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Hello, Reader.

Greetings from the Capitol! The photo above is from our family's last visit to Washington, DC. Rachel and Gabriel (4th and 5th from left to right) aren't with us this trip. In their place are Rebekah and Nana.

But we only flew into town last night and are still waiting to hear from our congressman's office whether we can get tickets to tour the White House or Capitol Building, hence the snapshot from a previous visit.

Daniel (2nd from the left) just finished nursing school and requested we go to DC to celebrate. He's something of a history buff and loves our nation's capital city, and that penchant forms the basis for this week's link list. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​See DC in Less Than a Day - an only-the-highlights itinerary for those just passing through
• ​Capital City Matching Game - how many states can you match with their capitals?
• ​50 Must-See National Monuments & Memorials - with pics from lots of the sites we've visited
• ​Blessed Nation Coloring Page - this free printable features Psalms 33:12

What I'm reading this week:

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I finished Mark Batterson's Please Sorry Thanks on our flight to Washington DC. I enjoyed the book, and it definitely contained some biblical principles and good insights, but I told my husband that reading it felt a little like browsing through an extensive collection of motivational posters. Unattributed quotes (such as "You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.") were plentiful. It felt like there were two to three such clichés on every page. So if you love that kind of thing, this book will be right up your alley. 😉 Seriously, though, Batterson argues convincingly that the words many a mother calls "magic" are far more powerful and transformative than most of us realize.

Loving Life at Home: Episode 81 ​WHEN YOU'RE ONLY TREADING WATER​ Do never-ending responsibilities ever make you feel like you’re barely treading water? How do you cope when the going gets tough, and your energy’s already depleted? Today I'm sharing 7 simple strategies that have helped keep me afloat during the busiest, most exhausting seasons of mothering 12 children and managing a increasingly busy household. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

Last week was one of those rare occasions when I was able to mark every last item off my to-do list. I ✅ made some pretty new Easter decorations, ✅ hosted family dinner & activities Easter Sunday, ✅ celebrated my baby's 15th birthday, ✅ took her to get her driving permit, ✅ celebrated my 60th birthday, and ✅ packed for our trip to DC (& arrived safely)!

Personal goals for this week:

• tour several Smithsonian museums
• see the National Zoo
• visit the Capitol building
• fly home
• make some fun family memories
• clean out file cabinet
• box up old curriculum for used book sale