Family Weekend

We had a great weekend hanging out with my family. The weather was perfect, so we walked along the Mall for over 5 hours yesterday. Everyone was exhausted last night. When we got back to our house, we ate pizzas for over two hours. Maddi and Tori and I made cookies and Dylan helped with the popcorn. Poor Gabbi was exhausted - she was asking for pizza and to go to bed by 5:00pm, we hadn't even left the city yet. We watched Goonies later in the evening because the kids had never seen it.

We loved having everyone here - and the kids were so great! I really miss having my family around to hang out with on the weekends. The past 24 hours reminded me a lot of what it was like living at home. It was nice! Thanks for traveling so far to share the weekend with us, everyone!

Here are some photos, many of which Maddi took throughout the day - and some that I took of the kids acting silly: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BZM2zlq3csTA

It's So Exciting!

We are expecting visitors tomorrow...many of them have never visited us before, so it's exciting! My grandparents, my brother Evan (who've been here once or twice, but never to our new place) and my Uncle Todd and his kids - Tori, Maddi, Dylan and Gabbi are all coming tomorrow morning to visit for the night. We'll be packed to the gils, even rolling out the sleeping bags and air mattresses for the occasion.

Tomorrow afternoon, we're going to DC to see the monuments and museums, since the kids have never been there and Todd can't remember being there. After the tour, we're going to make our own personal pizzas. Then the "adults" can relax from the long day while the "kids" (ie. me, Ryan, Evan and the real kids) make cookies and popcorn, and allow the little ones to take over the basement, play some games and watch movies all night long! Sunday I'm making homemade waffles for breakfast - they're so yummy. We'll likely go to church together before they all head home.

I love entertaining (particularly kids, because they get so excited), and of course I love when our families visit! I'll post a synopsis and pictures on Sunday...

Week #2: Mid-diet-week Update

All is well this week with the new way of eating. It's getting easier every day. I'm not nearly as hungry as I was last week. I don't even need all the veggies I bring to work to keep me away from the junk food.

Before Halloween, I made Ryan put the candy away because it was too difficult to resist (except for the Candy Corn because I hate it). On Halloween, I ate a few small tootsie rolls and at first they were yummy. I didn't really feel guilty because I had a few points to use, but I quickly realized I didn't really want them. It was a great feeling - one I've never experienced before actually. We now have our left over Halloween candy sitting on the counter, and I'm not tempted to eat it.

I increased the water successfully, but I think I'm going to hurl after the third bottle by noon. Just this morning I figured out that the bottle I've been drinking from is twice as big as I thought, so I've really increased my water.

I still need to get more exercise...but I've spent the last three evenings digging out my winter clothes, packing up the summer stuff, and cleaning the house from top to bottom, so I'm sure I got some exercise since I never sat down. But I'll keep working on that! More after the weigh in on Monday!

Week 1

Today was the end of my first week of Weight Watchers. It was pretty difficult, but easier than I expected. I did well learning the plan, staying within my points (I even had a few of the weekly points left at the end of the week), choosing wisely when eating out, and cutting out unhealthy snacks (luckily I really like fruits and veggies). I was hungry fairly often, but not starving. My weaknesses were not enough daily activity (cramming it all into two sessions isn't ideal), happy hour last Friday (empty calories) and I can't for the life of me drink as much water as I'm supposed to. I weighed in tonight at 4.4 pounds lighter than last Tuesday. I was shooting for 5 pounds, but I'm happy with my progress. Next week I'm going to keep up with the things I did well and focus on portions, attempt to get more frequent and consistent activity, no happy hour, and increase my water intake. My goal is 4-5 more pounds. They say it is easiest in the first three weeks, so it should be attainable. I'll post another update on Monday Nov. 5th because I'll be out of town on Tuesday and Wednesday evening...so I'm hoping one less day in my "week" won't really show.

Weekend Update

It's been a fun weekend! On Friday night, we had some drinks with Sandi and Shawn and some of their friends in Old Town. We started the evening at Chadwicks with a light dinner and met everyone at Union Street Tavern. From there, the group was hungry so Ryan and I had a drink while everyone had dinner at Bugsy's. Our last stop was Murphy's where we listened to some Irish music for a while before heading home pretty early.

