AnnaLeah's Bridal Shower

I was a part of a group of ladies in my Williamsburg neighborhood who planned a bridal shower together for AnnaLeah. It was super fun planning this event for someone I have known since birth and who only grew up two doors away from me. The ladies who attended the shower were mostly neighbors and a few family members and friends were invited as well. It was a lovely brunch and morning together with so many women that we've known for 20+ years all excited to celebrate AnnaLeah's upcoming wedding. Events like these remind me of how blessed I was growing up in a neighborhood with wonderful people who are like family to us. 

The guest of honor...and the glowing bride-to-be!

My main contributions to the shower were lingerie cookies and the cake. Both were fun to make and gave me an opportunity to exercise the creative side of me that often falls by the way side thanks to work and life. I love having reasons to make time for these things.

I can't help but laugh when I'm icing the ones that look like thongs with cheeks hanging out. This crowd was perfect for this type of entertainment!

The weather was perfect for a late fall October weekend so we were able to enjoy her present-opening outside.

 The shower theme was "Around the Clock" so it was fun to hear each person's explanation of why they purchased the gift they did for the time of day that they were assigned. 

 One of our neighbors made AnnaLeah this quilt! I absolutely loved the design and colors and almost snatched it for myself. I suppose the better option would be for me to get the pattern and try to tackle one of these myself.

 Neat gift idea...wooden & personalized iPad holder for cooking in the kitchen with online recipes.

 AnnaLeah and her Mama (DeeDee)

 The "young" neighborhood girls that were able to attend

 Many not pictured above who could not make it because of college, jobs, or living out of town. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the wedding this coming weekend!

Summer Highlights

Now that the cold has set in and the heat is turned on (not until the calendar officially read November), I will reminisce a bit about summer.  Plus, there are lots of happenings through the summer that I like to document with photos but do not have enough for an entire post. Or maybe I do and should create much shorter posts! :) I seem to be better at the lengthy ones. Here's a post of many summer memories all smashed together...

Boat Rides

(my favorite, of course)

Sunset cruise with the family

Busch Gardens 

(I don't think I will ever ride the teacups with these boys ever again. I have never been that dizzy in my life!)

Annual Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival

It was so dreary that I never took off my cover up nor got in the water. Thankfully, Hayley & Jerry went up on shore and brought us down our BBQ sandwiches.  It wouldn't be the PPP without them. 

Colonial Parkway Beach

This beach along the Colonial Parkway became a hot spot for us this summer. If we couldn't be on the river, then we'd drive a few minutes to be right beside it. So thankful to have this beautiful, free-from-crowds spot so close to my weekend home.

Farmer's Market

The farmer's market in Colonial Williamsburg (CW) was a routine for me this summer every Saturday after I hit the gym. It's a great market for fresh local foods, the weather was beautiful almost every time, it's fun to see familiar faces, and the King of Pops popsicles were amazing!

Enid was my farmer's market/walk around CW buddy on a few occasions

...and so was Buttercup, her pup. Butters jumped up on my lap one time and just sat for a long while. Somehow dogs always know who are more timid around them and then they gravitate towards them. She's a sweetie and cuddly so I didn't mind the company. 

Blueberry Picking in Richmond

Pool Parties
My parents' next door neighbor wanted a temporary pool but thought it might be too redneck in our neighborhood. We assured her it was a great idea for summer entertainment and she obliged. We enjoyed multiple fun evenings floating in her blow up. The well water they used to fill it was FREEZING and the summer was so mild that the water never completely warmed, but that still didn't stop us.

Blacksburg

We moved Teddy into his dorm at Tech in late August (what an excited freshman!) and after he was all settled and mostly unpacked, we spent the rest of the weekend enjoying Blacksburg. Despite it being the town of my rival school, Blacksburg scored some points that weekend.

This will give a glimpse of how Teddy feels about me...

Some interesting flowers at the place where we stayed...


We woke up on Saturday morning to cooler temps and overcast skies but that did not scare us away from our plans to tube the New River that day. Our first float down was quite chilly and I did my very best to keep all parts of my body out of the water (what a workout), but the next two trips down were perfect with warmer temps and the sun shining. We took a break at one point to enjoy lunch in the grass along the river with the views below. What a spot! 

After a full day on the river, we drove back to Waynesboro to visit Emily and family in their new(er) home and spend the night with them. Ted and I had some free time that Sunday after church and before we were going to meet up with Katy and gang so we decided to do the usual...grab Bellair sandwiches and take them to Sugar Hollow. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the usual spot, too...in the (rock) chairs right along the river. No surprise I end up near water wherever we travel.

Then nap time on the rocks while we people watched at the swimming hole.

BugOut in Dinwiddie
Ted and I joined his parents for the annual BugOut over Labor Day weekend. Volkswagen Bug enthusiasts from all over gather to look at each other's cars, sell spare parts, and race. It was quite the experience. I'm not sure life would be complete without going at least once.

I definitely chuckled at the thought of me being at a drag strip in rural Virginia with a bunch of rednecks.

New Jersey Weekend

I visited Sarah and family in New Jersey back in mid-September...(even though it was September, it was still summer!). It was a lovely weekend catching up, lounging around, eating good food, doing a little garage-saling, enjoying college football, and watching cute little girls play soccer.

A few pics from the soccer field...

Sarah, Andy, and I went to the Rutgers/Penn State game that Saturday night. The weather had been dreary all day but the rain/mist cleared off right before kick off. 

Unfortunately, Rutgers wasn't able to pull off a win but we enjoyed a lovely dinner (in the comforts of Andy's truck since it was a little misty and not perfect for tailgating), had great seats, and I enjoyed cheering on a new team.