Le Fourth

One thing I love about the Fourth of July is that the date is built into the name, much like Cinco de Mayo (right, Barb?), so you can never forget it. None of this second Monday of X month following the first full moon shenanigans. Another thing I love about the Fourth is the parades, but that's enough material for an entire book.

Since Ben was off in Africa (and after a fabulous neighborhood parade in the morning), I spent the evening here (the west balcony of the Capitol):



with this girl (and many others).



This was our view of the concert and the Washington Monument. During the fantastic double grand piano Gershwin piece (Rhapsody in Blue), we texted my dad to say we were thinking of him and his soul-filled renditions that were our bedtime music for years. His response? "I love you guys. Don't inhale." I love how my dad turns every moment into a teaching opportunity!



None of my fireworks pictures turned out, so in honor of Independence Day, beautiful country, here's a picture of the east side of your Capitol. Hurrah. (America, you don't have to pretend that you didn't know what your own building looks like.)