Yesterday, Ryan went to Rob's to watch some football and the Penn State game, and I joined some friends from work at Nightmare Manor in Leesburg. It was really fun, not nearly as scary as I expected. They had a few "haunted" buildings and a hay ride. Nothing too exciting happended, but Shira's feet were such a mess as she didn't expect to get messy and wore cute shoes. We stopped at TGI Friday's on the way home. Ryan and I got home within 2 minutes of each other and we watched SNL and fell asleep pretty early again, for a Saturday.

Today we were up early. After breakfast, we decided to go for a bike ride. We rode a total of 16 miles, to Ashburn and back. It is a gorgeous day, and it was relaxing until the end when I was exhausted. I did pretty well though, and Ryan always rides effortlessly. We're hanging out, watching the Steeler game and plan to do some chores later this afternoon. I love relaxing weekends!

Weight Watchers

Five years ago if you asked me if I'd ever be fat, I'd have said I would never let it happen, but I have let it happen. According to my research, I'm obese actually. So, tonight I attended my first Weight Watchers meeting. I'm finally sick of being overweight and have realized that I need to do something about it for my health, not just because of what I look like. I feel fine now, but how will I feel in five or ten years? I can't blame my thyroid issue completely, but I'm glad I know it is there because I know now that it won't be easy to lose weight. I need to take responsibility to change patterns before they really become habits. But, hard core exercise isn't my thing (I can't stick to it) and it doesn't work alone even when I do for a short period of time. I decided I need something that is a healthy response rather than the fad diets and quick fix pills that I've spent most of my life trying. I need to learn how to eat healthy and establish a reasonable exercise plan that I'll follow in order to achieve the overall health I really do want.

Today was really hard. I have to think about what I'm eating rather than just eating whatever I want. I looked up things before I ate them and I was shocked. I'm surprised I'm not heavier than I am. I did well though I think, a couple of points over my goal, but not terrible for my first day. I am pretty hungry right now, but that's probably a good thing and I'm counting on a cup of Green Tea to tide me over until morning. I am excited about this and I'm ready for a change. So why am I making this public? Because I need to be reminded and held accountable. I want people to ask how I'm doing with it, and I want to be embarrassed if I fall off the wagon. Maybe if I stop ignoring it and everyone else does too, it'll force me to start paying attention to what I'm doing. Nothing comes easy in this world...and I don't expect this to.

Happy Halloween!

On Saturday night, we had a Halloween Party. Ryan and Sandi did a phenomenal job designing a Murder Mystery to entertain our 30 or so guests. It was a lot of work for both of them to create the story line, character bios and a scavenger hunt to locate the murder weapon, but it sure was worth it. The story was pretty in depth. Two characters were 'murdered' at separate times and that left five as suspects. As it turned out, Sissy was the murderer. Her motive for 'shooting' Bunny Luce, Sissy discovered that Bunny Luce was a previously unknown heir to her uncle's fortune. Sissy's motive for 'poisoning' her uncle, Richie Bucks, was a need for his fortune to pay her gambling debts and fund her drug habit with the inheritance her uncle Richie willed to "his only living heir." The characters were Rob as Senator Richie Bucks, Justin as host and gun lover Marty Lesser, Shira as flirtatious new hill staffer Bunny Luce, Connie as secret love interest of the senator Foxy Harmony, Jelani as Foxy's jealous husband Sly Harmony, Sandi as spoiled, foofie niece of the senator Sissy Jones, and Shawn as Sissy's bumbling dufus of a husband Dudley Jones.

It was a long two hours of questions for the characters, but they were fantastic! The remainder of the guests were the detectives, and they really got into it. In fact, it got pretty heated when the solution and winners were revealed, as Ben and Gareth thought their teams should have won the game. Ryan and Sandi thought Andrew, Jessie and Erika had beaten them to the punch so they won the first bottle of ice wine. All was well in the end, no hard feelings, just some a good competitive spirits. Erika also won the contest for best costume, with the most votes for her outstanding Cruella Deville costume. It was great - no one debated she deserved that bottle of ice wine.

