4th of July at the White House

The White House invited about 20 soldiers from Ft. Drum (and a bunch from other posts) down to celebrate the 4th in D.C. with dinner and fireworks on the White House lawn. Joe was chosen to go, and he got to bring his family along! We were super excited for a paid vacation in Washington D.C., a place we had not yet visited.

Friday we headed down really early to get the driving out of the way (it's about 8 hours) and still be able to do a bit of sightseeing. We checked in at the hotel around 3 pm and went straight for the metro to go downtown. First we went to the Smithsonian, which is enormous. We only saw a fraction of the exhibits, but it was quite impressive. Then we had some fine Mexican dining outdoors and had to go back to the hotel because the baby and I were not getting along well and I needed some rest.

Saturday we enjoyed the huge Independence Day Parade before getting ready for the evening at the White House.

When we arrived at the White House, it was a bit different than we had imagined based on what the Army had told us. We were gearing up for a semi-formal event (and praying Madeline would behave herself during dinner) with the First Family. Turns out, it was a pretty casual outdoor picnic that was super family-friendly, complete with games on the lawn, face painting, and balloon animals. When I say balloon animals, I don't mean your average dog or sword. They were making Uncle Sam hats with beards, and I even saw one lady with a horse that went around her waist to look like she was riding it. Pretty involved, but that meant that Madeline waited in line (behind seriously about 4 people) for over an hour to get the yellow doggy that she so desperately desired.

Interesting centerpieces, no?

I had to force Joe to take this picture, but I really enjoy it.

Madeline got a flag with sparkles on her cheek. When we got home she thought that had been so much fun she got one of her markers and drew a "flag" on her arm. Hmm...

See what I mean about the balloons?

So, the atmosphere was really fun, but the Obamas were apparently not interested in attending their own party. They came out on the balcony for President Obama to give his short speech, and that was that. I guess the President did come out at some point for about 10 minutes to shake hands for the cameras, but they didn't announce it or anything so we had no idea he even came out until it was over and someone was talking about it on the subway. Talk about major disappointment.

This was the closest we got to having our pictures with the President.

After dinner they had a stage set up for performances by Jimmy Fallon, Michelle Branch, and the Foo Fighters. Joe was standing right next to Jimmy Fallon during the president's speech, but we didn't get a picture with him because I was trying to be respectful of the Marine band that had just started playing a tribute. I did, however, get a picture with Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. Dave (yes, we are on a first name basis) was totally nice and having real conversations with people rather than the obligatory fake smile for the picture. Well, until a huge mob came and then he sort of had to rush to get through everyone. But, nice guy.

The concert was fun, and Madeline had a blast dancing around with her dad, which was so cute. Then the fireworks came and went. I was surprised how short the show was. It was a good time overall, and it was an honor to be invited down there for something like that. Independence Day is easily one of my favorite holidays, so I was especially grateful to be able to celebrate it in such a significant place.

Sunday we decided to stay and do a little more sightseeing before driving home. We went to Arlington National Cemetery and spent several hours visiting the different sites there. We also learned that everything takes about 4 times longer when you have to go at a toddler pace... someday we will go there without kids so we can really see everything without all the distractions. Arlington was really cool. We watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which I think was Joe's favorite part of our whole trip. We also saw JFK's grave site, and General Lee's house.

The Kennedys

Changing of the Guard

After Arlington it was starting to get late, but we couldn't visit D.C. without visiting the Archives to see the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It is awe-inspiring to look at those documents, knowing all that has transpired since then and how lucky we are to live here in this free country.

Madeline adored these fountains in front of the Archives. I think this was the highlight of her trip.

We didn't get to see nearly all the sites, but we had a really nice family vacation, and it didn't hurt that we were getting paid to be there. I am truly grateful to be a citizen in this country, and we owe a great deal to those who are willing to sacrifice so much for our liberties. I am proud of my husband and his hard work and willingness to serve. I am grateful for the founders of this great country and those who have preserved the rich history in our nation's capital.