Happy 4th from D.C.!!!

We had a wonderful 4th of July in the nation's Capital. I'm pretty sure that it will be a very long time before we get this kind of view behind us again while watching the fireworks. This picture doesn't do it justice. It was a very pleasant night with a mild breeze, and children ran all around the lawn while the fireworks went off. The National Symphony Orchestra played the 1812 Overture nearby while rockets exploded over the Washington Monument, and after that, they launched into some Sousa marches. Rachel, I know you said you taped "A Capital 4th" off of PBS. Well, we were there live for the taping! =) I thought it was cool that other people watched what we did on the holiday on their tvs.

Seth LOVED his first fireworks. I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it, so I brought some cottonballs for his ears, just in case. But he wasn't the least bit scared. (I credit the loud praise band at our church with getting him used to loud noises.) He stood on my lap and said, "Oooh. Oooh. Oooh. Ooooh." over and over again while waving his arms. I haven't heard him get that excited before. It was so fun to share his first 4th with him, well, his 2nd really, but his first when he could enjoy the fireworks.

We put this little boy through a lot on the 4th, and he just kept on going. He did great! We left our apt. with a bag packed full of food and water at 11:00 a.m. David worked out a way for us to drive into town, avoiding all the closed streets, and he dropped us off on Independence across from the Smithsonian Castle. We unloaded a bunch of stuff, and then he drove off to park at the Court in their garage for the day. We hiked across the Mall, went through the Natural History Museum, and ended up on the other side at Constitution and 10th for the 4th of the July Parade. David walked down several blocks from parking at the Court, and he met us there.

This parade was something else. It was about an hour and a half long! Seth and I pooped out after about 45 minutes, and we went inside the museum to sit and snooze. But there was an Uncle Sam balloon, a fife and drum corps, about a bazillion high school marching bands from all over the country, some Bolivian dancers, the Vietnamese-American society, and even the Hare Krishnas at the end. I have a bone to pick with the parade coordinators wanting the 4th of July parade to be so "diverse," (well, really, their definition of diverse, I guess). Diversity has been a wonderful and important part of American history always, and it's one of our strengths that we are a nation of immigrants. But I guess I would've liked to have seen a little more "melting" in the pot. Instead of a crew of Bolivian dancers, I think it would've been more fun to have seen a group of Bolivian Boy Scouts. I guess I want to see all Americans, no matter their color or origin, doing things that all Americans do and relate to in the 4th of July parade. But I'm not sure if I'm right about this, and I don't want to cause a fuss from someone thinking I'm too narrowminded, so that's all I'll say about that.

Ok, I've digressed long enough. After the parade, we ate our lunch in the overcrowded museum cafeteria, after some hard work to snag a table and 4 chairs. Then it was time for the Folklife Festival on the Mall. Mom was hard to pull away from all the exhibits, as you can imagine if you know her. This year, the three cultures represented were Northern Island, Historic Virginia, and Mekong. It was kind of funny when I heard a guy talking on his cell phone, and he said, "I can see Ireland from here." They had tents with authentic music and dancing, tents with traditional crafts, and tents with traditional food for sale. It was great fun, and Seth did wonderfully with it all. By mid-afternoon, though, I thought he was looking listless from the heat, so we dragged my parents away, and we headed back to the Court. There, we had a lovely al fresco picnic in David's office while it poured outside and we avoided being the poor people who waited in line to get on the Lawn and then had to leave to run for cover. =) Seth and I got a nap, and then it was back outside for the concert and fireworks! What a day! Even with traffic, we made it home before 10:00, and Munchkin spent a restless night waking up his parents and grandparents every few hours. =( I guess there were still visions of fireworks dancing in his head.

Ah, this picture definitely deserves an explanation. This is Sethline Davidina with his grandmother. He is wearing the outfit she bought for him over a year ago for 4th of July this year. When I told Mom that I was pregnant, she was sure that I was having a girl. She was so sure that she bought this adorable, bowed, outfit for my sweet little girl. Isn't he precious? =) So, being the terrible parents that we are, and at the risk of being billed by him for his future therapy sessions, we put him in it. Too bad some of the best pictures that I got of him that day were during the hour and a half he was wearing his girly clothes. Mom was a good sport about it, and she actually wanted to pose for this picture with her "granddaughter."

In other news, today is David's last day at work. I wandered through the quiet halls of the Supreme Court last night, wishing it a silent farewell. We have loved our time there as a family. I will never be able to express all that this year has meant to us. We come away with some unforgettable memories, new friends, and some experiences that we will never be able to repeat, unless David gets tapped for Supreme Court Justice when he's about 45. =) Ha! David will be home with us for the next month and a half as we prepare to move and move. We're looking forward to having this time off with Daddy. Have a wonderful last day, sweetheart! Relish it, and remember the Lord put you there, and the Lord is leading you on.