Volume IX: The rest of Big April and the Start of Big May
I have fallen behind. It was inevitable. We've been out of town more than in it. Though I HAVE been faithfully tracking my daily delightful-grateful moments and taking endless pictures, I have not carved out ample time to write. So I'm gonna skip some days in efforts to catch up a bit. Just know that the omitted days were full of marked joy too.
April 17
Spring Bunny event at the Heritage Farm Museum in Loudoun County! Luckily Arthur seems to be right in the pocket of no longer being scared of holiday characters. There were tons of actual bunnies to pet, which made me feel a little bad...I can't imagine this was fun for the bunnies, but maybe there's more I don't know about bunny temperament toward unpredictable toddler handling. His favorite part of the event was the duck races...plastic ducks racing down windy PVC pipes and eventually diving into the pool via the water pump that the kids could handle themselves.
And earlier that morning, we visited Arthur's future preschool! And got our enrollment packet! We are excited to share that Arthur will be following in his Dada's footsteps as he attends the same preschool at Reston Children's Center. After a few visits (and obviously some great hear-say), I am convinced this place runs on magic. The building is nothing special - it's not gleaming with pristine white walls or overly shined floors - but wall to wall and floor to ceiling is covered in big bunches of happy. Old-school bulletin boards with adorable punny art, pictures with funny captions, "look what we know" displays, paper-ring countdowns or count-ups - it's just visually full of vibrant life. And the staff...WOW. From the initial visits to the phone call letting us know we were invited to enroll (from the long waiting list status), there has been nothing short of the most comforting warmth around. We were greeted this morning with a genuinely long hug from the registrar, who we have only met twice. Arthur (and his doggie) were welcomed into open-play for over 90 minutes, including snack, and all of the teachers were beyond personable and made us feel so at home. And the other kids were so pleasant and sweet with us - sharing toys, showing Arthur around, telling him how to get snack, where he could put his things - I was tempted to think that somehow they'd staged some sort of ambassador program but this is the sorta natural vibe of the place. I commented to one of the teachers about how nice the children are and she replied, "well, it is April, so you're seeing the result of many months of working on it, but we do work very hard at that here." Personally I'm beyond excited for him to go, even though I'm gonna miss the living daylights out of him while he does.
April 18
After a pleasant but long and hot afternoon at Burnside Farms picking tulips, Arthur had his first ever popsicle. Success! (And the tulips are gorgous!)
April 21
Easter Sunday! We visited Matt's parents in Charlottesville for a low-key weekend. An adorable egg hunt in their yard ensued, and we had a little try at a photo session under our pretty bloomed dogwood once we got back home.
April 22
There is a man named Colin who works in the produce department at Safeway who always talks to us and is so sweet with Arthur. Today he helped us join the cookie club and taught Arthur how to elbow-bump and it is just delightful to feel like you can get to know the people in your community.
April 23
If you're two
and a dump truck is gonna pass near where you are standing
and you wave and smile
the driver will enthusiastically wave back.
April 26, 27, and 28
It is our sixth anniversary. This anniversary I have learned that we as a couple are way more sentimental than we thought. (And I already thought we were sentimental.) We were married at the Inn at Westwood Farm in Orange, Virginia. Geographically, the location was special to us because of all of our prior trips to Culpeper and Charlottesville; Orange was right in the middle of the two, with stunning Virginia rolling hillside scenery to add. It was also an easy drive for my family in Salem and our friends in northern Virginia. We really wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple, our shared interests, and the general vibe of how we enjoy time together. Additionally, we wanted to choose a place to which we could return for visits relatively easily.
Sentimentally, the inn was special right from the moment we visited in June of 2012. We spent a lovely weekend exclusively hunting for the perfect wedding venue, and Westwood was our last appointment on that Sunday afternoon. The property is gorgeous, but what really sealed it were the innkeepers, Elizabeth and Jay. We had been to at least five other appointments prior and spoken with five other "coordinators" and gotten lots of spiels. But there was nothing that came across as a spiel once we stepped foot inside the inn. Everything was just easy, super friendly, light-hearted, and warm. Lawn games were mentioned. Nothing was required. We could do things however we wanted. We could have a big party, a small intimate gathering, or something in between. The ceremony could be anywhere on the property. There was a barn. It was gorgeously framed between huge beautiful trees and horse paddocks. It was quiet. It had that sparkly outdoor feeling. It was close to some special historical points that Matt and I had visited and knew our families would enjoy visiting, like Montpelier and Monticello. There were wineries nearby. It all started to puzzle itself together into a really cozy mental picture.
