A Capitol Fourth.

One of the great things about living in our nation's Capital is the Fourth of July fireworks. Over the past few years, I have been spoiled by the amazing fireworks show put on by the city of DC, and I am sure that if I move anywhere else the Fourth of July celebration will pale in comparison.

This year's celebration cost a mere $226,000...Don't worry the show isn't paid for by federal taxpayer dollars...just the poor schmucks in DC who pay the highest taxes in the country for no representation. Happy Independence Day!

Back to the fun. This year, we parked by the Pentagon and metroed to Arlington Cemetery to watch the fireworks show on the banks of the Potomac River. It was an excellent location until the metro backed up and we ended up walking 2 miles back to the car at the Pentagon. But alas, I digress...here are some pictures from our fabulous location.

Lincoln Memorial on the left and Washington Monument on the Right.

Reflection of the Fireworks in the Potomac River - the blob in the middle is a kayaker.

It was a great day, with mild weather and I am happy to report that my blisters have healed completely.

Happy Fourth of July!

Mason Road's Birthday Party

I am a bit late on this post, but better late than never, right??

My favorite Texan turned 2 this month, and a few weeks ago I travelled back to the Great State for his Birthday Party. The party was "color" themed due to Mason's recent affinity for coloring. His new passion has no boundaries as he will color on paper, walls, bookcases, you name it, he'll color it!

Note: No walls were defaced during the making of Mason's Birthday Party.

While, I have been known to "spoil" my little buddy with his gifts...i.e. Easter the Bunny...I remained relatively responsible and gifted this fabulous Pirate Ship Water Table. Mason LOVES water, in fact, he may have been a fish in a past life. I figured with this gift he could play in the water almost year round.

Unfortunately, my intentions were a little in vain as whoever packaged the boat at the Little Tike's factory forgot the plug...way to go. Luckily, Grampy came to the rescue and Macgyver'ed the boat so that it would work. But...drum roll please...Mason's favorite gift of the year came from Grampy and Mimi:

That's right, at the ripe old age of 2, Mason got his first vehicle. A brand new John Deere tractor complete with trailer. Don't worry, he is advanced for his age and picked up the whole "pushing the pedal to make it go" idea very quickly. Unfortunately the fine art of steering has managed to escape him for the time being...oh well, he will have something to work on before he turns 16.

Happy Birthday Mason.

Happy Birthday Mom!

WhO's BiRtHdAy?!?!?!?!?

Catty's Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!!

Happy Birthday Mason Roadie!

Today, my favorite Texan of all time turns two. Two years ago today, Mason Walter Merritt came into this world, and the world couldn't be better for it. He is probably the most loved child to step foot on this earth.



Mason is all boy. He loves trucks, boots, water, animals and especially his dog, "Dissie." I think he is the cutest little guy ever, and I'm not the least bit biased.



Happy Birthday, Roadie! Aunt Lili loves you bunches!

Happy Belated Mother's Day and Happy Nurses' Week!

I am a lucky person, I have a fabulous Mom who also happens to be a nurse. I think that even if she wasn't a nurse by trade she would still be my nurse. After all, who else holds the barf bucket for you and rubs your back when you are sick? Your Mom!

One of my favorite stories to tell is when I got food poisoning and was up in the bathroom tossing my chinese food. My Dad walked by the bathroom heading to bed, and casually mentions to Mom "I think Alisa is sick." Thanks, Dad. Needless to say, my Mom got up and took care of me. Just evidence of the fact that this world would not go round if it weren't for Mom's.



Love you, Catty!

Run, Baby, Run, Baby, Run.

Finished my first run post-surgery last week! It was a short 5K, but you would be suprised how much your lip bounces up and down while running. Suffice to say it was a good run, no casualties, and I finished in 27 minutes.

Though our team didn't win any prizes for speed, we did win 2nd Worst Team Name for "You're Our Only Hope, Obi-John Cornobi." The name came from a constituent letter to our office. We got a good kick out of it, and apparently so did others.



Way to go Team You're Our Only Hope, Obi-John Cornobi!

It's a Knockout!

Well, my beautiful nephew took his first ambulance ride this weekend after an allergic reaction to something.

Poor Mason Roadie looked like he took a few rounds (11 according to his father)...



Good news is that the swelling has gone down and he is back to his normal adorable self. Love you Mason Road!