I'm in love w/ a ...... Mixer!

No these are not the beginning lyrics of the ever famous T-Pain song. Rather, it is the start of new love affair. (Please excuse me if I refer to the this electronic device as "my baby", or "the love of my life", truthfully it's not meant to replace Hunter, OR Trevor, I am just super excited!). Yes, you may have guessed it folks, I am not the proud owner of a Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer. The best part? I did not pay a dime for it. Let me start off by saying I have wanted one of these for a few years now, I have researched online, drooled in Bed Bath and Beyond, and so on. Realistically, it has just never been in my budget. For those of you who aren't aware of the cost behind these babies, feel free to gander Kitchenaid.com.

Yes, those are real prices. In US Dollars. Yikes right? Well, basically that just means that I could have probably purchased one oh say, when Hunter graduates college.

Which is what brings me to, "The Contest". Essentially you had to write a story, on Cooking, and how it builds memories. Well, due to my intense love for writing, I figured this was right up my ally. I honestly didn't expect anything to come out of it (I'd like to point out, I've entered a few of these contests for various other things-a wii, gift cards, etc. and have NEVER won a thing). But, I figured i'd dust off those writing skills and send something in anyways. Well, needless to say, they must have liked it! Only a few days after the contest closed, I received an E-Mail saying that I won! Woo Hoo! I'll post the story if anyone cares to read it (it's not that great I promise) once I get the hard copy back!

So yesterday, at precisely 5:32 pm, I picked up my new best friend. (This is not meant to replace you either Amanda, just an expression!!). Here's a pic! (Try not to judge, i'm not usually this tacky-I had to take a pic, it's part of the promotion. lol)


It couldn't have come at a better time either. Fall is my favorite season for food. The possibilities are endless, bring it on!!

Baby Nora & Some Moving...

This past weekend was very eventful to say the least. Trevor was away at drill in Buffalo (if it seems like he is gone more frequently now, that's because he IS, as they are getting ready to deploy in a year). Friday night I had Amanda and Delaney over to take a look at the new house. I think they liked it! Of course, it's still not in perfect shape yet. The only (2) rooms that need to be painted are the bathroom (which was a hideous bright shade of green), and Hunter's room (nothing was really wrong w/ it, I just like color in kids rooms!).

After work Friday, we took a trip to Home Depot in Victor to look for a microwave, paint, and some random things. I ended up finding (2) rugs also, (one for the the living room and one for Hunter's room). Afterwards, we stopped at the *egh hem* liquor store, to get a couple bottles of wine. Shortly after we got home, Hunter had his bath and was ready for bed. Once he was down, we turned on some music and opened up a bottle of wine. I hadn't unpacked the corkscrew yet, but Delaney was able to rig up the bottle and pull the cork out. That's talent. We started out by painting the bathroom. Amanda with the trim, and myself w/ the roller while Delaney provided us with various eras of dance music. Once we got that underway it went very quickly! I think this is largely because half of the wall is white tile, so it makes for an easy "fix up". I'll post pics of the finished product along w/ some photos of the house soon.

After the painting was done, we continued to clean and move boxes, put things away (the kitchen was the "hot spot" because coincidentally those were a majority of the boxes we had brought from storage. We got a lot done, and picked up, so the house is ready for the next load from storage.

Saturday morning I woke up to find a text message from Trevor's sister Heather with a very exciting message that said "It's a Girl!", and then the babies birth stats and a picture. They named her Nora Grace, such a pretty name! I was very excited for them but also still a little shocked that it went so quickly. Come to find out Heather started going into labor around 10:00 pm Friday night, and had her by 3:29 am Saturday morning. We are very happy for them! It was unfortunate that Trevor was away, but we were planning on going back to visit on Sunday when he got home. Saturday after feeding Hunter, and getting him ready, he and I headed out to the Hospital to visit his new baby cousin. We brought along the bills outfit that "Hunter" bought for his cousin a while back. Gotta keep those Bills fans in the family! She was so tiny in person, and super cute.

Here' s a quick sneak peak (I stole it from Heather).


Isn't she adorable??

Trevor's Dad Chuck was up from Virginia to see the baby, so Hunter go to see him as well. It was so sweet because he went right over and hugged him. We stayed for a few hours, and then decided to head back to the mall area to wait for a little bit because Trevor's Dad was going to take Hunter, Tyler (Trevor's twin brother) and I to Champs for dinner. While Chuck went back to his hotel to nap/shower, and Tyler was getting out of work, Hunter and I went to Target to kill time. We did some grocery shopping, and Hunter got some pants and socks. Shortly after we were done, we met Chuck and Tyler at Champs and had a great dinner. Hunter and I took off for home after, did some cleaning, put away groceries and then both crashed.

