Anna Grows

Anna & Joe's Pumpkin Carving Some things change and some things stay the same.  Halloween is no exception.  Things that changed this year: No  trick-or-treating for Anna (she hung out with her friends & handed out candy) Last year for Cox Farms (she and her friends found it boring) Last year for middle school Halloween dance First year for big Halloween party at her friend's house Things that stayed the same: Hosting the Halloween father-daughter dance with the Girl Scouts Decorating pumpkin cookies with Mom Carving pumpkins with Dad Finding a costume for the dance Crazy costume for Mom Preparing for the Father-Daughter dance Anna kicked off the Halloween season with her Girl Scout troop and the annual father-daughter costume dance.  This is a major fundraising event for her troop and the girls had a great time putting it together.  They had a new DJ this year, which was the hit of the party.  The Girl Scouts were leading the dances on the fl

Biking the W&OD Trail Anna at long last was the recipients of a new bike!  After years of purchasing used bikes (in anticipation of her growing out of them quickly), her parents decided to let her pick out a new bike for her 13th birthday.  After extensive research by Dad and a trip to the local bike store  where Dad interrogated the twenty-something sales clerk on bike reviews - Anna found a new bike.  She is really appreciating the upgrade - particularly when shifting gears. Theresa was very excited about the new bike, hoping that at long last Anna would be so inspired by her new wheels that she would be begging to go on bike rides with her mother.  That has not happened.  Today was a picture perfect day in Northern Virginia, and Theresa had a vision of the family happily traversing one of the scenic bike trails with the wind at their back.  The rest of the family did not share this vision.  Joe was surprised to find both Anna and Theresa home today (they reminded him Colum