We got to celebrate the 4th of July in our nation’s capital this year with the two most patriotic people I know: Tanya and Clay! Independence Day is my favorite holiday (along with Easter). So it was really exciting to experience it in DC. We stayed in Clanya’s beautiful Virginian home that they bought recently. Grandpa Papa and Grandma Nana also came to join in the fun. We did a ton of stuff during our 7 day stay.
The boys loved exploring Tanya’s home when we arrived. They got to stay at the top of the house, which is up 4 flights of stairs!
We went to check out the National zoo. It was really hot! We enjoyed the indoor monkey house the most. We were bummed that the panda, tiger and gorillas weren’t out to say hello that day.
One evening we got to enjoy a double date with Clay and Tanya at a Nationals baseball game! Tanya’s boss gave us special passes into the elite club, where they had super yummy buffets. And our seats were right by the team’s dugout! Tanya even got a ball tossed to her!
On Friday, we got to go inside the Washington monument and up to the very top! Tanya got us tickets long in advance so that we could do this. It was really awesome. My favorite part was seeing the stones that groups and individuals had donated to help build the monument. Very cool to literally see “out of many, one.”
I carried Dallin on my back for the walk there. I had to rest on the grass after the monument tour, my back was pretty beat.
Oh yeah, we also ate lunch at a yummy restaurant and then got dessert at a yummy bakery.
We got some good relaxing time that afternoon.
Dallin rubbing the mole on my face, like he does everyday.
We all wore striped shirts for the day!
We made yummy Red, White and Blue Kabobs. It’s been a fun tradition for the boys that started with Grandma Z a few years ago!
I also made yummy American Flag Salad that went nicely with Clay’s burgers.
Off to the pool that is just outside of Tanya’s front yard!
Tanner with Nana.
Tanner with Nana.
DJ with Nana
Tanner with Tanya and Clay
Getting tanner!
Grandma brought a fun painting craft for the boys. They also enjoyed making some projects with stuff that I brought.
Another patriotic shirt! The boys wore a different red, white and blue outfit for 10 days straight. In fact, the whole entire family had red, white and blue outfits all week long. It was really fun to see what we each of us had on every day.
Tanya and Clay took me and Jeremy paddle boarding on the Potomac River on Saturday morning! It was really fun and super beautiful to be out on the water with all the trees, old bridges and old buildings all around. After boarding, Tanya took us to a lobster shack in Georgetown. We had THE most amazing lobster sandwiches ever.
On Saturday evening, Grandpa paid for a babysitter to watch the boys so that all the grown-ups could go out to eat together. It was really nice, and the 1930’s restaurant was adorable!
One day, Tanner got his finger stuck inside this piece of furniture, lol. He really thought he would have to be there forever.
On Sunday, Jeremy and I took the boys to our church, which we really enjoyed. Then, a few of us went to a church service at the official presidential church right across from the White House. It was cool to see the spot where Abraham Lincoln sat on a regular basis and to enjoy some patriotic music from the choir.
Top Golf! It’s like bowling and golf combined. You try to hit your golf balls into various sections on the driving range. Similar to a bowling alley, the computers keep track of your balls and your score. It was easy and fun for everyone. I hope there will be one in Minnesota soon! The boys and everyone loved it!
We ate a really yummy lunch right out here on the Top Golf range! It rained, but we stayed comfy and dry. Can’t wait to do it again someday!
One day, I made a delicious fruit pizza! Can’t have 4th of July without fruit pizza.
YUM!
The BIG DAY!!
Independence Day Parade was fun! Tanner was really surprised and excited to see REAL soldiers. Dallin loved pointing out instruments in the bands that he could recognize.
Playin in the rain after the parade!
Tanner drew the soldiers that he saw in the parade. So cute.
The boys played with sparklers that afternoon.
We all headed over to the capital building for a picnic dinner and the big show with fireworks. We were lucky to sit on the steps of the capital because Clay works there! Unfortunately, it rained a bunch while we tried to do this, and Tanner and I had a really hard time with it. Other times on the trip, the rain was warm and mild. This rain was windy and cold. You can’t really tell in the pictures how wet everything was, but Tanner’s face shows how much it bothered him.
Luckily, the rain stopped long enough for us to eat.
It rained off and on throughout the live show. The performances were very good, with quite a few famous people! The boys had fun running around and dancing to the music, on the steps of the capital, which was really cool. Right before the fireworks set off, a thick fog came in and covered up any chance that we had of seeing the fireworks. Go figure! We could hear the fireworks and we saw a dim reflection below the clouds after each boom. The camera made it look like a nuclear explosion, haha! The thought occurred to me, that all the dim flickers in the clouds was probably a more accurate representation of what the Revolutionary war looked like at night. The dark pillar in the distance is the Washington monument. The fireworks were shot off from behind the Lincoln Memorial.
On Tuesday, Grandma and Grandpa had to go home. Before they left, the boys spent time with them on a walk and playing at the park. We visited and watched the boys play around the pool.
Last picture before the old folks left.
Tanner and Dallin were really sad about saying goodbye. Tanner cried for a long time.
Before we went home, we spent some time at the American History museum. They have a special history exhibit just for preschoolers and toddlers. Dallin loved it.
Tanner spent a ton of time with Jeremy in the invention exhibit, making glasses. Tanner was bummed that his invention didn’t turn out the way he wanted it to. (below) My favorite part of this museum was seeing the flag “Old Glory” from the War of 1812. Ya know, the flag we all sing about in our national anthem! For some reason, it never dawned on me that this original flag that Francis Scott Key wrote about still existed today. So it was a neat surprise to see it.
During our last couple of evenings with Tanya and Clay, we played some fun games together, including “telestrations.” Our last night there, Tanya had the brilliant idea to play hide-and-seek with the boys. So all 6 of us played, and it was SO much fun, probably one of my favorite things from the whole trip.
Tanya was really brave and trusting to let us stay in her home. The boys definitely pushed the limits with her fancy furniture and decorations, but they managed not to destroy anything, so that was good. Thank you, Tanya, for everything! The cute gift boxes for the boys, the comfy guestroom, organizing all the activities, cooking, arranging sitters, making reservations, teaching us history and politics, and letting us have another peak into your awesome life with Clay in DC. We love you so much!!