We booked our date about two weeks later, without a lot of discussion. The discussion over wine and pizza at Matchbox went something like, "that sunshiny happy inn, right?" and "which one of us gets to call and talk to them about it?". Planning with them was so easy. A few trips down, always welcomed with open arms and always leaving with to-do's checked and new jokes and little personality quirks revealed from all parties.
Our wedding day was perfect. At 4:00pm, it was a breezy 71 degrees with sunshine and fluffy happy clouds. 79 of our closest family and friends attended and we were so thankful for every single one. No family drama. Chickens clucked during our ceremony. Friends and family participated in the ceremony and made it so special. George was our minister. Kevin our photographer. Cyrus our musician. Melissa led the ring-warming. Melina and Katy did readings. Our moms did the unity candle and flower arrangements and numerous other tasks, and Karen pitched in on the everything else too. Elizabeth lit a candle and purposefully ensured that it stayed lit all night in honor of my Dad, next to a photo and a little tribute to him. (And she made sure to tell me that little tidbit in a tiny private moment the next morning, because she has a perfect sixth sense about things like that.) During our reception, I surprised Matt by sitting in with the band on drums to "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Elizabeth and Jay gushed over this - saying of all the weddings they'd hosted, no bride had ever played drums! Our friends Frank and Alison helped us host a trivia challenge that mingled our guests together and covered topics related to the two of us. It was just perfect.
We've traveled back to the inn for every anniversary. Those weekends have all been wonderfully relaxing, special, and have felt like a homecoming. It is a special thing to get to walk out the back door and stand in the very spot you said your vows. There's a pleasant hike you can do from Montpelier to an outdoor market/cafe for ice cream, wine, and gorgeous views of a tree nursery and rolling hills. We drive out to Culpeper (20 minutes) to have our anniversary dinner at Foti's, where we had our rehearsal dinner and who also catered our wedding. Our Friday night ritual is dinner at the Lightwell in downtown Orange. Mornings feature the best breakfast you could imagine - pancakes on Saturdays and "Eggs Westwood" on Sundays. Each year we've stayed little by little beyond the check-out time, talking and getting to know Elizabeth and Jay, and have usually been sent home with fresh eggs and vegetables from their garden. In 2016, I was pregnant. They were overjoyed. In 2017, we brought Arthur with us for the first time. They could not have been more accommodating and loving towards him. We also snuck in an extra visit that year for my 40th birthday with an almost-walking Arthur. In 2018, toddler Arthur joined us and we have adorable memories of Elizabeth making a tunnel for him to push his toy through, breakfast plates with smiley faced eggs, and Arthur trying to say "Biss" - the nickname Elizabeth gives herself for her nieces and nephews.
Sadly, this year will be our last visit to Westwood Farm. Elizabeth and Jay have sold the property and it will hold its last guests this May. It will become a private residence for new owners in June. They are, very deservedly, moving on to a more relaxing phase of life. They will be living close-by and we do plan to visit and keep in touch, but just not at the inn. We got the news a few weeks before our booked visit and emotionally prepared for a poignant, sentimental weekend. It's not as though we thought this option would last forever, but it still felt sudden - especially factoring in that it will no longer be an inn that we can visit and enjoy a special memory. We'll now have to dabble in petty crime to get a sentimental moment there.
We sorta avoided the subject Friday night. Jay stayed up late with us talking down in the living room for a long while and he mentioned it, but no one dwelled. Saturday morning, I noticed that Elizabeth had put out the inn's guest book from our wedding weekend, flipped open to the pages where we and our family had signed. Those were the first tears. We took half a million pictures of practically every blade of grass in the back yard. We stayed in the room where I put on my wedding dress and got ready. Arthur kicked a soccer ball and rode in Jay's wagon around most of the property. We petted the donkeys and horses. We had front porch sittin' time, reading and relaxing over a glass of Virginia wine spontaneously offered from Elizabeth. Arthur met Rose, the inn's cat. He also got to gather the eggs from the hens and help wash them. I have an adorable video of him and Elizabeth chatting it up in the kitchen - Arthur on the step stool next to her. Matt and I did our "wedding walk" through the opening in the trees by the side garden, down the gentle slope to the spot where my sweet husband stood, us both grinning ear to ear, looking so hopeful as one guest put it. I tried to memorize how the air felt, the sunlight twinkled, and the trees swayed so I could put myself there whenever I wanted. Saturday night when we returned from dinner, a tray with two wine glasses, beverage napkins, a wine opener, a lit candle, and the sweetest handwritten anniversary card awaited us in the kitchen. She mentioned the drums and the look on Matt's face as he watched it. More tears. It was like this trip was pulling out all the stops.