Thanks to everyone for contributing food, drinks, time and energy. We had a lot of fun and hope everyone else did too! We'll do it again sometime, perhaps a little less ambiguous and a little easier clues (except for Gareth, we'll spend the next year making his cryptogram, since he seemed to be a whiz at cracking that code).

Happy Halloween to all!

Check out the pictures here: shared pictures:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BZM2zlq3csSm

Pre-party Pix

Here are a few pix of the house before the Halloween Party/Murder Mystery on Saturday:

Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

This is the third year we have carved pumpkins with our friends (we actually missed it last year). Each year, we bring our own pumpkins and one of us hosts a night of food and games along with the carving of the pumpkins.

This year we went to Connie and Jelani's for the annual event. Sandi and Shawn and Jennifer and Chu also came for the fun. Connie made a yummy pumpkin punch, pumpkin bars, and had pitas, hummus, chips, salsa, and guacamole. The ladies had a chance to hang out a little while the guys finished watching some football. Then we all gathered in the dining room and carved our pumpkins, roasted pumpkin seeds, and played Taboo. Sandi and Shawn headed home, Jennifer and Chu headed to bed, and Ryan and I played a friendly game of Spades with Connie and Jenali before heading home.

It was a relaxing, fun night. I can't wait to do it again next year!

Ryan's Monster Pumpkin

Erin's Pirate Ship Pumpkin

Here are the pictures of the evening: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BZM2zlq3csSE&notag=1

A sneak peak...

Ryan and I took the day off and headed to West Virginia to see if we could catch a glimpse of what is hopefully to come to Northern Virginia sometime soon...the changing of the leaves. It was a relaxing 12 hour day and we found a few patches of colorful trees - lots of brights reds this year.

We stopped at a pumpkin patch near Romney, WV. It was the highlight of the day for sure. We picked our own pumpkins off the vines. The first pumpkin I picked up looked beautiful on the top, but it was already taken - by a rat! I tried to pick up the pumpkin and the rat scurried around my foot. I was apparently stealing his dinner. I tried, but I couldn't scream...I must have reacted though because Ryan asked "what?!?" as it ran almost over his foot. We proceeded a little more carefully and found two perfect pumpkins. We left the place with 2 bails of hay, two large pumpkins (total of 34 lbs.), 20 gourds, nine pieces of Indian Corn and two cans of pop for $27. It was great! We couldn't even buy one pumpkin around here for that. The farmer and his wife were so nice - the wife took our picture as Ryan stuffed two bails of hay in the trunk of my Accord - guess they aren't too used to the city folk around there. It reminded me of how much I miss home (PA) and the the simple life there...and of course the friendly farmers who provide a days worth of fun for next to nothing, even though they've worked like dogs every day for the past year just to provide us with the experience.

I haven't quite had my fill of the foliage this year, so we plan to take a shorter trip once the leaves change around us. But it was so nice to drive around with no destination in mind, have time to just talk about everything and nothing, and stop to eat whenever we got hungry. I love days like today!!!

I love our neighborhood...

Over the past few months that we've lived here, I've learned just how great it is to be a part of a neighborhood where people actually care about one another and take time out of their busy lives to chat and even hang out. They are willing to let you borrow anything and just pop in whenever. I love this neighborhood...

Ryan and I were just sitting in the living room watching football at about 8:15pm and the doorbell rang. Ryan answered the door and this is what he found:

Greetings

The air is cool, the season is fall
Soon the Halloween Spirit will come to all
The ghosts are looking for things to do
In fact, a ghost has brought this to you
BOO is a shield from the witching hour
Just hang it up and watch its power
At your house is where it works
It wards off the creepy and scary who lurk
The treats that come with this note tonight
Are yours to enjoy with delight
Make two copies of this note for your friends
So they will have fuzzies that will not end
We'll all have a smile upon our face
No one will know who boo'd your place
Just one short day to work your spell
Quickly and quietly so know one can tell
Don't forget a nifty treat
Hide something cute or something sweet
Please join the fun, let's really hear it
Spread some fun and Halloween spirit

Directions:
1. Enjoy treats
2. Leave BOO on front door until Halloween
3. You have 24 hours to copy this poem twice and BOO two other people that don't already have a BOO sign

A plate full of cookies arrived with the poem - and I think I know by how good the cookies are, just who pulled this fun little trick. Guess I'll have to start baking and pass it on...

