Post - Cherry Tree Massacre

This past Saturday was the 42nd Annual Alumni Cherry Tree Massacre. Since I wrote a before post, I figured I would follow up on how it went.

It was very snowy... and icy... and cold. So, overall, the weather wasn't very good at all. This caused some problems. Most people that we invited didn't end up coming. It ended up being, my family, UNCLE LENNY, Aubrey's friend, two of my friends, and one of their moms. So a much smaller group than we are used to. Even though I would have LOVED to have more of our friends there, we all still had a really great time.

The show itself was really great. Along with our friends, I think three of the six groups canceled. We still had The GW Pitches, The GW Sons of Pitches, GU Superfood, and of course the Georgetown Chimes. Since there were only so many groups, one group of alums went up to perform as well.

Just like every other year, I so enjoy going to this show. Seeing a bunch of the chimes, meeting the new chimes and neos, being there with my family, listening to all the groups, everything about it is great! Each year it's always something I look forward to, and this year the experience definitely lived up to it's expectations.

I'm very happy that, even through the weather, the show still went on. From this point until next year, I will be waiting for Cherry Tree <3

Thanks for reading.
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Pre - Cherry Tree Massacre

Tomorrow night is the 42nd Annual Alumni Cherry Tree Massacre. That is a show hosted by the Georgetown Chimes, an all male acapella group at Georgetown University. My dad was a Chime while he was in college, so we are now very involved with the chimes. My mom has been going to these shows ever since my dad was in college... That's a long time ;).

The chimes are a huge part of my life, and they have been for forever. Once a month, they have something called Chimes Night. It's a small show at a restaraunt in Georgetown called the Tombs. We really like Chimes Nights so we try to get to as many as we can.

Each year, the Chimes invite other college acapella groups to perform during the Cherry Tree Massacres. They got tons of auditions, but normally only five or six groups get invited to perform. So, only the best of the best.

For the past few years, we have been inviting a lot of our family friends to come with us to the show. We bring a lot of our friends from our pool, some neighbors, and some other close friends. Also, my cousins and aunts and uncles have come before. This year, just my Uncle Lenny is here, but he's the greatest so that's ok with me. (Although I do wish that more of my family could have come.) The first time they all came to the show, they were so impressed. So impressed, in fact, that they've continued to come every year since then.

Since our friends started to come with us, it became a tradition to host desserts at our house for everyone. That is also a really fun part of the night.

I'm very excited for this night!

I am expecting it to be a great show and a really fun night! Maybe after the show, I'll post a blog, on Monday, about how it went.

Thanks for reading!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Post - Potomac Mills

Monday, at about midnight, we got home from our two day shopping spree at Potomac Mills. It was a lot of fun. Both days were filled with a lot of shopping... I mean, obviously, that was the point of the trip.

We left on Sunday morning, right after we picked Lib up at CCD, so around 11:45. We got to the mall at around 12:20. Since the mall closed at 8 o'clock on Sunday night, we did the shorter side of the mall that day. We finished all the stores that we wanted to go to before 8. We then shopped at "And That!" (The Christmas Tree Shop), which was open until 11. We didn't stay there until 11 however. Instead, we shopped there for a bit and went to The Silver Diner for dinner. First day: have to

On Monday, we ate breakfast at our hotel and headed to the mall shortly after it opened. Although, at times, we were worried we wouldn't finish all the shops in time, we finished by around 9 and the mall didn't close until 11. Even though it was the longer side! For dinner that night we went to Red Robn and ate far too much food. It was delicious though! Day 2: have lots more fun and eat crazy amounts of food - check!

This year we all had a really great time, as usual. I got some presents checked off my list, and picked out a lot of stuff for myself XD! I'm really glad we are always able to go on this trip and have so much fun and I hope that this tradition hangs around for a long time!
Until next year, Potomac Mills!

Happy (almost) Holidays!!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Pre-Potomac Mills

On Sunday, just three days away, the girls in my family are going on our Annual Pre-Christmas Two Day Shopping Trip! We always go to this really big outlet mall called Potomac Mills. It's about a thirty minute drive to get there. It's an awesome way to get a good bulk of our Christmas shopping done in just a couple of days. Normally, we do half of the mall the first day, stay over night at a hotel, and do the other half on our second day.

So, the plan this year is to drive up on Sunday after Liberty gets home from CCD and hopefully get to the mall around 12:30. I think it closes early on Sunday night so if we feel like getting more done, we'll hop over to the target that's close by. Then we'll sleep at the hotel and eat breakfast there in the morning. We'll head back over to the mall when we're done with breakfast and hit all the stores on the second half. When we finish going to all the stores we want to, we'll drive back home sometime Monday night.

I'm not much of a shopper. Actually, I'm not really a shopper at all, I can usually stand about thirty minutes of it and then I'm done. But, I always look forward to this trip. I'm not sure why, since the whole trip is about shopping. Maybe it's the fact that we're not staying at one store for a long time, rather jumping store to store, or that it really doesn't matter what we're doing, but it's always fun to go out with the girls in my family. (Love you too, dad! :))

I think I'll write a Post-Potomac Mills post to let you all know how it went and what we did!

Check back soon,
Kendra <3

Mount Vernon By Candlelight

One of my family's annual pre-Christmas traditions is to go to Mount Vernon. We've been doing it for as long as I can remember. We only live about thirty minutes from there, so it's a pretty easy trip to make.

Around Christmas time they add some special tours. Although you can still go for the day-time tour, they also invite you to take a night tour. It's called Mount Vernon by Candlelight. Your tour guide walks you around and through the house, while giving you a brief description of what it was like for The Washingtons around Christmas Time.

After your tour, there are a number of extra activities you can participate in. Some of our favorites are Dancing, Caroling by the Fire, and Cookies and Cider. Basically, "Dancing in the Green House" is in a green house on the premises that is closed off for just dancing. The people that work there will teach you a certain type of dancing from a LONNGGG time ago. Caroling by the fire is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, some people that work at Mount Vernon lead carols while you warm up by some fire pits outside. Last, but most definitely not least, is getting cookies and cider. There are tents set up in a field that have Mount Vernon's specialty gingerbread cookies and apple cider. OH MY GOSH IT IS SO GOOD!! We walk into the tent and grab dozens of cookies and a few cups of cider each time we go.

They also have an outstanding restaurant on site called the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, which we always make an effort to eat at after our tour. They serve some less common food from "older times", and the food is AMAZING! But, you may not want to step on the scale the next day, if you know what I'm saying ;)

I love going to Mount Vernon, and hope we can continue this long-standing tradition!

Happy almost holidays!
Check back soon,
Kendra <3

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

        Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and it’s just around the corner. I’m super excited! For the past few years, my family has been following the same tradition for the Thanksgiving Weekend.

         First, my family serves the homeless and less fortunate at the Knights of Columbus on Thanksgiving Day. Each year, the Knights serve more than 1,500 meals. I really enjoy being able to participate in that. Just seeing the happiness they get from getting to have a nice, big Thanksgiving Dinner makes me so happy. That lasts from about 2 – 5 PM. After we serve, we also get to have Thanksgiving Dinner there.

         Then, we drive up to Connecticut on Thanksgiving Night. We get to spend the weekend with our family up there. It’s really nice to be able to travel there, even though it’s just for the weekend. I love being able to see the whole family because, since they live far away, it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like it to, mostly just for the holidays. So I'll soak up every minute of it!! :) 

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving and safe travels!!

Kendra <3