First high school dance, doesn't she look amazing. She spent the day with Morgan and Maggie getting ready for the "big night", makeup, hair, and, of course, sparkles anywhere and everywhere.
Morgan, Alexis, Maggie, and Maggie's friend Michael.
Morgan's mother even treated them to Applebee's before the dance. She had a great time and made some wonderful high school memories!
Thanks to Sylvia Ammodt, Young Women's President extraordinaire, for driving my oil paintings over 2,000 miles from Utah to Virginia. Now, it truly feels like home. I've missed these paintings. They're so beautiful. 
After my mother retired, she decided to take some oil-painting classes. Our entire family has benefited from her amazing talents. The top painting was a graduation gift. She painted one for my sister Cindy and I really liked hers, a lot. I had know idea she was doing this for me. She spent several hours painting this at her art classes. Best gift ever!
This one is a re-creation of a Thomas Kinkade. I think it's beautiful. I love the misty background and the beautiful colors of the tree leaves and flowers. It's very calming and relaxing to look at.
Even the grandchildren received oil paintings one year for Christmas. Alexis loves her purple fairy and it looks great in her bedroom.
This festival is during Sept and Oct. The atmosphere and surroundings make it feel like you stepped into a fantasy world.
So many different characters were there. People came dressed up in "Renaissance" clothing. Some people even had tails, we even saw someone dressed like Tumnus, including horns on his head.
They even had some jousting.
Turkey legs, yum!
The day started out with an art show in Alexandria. Kimberly, Miriam, Alexis, and me also went to La Madeleine for lunch, for the best tomato soup ever! What a fun day we had!
