Games, Goats, and Very Long Birthdays

Highlights

• Friend time - for the second year in a row we got together to hike in Maryland and visited a winery afterwards. The Pages made us grilled cheese sandwiches in the company of a goat, and the winery had a great herby sparkling grape juice. Yum!
• Traveled down to Linda’s daughter’s family winery in Culpeper. What a beautiful day and so good to connect again so soon after my trip with Zach down to Tennessee!
• Thanksgiving: the cousins (Bennie, Sisi, Zach, Gabe, and Nolan) played games: video, Klask, Skull King, and BS (Boloney Sandwich, as per Bennie)

• Friend time: playdates with Tom, Noah, Landon, and Theo
• RBFC dinner and kickoff gathering - I love me some connection and Valencia is a kindred spirit for sure!
• The Salamander in Middleburg: We went for tea (Mom, Emily, and I), and it was so lovely I took Frank and Zach, and we got the hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and a candy cane. (No, it wasn't too much.) We stopped by Cana on our way home and had pizza and Frank had gluhwein. 

• Games: Mysterium and Carcassonne (for Frank, Jeff, and Zach)
• Playing “soccer” with the aerobee as the ball. 
• Trip to Charlottesville for Frank and Zach and to Roanoke for me to meet up with Paige; we loved the crackling fireplace we found!

Zach: Of Note

• Zach’s soccer team party. One of Zach’s team mates said, “This is the best birthday party ever, I mean party!” I don’t think he has too much fun in his life. So glad the party was great for him! :) <3

• Birthday fun lasted for 2+ weeks! Zach got gifts the Saturday before - a new video game and then we went to the Melting Pot on his birthday. Frank took him down to Charlottesville a day early to hang out with Gabe, and then he wrapped up his birthday with his joint party with Theo at Cub Run Rec Center!
• Birthday Party season started: Adrian, Zach, Theo, and Athena
• Basketball started!
• Jingle by the Lake singing and the holiday chorus and band concert - Zach was so into it!

• Ski season started early! Frank and Zach went to Bryce and Wintergreen and we all traveled up to Greek Peak. Frank shared that Zach is a playful skier, and he attributes that to his two ski instructors in Colorado in 2022 and 2023, who taught him to explore and enjoy the journey down the mountain by looking for wooded trails off the main path. 
• Zach and Auntie Em went to the Leesburg Cat Cafe!

With the beloved UVA hoodie!

• Reading Gordon Korman’s Dive series 

Challenges

Second shingles shot really took me out for days. I had brain fog and gastrointestinal distress. No bueno!

B'day at the Melting Pot

Food and Cooking

• Homemade roasted broccoli mac and cheese
• Holiday nosh and goodies: cheese ball, trash, and Emily’s jam and chocolate chip tahini cookies
• Auntie Em’s new salad addition
• Thompson Italian goodness
• Little Debbie Christmas tree snack cake

Chuckling Santa made
appearances around the house

Holiday Fun Times

• Auntie Em’s FIFA 2026 Advent calendar 
• Holiday cozy pants from Paige
• Enjoyed the holiday cards from friends
• Reston’s Winterfest - ran into so many neighbors and classmates
• Watching the Harry Potter movies, OIIce in Spanish, and season 2 of Percy Jackson
• Walk with Katie, and she gave us fun holiday cookies
• Coffee with Liam, and he shared fun British Cadbury chocolates
• A visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens, their hotcho food truck hotcho is NOT to be recommended
• We watched The Princess Bride as a family on Christmas Eve to remember Rob Reiner
• Zach and I watched Elf on Christmas morning, and we took our family hike at Seneca at the end of Christmas Day
• Hershey Park and Hershey visit on New Year’s Eve

Greek Peak: Dec 31-Jan 1

• I love a winter wonderland! 
• The boys loved skiing, and I enjoyed wandering the property!
• We checked out Ithaca and Lake Cayuga.
• We stayed with Toni and enjoyed her cozy cabin. Zach warmed to her two dogs: Oliver and Spirit.
• We watched the beginning of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie after Zach bonded with Toni over All Creatures Great and Small. So sweet. 
• I love how much Zach enjoys meeting new people and animals. He’s friendly and chatty and loves to share his world. Toni was impressed that he always asked before he let the dogs outside, etc. We really enjoyed the classic Airbnb experience. 

Check out our holiday card: Summing up 2025