Our final morning there on Sunday was wonderful but so, so sad too. More pictures. Jay dug up irises and lamb's ear from their garden to give to us for ours. Eggs were beautifully packaged with a sweet note, "with love from the hens at Westwood and E & J" and an orange ribbon. We exchanged updated phone numbers. Finally came the tearful hugs goodbye and when Elizabeth's voice broke, I was done. These are special people, and they have engendered such a special experience for so many people that I'm sure it is extremely hard to have these parting moments. Our last conversation centered around Matt's asking for suggestions of where we might head for a similar anniversary experience. We've joked about tunneling under the hen's house under the guise of a drainage project. Sounds messy. But so does finding a new anniversary spot.
They're selling some of the furniture and rugs. I want all of it in the most impractical of ways.
Breakfast / Lunch upon arrival at this bluegrassy place that wins the prize for most child-friendly. They gave us a basket (pictured as a hat) of animals to play with, there was sidewalk chalk highly encouraged outside, and all employees were willing to entertain him if given even the slightest look of curiosity.
She doesn't look 70...
Cake from a local bakery in town.
Waving at boats.
April 22
There is a man named Colin who works in the produce department at Safeway who always talks to us and is so sweet with Arthur. Today he helped us join the cookie club and taught Arthur how to elbow-bump and it is just delightful to feel like you can get to know the people in your community.
April 23
If you're two
and a dump truck is gonna pass near where you are standing
and you wave and smile
the driver will enthusiastically wave back.
April 26, 27, and 28
It is our sixth anniversary. This anniversary I have learned that we as a couple are way more sentimental than we thought. (And I already thought we were sentimental.) We were married at the Inn at Westwood Farm in Orange, Virginia. Geographically, the location was special to us because of all of our prior trips to Culpeper and Charlottesville; Orange was right in the middle of the two, with stunning Virginia rolling hillside scenery to add. It was also an easy drive for my family in Salem and our friends in northern Virginia. We really wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple, our shared interests, and the general vibe of how we enjoy time together. Additionally, we wanted to choose a place to which we could return for visits relatively easily.
Sentimentally, the inn was special right from the moment we visited in June of 2012. We spent a lovely weekend exclusively hunting for the perfect wedding venue, and Westwood was our last appointment on that Sunday afternoon. The property is gorgeous, but what really sealed it were the innkeepers, Elizabeth and Jay. We had been to at least five other appointments prior and spoken with five other "coordinators" and gotten lots of spiels. But there was nothing that came across as a spiel once we stepped foot inside the inn. Everything was just easy, super friendly, light-hearted, and warm. Lawn games were mentioned. Nothing was required. We could do things however we wanted. We could have a big party, a small intimate gathering, or something in between. The ceremony could be anywhere on the property. There was a barn. It was gorgeously framed between huge beautiful trees and horse paddocks. It was quiet. It had that sparkly outdoor feeling. It was close to some special historical points that Matt and I had visited and knew our families would enjoy visiting, like Montpelier and Monticello. There were wineries nearby. It all started to puzzle itself together into a really cozy mental picture.
We booked our date about two weeks later, without a lot of discussion. The discussion over wine and pizza at Matchbox went something like, "that sunshiny happy inn, right?" and "which one of us gets to call and talk to them about it?". Planning with them was so easy. A few trips down, always welcomed with open arms and always leaving with to-do's checked and new jokes and little personality quirks revealed from all parties.