Check this out!

Gareth posted this site on his blog, and it is pretty cool so I had to steal it and post it here. It calculates how closely you relate to the 2008 Presidential candidates. I've never even heard of the guy I identify most with: Mike Gravel. But I guess I'll look him up!

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

My #2 was Chris Dodd and #3 was a tie between Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Ryan: #1 Mike Gravel, #2 Barak Obama and #3 Joe Biden.

How about you?

Trashy TV - My Favorite!

I don't like to get too involved in television. Ryan and I usually have one show that we watch together, and I find one other he's not so interested in. It seems, however, that every show we like gets cancelled. A few years ago it was the Apprentice (just too repetitive now), two years ago it was Joey and last season it was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Our absolute favorite show is Rescue Me, but it is only on in the summer.

I'm now without a show to watch faithfully. I hesitate to search for one because it'll likely get cancelled when I decide it is a favorite. I'm not too set on reality TV, but there are not many choices available. I'm not imaginative enough to stomach sci-fi stuff and game shows are only fun for a week or two. Whatever happened to all the great sitcoms?

Last night I watched The Bachelor. I always enjoy it in the beginning and then I get bored with the girlie drama. But I do like this season's leading man, Brad Womack. He's 34, a successful entrepreneur from Austin, and determined to find a "soul mate," which is doubtful, but you never know (I do like DeAnna so I have someone to route for, until she turns into the back stabber on the show). He's a cutie and a half, and is as genuine as one who chooses to participate in a reality dating show could be on TV. I'm sure it'll get too ridiculous and trashy in a few weeks and I'll lose interest.

Here's my pathetic potential line up of shows I'll likely catch every now and again (all of them are on ABC):

The Nanny - Monday @ 9 - don't make fun, this is a great show!
The Bachelor - Monday @ 10
According to Jim - Wednesday @ 8
Big Shots - Thursday @ 10 - only new one I'm remotely interested in so far

So, I'm asking for your advice...any great shows that you know of? I want a favorite, one I can watch every week - you know, something to look forward to vegging out to. Be careful sharing, because it is likely if I start watching it, it won't last!

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Pollock

This weekend Ryan and I traveled to Mercer PA for my cousin Tanya's wedding. I'm sure you all know by now how close I am even to so many of my extended family members. But this particular cousin (and of course her twin sister, Terah) is very special to me (and to my brother, Evan). The four of us grew up together just like brothers and sisters (poor Evan, always out numbered). We went to the same Elementary school, played together and fought with each other pretty much every single day, nearly every vacation we went on, was with the whole Rice family (and for many years we were the only four kids), etc. Even though Tanya and I don't talk every day anymore, we still share absolutely everything as often as possible. She is one of my closest friends/relatives. It was one of those events that you knew would once day take place, a much anticipated one for sure. Tanya and Nick have been dating for over 7 years...and we couldn't be more excited to officially welcome Nick into our family. It was so nice to spend time with my family. I really miss them and cherish those times we spend together! It was also nice to meet the rest of Nick's awesome family and their friends were great too. It was a really fun wedding, and I'm glad we got to hang out with everyone both nights after all the official events had ended. Congratulations Tanya and Nick - you threw a fantastic party!!! May you have many happy years ahead and make lots of babies to take on vacation with the family :-)

Link to the pictures: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BZM2zlq3csRq

Tanya and Nick on Friday Night

Uncle Terry and Aunt Robin

Terah, Tristan, TJ and Tanya

Tanya and I

The Ceremony

Cutting the Cake

Ahhh...Vacation!

Last week, Ryan and I ventured out on a much needed vacation to New England. We had a great time, despite some rain. We started our trip with a visit with our great friends, Tommy and Amy (near Philly) and attended Little Tommy's Baptism on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, we headed north to New Hampshire for a night. On Monday, we took the scenic route and stoppped at some shops on the way to Bar Harbor, ME. We had a few amazing meals, stayed at a wonderful B&B, rode on a lobster boat and climbed some mountains - can you believe I actually love that stuff? As long as I don't have to sleep in it, I'm up for the adventure (but no heights...)!

