Everything and Nothing From...Springfield?

When I heard that Deanna (Everything and Nothing from Essex), her husband, Aaron and her two beautiful children would be traveling all the way from the outer reaches of Vermont down to the wilds of North Carolina over the Thanksgiving holiday, I couldn't help but jump at the chance to meet up with them somewhere along the I-95 corridor.  Little Addison and her brother, Carter, are just too yummy to resist!  We decided to meet up for dinner on Saturday evening, on their return trip home, at a family-friendly restaurant just outside of Washington DC, in Springfield, VA.  A locale a far cry from anything scenic, and a giant, tangled mixing bowl of overpasses and exit signs, making you feel more like you've been trapped in a blender, it was, logically, the perfect place to meet.

I always love meet-ups with other bloggers.  It's got to have something to do with discovering that they really are human, and more like ourselves than we ever imagine from reading their blogs (not that I didn't think you'd be human, Deanna...).  I think that's been the case in pretty much all but one (okay, maybe slightly more-than-one...) instance (haha, now you're all going to wonder who the one is, and wonder if it's you...LOL  Don't worry - it probably isn't...), and Deanna is no exception.  And something else...I think I remember her saying that I was the first blogger she's met!  How cool is that?  I hope she thought I was human, too...

Addison was a little bit under the weather, but absolutely lovely and sweet despite the fact that she wouldn't let me hug and maul her.  My fear of rejection-by-babies-and-little-kids is strong, so I tend to hold back.  And babies and little kids sense my trepidation and do exactly what I fear they will do.  It's a pretty miserable catch 22.  But I did get one little squeeze in...  Omg, she's soooooo CUTE!!!  And Carter?  What a little charmer!  Those eyes...

Of course, with gabbing and eating and child-chasing, the only photos I have are the ones Samantha took with my cell phone from her seat at the head of the table.  Amazing photographic quality?  Not so much.  Capturing her view of the world (and her thumb...)?  Pricelessly wonderful.