Our wedding day was perfect. At 4:00pm, it was a breezy 71 degrees with sunshine and fluffy happy clouds. 79 of our closest family and friends attended and we were so thankful for every single one. No family drama. Chickens clucked during our ceremony. Friends and family participated in the ceremony and made it so special. George was our minister. Kevin our photographer. Cyrus our musician. Melissa led the ring-warming. Melina and Katy did readings. Our moms did the unity candle and flower arrangements and numerous other tasks, and Karen pitched in on the everything else too. Elizabeth lit a candle and purposefully ensured that it stayed lit all night in honor of my Dad, next to a photo and a little tribute to him. (And she made sure to tell me that little tidbit in a tiny private moment the next morning, because she has a perfect sixth sense about things like that.) During our reception, I surprised Matt by sitting in with the band on drums to "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Elizabeth and Jay gushed over this - saying of all the weddings they'd hosted, no bride had ever played drums! Our friends Frank and Alison helped us host a trivia challenge that mingled our guests together and covered topics related to the two of us. It was just perfect.
We've traveled back to the inn for every anniversary. Those weekends have all been wonderfully relaxing, special, and have felt like a homecoming. It is a special thing to get to walk out the back door and stand in the very spot you said your vows. There's a pleasant hike you can do from Montpelier to an outdoor market/cafe for ice cream, wine, and gorgeous views of a tree nursery and rolling hills. We drive out to Culpeper (20 minutes) to have our anniversary dinner at Foti's, where we had our rehearsal dinner and who also catered our wedding. Our Friday night ritual is dinner at the Lightwell in downtown Orange. Mornings feature the best breakfast you could imagine - pancakes on Saturdays and "Eggs Westwood" on Sundays. Each year we've stayed little by little beyond the check-out time, talking and getting to know Elizabeth and Jay, and have usually been sent home with fresh eggs and vegetables from their garden. In 2016, I was pregnant. They were overjoyed. In 2017, we brought Arthur with us for the first time. They could not have been more accommodating and loving towards him. We also snuck in an extra visit that year for my 40th birthday with an almost-walking Arthur. In 2018, toddler Arthur joined us and we have adorable memories of Elizabeth making a tunnel for him to push his toy through, breakfast plates with smiley faced eggs, and Arthur trying to say "Biss" - the nickname Elizabeth gives herself for her nieces and nephews.
Sadly, this year will be our last visit to Westwood Farm. Elizabeth and Jay have sold the property and it will hold its last guests this May. It will become a private residence for new owners in June. They are, very deservedly, moving on to a more relaxing phase of life. They will be living close-by and we do plan to visit and keep in touch, but just not at the inn. We got the news a few weeks before our booked visit and emotionally prepared for a poignant, sentimental weekend. It's not as though we thought this option would last forever, but it still felt sudden - especially factoring in that it will no longer be an inn that we can visit and enjoy a special memory. We'll now have to dabble in petty crime to get a sentimental moment there.
We sorta avoided the subject Friday night. Jay stayed up late with us talking down in the living room for a long while and he mentioned it, but no one dwelled. Saturday morning, I noticed that Elizabeth had put out the inn's guest book from our wedding weekend, flipped open to the pages where we and our family had signed. Those were the first tears. We took half a million pictures of practically every blade of grass in the back yard. We stayed in the room where I put on my wedding dress and got ready. Arthur kicked a soccer ball and rode in Jay's wagon around most of the property. We petted the donkeys and horses. We had front porch sittin' time, reading and relaxing over a glass of Virginia wine spontaneously offered from Elizabeth. Arthur met Rose, the inn's cat. He also got to gather the eggs from the hens and help wash them. I have an adorable video of him and Elizabeth chatting it up in the kitchen - Arthur on the step stool next to her. Matt and I did our "wedding walk" through the opening in the trees by the side garden, down the gentle slope to the spot where my sweet husband stood, us both grinning ear to ear, looking so hopeful as one guest put it. I tried to memorize how the air felt, the sunlight twinkled, and the trees swayed so I could put myself there whenever I wanted. Saturday night when we returned from dinner, a tray with two wine glasses, beverage napkins, a wine opener, a lit candle, and the sweetest handwritten anniversary card awaited us in the kitchen. She mentioned the drums and the look on Matt's face as he watched it. More tears. It was like this trip was pulling out all the stops.
