Saturday, January 22, 2011

Snow Daze or Days?!

Snow Men (and nephews)!


One of the best things about New England is the snow. We didn't get much of it where I grew up unless you hopped in a car and drove for 1.5 hours. Here you get plenty of it depending on the season. Well, this season we have already received over 50" of snow, with another potential blizzard on the way. To put it in perspective, one season's average is 48" or so of snow. FOR THE WHOLE SEASON! Yes, we are well above that.

Blizzard #1 - total snow 18"+


So, I'm trying to take it all in stride (and thankful to the person who invented snow tires, and the snowblower!) and go with it. I live in New England so it's just something you learn to live with.

sledding down our "hill"
For now, we get to build snowmen in our back yard with my nephews. The one on the left in the first picture,...those "dot's" (which are coffee beans) means "he's a leopard snowman auntie". Why do you have a branch on his head? "Why that's his hair!". Enjoying the snow with kids helps me to stay a kid.  We crawled around for hours outside, making snowmen, building igloo's (thank you FH), and making snow angels.

my nephews "air guitar", aka tree bark


on top of the "world!" (igloo)

inside the igloo

another snow-girl!
So, we welcomed the snow this season with visions of a white Christmas (it was one day late), but I have to say, after 50+ " of snow already, I can't wait to say goodbye winter, hello spring! In the meantime, we'll just have an army of snowmen in our backyard!


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Lola and Zoey

Lola and Zoey
Lola and Zoey, our two adorable cats. I decided to write this blog about them while I heard them running down the hallway, and trollop-ing down the stairs at full speed. When FH and I bought our house and we kept waiting for the close date, and the move in date, all we could imagine was them having SO MUCH room to run around in. Our dream has come true.

I love to hear Zoey thunder down the stairs, turn the corner and come bounding into the kitchen. She is like Tigger but on speed.

Lola on the other hand, is our tentative, and sometimes "special needs kitty". She is shy, moody, and sometimes, well...a cat. She is the younger of the two. At first they didn't get along at all, but now we call them the little love bugs.

When they are both in playful moods, which is right about now (10pm practically every night), they chase each other, pounce on each other, and generally play hide and seek from each other. They love to terrorize each other, and I giggle every single time I hear them. They are like our children, and we (ie FH) spoil them rotten!

Both were rescue kitties, Zoey from a shelter, and Lola from a friend who rescued her and all her siblings. (all happily adopted and in good hands).
My FH has taken to giving them nick-names.

Zoey is: Zo-Zo, or Zo-ci-pher (when she pounces on his feet in the middle of the night)

Lola is: Lola Bee, Beetle Nut, Beetle Juice, or just plain The Bee. Very rarely does she respond to Lola anymore, but like I said, she is a moody cat and only responds when she wants to anyway, so we just call her what we want.

They are trouble makers with a capital T, but lovable ones too. I said goodbye to my beloved Scout and Bumpie after having them for 16 and 14 years respectively. They were my kids with me through 3 states, countless boyfriends (shhhh, don't tell FH), and the beginning of my adult life.

Lola and Zoey, I said hello to right before I met my FH, and now, they have been with me through our dating, engagement and marriage!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Just shy of 2 months...

Well, it's been a long time since I've blogged. So far the New Year, "I'm going to do more of ________"....statement has gone by the wayside.
However, I must admit, we have been in the house for less than 2 months and have already:

1. Gutted and remodeled a bathroom
2. Alarmed the house
3. Guttered the house (lifelong gutters that we will never have to clean....ever!)
4. Fixed the oil line so it was up to code
5. almost filled up the oil tank...twice!
6. Put in a Storm Door (thank god we stopped heating the outside through the front door)
7. Put in a brand new basement door
8. Painted 2 walls of the 3rd bedroom, that is now a
9. Elfa Closet from the Container store (HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS)
10. and by next Friday our house will be insulated (1 day over the living in it for 2 months mark).
11. and most importantly, had a House Warming Party

I think we have done well for 6 weeks to 8 weeks worth of work!
Did I mention we are getting married in 4 months and 5 days too?!

