memorial sunset.

We took my parents to see the Pentagon Memorial Saturday evening. The weather was more tolerable with the sun going down and it was a nice place for a stroll. The design of this memorial is really thoughtful and beautiful. I loved the sun's rays peaking through and casting a warm light on the memorial. It was also fun to see how much the Crape Myrtles had grown since our last visit a few years ago. And they were blossoming!

To two-year-old Oliver, it just appeared to be a giant playground since he immediately assumed the cantilevered benches were slides. Throwing rocks in water is probably his favorite thing to do next to tormenting Elsa. Each bench has a small pool of water under it and the ground is covered in gravel. So it was pretty much impossible to keep Oliver from throwing rocks into the water. I felt bad for the employee there who was sucking rocks out of the pools with a little vacuum and returning them to the gravel walkways. Kids like Oliver are surely his nemesis.

The Air Force Memorial is near the Pentagon Memorial so we stopped there to enjoy the great views of D.C. at dusk. Then we quickly headed home to light off a few of our own fireworks.

The girls had fun doing a little parkour in this long tunnel.

It was so great to have my parents here for the weekend and we were all sad to see them go the next day. Luckily we get to see them again in a few weeks!

 Robert with Simon Robert.

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.