Our final morning there on Sunday was wonderful but so, so sad too. More pictures. Jay dug up irises and lamb's ear from their garden to give to us for ours. Eggs were beautifully packaged with a sweet note, "with love from the hens at Westwood and E & J" and an orange ribbon. We exchanged updated phone numbers. Finally came the tearful hugs goodbye and when Elizabeth's voice broke, I was done. These are special people, and they have engendered such a special experience for so many people that I'm sure it is extremely hard to have these parting moments. Our last conversation centered around Matt's asking for suggestions of where we might head for a similar anniversary experience. We've joked about tunneling under the hen's house under the guise of a drainage project. Sounds messy. But so does finding a new anniversary spot.
They're selling some of the furniture and rugs. I want all of it in the most impractical of ways.
May 2
Today is my mom's 70th birthday! To celebrate, we are all going on a long weekend trip to Chattanooga, TN. My mom's uncle, Floyd and his wife, Annette live there and we arranged a lovely visit with them. I had never met Floyd and Annette, but they were close with my grandparents and I had heard lots about them. Floyd's first wife was my grandmother's sister Myrtle, who died of cancer when I was little. Annette is a sweetheart and Floyd is very funny! They live in a beautiful townhouse right on the Tennessee River, with a really nice brick patio overlooking the water. We had pizza, beer, birthday cake and conversation for hours. Arthur fed the coi fish in their pond and waved at the boats going by - especially the Southern Belle, which will come up later in this vacation recap.
May 3, 4, and 5
Chattanooga is another easy, fun place! Extremely easy travel (little over an hour flight from DC) and nice mid-size city. We had a cozy AirBnB close to restaurants and settled on a few outings to round out our trip. We watched the (controversial) Kentucky Derby, had great pizza, and Matt and I enjoyed two nice dinners out.
Great children's museum! Cute swaying to the guitar sounds. Right now, it's his favorite.
We visited the Tennessee Valley Railroad and Museum and rode the Missionary Ridge Train - a 55 minute trip with local history, a turntable demonstration (I'd never seen this - it was cool!), pre-civil war tunnels, and just old fashioned choo-choo fun. (Arthur's first "real" train too!). Easy fun!
Pedestrian bridge over the river. I don't know why, but this always ups the enjoyment factor of a city for me. Simple, effective, great views, ice cream shop at the end. Good job, Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. Formerly a rail station for, you guessed it, the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The courtyard beyond the lobby has fun train displays and some of the train cars have shops or historical demonstrations by historical interpreters. There's also bocce, a gazebo, and pleasant landscaping to crunch about, if you're two years old and like a lot of rocks. Also, amazing breakfast/brunch at the Frothy Monkey in the hotel lobby.
Sunday afternoon we took a riverboat cruise on the Southern Belle. I mean, why not? We're tourists, we should act like tourists every now and then. Arthur got to help steer and was deemed a captain with his own sailor hat afterward. He now says "Ar-tur got dis hat on the sudern BELL" with a slight southern, relaxed tongue, packaging the accent with the name of the boat. It was also fun people watching, the weather was pleasant, and we enjoyed rounding out our transportation options. The only disappointment was that this particular day's cruise did not pass by Floyd and Annette's house. We had planned on notifying them and then waving obnoxiously, but the boat turned around before heading up that way.
Thanks to the powers of Facebook, I learned/remembered that a dear friend from high school lives in Chattanooga! Thanks Sylvia! Drew (blue shirt) and I were in the Salem drum line together, and hung out so often that my mom could infer that if I wasn't with my skating rink friends, I was probably with Drew. Drew's family fed me countless dinners when I obliviously overstayed my welcome, and Drew even dragged me to church with him a few times (which to this day is probably my favorite memories of any of the drags to church - it was a welcoming bunch and Drew was a perfect ambassador). One of those friends you could do a lot of whatever with, whenever.
We spent a lovely few hours having ice cream with him and his adorable and sweet family, Stephanie and little Anya. And contrary to what this picture would suggest, Arthur had a great time too. It's really neat to talk to old friends now through the lens of parenting - Drew said so many things that made me think he'd be a buoy for the "what do we do?" moments - much in the same way he did for me back in high school. And in that "we're figuring it out too" way, not the look down your nose way. Ah, to live closer. But, the ice cream was some of the best, I enjoyed getting to know Stephanie who teaches preschool, and Drew still has THE exact same laugh that I didn't know I missed until I heard it.
Comments
Post a Comment