A very "DC" 4th of July

There is something incredibly patriotic and pride-producing about spending the 4th in DC. I have spent 3 Independence Days in this great city, and enjoying your typical 4th of July activities - pool time, baseball, cookouts, fireworks, etc -- with the Nation's capitol and monuments in the background really reminds me of our freedom and how fortunate we are to live in this great (albeit imperfect) nation.  I've had a lot of happy 4th of July's - Massachusetts, Missouri (most of my childhood 4ths were spent at summer camp), Napa, Mississippi - and the reality is, as hard as I try to remember the reason for the holiday, it's easy to just treat the 4th as a fun summer celebration with friends - that's just not the case in DC. It's impossible to look at our nation's capitol on July 4th and not swell with pride and gratefulness. What we have, this very particular form of democracy, is rare. And so many days, specifically in DC, it is easy to look at the many things in America that need improvement (and we should try to fix these things) and get discouraged, but the fact is, we are fortunate that the responsibility, freedom and opportunity to elect new leaders and  draft new laws and aim to improve is so deeply rooted in our nation's history and political framework. 

Living in DC also makes me grateful that America is a melting pot.  I love that so many southerners live in DC, that when I am homesick, I can easily find a Mississippian to hang out with! But DC also has so many people from all over this country and all over the world.  This city is made up of so many people with different cultures, faiths, political outlooks, skin colors, than me - and all are American. Certainly the diversity is one of the things that makes this country so unique.

Dave and I basically took the whole 3 day weekend to relax -- minus a little cleaning, laundry and some studying (Dave, not me), we just enjoyed the holiday, fellowship and life in this great city and nation. 

Long holiday weekends are perfect for sleeping in, TV marathons, holding babies, reading, taking leisurely evening walks to a monument, enjoying America's pastime on America's birthday (what's more American than baseball and hot dogs on the 4th?), having dinner and fireworks and drinks with friends, and going to a dinner party where a  GENUINE TEXAN cooked yummy Brisket. I was also able to try 3 new recipes (to be discussed at a later date), have a girls day including brunch in Georgetown and time by the pool, finally hunt down snow cones (very few snow cones in DC and I don't know why), do a tiny bit of chores and go to the gym in an effort to rid myself of all the good holiday food calories! Dave and I ended the weekend together by cooking pork chops, sipping cocktails and snuggling up on the couch to watch Redbox movies.

Does your evening walk include monuments? :)

My newest friend Henry

Bid Dave and Henry first meet

Baseball on the 4th with 2 of my FAVS!

Seriously, this view....wow

Brisket, Mac and Cheese, Salad, Biscuits, Beer and Ice Cream 

Sandwiches-- the perfect Saturday night!

How Southerners do a pool day (I am kidding, kindof, because 

we actually ended up chatting more than reading!)

It took a lot of  Google searching to find this snow cone. Tiny, but oh so good.

Thanks to my friend, Mary Kendall, I have fallen in love with

 the Moscow Mule - a perfect summer drink. Moscow Mules 

are best served in cold copper mugs and thanks

 to Constance, I now have 2 mugs! Apparently I'm trendy.

If I had to pick my favorite DC weekends from our first year here, this would be near the top of the list. It was practically perfect in every way. Enough Dave Time. Enough Girl Time. Enough Group Time.  Time spend appreciating America. Time spent appreciating summer. Time spent enjoying DC. Time spent trying new things and new places. Time spent being productive. Time spent resting.

As cheesy as it may sound (and feel free to roll your eyes) --  this weekend reminded me how happy (and blessed) I am to live in America,  live in DC, have Dave as my sidekick through life and be surrounded by other wonderful people. And, just like I needed 3 days to stop focusing on the problems in our country and just reflect on the blessing of living in America, I needed 3 full days to not stress and just enjoy life! I am grateful that I was able to do both!