Anna Grows

Once again, it was a beautiful fall weekend...perfect for Halloween! Anna decided that she wanted to be Cinderella this year. She had plenty of opportunities to wear her costume, thanks to a party at Ms. Be's, a party at pre-school, the neighborhood Halloween parade, and finally trick-or-treating. Thanks to the nice weather and the falling leaves, the first leaf raking of the season began. Anna was very excited about this and spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning running and jumping in leaf piles that her Dad raked. Anna also enjoyed carving the pumpkin with her Dad. After drawing several pictures of potential pumpkins that she wanted her Dad to carve, Joe finally convinced her that a more traditional pumpkin would work well. Anna helped draw the face and scoop out the insides while Joe carved the pumpkin. Anna learned many important lessons about being a princess this weekend. First, accessories are very important. Anna was very excited about her long white gloves and "

Anna was quite excited to attend her friend Sarah's 4th birthday party on October 23. Sarah lives two houses down from Anna and the two of them are friends. Sarah had a ballerina birthday party - complete with a ballet lesson from her instructor, Miss Christine. All the girls wore their ballet clothes and received a tutu and "magic scarf" at the end of the party. Anna has been dancing ever since the party. Thanks to Sarah and her Mom for a great time.

Saturday was a busy day for Anna, thanks to her Washington Grandparents. While Mom & Dad attended the baptism of baby Maria, Anna and Charley took little Anna for a day of entertainment, complete with lots of grandparent spoiling. They had lunch at Mc Donald's. They went to the playground. They went to the bookstore. They played soccer in the basement. All involved were exhausted at the end of the day. Mom and Dad were able to enjoy a semi-date, thanks to the lovely post-baptism dinner hosted by John & Mary. A big thanks to Anna and Charley for entertaining little Anna. Congratulations to John and Mary on the addition of baby Maria.

It was a spectacular fall weekend in Northern Virginia. With limitless sunshine, temperatures in the 70s and festivals everywhere, Joe, Theresa & Anna set out to maximize the outdoor time. The weekend kicked off Friday with Oktoberfest in Reston. While Joe was enthusiastic about the brats and beer (which seems to be the only requirement for calling it "Oktoberfest"), Theresa was less impressed....particularly after the "polka" band began playing 50s and 60s music. Theresa vowed to visit Columbus during the German Village Oktoberfest so that Joe and Anna could see how it is done properly (including the fabulous German desserts). Saturday it was off to the Fairfax Fall Festival, the of which the highlight was "The Legwarmers," a 1980s tribute band. Well, it may have been the highlight for Theresa...not so much for the rest of the family. Anna was excited about the carmel apple. Sunday, it was decided to load up and head for the mountains for some hiking.

October 2, 2010 was a beautiful New England Day. The sun was shining. The leaves were just turning colors and there was a light breeze in the air. It was a beautiful day to get married. Anna traveled with her parents to New Hampshire to celebrate Cousin Christina's wedding to Jonah. This was Anna's first wedding and she was very excited. Christina was every bit the radiant, beautiful bride. It was a great day for a celebration. While this story could end there, several details would be omitted. As with any family gathering, there is always a bit of adventure involved. This trip was no exception. Let's begin with October 1. It seems that a tropical depression with hurricane-like amounts of rain had made its way from Washington up to the Northeast coast where it was sitting over the New York-Boston and yes...New Hampshire area. While Joe and Theresa were happy that skies had cleared in Washington, they were dismayed at the weather map for their destination. Much to their surp