The girls had been asking for a Halloween skeleton to decorate. We (Stefanie) broke down and got one this year – Meet Boney Tony.
Leading up to Halloween and for about a week afterwards, he peacefully positioned himself in front of our house. After cleaning up all the outside decorations, I gathered them all up and put some away in the garage and figured Bony Tony could benefit from staying out of the elements by remaining in our basement. I propped him up in a chair, and figured we would get a kick out of seeing him down there throughout the year.
Well, I don’t know how it started but he ended up turning up everywhere! He found the Pennywise mask as well – Harper even created a scavenger hunt with clues about where to find him.
I am not sure how long this will last – but I expect he may get to meet Nevis (our Christmas elf) this year.
The ageless Maddy’s! That might have been said when a couple of Justin’s college friends saw our Halloween costume party picture. I must say, I don’t disagree!
The party invitation said to dress up as our Netflix, Hulu, etc. TV characters. Being that we have only watched a few series and we both automatically assumed we would do a couple’scostume, we fairly quickly agreed to be Sarah and Johnny B. from Outer Banks…yes, teenagers!
I had to order a tube top and white jeans as I had neither; once I committed to the costume, Justin ordered his.
Seriously it felt good to know that we could pull off dressing as high schoolers.
Actual Halloween night fell on a Monday, and a rainy Monday. While the kids didn’t have school Monday, they did have school Tuesday and with the on and off rain, pizza, trick or treating, and the firepit started at 5:30 and was over by 7:30. A quick Halloween for our standards.
The older girls had fun and trick or treated on Hillington by themselves…well at least without Justin and I, Siobhan and Neil followed them closely to their dislike. I ended up driving them to some houses on Limb Tree and Cedar Pond because it was so dark, raining, and I didn’t want any of us to be eaten by the bear! I just waited in the car as I chauffeured them around.
Harper didn’t trick or treat in our neighborhood this year. She felt strongly about trick or treating with Liza so we let her and I’m glad…her and Liza also ran into two other of their friends. While she loves this neighborhood and would have had a fun time staying here, she had her heart set on being with her school friends.
There was a lot of candy eating, some candy snatching, and guest appearances at bed time.
The annual tradition of picking that perfect family pumpkin! We went big this year, probably getting the biggest pumpkin we have ever purchased!
We skipped the slides and the long lines of a fall festival and opted for a local pumpkin patch that seriously has the most unique and amazing pumpkins I have ever seen.
We took our time exploring the plethora of heirloom pumpkins; there was no rushing, and fun was had by all as we wheeled our wagon around the patch in search of our family of pumpkins.
A view from 550 feet, a 70 second elevator ride, a cloudless sky, a first experience for all of us.
The view was amazing and even better than I expected. Seeing the city from that high up from all angles really gave me a better appreciation of the city and all that went into the planning and structure of it hundreds of years ago. While there were some nerves from Avery and Harper about the height, all of us loved it.
Waiting for bladders to empty!
Waiting for our 11:00 ticket entrance time.
Waiting for time at the time at the Smithsonian American Art Museum to be over.
Waiting for yummy pizza and a salad and Pi Pizzeria.
The Washington Monument is not far from home and as such I never made visiting the inside a priority so when it dawned on me that it had reopened after being closed for some time, I decided not to take living so close to it for granted and booked us tickets!
3 hikes, 15 miles, 3 wineries, 1 brewery, 3 dinners, 1 breakfast, 1 visit with family, 1 visit with friends, 2 movie, and 2 naps.
ALL in 72 relaxed hours.
All to celebrate 14 years since the best wedding ever.
Hikes:
CrabTree Falls
Amazing hike. Took 2 hours 20 minutes including the 1-mile scenic tour we took after we reached the peak. It’s the largest waterfall west of the Mississippi. It’s actually quite dangerous with over 30 hikers having plummeted to their deaths in more recent years when slipping on the rocks. It is pretty much a straight uphill path and then straight downhill on the way back.
Rivianna Trail – This is a trail right in downtown Charlottesville. A great nearby trail for the morning before we checked out of our Airbnb.
Ragged Mountain Area Trail – We did the entire 6.7-mile loop. Up and downhill the entire hike. It was close to home, a great workout, and great choice in hikes for Saturday afternoon. Turns out we had done a portion of that trail the last time we were visiting with the girls. We just didn’t realize it until we were at the end of the trail.
Wineries
Early Mountain – Simply breathtaking views, location, and indoor space. Wines were yummy and charcuterie board delicious. Definitely want to visit this winery again.
Barboursville – Was on the path home and since we had both heard of it and it was rated well, we decided to check it out. Neither of us could figure out why the hype…scenery was lackluster as was the building and the wine.
Pippen Hill Winery – A beautiful location. We went on Saturday and met Kaya and Addy. While we weren’t hungry, lines were long, so we ordered everything outside. Kaya had not eaten lunch, so I ordered an overpriced charcuterie board. For $37, they gave me two paper plates, a block of crumbly cheese, prosciutto, salami, a drop of honey to be put together by yours truly. Seriously. The setting is indeed gorgeous, but the wine is expensive and I think they have lowered their quality and service at the expense of numbers and packing the place.
