Happy Birthday to Buster!!!

Six years ago today, two Bichons - Roxy and Bashful - gave birth to some puppies at a breeder's house in Iowa. One of them was extra special.

Three months later, Rob and I decided to get a puppy as an anniversary present to each other. Seconds after playing with him, we knew this little guy was meant to be ours. Some people say it's just buying a dog, but we adopted Buster into our family and he has changed our lives ever since. I still remember how soft his fur was, and how his ears were tinted light brown:




Although he has several nicknames - Buster, Buster Bear, Buppy, Stinky - he is the most loyal and loving dog, and we couldn't have been any luckier to have added him to our family. Although he can't read this, I know he'll enjoy the variety of treats he'll be getting later! Happy 6th Birthday Buster!

To every season...

I enjoy all of the seasons, but there's something about fall that's extra special to me. I don't know if it's the brilliant colors which never cease to amaze me, the slight chill in the air, or the crunching of the leaves as I walk outside, but it's just spectacular.

A Trip to Maskers Orchards

We took a family outing last weekend when Rob, Buster and I ventured to Maskers Orchards in Warwick for apple picking. We took an hour long detour to get there (we missed an exit on our way up and it took us an hour on the Thruway and backgrounds to get there - thank goodness for GPS!).

From the start Buster was excited for his road trip:

When we got there, Rob's job was to taste the apples to make sure they were okay:

We enjoyed exploring just a portion of the 200 acres of the apple farm...

...and I particularly enjoyed the amazing views and foliage:

All of the apples were delicious, but after hearing some other visitors say how tasty the green apples were, I was determined to find them. So we hiked uphill - merrily eating apples along the way - to the top corner of the farm, and climbed some trees, and eventually got some green apples!

By the end of the day Buster was tuckered out from all that walking...

...and we managed to see a black bear on the way home...

So all in all, a very exciting, fun filled day!

10-10-10

October 10, 2010 marked a very special day for thousands of couples, including our friends Jacki and Mike. I was so touched when Jacki asked me to be a bridesmaid, while Rob had the honor of walking Jacki's mom down the aisle. Since I was in the wedding - and I forgot to charge my camera - I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures, but here's a shot of Rob and the mother of the bride heading to the reception on the bus...

...and a picture of the happy couple cutting their cake...

... and then the after effects...

Rob has known Jacki since kindergarten, and I've been lucky enough to know her since I started to date Rob. We were both so happy to share in their special day and wish them nothing but love, health and happiness in the years to come.

Fall Football

Rob and I went to the NY Giants/Detroit Lions football game today. The New Meadowlands Stadium was awesome, especially considering Rob was able to get tickets to the club level. The views were great but I have to say the food was much better that the regular levels. While they had your your typical pizza, hot dogs and beer, the club level had sirloin steak in the steak sandwiches, half a dozen varieties of deluxe hot dog options, sushi stations, martini bars, hard liquor stations, a deli - complete with the Kosher side - and so much more. Not to mention the cushioned seats and the option to view the game from the inside seating areas, which will be perfect for those extra cold days!






I had a fun time at the game but more so because I know Rob really enjoys it. However, spending the afternoon outside watching football reminded me of the Saturday afternoons I spent in high school cheering on the Bayley-Ellard Bishops. I guess I'll always be a cheerleader at heart too, because when the crowd would yell "Defense" or say "1st and 10" I would have flashbacks to the cheers I used to do. As exciting as it is to go to NFL games, part of me will always miss those days of high school football games.

A Weekend Away in Stowe, Vermont

This past weekend we ventured up to Stowe, Vermont for our friends wedding. Our pals Joyce and Brian were going to make the journey with us, and we all went with the intention of leaving early so we can enjoy the afternoon and make the most of our short weekend getaway. Even the pouring rain and cold temperatures couldn't dampen our excitement for this trip. But, to say the least, it was an eventful trip. Here's a quick time-line of our 12 hour journey on Friday:

6:00 am - Alarm goes off.. wake up time!
6:30 - Call from Joyce. There are accidents all over, they'll be a little late
7:30 - They arrive at our house. We load the car up and head to Quick Check for some breakfast food and coffee
8:20 - Hit the road
8:23 - Bumper to bumper traffic on Route 80. Great.
8:25 - Rob's check engine light goes on. Call dealership to get the car in to get looked at
9:00 - Arrive at dealership. Really don't like the fact that we're down the street from our office on our day off.
10:00 - Car goes on lift to get serviced. It ends up being the carbon filter. Good thing it was nothing serious! While we're at it, get a tire rotation

11:00 - Hit the road again. Phew, traffic isn't as bad after that 3 hour delay in our schedule
11:35 - Scratch that - signs says 45 minute delay to bridge. Whatever, that's mostly for people who don't have E-Z Pass, right?
11:45 - Wrong. Dead stop and we're miles from the bridge.
1:00 - We finally cross the bridge. It only took us all morning to get out of NJ!

From there we continued to make the trek in the pouring rain, driving through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and finally arriving in Vermont around 7:30 at night. To say the least, we were all pretty beat and hungry from our journey, so we grabbed a bite at the local pub and then went over to say hi to our friends who were already out celebrating.

Knowing we had to make the most of our one day in Stowe, Rob and I woke up early to get in some golf. Despite the grounds being a little wet, we played a quick 9 holes. After all, I wasn't lugging our clubs up there for nothing! Then we hit up the gym before eating our way through the next few stops:

• Cold Hollow Cider Mill - Delicious cider donuts, apple cider, and we even saw how they make the cider. There was also a fudge shop across the parking lot, and a winery. We made the most of everything that store had to offer :)

• Cabot Annex - We tried probably 2 dozen different types of cheese at the Cabot Annex. Then we crossed the parking lot and sampled some Lake Champlain Chocolates at "A Special Place"

• Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour - We had to hit up this must see spot, but to be honest we both left a little disappointed after learning that Ben & Jerry sold out to Unilever. At least they made it up with our $3 sample of ice cream. After that it was time to boogie back to the resort to get ready for Melissa and Danny's wedding. I was surprised to hit some traffic in this small town, but I guess that's what we get for going during the peak foliage weekend.

We had a fabulous time at the wedding, and couldn't have been happier for our two dear friends. Some other highlights include being neighbors with Megan, Brian and Jen, and our bathroom having a towel warmer (I was in love with that thing!!)

Below are a few pictures from our trip. Stay tuned for next weekend as we journey to another wedding. At least this one is in New Jersey!