And the Rockets' Red Glare...

What better way to launch a blog than with fireworks, freedom, fun, food, and friends?  

That's exactly how I spent my Independence Day weekend.

Let me show you.

Some good friends and I decided to spend the 4th in Washington D.C.  
We leave Richmond Saturday morning...excited and determined to have a weekend we'll never forget!

Erica is kind enough to drive and be our captain.  I'm kind enough to distract her from driving.  Kyle's kind enough to mock me because I think it's cool to wear sunglasses above my mouth and love to shut my eyes while photos are being taken.

We arrive at the very festive and fancy JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue.  These rooms normally cost $1000 PER NIGHT!  But because Sam Waters has amazing hook-ups, he gets us a killer deal...and we get to walk around in swanky bathrobes.

Erica, Caitlin, Kristi, and I spend the afternoon at the White House...

and purchase extremely rare and hard-to-find $2.50 DC T-shirts.

That night some of us visit the Washington DC LDS Temple.  As a Mormon, I go here to worship God, increase my spirituality, and make promises to live a better life.

Following the temple, the search is on for a late night meal.  We pull into a parking lot and are thrilled to see               A CARNIVAL!                   After deciding not to spend $11 on rides, we take photos and Erica and I dance to Spanish music.

We end up eating at Ruby Tuesday...but our stomachs aren't satisfied until we risk our lives getting these:

After ordering $20 of the frozen treats, we head back to the hotel.  We beg, plead, and practically force the girls to leave our room so we can go to bed.  Daniel puts on his shorts, black socks, and suit coat and jumps into bed...letting his snoring constantly remind us that he's sleeping perfectly.

SUNDAY 

we wake up and prepare to attend church in Washington D.C.

After leaving the hotel and walking five minutes, we realize it will take an additional 40 minutes to get to the chapel.  We quickly decide to hold our own church service inside our hotel room...and Elaina takes charge.

We sing, pray, bear testimony, and discuss the gospel.  

A simple, short meeting I will always remember.

From here we join millions of others in celebrating the Fourth of July in the nation's capitol.  We walk several miles in the hot sun and end up on the front lawn of the Capitol.  We wait five hours in 100 degree temperatures for the festivities to begin. 

US WAITING:

Finally, the star-studded show begins.  We know this because girls scream as David Archuleta takes the stage. 

Other entertainers follow...including fellow Mormon and "Midnight Train to Georgia" superstar Gladys Knight.

But no one compares to this.

The moment everyone is waiting for...

R.E.B.A.

The redheaded Queen of Country belts out her classic "Fancy"...then sings "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" as fireworks erupt over the Washington Monument.

An amazing show that ends too soon.  We try to beat the crowd and rush to the Metro station.  Every single train is jammed packed and thousands of people wait on the platform.  You can see we become very, very comfortable on the 30 minute ride...but I sure don't mind!  

We arrive back in Richmond around 1.30 am.

SUNBURNED...DEHYDRATED...EXHAUSTED...

 GRATEFUL 

for the land of the free and the home of the brave.