We also took a very dangerous trip to the top of Mt. Washington, NH - yes, of course I freaked out and closed my eyes all the way to the top...but I got used to it and was fine on the way down. We also stayed for two days in Burlington, VT. On Saturday, we headed back to SW PA and stayed in Altoona so we could then continue the drive to Kristy and Jason's wedding yesterday in Somerset. Nearly 1200 miles in all.

The only mishap was that I nearly knocked myself out while preparing for a bike ride. Ironically, I was trying to get the bike helmets out of the trunk and slammed the trunk after retrieving them, but forgot about the bike rack that was still attached. Ouch! The bump on my head swelled up like something from a Bugs Bunny cartoon, and I cried like a baby. At least Ryan took pity on me for that bike ride and I didn't have to ride so fast or so hard.

We did get lost trying to "Cycle the City" of Burlington (there was no way that path actually went near the city), but 15 miles later we found our way back and found the Ethan Allen Homestead along the way...an interesting man Mr. Allen was (and they had clean bathrooms).

Oh yeah, and I figured out that all these years that I've been conservative with spaghetti sauce because it gives me hives in my mouth (sometimes) was likely for nothing. We were eating at an Italian restaurant and there was a very pleasant smelling fresh herb on the plate...we smelled it then tasted it - Ryan loved it, so I bit right into it and it instantly ate a hole in the roof of my mouth and left a burning sensation on my tongue :-) Yep! I'm allergic to Oregano! At least I know I can likely eat lots of sauce from now on, as long as we leave out the poisonous ingredient.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BZM2zlq3csQu&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5

I think I can...I think I can...

Tonight, for the first time on our routine bike ride, I didn't have to push my bike up any hills. Small and insignificant as it may seem, I'm very proud of that accomplishment. It took lots of work to get to this point. Next goal...getting out of lowest gear and doing that (ha-ha). I've only shed an ounce or two so far, but I've gained confidence that it is possible to do something positive to change my overall health. Now, can I ever rid my life of the sweets? hmm...baby steps!

Congratulations Kristy and Jason!

Killer Bike Ride

Ryan and I set out today for a bike ride at about 2:00pm, intending to ride a little further than before since we had most of the day to enjoy. We initially went toward Reston Town Center to the bike store to get a few supplies. From there, we set out for the W&OD Trail and rode toward Vienna, where we stopped to get my gears adjusted at the place we bought the bikes, because the gears weren't quite right. We then continued on and made it all the way the I-495 before we turned around and came back. It was a long day...we rode about 18-20 miles round trip. We decided to stopped at Safeway on the way home to get a yummy dinner of steaks, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob as a reward. I've noticed that I'm not as hungry after a strenuous ride, but it was so good! We're exhausted tonight and will pay tomorrow I'm sure...but it is even more fun than I ever expected to get out there and ride my tail off.

"Keck! I ate a bug," she said

We finally got bikes yesterday. We've been wanting them for years, and finally bought them just in time to take them to New England on vacation with us. Now the training begins...I'm sure you've all noticed I seem to have misplaced my in-shape over the past few years and I do want to get it back, so I'm trying and hoping the bike will help. Ryan is always in shape and on a bad day has ten times more energy than I ever do. This evening we set out for our first real bike ride and he almost killed me. Not really, it was very fun, but talk about pushing it...holy cow! No breaking them in, no leisurely rides. We set out on the local trails for over an hour, but it felt like eight! We ventured through neighborhoods, woods, bushes (literally), up hills and even steps, across a stream...all over south Reston. It was fun and I can't wait to go again, but my legs will barely hold me up now.

New Honda Accord

After all the car trouble we had recently, we decided to buy a Honda Accord. Apparently, the dealer either lost the paperwork or it was stolen. My debit card was fraudulently used the next day (not sure if they are connected)...but after all is said and done, I really like the car.

We lucked out and got a great deal. It has it all...and plenty of head and leg room. I wanted a more family-friendly car, and I got one. Here are some pix:

I never knew...

I never knew California was really so different from everything I'm used to. This is the first time I've ever been here and I've only had a few hours to explore. I'm in southern CA for work, and since I have nothing else to do and everyone I know is asleep following Eastern Standard Time, I thought I'd blog about my amazement at how different it is here as compared to anywhere on the east coast. I'll try to keep this short...

