Independance Day

We celebrated our nation's birthday with our annual trip to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC.  Both Mattias and I have been working like crazy, so we were excited about starting our 3 day weekend with a relaxed outing.

Going early has its advantages, it's a bit cooler and the water lilies are still open.

It rained heavily the night before so there were pools of water settled in the large lotus leaves- beautiful!

Kerstin packed a picnic lunch that we enjoyed on the boardwalk.

And we even had time for a family picture.

Living near the Capitol gives the Fourth of July new meaning.  People really relish in traditions here, and it's easy to feel patriotic when you see the Washington Monument and the Capitol building every day.  We passed on the large crowds and opted for a neighborhood parade here in Arlington. 

We parked ourselves on the corner with snacks.  Linus was so excited for his very first parade.

At 10:00AM sharp the band came marching down the street, followed by floats, kids, a fire truck and an ambulance.

Linus loved all the candy being thrown out, and watched the entire parade intently.

Let's not forget the most American of traditions-- BBQ!  Mel came over later that afternoon for some slow cooker ribs and minor pyrotechnics. 

When it comes down to it, I feel like our little family is the embodiment of what is American.  Our parents immigrated here to pursue their dreams and give us a comfortable life.  Mattias and I met in a little melting pot of a town, worked hard in school and eventually landed the jobs of our dreams.  What we have is modest but secure, we know as a fact that this country is still a place of great opportunity.  Our biracial kids will know both their Swedish and Filipino sides, but will be in the end, American.