went.  Great sermon about how our actions reflect Jesus, and great music so it was wonderful.  Kate's first time in church so that was especially nice.  I was working the Connections Table so between shifts we walked to Eastern Market for some shopping.

Lots of cute hippie skirts to be found so there was some awesome shopping going on.  Auntie Sue was handling instruction of the intricacies of wrap skirts.

Headed back to Barracks Row for a leisurely brunch at the Banana Cafe which is just across the street from church so I could run back and forth.  Plus the Marine Barracks are there so they could check out some cute young men.

Next we opted for a drive through of the District so they could get an overview of the city.  Sue had worked as an intern at the Supreme Court back in the day so we definitely had to see that!  We drove around all the monuments then headed toward Georgetown.  Sue kinda had her heart set on a cafe she used to go to all the time when she was here but turned out it was long gone.  Instead we just drove by the campus and showed them the cute cobblestone streets then headed out on the gorgeous George Washington Parkway which is just beautiful right now with all the leaves changing.  The weather was absolutely perfect!  After several hours they were all ready for a nap so we headed home to rest and regroup.

When these girls nap....they NAP!  They didn't get up until after 6pm so we decided to go to Old Town Alexandria for dinner because there was another place there Sue wanted to visit.....Hard Times Cafe and their world famous chili!  AND they had a headless horseman out front.....

 Had a great time walking up King Street and just peeking in the windows of the beautiful shops before walking over to Christ Church (George Washington's church when he was in town) and checking out the grave yard.....

We left Old Town and headed back into the district.  It's so gorgeous to see the monuments at night and there are fewer drivers.  Tom and I took turns driving and dropping the girlies off so they could go see the memorials.  They were completely mesmerized and thought it was all so awesome!

 It was after midnight when we got home so we all headed to bed.  Monday was Columbus Day so Tom was off work.  The ladies were supposed to be deciding what they wanted to see that day but when they finally got up and saw that it was a gloomy, rainy day....they decided they would take off for the next arm of their trip (driving to NC to look at a college for Kate).  Plus I think they were a little overwhelmed by all we had squeezed into one day!  After our little breakfast bar we drove them over to the rental car place down the street and they took off for their next adventure.

 Bless Tom for being such a great host to three women he's never met before.  Sue and I have been friends for many years through work so though he knows of her, he'd never met her.  But you throw in a twenty-something and a hippie teenager.... that's a lot of talking, giggling, yoga-ing, and hormones floating through the apartment for my dear introvert.  He had a good time though.