A Time of Thanksgiving

With November comes the colors of Fall. I loved driving around the small, narrow roads near my house seeing the arrays or orange, red, and yellow.

On November 11th, HBO sponsored the Concert for Valor on the Washington Mall. I met up with a friend after work and we were so far back that we had to watch on one of these screens. Not a big deal because the concert was fantastic! I later showed my 14-year-old niece the picture of Carrie Underwood and asked my niece if she knew who was in the picture. She responded she didn't know but that the woman looked familiar. I then showed her the picture of the guy in the second picture. My niece replied simply "That's Metallica." You can see how my brother has influenced his kids' taste in music.

After the concert, we walked around the monuments. The lighting was perfect!

The warm weather quickly cooled right in time for the half marathon. Start time was 25 degrees and it was only 30 degrees at the finish. I've never run a more frigid race, but I finished in 2:01. I had mixed feelings because I really wanted to see 1:59. Oh well. I'm going to keep pushing myself and try again next year.

Thanksgiving involved a 4K turkey trot with friends. We ran from Gravelly point to the Jefferson Monument. Though we are bundled up, the weather cooperated with minimal wind and tepid temperatures.

The day after Thanksgiving I met up with friends at the botanical gardens to see the train and monument displays that were created all in natural materials (bark, leaves, stems, plants, etc.) I wish my nieces and nephews were around because they would love the displays. And if I'm honest, my dad would have loved the trains too.

Running, Running, Running

October was mostly spent training for the Richmond Half-Marathon. The weeks were filled with five to six mile runs with the weekends being double that. Unfortunately I put my weekend adventures on hold until I finished training for this race. I felt good about my time and how strong I was getting. For my 12-mile run, my visiting teacher drove me to Herndon and I ran back to my car in Falls Church. Great motivation for not stopping!

The beginning of a 12-mile run

One weekend was a mid-singles conference and one event was held at the French Embassy. I'd been there before and didn't the venue was worth the hype being placed on it. Oh well. Still had fun with friends.

Friends at the French Embassy

Friend at the French Embassy

Facetime for the twins' birthday

The last week of October my good friend Mel came to visit. Mel, Cheryl (good friend who lives close-by), and I were able to enjoy some time together and endure the ritual we call Halloween. I love when my friends are in town!

Trunk-or-treat? Kids have it too easy

Avengers

Roommates together again

Happy Halloween!

Merry Old Month of May

May really kicked off my hashtag of discoveringDC as I continued to explore and enjoy my old and new friendships on the east coast.

Love when the Ball family comes to town

Ball family

Love the beautiful spring weather

Roommates together again

Embassy day

At the Czech Republic ambassador's home

Spring flowers everywhere!

Bought my first piano

Birthdays at Gravelly Point

First Nats game of the season

Outer Banks

Wright Brothers Memorial

Month Long Celebration

Having just moved to the area, I didn't know what to expect of December. You see this is my favorite time of the year. My birthday. Christmas. Snow. Lights. Family. Though I hardly knew anyone, I loved December.

Events in December

#1 My birthday. My relief society president happened to call me that afternoon and discovered it was my birthday. She brought me to lunch and made a big deal about my birthday.

#2 Visited Antietam Battlefield for their annual luminary event. 22,000+ luminaries covered the battlefield and touched me in a way no other event had. Sobering. Absolutely sobering.

Volunteers placing and lighting the luminaries

The line at 4pm for a 6pm opening

#3 First visit to Canada. With my boss being located in Toronto, I expected this would become a regular occurrence. Little did I realize then how often I would make this trip.

#4 Wreaths at Arlington Cemetery. I planned to be part of this event next year.

#5 Svir family. I love having friends nearby who welcome me into their home. I feel like part of the family.

#6 Christmas with family in Utah. Oh how grateful I am for a boss who let me work remotely so I could spend time with family.

Made It!

Finally made it to Virginia and November. My catch up should go fast now. The first two weeks in Virginia I stayed at my college roommates place in Leesburg. Both she and her husband said I could stay as long as I needed to. Gratefully, I found a place so I didn't outstay that welcome. My new place charged me to move in on a weekend, and I wasn't about to pay that fee. I convinced the guys at my work to move my stuff in and in return I'd buy them all pizza. Worth the $50. Easiest move I've ever had.

Walk near Leesburg

Balls Bluff Battlefield

Roommates' kids

I spend most of the month acclimating myself to the area, getting lost on random roads, finding cool things from getting lost, and catching up with old friends. Staying in Virginia for Thanksgiving felt odd as I was used to being surrounded by family, but friends who were in town during that time made up for it and I discovered how much I love exploring.

Friends for 30+ years

Georgetown

Iwo Jima

Arlington Cemetery

Ford's Theatre

White house selfie with Anna

Lincoln Memorial

Birthday treat (a week early)