pizza and a memorial.

After spending the morning outside at Jones Point Park, we ventured back out in the evening to continue enjoying the cooler weather (wearing pants and sweaters in July!). Our first stop was Del Ray Pizzeria (made more popular recently by a visit from Obama, a fact the restaurant will not let you miss). We tried a thin crust and a deep dish pizza and they were both delicious.

We've been driving past the Air Force Memorial ever since it was built several years ago but have never managed to stop for a visit. The rain stopped by the time we left Del Ray so we made our way to the Air Force Memorial. It was stunning. We were completely surprised by how beautiful the memorial and the views were. The kids loved running around and exploring (although the "keep off the grass" signs were frustrating for Oliver and us). At one point we were the only people there and just enjoyed the quiet setting and the beautiful views (and the grass). I can't wait to go back and see it at night.

jones point park. new and improved.

A few weekends ago the girls got to participate in their first "junk 'n jammies" with Grandma and Grandpa Black. They got to spend the night at their apartment, stay up late, and eat lots of junk food. They were so excited when we dropped them off. Their apartment complex has a pool so they were able to go swimming when they first arrived. They are already looking forward to doing it again.

Saturday morning Ben and I enjoyed a much quieter house with just Oliver. It was a really chilly morning and rainy but we thought we would go out for a walk/run which is much easier to do with just one kid. We decided to check out the new Jones Point Park and run across the Wilson Bridge. Not long after we arrived it started to pour so we just ran a few laps underneath the huge bridge. The rain let up a little so we decided to head across the bridge. It ended up being perfect weather for a run. The rain stopped and we hung out on the Maryland side of the bridge for awhile, just letting Oliver play around and wander. He loved having our undivided attention. We ended up being out for three hours. There is something so great about unexpected cooler temperatures in the middle of a hot July.

The newly renovated Jones Point Park is awesome. And only a few minutes from our house. I love that somebody decided to develop a nice park under this massive bridge. It's pretty amazing to walk underneath it. I need to go back so the kids can check out the playgrounds and walk to the lighthouse. It's a great place to get on the George Washington Parkway trail too.

The view from on top of the bridge.

And then Ben ran over his iphone with the car when we left the parking lot. It had fallen out of the stroller. Amazingly, it still worked! He wrapped it with saran wrap and used it the rest of the week until his work sent a replacement. I think he was happy with the upgrade to the 4s.

the zoo.

Tolerable temperatures and rain were in the forecast and for me, those are perfect zoo-going conditions. Climbing that big hill with a stroller full of kids is much better when the sun isn't beating down. And crowds are always lighter when there's rain. We managed to make it through all of the animal exhibits we wanted to see before the rain started.

STRIPES!

Snack break. Hot mini donuts. Yum!

The highlight of the zoo visit for the kids was not the animal viewing but the giant pizza play area. As an added bonus, we had it mostly to ourselves. And we were safely under its cover when the rain started.

Oliver thought it would be more fun to stand just outside the cover and get completely soaked. He wasn't too happy when he couldn't climb anything on the pizza because he was too slippery.