• On my way here, I learned that until you literally reach San Diego, everything is a desert
• There are so many more hills (some very big hills) than I expected...and no grass or other green stuff
• People generally don't care if they are annoying you
• People are more polite than I expected (I'm not sure why, but I expected something very different)
• Everything I've seen thus far is about as clean as an amusement park (no trash around, but I just have the feeling I need a shower after each stroll)
• Pigeons are not scared of people (while having lunch, one tried to munch on my toe - and they were in the shops I was visiting...no one really cared)
• They charge you $.50 most places to use a credit/debit card
• Things are generally slightly more expensive (guessing: about $2 more)
• Air conditioning is optional (I still haven't figured this one out)
• Restrooms are public, you know, on the streets, and not in many establishments (I haven't figured this one out either...but I've had to pee most of the day)
• Traffic is nothing compared to DC (at least not what I've seen)
• People do whatever they feel like doing, generally they don't obey street signs or laws
• Everyone pours their beer from a bottle into a glass
• Speaking of alcohol, they sell it all in Rite Aid (wine, beer, coolers and liquor)
• The ocean is the same temperature as my body
• There are floaty things in the water that I couldn't identify, but I'm quite sure they belong there...I just don't know what family they belong to
• People really surf (but only after 5pm) rather than using body boards (pretty cool to watch)
• I've yet to see a cop
• When they say "historic" they mean from the 50's...the 1950s
• Sunset over the ocean is better than sunrise

While I would really like to spend more time here exploring, I quickly realized I belong on the east coast...I wouldn't fit in here naturally. I love the history, traditions, and even the conservativeness of the east coast. I know I found more differences, so when I think of them again, I'll add them just for fun. I've taken quite a few pictures to post as well, but I didn't bring the cord - will do, hopefully by the weekend.

Ryan's 30th Birthday Bash

This weekend, I (with the help of many others) threw Ryan a surprise party for his 30th birthday. It was a great time, and a huge success. Throughout the day, many of our friends and family members shared in the Caribbean themed celebration of food, drinks and games. I'll post some pictures for all to see as soon as I finish cleaning up the mess. I just wanted to thank everyone again for all your help and support. Ryan was surprised, and glad so many people made the long trip (from every direction) to celebrate with us. We can't wait to see you all again soon...and we always have room for guests.

Bye-bye RSX!

I just sold my first ever, completely paid-for-on-my-own car! I don't even have another car right now. I know had to do it...but I am a little sad. We've put several thousand dollars into it over the past few months and not only is it stupid to continue to do that, but we can't afford it. Our savings is quickly dwindling. There comes a time when you can no longer justify spending the money on "emergencies."

So, just two weeks after spending another thousand dollars, I knew it was over when more problems arose the other night. Ryan took it to Midas today. They cleaned something out for free and reset the check engine light and made no promises that it would help...and I knew what I had to do. Ryan drove it to Carmax and we sold it on the spot. :-( Wish I could have driven it one last time. I did love that car!

Now I'm without a car until we find a new one, hopefully not too long though. I haven't been without my own car since I was 18.

Shutters!!!

For the past three months (since we moved in), we haven't had any window treatment on our front window because we were waiting to choose, order and receive the shutters that we eventually want to have throughout the house. We bought the do-it-yourself kind and saved half the cost. So, they came in late last week and Ryan put the finishing touches on them tonight. He worked so hard to get those darn things right. Check 'em out...now I can't wait to order more!

Missing In Action?

We've been MIA for a while, but we haven't left the blogging world. Summers usually end up very busy for Ryan and I, despite our efforts to lay low. We're still working on the house every single day and have had a few visitors over the past few weeks. It is unfortunately too much to catch up on, but we've enjoyed having friends and family spend time with us.

This past weekend we were busy looking for a new car (because mine is on its last leg...so much for Acura's being good cars, huh?), had a picnic by the water in Old Town Alexandria, went to dinner and had drinks with friends, went bargain hunting for cleaning supplies and groceries because my car is costing us a fortune, and worked on our household chores. Busy, busy, but it's always a joy.

This week Ryan is installing our shutters in the living room and speakers in the basement and putting up pictures throughout the house, while I work on the cleaning I've been neglecting and my cousin Tanya's wedding invitations that I should have completed by now. So, we're staying busy and will do a better job of updates.