Sunday, Trevor came home in the afternoon and we headed out to the Hospital so he could meet his new niece. We visited with the new parents, and Chuck, and Tyler & Marie were there also. We were all watching the Bills game in the hospital room, so you could tell where the "rowdy" room was. I got to hold the little one, she was so adorable. They were able to go on Monday, so they are home and doing well I assume! Trevor and I had taken another load from storage after we visited the hospital, so we were busy Sunday night unpacking and organizing. We put up some shelves in the living room and hung some pictures. Slowly but surely folks!

We have another busy weekend ahead of us, I just can't wait until the moving is over!

Seneca Park Zoo

Sunday we decided on a last minute trip to the Zoo. We met my friend Amanda, her friend Adam, and her sister Delaney at the gates and started our journey. It was a very comfortable day, about 65 w/ some sunshine.

Hunter had a great time! We let him get out of his stroller and walk around and he loved it. For the most part he didn't try to run away, and looked at the animals. At some point though he got tired and ended up getting back in the stroller.
It was his first trip to the Zoo, so we weren't sure what to expect. We had a great day, and hope to be visiting the Strong Musesum of Play soon. For the entire month of September we (Paychex Employees) get in free w/ 4 family members. We will definately be planning a trip soon.

After the Zoo we met Trevor's Mom, Sister Heather, and Brother in Law Michael at Bill Grays for some dinner and some Abbots ice cream. It was a good time. It's so strange to think the next we see Heather may be when she's in the hospital! (They are due for their 1st baby on September 19th). Soooo exciting :)!

Trevor and I!


Amanda and I!


Hunter and Trevor looking for Otters

Bachelorette Party!

This week was pretty eventful for us. Saturday Trevor and I both had "parties" to attend. He, a bachelor party for his brother Tyler, and myself a bachelorette for the bride Marie. The boys met at Mendon Ponds Park (a local park) to have an all-day barbeque. They played football, and various beer games, and "other stuff" later in the day. I wont go into too much detail, mainly because it's not my day to tell, and 2, they dont tell me much either way lol. All I know is that they had a great day, and Trevor was extremley sore the next day from the football game.

The girls on the other hand, started the day out right with a wine tour around Seneca Lake. We didn't have to go through the trouble of a limo or anything like that, as Marie's Mom, and Marie's friend Chrissy both volunteered to drive us around. So we took off at about 9:15 on Saturday for the day. Now, I've been on a few wine tours on Seneca Lake already, but I have to admint, we visited a lot of wineries I had never been to. We had a good time, although everyone was EXHAUSTED by the end. I ended up buying a few bottles of "new wine" that I liked. I will probably end up enjoying them while I "break in" the new house, or even save some for the upcoming holidays! Who knows? I also found these "wine cork" candles. You stick them in the top of an empty wine bottle, and light the wick. I figure they will go perfectly with my "wine/grape" themed dining room.

After the wineries we went to the Distillery for dinner and were joined by 2 more of Marie's friends (Heather and her friend Kim). We ate, and had a good time! It was a good day, I was just exhausted!! Some group pics of the bridal party (minus our very pregnant 6th bridesmaid Heather!

Happy Hour!

Let me start by saying, I really do like my job. It's not what I went to school for, and it's not what I "dreamed" of doing as a child. What I really wanted to be, was a journalist. Not the kind of pushy "reporter" or news anchor, but a real behind the scenes writer. Well, that's a dream that's put on hold for a little bit. In the meantime, I am happy. I genuinley like the people I work with. Coming to work, although i'm not going to say I "look forward to it", is not too bad of a thing. This past Friday we got together for a team happy hour to celebrate Tiffany's promotion (leaving our team), and our 2 newbies joining our team (John & Robert). Originally we planned to have it at The Southwedge Colony, which is on South Avenue in the city. I have been there a few times, and it is pretty enjoyable. Plus, they had some pretty cool sounding drink specials. Well, just my luck, we show up and they are closed. Really? On a Friday? We ended up at Dragonfly on Park Avenue instead, which isn't a HORRIBLE second choice, but still.

We had a lot of fun, just drank, talked and played darts. Trevor and I ended up going home afterwards, I was exhausted!

