Just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by the White House!

What an amazing Saturday morning we had! Mommy got tickets to tour the White House from the UVa alumni club so we all dressed up and went downtown to experience the holidays, presidential-style. Check out this model White House made out of gingerbread! Evie and Mommy were drooling.
Dad's first couple of pictures with the iPhone came out a little fuzzy, but here Evie wanted to pose in front of two paper and felt covered trees.

Mommy and Evie pose next to a paper mache sculpture of Bo, the official First Dog.

Evie poses in front of a wintery-themed tree in the East Room , decorated with shimmering snowflake ornaments and paper leaves. She has a very aspirational look on her face - maybe she is thinking of living here one day, or maybe she is thinking about 1835, when President Andrew Jackson created an indoor winter wonderland for children in the East Room, complete with a cottonball snowball fight.*

The Blue Room is where the official White House Christmas tree is located - the 18'6" balsam fir from Neshkoro, Wisconsin touched the top of the oval ceiling. The theme of the tree this year was "to honor the service and selflessness we see in our troops, veterans and their families."

Mommy reads out a holiday card that a military child had sent in to honor their parents serving in uniform. Medals, badges, and patches from all the military branches were displayed throughout the tree as ornaments.

Daddy, Mommy and Evie got a group picture in the State Dining Room (hey, is that Opa's picture in the background? Oh, just President Lincoln). Mommy would like to be invited to an official state dinner someday...

In the entrance hall, a group of singers serenaded us with Christmas carols. Did you know that the North Entrance door used to be open to the public? In 1837 President Andrew Jackson invited the public in to share a giant wedge of cheese he had been given. It was 4 feet round, 2 feet thick, and weighed 1400 pounds.* This President Jackson seemed like a fun guy!


Daddy and Evie pose in front of the North Entrance before leaving the White House grounds. Mommy is inspired to go back and watch one of her favorite movies, Dave, to relive the experience. What an exciting morning!

*all fun facts provided by the Junior Ranger Activity Guide for the White House, a very educational piece for kids and parents too! Mommy learned many fun facts.