Hope all is well with everyone! Send us an update when you can!

The Erie Gibbens Family

We met Dad and Annie in Erie on Friday for a visit with the Gibbens family on Father's Day Weekend. Our Friday evening began with a visit to Grandma Gibbens when we arrived. We then went to meet Dad and Annie just over the border in Ohio, where they went with Aunt Pat to to see Ron and Todd who were in a dirt-track race. We met/became reacquainted with Aunt Pat, and cousins Ron and Todd and Todd's family (Maria, Kiersten and Trent) and watched three of the races. It was a lot of fun, very family-oriented and an exciting new experience for us. We left there after midnight, filthy and exhausted, to go check in at the Downtown Erie hotel (the only place we could get in because of soccer weekends throughout June). The hotel experience was not as bad as it first appeared. It was clean and everything worked properly, so we were content.

Grandma Gibbens and Ryan

Annie, Nana Alyce, Ryan and Dad

On Saturday, we got up a little later than expected and headed out for a drive, first along the Bay, then over to Presque Isle. We met Dad and Annie at JR's on the Bay for lunch and headed over to Nana Alyce's house. It was nice to see her, and made us want to write to her more often. We spent the rest of the day with Grandma Gibbens, Dad, Annie, Aunt Pat and Uncle Russ. Grandma made us a delicious spaghetti dinner and we talked for a long while, catching up and sharing photos of our side of the Gibbens family and learned about aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends. It was such a nice experience getting to know everyone, even if only through stories. We had a night cap with Dad and Annie at the Wharf and headed off to bed a little earlier than the night before.

Aunt Pat, Ryan and Uncle Russ

On Sunday, we had breakfast with Dad and Annie, said our good-byes and stopped in Uniontown for an hour or two since it was only about 20 minutes out of the way, just to say hello and Happy Father's Day. It was a long weekend, but it was definitely worth the drive to spend some quality time with relatives. We wish we could do it more often.

Holy Hail...

When we were on our way home from work tonight, separately, Ryan and I were talking on the phone about the crazy traffic, wondering why the roads were so jammed. It seemed like it had rained, but that it was just a normal rain and then the sun came back out. The roads were wet, and there was a lot of traffic, but that was all we noticed. But when we got into our neighborhood, it looked like a tornado had passed through (there literally was one at Dulles airport, just a couple of miles away, so you never know)...there were leaves, branches, hail ALL OVER the place....most of our plants were pretty damaged, but thankfully that seems to be the extent of it

Check it out:

New Announcement

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Great Falls Park

I continued my day of relaxation today. I slept in late, laid on the couch and watched a movie, and then I ventured out to Great Falls Park to do a little hiking and take more photos. The park reminds me so much of home. It was great to walk around through the woods, near the river and just hang out. That's exactly how I spent most of my summers through high school and college, at Ohiopyle, Jumonville, and other various locations where I could go hiking and just hang out. It was a really nice afternoon. I want to do more of these laid back things instead of running around all the time like I currently do. I miss it! I wanted to stay for sundown to get more pictures, but I started to get hungry. So I left earlier than planned and came home for a quiet dinner alone. Thank goodness Ryan's on his way back. I haven't spoken to anyone in over 24 hours, and it is driving me crazy!

A Means of Relaxation

Tonight I decided to take advantage of the free time that I'm not quite sure what to do with this weekend. So I spent the evening practicing my photography hobby. I visited a few locations, none of which I've ever been to before and it was very relaxing.


I visited the LBJ Memorial Grove near the Pentagon, where a really nice man noticed that I was taking pictures and pointed out the biggest turtle I have ever actually seen (unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of it). The guy thought I was a tourist and told me all about some local activities, one of which was taking place near the Iwo Jima Memorial. I headed over to check it out. There were bus loads of people stopping every five minutes or so, and it was difficult for the first half an hour to really take any good pictures, so I lugged my gear around in search of a good view where I could possibly catch sun down. Well, I found some nice views, but sundown wasn't spectacular today. Sundown was also behind me (more ideal, but there weren't many colors today), but it cast some interesting shadows. I didn't have my black and white film on me (even though I had bought it on my way out to take pictures, I left it in the car) and I was bummed, but I still caught some pretty cool digital shots.


