2019 Wrap Up

Well, the last couple of months flew by.  But before we welcome 2020, I thought I'd post a few highlights of our holiday season. Even though the season was a week shorter than usual this year, we fit in ALOT of festivity to make it merry and bright.  Thanksgiving kicked off the season for us once again with the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in our neighborhood.  It was a wickedly windy day, but a great way to get the holiday juices flowing -- pun intended.  lol!  We followed that event with a turkey dinner at Patowmack Farm, and then spent the evening with friends for dessert.

Simone and BF.  

Daddy improved his finish place and time this year.  Go daddy!

The following weekend we attended the Middleburg Christmas parade and festivities with friends.  Such a merry day!

On holiday weekend number two, we went to DC and had holiday tea in Peacock Alley at the Willard.  Such a peaceful, lovely experience -- and yummy too!  This replica of the Jefferson Memorial was made totally of gingerbread and chocolate and complete with a functional water feature filled with miniature baby coy.

 The chef/creator of the gingerbread memorial took was there and took some time to describe his creation to Tony and Simone.  Tony was, of course, more enthralled than Simone.

 But she perked right back up when it was time for tea and treats!

Like daddy, like daughter.

Finally, we again fired up our oven to make cookies for the annual Patowmack Farm cookie exchange.  

We opted for a ginger spice cookie in white chocolate.  I only got one, but they were a big hit.

Christmas week hit a bit of a snag as a wave of strep and flu hit our extended family and foiled much of our plans.  But we're hoping to bounce back for the New Year!

Happy Halloween!

October was over in an instant.  And we put a giant exclamation point on the month with our Halloween night.  The weather was quite unusual with severe storms  threatening the entire trick or treat but, no fear, they held off long enough to collect plenty of candy.

Simone did an m&m theme with her friends this year.  She was the  yellow -- her favorite color.

 We also had a small Halloween dinner and celebration for the hungry trick or treat gang.

Complete with Monster Mash donuts from Sugar Shack.

The girls completed their evening by sorting their candy hauls and then  trading amongst themselves for their favorites  They covered the entire family room floor with their sweets!

And now, we've hit November -- right on the brink of the holiday season.  Yep, we're already gearing up, but also trying to savor the moments we're in.  We took a visit into DC for brunch last Sunday and then stopped by the new Reach at the Kennedy Center to check out the portrait display.

All of the portraits of injured military veterans were painted by former President Bush .  A tribute for Veteran's Day. 

The girl also took some time to explore The Reach.  They were pretty excited to prance around the giant dance studio that they had all to themselves. 

We also got a bit of a piano performance.  They pulled a small crowd to watch/listen.  Fun!

And last but not least, we enjoyed Simone's 7th grade Talent Show this past week.  She sang a medley duet of songs from the musical Annie.

The girls after the performance.

And another shot out for sushi after the show.

AWESOME Autumn!

I confess, I've been pretty horrible about keeping the blog current this season.  Seems like the older Simone gets, the more busy we are with all kinds of stuff -- school, chorus, theater, friends -- and the less down time I have to post.  But the temperatures have changed, the leaves have turned, and fall is in full swing.  We've been making the most of this glorious time of year right here in northern Virginia.

We made a visit to Cox Farm Festival with some friends. It's been a few years since we went to this event, but it was awesome to see Simone enjoying it nearly as much as she did when she was younger.

The long slide-- just like when she was a toddler.

We also had a great day at the annual Waterford Fair.  It was our first time at this event and we were impressed. We'll definitely be back next year.

 Simone tried her hand at making a painted silk scarf at the fair.

Wonderful autumn day!

We spent one Sunday afternoon in October at home throwing a fancy fall tea party.  So yummy and relaxing.

Another Sunday we went to check out the Loudoun International Festival.  Sad to say this event was a disappointment.  The crowd was robust but the vendors just didn't make a strong showing. So...

... we left quickly and made our own festival at the Delirium Cafe in Leesburg.  Poutine and a tasting flight of their season beers.  Much better!

We also spent a day at some Virginia wineries in October.  Perfect day out without the kids!

Even though we prefer wine, Bear Chase Brewery was a very pleasant surprise.  Great atmosphere!


Such amazing colors this time of year.  VA foliage never disappoints.

Visited Middleburg last Saturday and had a great brunch at Side Saddle Cafe.  So fresh and yummy! Also picked up some wonderful fresh meats from their butchery.

And every road leads us right back home when we're finished having fun.  It's such a great time of year to explore and enjoy everything our area has to offer.