But not before we got some pics....

My work wife Jen!


John, Robert and Me!


Most of the group!

Also pretty excited because we move in 2 weeks! Stay tuned...

Slack-a-lackin' Already...

I guess I'm already slacking. I'm going to blame this mostly on the fact that I have nothing too significant going on recently. Trevor's home from his 3 week drill...and we are getting ready to move. Nothing TOO crazy to write about. In regards to the house, I'm very anxious and excited at the prospect of having my own space to do what I choose with. Of course, tied to that is the anxiety of not being able to afford to do all the things I want to do within the first year. And seriously-I have to buy a lawn mower? What is this? (Very used to renting and having someone do this for me...). Don't get me wrong, i'm very grateful and excited to start a new chapter, but still, it's kinda scary. Hope i'm not alone in feeling this way. On a side note, i'll be tracking some of my cheaper "Do-it-yourself" projects in the next few months. So stay tuned!

One thing that I would like to report on is the Canandaigua Reisling Festival. We (Trevor, Kansas, Tiffany, Hunter and I) attended this last weekend. One thing about it that initially sparked my interest was that the site promoted "Kid-Friendly", and "Fun for the Whole Family". Love stuff like this that includes my interests (wine tasting, socializing) and Hunter getting to join! Before anyone judges, this festival was within walking distance from where we currently live, so we packed up the stroller and wheeled our way safely down. The festival included some craft boothes, and food stands along the pier in Kershaw Park. For those of you who have never visited this part of Canandaigua, it's very pretty. And because it was breezy and sunny, it made for a very comfortable experience for all of us. After having some lunch, we walked across the street to where the "tastings" were set up. You pay $10 for a Wine Passport, and $10 for a Beer Passport. OR, if you like both beer and wine, you pay $15 and get to try both. So naturally, Myself, Tiffany and Kansas chose the Combo deal, while Trevor just went with the Beer. With that purchase, you get a free wine glass (very sturdy to my surprise), and a free Wegmans "wine holder" (a canvas bag that holds 6 bottles of wine). Score.

When we get into the tents, we find that we chose the perfect time to come. IT was just starting up so it was very stroller-friendly and not crowded at all. Hunter decided to take a snooze (talk about timing), so he snuggled up in his stroller with Tiffany's sweater (yes, we forgot the blankie, sue us). We had a great time tasting several different versions of Finger Lakes reislings. To our surprise almost NONE of the wineries even looked our passports, or took the tickets, so Trevor ended up tasting some wines as well. It was a great time!

We then headed over to the beer tasting tent, which was just next door. Here, we got to try several "Fall Flavored" beers. We tried Saranac Octoberfest, Southern Tier Pumpking, and some other great tasting ones. It really was cool because I enjoy the "Pumpkin-flavored" beers around Fall time, so this gives me a better idea of what to buy. I really enjoyed the whole Festival. I wouldn't say it was "Fun for the Family", at least not for a 15 month old. It was however, Kid Friendly. I doubt we would have stayed as long as we did if Hunter had been awake though... Would have been quite boring for him if you ask me. I have to say-as far as my favorites of the day, the winners would be...

Passion Feet 90 Seconds of Heaven.I just thought it had a really crisp taste, and was not overly sugary.

And for beer? Hands down the Southern Tier Pumpking. I am a huge Saranac lover, so I do still loooove their fall themed beers. But this will be thrown into the mix this October that's for sure.

God Bless the USA.

Can you tell i'm missing someone?? Well, Trevor's been gone a week, and wont be back for 2 more. He's doing his yearly drill in Fort Drum (about 3 hours from here). Essentially it is 3 weeks of camping in the woods, mixed with various drills, classes, etc. Sounds fun right? Well, his best friend Brendan and him still had time to mess around with pictures/facebook, so don't feel tooooo bad ;). But you can imagine my suprise when I log into facebook and see this guys smiling face. A nice little break after bein apart for a week. Not to mention, i've developed a soft spot for a guy in uniform!

I don't believe i've ever discussed this, but Trevor's currently stationed in Buffalo, and recently got his orders for November of 2011 to go to Afghanistan. Not too thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be prouder, but Hunter and I will miss him a lot. Especially since Hunter is going through a "Daddy-Boy" phase where Trevor can do no wrong! It's also difficult when he sees Trevor's twin brother Tyler. To us, they don't look exactly alike anymore, but to Hunter, I think for just a second he thinks it's Dad. Just heartbreaking. Can't wait to have him back!