I can't wait until September when it is our Honeymoon, and all we will do is pack a bag and enjoy Europe!

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Annual Holiday Letter

Every year for probably the last 10-12 years, I've written an annual holiday letter. I usually start this process around Thanksgiving and write about 3 to 4 drafts before actually publishing it and writing it. One year I contemplated not writing it and was told by many friends that they actually look forward to it. "DON'T stop!!" they said. So I didn't.

This year, I just banged out the letter on the computer, no drafts, no editing, no gimmick. Just, here's to 2011, I'M GETTING MARRIED, and oh yeah, you all have a Happy 2011 too. For once I actually know what the future will bring!!

I started writing the letter since I have friends all over the county...I started writing it way before Facebook, or Twittering, or Blogging. I always find getting "snail" mail to be like opening a present. (see the postcard post) It's a nice gesture to get mail, a card, or a note just because.

So, for you nay sayers that always complain about the holiday letter that so and so sent, just remember they thought of sending it to you to say Hello, and keep you in the loop of their lives. Drop them a card too with a little note. I'm sure they would appreciate the gesture.

Now, I have to go, to re-look at my 2010 letter one last time...Happy Holidays!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Winter!

My 36" prelit "FROSTY" the snowman





Well, winter came quickly upon us, and my fellow blogger from the deChicken family suggested I write a blog about this guy. I don't know about you, but he makes me smile when I just walk by him. Of course he is turned around and plugged in at night so all the neighborhood kids can see his cute fuzzy smile. If my FH gets home before me, then he plugs little ole Frosty in so I can drive up to him at night.

So far this winter we haven't seen any snow. I'm looking forward to the first snowfall...we got our Snowblower delivered. Now if only we can figure out how to use it! I can't wait until we can make our first snowman in our front yard!

Hopefully next year, I can get an electrician to put some outlets on the outside of the house and Frosty can be enjoyed appropriately by all!

Happy Holidays!


Monday, November 22, 2010

Hello Home!

The day(s) finally came! Our first house, my first house. Well, we own a small percentage of it, but we get to live in it, put holes in the wall, anything we want! I have a driveway!!! Whoo Hoo!! Through this whole experience, I didn't really sleep, I got a cold once, and managed to fight off 2 others. All in a span of say 21 days. But worth the time and stress to have something we can call HOME!

We got the keys on 11/8, and moved on 11/20. I met my FH 2 years ago that Saturday, and 6 months from 11/21 we will be married. MARRIED!!! No more calling him FH!!
Anyway, I digress. I have to go back to unpacking the several boxes that moved here, purge some more stuff from these boxes, and get my life back in order. Somewhere I have to find the birthday card I purchased for my friends birthday (which is today and it still has to get mailed) AND my mother's birthday which is on Friday. Wish me luck!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Milestones...

I've been thinking about this word a lot. It's a word that can only be defined by you. Here's a few milestones I've lived to tell about:

1. turning 16...back then anyone  could get a driver's license at that age. Now, I think it's 18?
2. graduating High School. Needless to say, I would never want to go back in time to relive that!!
3. 12 more quarters of college, equals a bazillion more tests before I graduate...and then poof, I graduated college
4. TURNING 21 - I thought that day would never ever come!!
5. Getting your first job out of college - for me it was in SF - the best place to be in your 20's!
6. "How old will I be in the year 2000?"
7. Then came the hard ones to achieve....
A. Get Married
B. Buy a House
These are the questions my accountant would ask me every year...."did you get married yet? buy a house? nothing's changed...ok, I don't need an appointment to see you. Just drop your papers off". HA, now I need to call and make an appointment!!

Well, Milestone Monday is almost here - my FH and I will be home owners on Monday. I've saved 8 years of bonuses, squirrel'd away money here and there, and managed to find my Best Friend/Future Husband AND my dream home. We laugh that we should "Get Married and Buy a House, but not in that order..."

So, we all count our own milestones in our own ways, I'm just happy to put another marker in my memory on Monday. Hello house! (and goodbye savings account!).