Breweries
We visited Devil’s Backbone. It was on the way home from our CrabTree Falls hike – we ran in when the sky opened up. To avoid driving in the thunderstorm, we stopped here. The outdoor space looked cool, but we weren’t interested in being outside during the storm. The inside felt like it should be in Jackson Hole. Justin ordered a beer, me a flight. I didn’t like any of the beers. Not a place I wish to return.
Dinners
Oak Heart Social – Yum! Cool vibe! Lots of couples and couples and friend groups meeting up. They suggest sharing so we split the shaved salad, beets, and seared rockfish. All delicious! We were debating ordering a fourth thing…the sausage and mushroom pizza sounded so good, but we thought it would be too much food….we thought wrong as Justin ate six Wegman’s meatballs when we got home.
Brasserie Saison – We had dinner reservations with Sam and Zabby. While the ambience was cozy and nice and the food was good, the service was a bit awkward. For example, they forgot to make Justin’s dish and the way they handled it was weird. We started with bread and butter and a Brussel salad…both delicious. The ladies had the trout and the men, the steak frites. Dessert, we shared some chocolate mouse and crème Brule, both very good. Food was good, but not to die for and service just weird.
Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar – Yum! We went on a Sunday. Place was a little darker than my liking, but food was excellent. Crowd was mostly multigenerational per table. Then there was me and Justin and a few others. We started with the shaved zucchini salad and the Lebanese Muhammara, both scrumptious. Justin ordered the lamb shank bourgignon and myself the peasant beef and pork Bolognese, both fantastic. I rarely order pasta, but it felt like the right move and it totally delivered.
Breakfast
Saturday and Sunday morning we enjoyed yogurt at our AirBnB, our standard Greek yogurt and berries breakfast. We went for breakfast after our hike Monday morning. I had a few places in mind, but hadn’t made a final decision and since in a time crunch we ended up at Blue Moon Diner, where we had coffee and omelets. Omelets were fresh, a decently priced choice. Though if I had to do a breakfast spot again, I would try Oakheart Social.
Family
We enjoyed a nice visit with Kaya and Addy Saturday afternoon. They met us at Pippen Hill Winery.
Friends
We enjoyed a great evening with Sam and Zabby who we hadn’t seen since spring 2019. It was really fantastic meeting up with them. This height cracks me up.
Movies:
We watched two NetFlix movies…I actually sat still and we cuddled on our small couch and enjoyed watching not one, but two movies, with no electronics in hand!
Naps:
Need I say more, not sure how, but even doing all these things, we managed to take two one-hour naps while we were away.
14 years married, 22 years together. Honestly seems like college and just getting together was yesterday. It hardly seems like we have been together that long. You are my best friend, my person, and I love our life and doing life with you.
As if no time has passed, Karolin slipped back into our house and our lives merged for a wonderful week. Our activity calendar and evening activities are busier than in the days when Karolin was our au pair, but with a few rain and runny nose cancellations, we managed to eat family dinners more than I anticipated. The girls’ activities allowed for some one-on-one and two-on-one time. There were lots of hugs, cuddles, reminiscing, and enjoying the present.
We feel so fortunate that Karolin continues to visit us on her vacation time…she could go anywhere, and she chooses us.
Labor Day Weekend we escaped to Williamsburg, Virginia, for one last summer adventure. While school started the prior week, the girls had both Friday and Monday off. We departed early Friday and headed straight to Jamestown. Colonial America is the 4th Grade History curriculum so it was good to be able to make the history come to life. The museum and settlement and ship replicas were interactive; we all enjoyed it.
Friday evening after checking into our hotel, we briefly explored D.O.G Street before heading to Amber Ox for dinner. The food and vibe were fantastic, though if we were to go back, we would leave the kids at home as they weren’t as impressed as we were. We figured a visit to Kilwins would put a smile on their face. Their ice cream is so delicious, it made us all happy!
Saturday morning we woke early, ate breakfast at the hotel (a late change to our hotel to get one that included breakfast) and then headed to Water Country USA. Fairly early on, we ran into Grace, Matthew, and Suzy Thompson and spent half the day doing rides with them. The girls loved the water park. Emerson was the bravest tackling several of the high thriller rides, Harper tackled a few of the high thrillers, and like me, Avery got her thrills from the low and medium thrillers. The park closed at 7:00 and while the girls could have stayed to closing, we wanted to be able to shower before dinner. We found a cool spot, an indoor warehouse type space, which housed long rectangular tables, arcade games, beer, and food stands. We indulged in the beer (Precarious Beer Project) and tacos (Electric Circus Taco). It was a unique and fun experience for a Saturday evening. Oh yeah, and we made another visit to Kilwins.
