Fall Festival Weekend


At last the rain took a break so that we were able to enjoy a spectacular Columbus Day weekend with sunny skies and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees! It was a perfect weekend to pick pumpkins and Pauletta & Wil organized a pumpkin picking outing at Belvadere Plantation near Fredricksburg, VA (http://www.belvedereplantation.com).

Anna and her parents were a bit too ambitious in their efforts to take advantage of the nice weather and decided to pack up the car with the camping gear to take Anna on her first camp out at a local park following the pumpkin picking. First, the family got stuck in traffic in Fairfax City, VA thanks to the local fall festival (EVERYONE in the Washington area was out to enjoy the gorgeous weather). Then there was the traffic on I-95 south. Why - no one ever really knows. Finally we arrived at the pumpkin patch 2 hours late.

The pumpkin patch was not just any pumpkin patch. There were go carts, pig races, zip lines, slides, a rope swing in the barn, a corn maze,and finally a hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin. It was a great afternoon (thanks to Pauletta for organizing along with many fabulous pictures). By the time everyone was exhausted, it was 5 PM. With the car loaded up, and our kettle corn in hand, we opted to forgo the barbecue at Pauletta & Wil's house to make it to the campground and set up before dark.

We arrived at the campground at 6PM to find they were sold out. According to the attendant, they never sell out. Now we had a car full of camping gear with no where to go AND we had missed a cookout. We drove home, unloaded the car, and vowed to camp another day. Maybe when the weather gets cooler, we can roast the marshmallows in the fireplace........

Columbus Day was another beautiful day, so Theresa decided to brave the crowds of vacationing Federal workers to take Anna and her friend Ella to Cox Farms in Centreville, VA. (http://www.coxfarms.com/) Cox farms has numerous slides along with a great hayride, corn maze, straw tunnels, farm animals, and live eentertainment. Anna and Ella had a fabulous time riding the slides countless times (Theresa joined them on the slides as well). It was a great way to spend a beautiful Columbus Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swimming with the Lakevale Dolphins

Image
The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to beat
Read more

Camp Coles Trip & June Birthdays

Image
Anna at Girl Scout Camp Anna just returned from a fun-filled week at Girl Scout camp.  This year she was old enough to go to Camp Coles Trip, which is on a bay area off of the Potomac River.  This is a water camp, so she spent her days on the bay learning to paddle board and sail along with kayaking. Girl Scout Camp is definitely roughing it.  The camp is in the woods and girls stay in platform cabins with screens.  Anna shared a cabin with 4 other girls.  Mosquito netting is very important at night.  The only electricity is at the dining hall, health center, and activity building.  The girls are also responsible each day for doing "kapers" or chores.  They take turns helping serve meals, cleaning the bathrooms, and general clean-up.  They are also responsible for keeping track of their own things and carrying their bags. Anna had a fantastic time, despite the lack of modern conveniences, and is already planning her return next year.  She made new friends and her favo
Read more

Thanksgiving in New Jersey

Image
The Fagella family (or part of the Fagellas) celebrated Thanksgiving this year in Northern New Jersey thanks to James.  Since James was house sitting for his boss, they were very generous in letting us use their large home in their absence for a Thanksgiving celebration.  We joined Aunt Loren, Aunt Mary, James and Sundance for a Thanksgiving feast.  We could have easily fed another 20 people with all of the food, which meant lots of leftovers.  We also celebrated Aunt Mary's birthday (November 22) and Aunt Loren's (November 27) with a homemade coconut cake courtesy of James. Joe carving the turkey with his assistants. The festivities continued the next day when James hosted 22 of his high school friends for his annual Friendsgiving dinner.  Anna was kindly invited to attend the event.  Since she has attended previous dinners, she already knew many of James' friends.  Once again, the amount of food was staggering with everyone bringing a dish. Aunt Mary and Aunt Loren have c
Read more