I was the last one left at the memorial, so it was a good opportunity to get some better shots. I quickly realized that while it was nice to be alone there - I was alone there, in the dark. So I packed up and headed home. I downloaded the images, and started with 155. I'm now down to less than 70, but I have some more work to do on them.


Here's a little preview of my work this evening. I never post the best, but it is something to look at:

Girls Night In

Since Ryan is out of town this weekend, I thought it would be a good opportunity to have some friends over for a girls night in. Connie agreed, and helped me plan a great party. I don't know the last time I had so much fun hanging out with the girls...I'm so glad we were all able to get together.

Our friends...Sandi, Jenny, Jessica, Erika, Jessie, Nicole, Jennifer, Karis, and Kate joined us in their PJs for the evening. We started with Connie's hit concoction: orange sherbet, pineapple rum and sprite....mmmmm! We also had "Vodginas" (not sure who made this one originally, but it has become a staple at all our get-togethers), sangria, gin and tonic, beers, and wine available. For dinner, Connie had a great idea to make waffles. We had all kinds of toppings, strawberries, chocolate sauce, syrup, whipped cream, etc.

After dinner, it was time for the party conducted by Tasteful Treasures. I've never been to this type of party, but Laurie, who conducted the get together, was so fun and we all had a blast! It was kind of like a bachelorette party-style get-together. We played some embarrassing games, talked about men and their quirks, and laughed for hours. The drinks and snacks kept flowing and those who drank, stayed the night. We broke out two air mattresses and put the guest beds to use again. This morning we had bagels and bacon for breakfast and pretty much everyone headed out by noon. Connie and I hung out for the rest of the afternoon. It was such a blast! Thanks to all who came and contributed. We couldn't have gathered a more fun group! I can't wait to get together again!

Here's some pictures (not necessarily the highlights... :-)

An Italian Evening

I was just thinking how much I'd love to go out to a nice dinner and I forgot that Ryan's Wine Dinner was coming up at Cafe Oggi, my favorite Italian Restaurant, in McLean VA. Not only do they have the most fantastic Italian food, but Renato, the owner, is such a wonderful host. You feel like you're in his own home when you are there. I absolutely love it.

So, last night was really interesting. The owner of the Farnese (Italian Winery), Camillo de Julius spoke at the dinner and we got to sit with him, the CEO of a Empson - a wine supplier, and two other colleagues of Ryan's. For dinner we had 6 courses and five wines. The dinner started at 7:00 and we got home after 11:00...that was a long dinner!

You'll never believe I actually ate this, picky as I am with my food...check it out:

Course 1 - Octopus salami with Trebbiano d Abruzzo DOC; Course 2 - Hearts of palm w/ lobster (none for me) and pine nuts with Pecorino, Casale Vecchio, IGT; Course 3 - Crepe stuffed w/ fontina cheese, ham and asparagus with Sangiovese, Don Camillo, I.G; Course 4 - Arborio rice, peas, peppers, zuccini, sausage with Montepulchino d Abruzzo Riserva, Opis, DOC; Course 5 - Veal cheek stew over polenta with Edizione Cinque Autoctoni, VDT; Course 6 - Imported ice cream with coffee.

It was fun trying new food and wines and paying attention to how well they go together. The food was a little different than I'm used to, but it wasn't bad. I was anticipating something I couldn't handle, and as usual I was worried I would have an allergic reaction to something, but I didn't and it was rather fun eating unusual foods. I can't say I'm going to hunt for octopus and veal cheeks, and I still love spaghetti and meatballs, but you only live once. I was so glad to be able to attend. It's no wonder Ryan loves his job so much...I'm starting to too!

Welcome Baby Tommy!

Ryan and I went to visit Tommy and Amy today to meet the newest addition to our circle of friends, Thomas Michael Zadeh. Baby Tommy was born a little earlier than expected, last Sunday, May 27, but thankfully he is very healthy...and just as expected, he is super-cute!

We were so glad to meet Little Tommy and can't wait to visit again soon!

The Happy Zadeh Family

Mmmmm....lunch!

The Thinker

Aww...what a cutie pie!