Sunday morning routine was the same as Saturday. When we had gathered plenty of snacks and food, we ventured to Busch Gardens for the day. Our family favors water parks over amusement parks, however, we all had a great time. The risk level of the girls on the rides was a repeat of the water park. Emerson went on a total of two different roller coasters, riding a roller coaster three times in total. Harper did two roller coasters, one time each. Avery did the bumper calls multiple times; they were her favorite ride. When we stumbled across some of the Sesame Street rides when searching for a bathroom, those became my targeted rides. The girls made fun of me…two of those rides were thrilling enough for me!
We did a lot of splitting up with rides. The Log Plume was the only ride all five us did, besides the bumper cars.
While we didn’t close down the park, we stayed late and missed our dinner reservation. Sals was open late so we went there knowing it would be a good spot for the girls.
Monday morning, we strolled through campus before heading home. It was a great way to end the summer….some reminiscing, some history, new experiences, fun, and family time.
The last first day of elementary school for Avery and Emerson. The next first day where all three girls will be together at the same school will be in four years. We have been so fortunate to have all three girls at the same school for five years! I thought I might shed a tear or two at the bus stop, but nope!
Avery confident in her stylish jumper.
Emerson confident in her stylish dress.
Harper in her soccer shorts…wasn’t the planned outfit, but the one that she felt confident in.
All three of my girls!
The annual bus stop breakfast. My girls are always so excited for it, yet too nervous to truly eat much.
Wow, how the group has changed over the years!
The non-Oakton students joined the breakfast too!
The 6th graders – they think they are so cool!
The morning bus ride was a bit delayed due to a new first grade neighbor with the first day jitters. The afternoon bus ride was delayed as well due to a double back bus route. It was a long first day. The girls came off the bus happy and ready for day two!
All week there was minimal shoes and clothes wearing. Note for packing next year…LESS shoes and clothes! We wore bathing suits from morning to late afternoon alternating between beach and pool constantly. The beach was practically in our backyard so going inside to grab some snacks, go to the bathroom, and eat lunch was quick and easy.
Weather was good, except for the last day which was a washout. Water was calm and warm, and I even got in the water twice…and more than just to pee…legitimately got in the water.
The kids played in the sand burying Sophia.
They boogey boarded and played paddle ball.
We collected shells. We found quite a few big olive shells!
They had pool contests using the boogey boards to see who was the last man standing.
They lounged around the house and had too much screen time.
Justin and I walked and worked out a lot. We took a family walk only once to the pier.
We didn’t even go on the pier this year!
We ate in every meal!
We did venture out for ice cream twice at the local ice cream shop Bada Bing.
We celebrated Harper’s birthday once more!
The first night we did a poolside barbeque which was a huge hit, why we have not done one previously, I don’t know!
The grown-ups indulged in a seafood boil.
The rain stopped for a very brief hour at 6:00 p.m. Friday so we ran outside to take some group shots.
My girls…getting to be so grown up!
After being stuck inside all day, we were in a silly mood!
The rain continued to hold out long enough for the kids to jump in the pool one more time!
It was our third year staying in the house Conched Out, so we pretty much nailed down the menu for the nights we took out (pizza, barbeque, and seafood boil) as well as the responsibilities of each family. We shared delicious meals, laughter, poop stories, dad jokes, and most of all our continued friendship.
Harper’s birthday celebration started two weeks before her actual birthday. To celebrate, she opted for a sleepover with Liza. Liza came at 4:00 and they spent nearly 24 hours together not getting bored once and keeping themselves fully occupied.
There was present opening, which included some twinning.
Mac and cheese eating from Pot Belly’s.
Followed by a trip to the new Tysons Boro movie theatre to watch Minions: The Rise of Gru, where the girls enjoyed a jumbo popcorn while layed out on reclining seats.
Their bellies were full, but not too full for Jenny’s icecream!
The girls chattered and slumbered.
Enjoyed a blueberry and chocolate chip pancake breakfast.
Followed by a morning of more playing a more fun!
The celebration continued Saturday evening with tickets to see Toy Story with music performed by The National Symphony Orchestra. Harper invited Grandma to join so the three of us had a girl’s night. The weather was perfect.
The food delicious!
The freebies were ever so present starting with a ride to the front in a golf cart! Harper won a pop-it. I won a tote bag.
Grandma and I sat in the rented cushion chairs and wow, I will never not rent those again!
Smiles…wide smiles…from ear to ear…were present all night long. My girl was so incredibly happy, living her absolute best life.
We celebrated her birthday dinner the 11th at Pazzo with Grandma and Grandpa. Since we would be packing Friday for the beach, we decided to do dinner Thursday evening.
Friday morning was present opening, followed by a day spent with Papa and Grandma visiting Grandma Adele and bowling. She had a great time, but after she got home and Justin and I were still packing and finishing up work, it was clear she didn’t feel like it was her birthday and we cared about it. She was moody!
With no food in the house, I was hoping she would pick take-out, but she wanted to go out….Bear Branch it was, followed by apple pie and ice cream at home and a wonderful cuddle reading her birthday letter.
Her 9th birthday celebration went on for days; however, it became clear to us that unless Harper celebrates on her actual birthday, all those things are somehow forgotten!
Happy 9th birthday Harper!! Hope you know how much you are loved.
