It's alive!

Frankenstorm is alive and kickin'. Gusty winds (maybe gusty is an understatement...please stay intact trees in our parking lot...please), tons of rain, flooding (which luckily isn't affecting us), and 121,000 in Northern Virginia without power (which miraculously isn't affecting us either...knock on wood).

But guess what? Brian is working from home today and tomorrow, so I say BRING IT ON HURRICANE SANDY, YOU MONSTER! :)   (Ok...to a degree... please leave our power lines and cars alone...)

Fall at Great Falls

What's better than skipping out of work for a morning and hiking in the gorgeous fall leaves around a stunning waterfall?

A big thanks to Julianna for getting me out of the house, and being such a fun hiking buddy (Not many people could have fourth grade boys catcalling and falling in love from clear on the other side of the falls... And not many people could make 2 hours of hiking feel like 20 minutes. "Wait... what? It's time to turn around?").  So much fun!

A Fall Drive

On Saturday, Brian suggested we go on a fall drive. You know me... I LOVE/am obsessed with/can't get enough of/live for the fall. And you know Brian...considerate/sweet/best hubbie ever. Driving to and from work on the Baltimore Washington Parkway, he'd been noticing the leaves peaking and just HAD to show me. Thinking it would be more fun to drive with a destination in mind, he'd done a little homework and found a quaint old mill turned shopping center, Savage Mill, where we could go through some antique shops before returning home (right in time for the BYU and South Carolina games that were both on network TV that day, of course).

We hopped in Tink (you know Tink...the perfect/sun roof blessed/great-for-a-fall-drive car), and spent the morning enjoying the colors, fresh air and antiques. Man, I love the fall.

Oh how I wish my camera would capture the gorgeousness.
Check out this link: it does a bit better.

The sole surviving example of a Bollman Iron
Truss Railroad bridge.

 



Virginia just does fall right.

There's nothing like Autumn in an orchard

 Bri continues to be a monkey.

I continue to giggle all Fall long.

 Bri tests the apple cider donuts and finds he approves.

We try out being Scarecrow Bri and Apple Amber.

 We say, "Oh...cute!"

I don't contain my excitment over our yearly tradition...

  or over my good looking date.

 We love the VA countryside...

and fully understand our state motto: VA is for lovers.



National League East Division Champs!

Our MLB team, the Washington Nationals, don't have the greatest baseball past. In fact, year after year they come in dead last in our league. DEAD last. Worst record, worst team, haven't been to the playoffs since 1933.

Well ladies and gents, grab some Cracker Jacks and your giant red fingers, because this year that's all changed: WE ARE THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST DIVISION CHAMPS, and as of today, we won our first playoff game!!!  We are going all the way, with the help of cute little 19 year old Bryce Harper (get in line ladies...ok, actually he doesn't really do it for me, but apparently all the old ladies around here can't get enough).

It's Nats-mania in DC, and Brian and I take full credit. After all, we DID attend 3 games this year. I think our cheering gave them that extra little push they needed.

GO NATS!

 Even the nose bleeds are great seats.

 

 

 Nationals Park

 

 Bri meets Teddy, a few games later

Teddy wins the Presidential Race around

the field for the first time ever...I'm just

sayin. :)

 

 

 See that crazed look in my eye? See that

fully specialized concessions stand behind me?

 

 

Game with our friends, the Kennedy's.



President Lincoln had a cottage

... and we visited it.

Despite the lame-o shpill about how "there was no furniture in the house because they've chosen to fill it with stories instead", we did still really enjoy our hour long tour. Lots of info and stories, lots of time to hold hands and stroll around somewhere new (which is, after all, one of my favorite things to do).