Raider on the New, 9/29/12

We arrived Friday afternoon and canoed 14 miles down the New River in Virginia.  It was so beautiful.  The leaves were just starting to change and the scenery amazing!

 Saturday morning the day started at 5:30.  This Raider comp was extremely difficult.   Rock wall, 1 mile individual run, 12 more miles with stops evaluating PT and Orientary, 1 1/2 miles canoeing and then a rope bridge.  WHEW!!

 Alexis was exhausted!!! 

 The all girls team took first place and the mixed team also took first place!!  Great job Harrisonburg.

Homecoming Game, Color Guard

Alexis is the Honor Guard Commander in JROTC this year.  Out of 140 Cadets, she and Maxi, Cecilia, Fernanda, and Maggie were chosen as the "top 5".  She's one busy girl.  After school every day until 4:30 and sometimes 5, getting ready for competitions and other things.   Not to mention all the fundraisers being done on Saturdays.  She holds the Virginia State flag while they present the Colors before the football games.
Getting ready to do the Homecoming Court for HHS.  HHS had their first ever drill meet.  So while she helped grade other schools and helped to distribute the trophies, I helped with food concessions.  Up at 5:30 a.m., but at least there wasn't a three-hour ride home from this competition.  Instead of going to the Homecoming dance, Alexis invited a few of her friends over to play games and watch movies.  So our house was full of laughter from teenagers. 

 

 

Bivouac

Trying to stay warm by the fire. 

It was once again time for Bivouac.  And once again it was freezing cold, literally the coldest night of the year so far, 30 degrees, BRRRR!  Well, at least it didn't snow this year.  I was also prepared this time around.  I brought every blanket I had.  I did not want to be cold!  Hope Tower-Smith and I spent the evening all warm and cozy in my car watching movies.  The kids, however, were so cold!  They played capture the flag, watched a scary movie, had smores, midnight hike.  Everyone was exhausted in the morning.  Spending the night "camping" with 67 teenagers, now that's an adventure!

Halloween fun at Sleepy Hollow, NY

We spent the weekend in NY with Kimberly at Tiffany and Josh's, enjoying the whole "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" experience.  We went on a tour of Washington Irving's home.  Such a beautiful area right along the Hudson River. 

They had black and white cookies all dressed up for Halloween!

 Toured the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary!

 Went to the Horseman's Hollow, I'm still not sure how Kimberly and Tiffany were able to convince me to do this!  My face was buried in Tiffany's back almost the entire time!  But Kimberly and Tiffany said it was very well done.  Walking back to our car, there was a headless horseman in the trees.  That was awesome to see.

 We also heard a storyteller tell the Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Old Dutch Church.   It was amazing!

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.  This was completely incredible.  There were over 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins.  Anything and everything you could imagine.  Including jack-in-the-boxes, intricately carved pumpkins, and Big Ben, with an actual working pendulum -- a pumpkin, of course.   All these fun activites that Kimberly and Tiffany and Josh planned, having amazing food, and spending time with CC and Bella, so adorable.  By far the best Halloween experience ever!!! 

Mom and Jane visit DC May, 2012

My mom's first trip to DC. This is her first ride on the metro. I picked Jane and Mom up from the airport shortly after 11 p.m. I asked my mom if she was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel or if she wanted to go on a midnight tour of the monuments. She was so excited to be in DC that we drove by the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, and the White House, which you couldn't see since the lights were turned off. As soon as she got off the plane she exclaimed, "I'm in DC!"