Saratoga with Family

Seems there area so many great shots from our trip, I'll need to break them up with a posting each day this week. I'll start with FAMILY!

First Day of Pre-K School

Ellie began today in the Dolphin room. The last stop before Kindergarten. She has Ms. Cook for her teacher, and many of her friends moved up with her. Including: Emma, Khionna, and Matthew!

Seen here in front of her classroom door with Emma!

Countdowns ...

And they're off ... 6 days until we're in Saratoga!

15 days until the Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler


35 Days until DISNEY!!!

Fun with the littlest Fricano

Do you believe in fairies?

Date Night .. 9 years later!

ONE of our first dates .. corny as it was - a church picnic!

Self portrait taken at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville


August 18, 2001 was our first date. And oh how far we've come in 9 years! Wedding, new jobs, move to Virginia, new house, many vacations and ELLIE!

We celebrated yesterday the anniversary of our first date by going ON A DATE! With Miss Shannon safely at home with Ellie we went to the downtown mall for a nice walk .. music to enjoy from the street musicians, a fundraiser brought out the ladies in their gowns and the weather was gorgeous! Just perfect for a stroll.

Dinner was at The Downtown Grille. We enjoyed being the only ones at the bar for a cocktail before dinner and at 7pm went to our table. Bill had the tenderloin and I had the strip steak both done 'encrusted in porcini with a blue cheese butter glaze'. We started with crabcakes and cornmeal encrusted oysters, and the traditional wedge of iceberg salad. Our sides were gratin potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.

As if it could get any better, we (I) decided that since we had dessert on our first date, we would order it again! We split an order of Bananas Foster with the most wonderful cup of coffee to end the meal.

We celebrated where we started, where we've been and where we are now! Whew!! It was one of our best meals ever!

Ellie modeling glasses

During Bill's eye doctor appointment Ellie modeled many stylish frames! Apparently it's all the rage for kids to want to try them on. Remember when we were kids and shuddered at the thought of having to wear glasses and braces! Not her !!

Albemarle County Fair & other fun things

Ellie's first Funnel Cake EVER!

She loved it!!





Ellie at a 'kid's table' eating her sandwich at Arch's

Really great artwork done by kids at the local Waldolf School.




This weekend we were again out and about finding fun things to do! We did errands and found a cute sandwich shop on Saturday called Arch's and headed to the Albemarle County Fair on Sunday.

4 weeks from today is the race!

For those of you who have been following my progress on FB, here's been my training path to get ready for the race.

1) originally began treadmill training in April
2) a sprained foot kept me off the treadmill for nearly 3 months
3) July 2 began running .. I could complete 1mi
4) Through July 27 was maintaining 1.5 miles running
5) Broke through to 2 miles July 29th
6) August 1 ran 2.25
7) August 3-6 ran 2.5
8) TODAY, August 7 ran 2.75

I've always aspired to be a 'runner'. Bill now says, "You're a runner. You're running aren't you?" Thanks to all the great support I've had through the training! Now I need to ask for more ......

It's time to begin the fundraising efforts for a great cause. The UVA Cancer Center Breast Care Program.

Here's how to make a DONATION (click here)

THANK YOU!