Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!

We got gifts!  Merry Christmas!!

(The rest of the Christmas blog is coming.  I have yet to finish downloading all of our pictures.) 

But...I just couldn't help myself...I had to put up this quick blog post.  I gifted Don some new work clothes, and he loved them!

He looks so good! 



These shirts are perfect for Don because he likes the bright colors and funky ties.

Our pile of goodies.  Thank you everybody!

The Big Apple

Finally, I get to blog!  This last week has been crazy busy, and I haven't had any time to blog.  Don and I have been busy with working, traveling, cleaning, and serious Christmas elfing.  We were so glad to have the week over and jet off for Christmas vacation.

Time. to. relax.

But before we relax, here is the blog update.  Last weekend, Don and I took a weekend trip down to New York City.  We were both really excited to go back to the city.  We miss it. 

The first thing Don did when we got to NYC...order pizza.  Don very much enjoyed his New York slice.

I insisted that we walk up to Times Square for old times sake.  I LOVE Times Square.  Apparently, all the locals hate it, but I really enjoy the lights and the tourists. 

On Saturday morning, I woke up early to run with my friend Breanne.  We were runner buddies in college (Ok...we weren't.  She was way faster than me in college, and is still way faster than me...)  But she was a great runner buddy in New York, and I miss her!

After the run, both Don and Breanne's husband, Jeremiah, met us at Crepes on Columbus for brunch.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures.  Ugh. 

Next, we went down to Bryant park to go ice skating.  There isn't anything much more holiday than ice skating.  While we were at Bryant Park, I bought the cutest ear muffs, and I loved them!

Yes, love-ed.  Them.  Past tense.  The very next day, I left them in our taxi on the way home at 3 in the morning.  I cried.  :( 

I've called twice, and nobody has turned them in.  Turn them in!!!!!

Showing off our skates.

On the ice.

Graceful...

After we finished our ice skating adventure, we took the subway down to Canal Street.  I was freezing cold, so we got my first of 2 hot chocolates for the day. 

I've blogged before about my bargaining skills at Canal Street.  I LOVE bargaining.  Look at my face in this picture, I'm thrilled!!! 

We bargained our way to a couple of sweet pairs of glasses for presents.

After Canal Street, we went to Rockefeller Center.  I really wanted to take a picture in front of the Christmas tree.  (I also really wanted to see the Anthro windows at Rock Center, of course.)

Merry Christmas!

We ended our day at the Annual Gingerbread House Party at the 5B boys apartment.  The 5B boys were so generous to let us stay with them Friday night.  It was great timing because I got to see all of my old friends and roomates at one time.

All of my NYC peeps!!  So fun to see you!

Don and I were inspired by our recent trip to Maine to make a gingerbread lighthouse.  It wasn't looking too great, so we decided to "whitewash" it with frosting.  It still doesn't look too great...

Lighthouse!

NYC was so fun.  We really enjoyed visiting our old friends and city.  Nothing like NYC.

Happy Turkey Day!

Don and I had an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving.  This is the first year we got to be together on Thanksgiving, and we really enjoyed it!!  Because of various schedules, etc., we stayed in Boston and just spent the holiday with one another.

I was really, really excited to cook our own meal.  We made a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes...the whole nine yards!

Our first family turkey.  I'm a bit nervous.

Obviously, our apartment is a bit small, so we had to seriously plan in order to successfully cook everything.  Here is what we came up with.

Turkey.  Dishes.  Dinner roll dough.  Dishes.  Stuffing.  Dishes.  Mashed potatoes.  Dishes.  Gravy.  Dishes.  Bake dinner rolls.  Dishes.

Needless to say, we each did our fair share of...dishes.  Don was happy to wash dishes.  He actually likes it sometimes. 

Our Thanksgiving buffet!

Turkey carving, 2011.  Nice work team.

We had several friends who also stayed in town, so we invited them over for dinner.  Our friends from church, Nick and Laurie brought all of the veggie dishes (salad and roasted asparagus!), and a stellar pumpkin pie and cheescake.  Yum.

Our other friend Rob was also in town due to work, so we invited him as well.  He is from Austria, so he brought over a tasty German cabbage dish.  Also yum.

Ha, we tried to get everybody in the picture.  I'm a bit overwhelming. 

I am happy to report that we had no burned turkey and no pink turkey.  Success! 

After we thoroughly stuffed ourselves, Don and I took a lovely stroll through the Back Bay Fens.  It was  a nice night, and we talked about everything we were thankful for.  Lots of thanks to go around!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baby Helen

I went to DC last weekend to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and my 2 little nieces!  In the words of my 2 year old niece, Penelope, Baby Helen is just "brand new".

It was so fun to see everybody!!

Aubrey took most of the pictures, so I will post more later.

These are the only pictures on my camera...Baby Helen asleep with dad.

What a little bundle of joy.  Our sweet little Nell.

"Make Way for Ducklings"

The geese in our neighborhood always wait their turn and use the crosswalk.

Such polite neighbors we have.

Gone batty!

Happy Halloween!!! 

Unfortunately this year, I had to work both Friday and Saturday nights, which were all the partying nights.  So, although we had nowhere/nobody to dress up for (I am so excited for my costume idea that has yet again been thwarted another year...one of these years our schedules will allow dressing up...), we still carved our punkins.

Don is the guts guy.  He cleans out the punkins really well.

Gone Batty!  We decided to carve bats this year.

So...we thought it would be fun to design bats flying all around on our pumpkin.  As it turns out, the design ended up resembling a scary pumpkin face more than it resembled bats flying around.  

Arrrrg.  Scary bat face. 

Does this remind anyone of Heath Ledger's Joker....our pumpkin weirds me out a bit.

BOO!

I LOVE this shot.  How creepy are we...

And again...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

A walk in the leaves.

Last Sunday, Don and I went with a group of friends to look at the fall leaves!  It was a fun way to start the morning.  We drove and admired.

I don't have a lot of time to write...I still have to post yet another Halloween post before Monday! Yikes!  But here are the pictures from our Autumn adventures.

Don.  Me.

Genevive.  Mary.  Dawnie.  Me.

Don.  Me.

Me.  Don.

Don.  Me.

Pretty red leaves.

Genevive's cute boots.  Mary's cute matching boots.

Me.  Mary.

So glad everybody could come with us!

Fall Things.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally went apple picking in Wellesley.  It was great fun, and I was glad to finally have the chance to go.   At the particular farm I went to, there was a small train that took us around to the different orchards.  I picked (and taste tested. . .) Jonagold apples, Golden Delicious apples, and Asian Pears.  Everything I tasted was so crisp and tasty.  Yum!

The Lookout Farm.  (I also bought our pumpkin.  Pumpkin carving blogpost. . .still to come!)

The conductor of my train ride wasn't the most upbeat. . .

"Next Stop:  Golden Delicious!!"  I got off the train quickly.

My apple-pickin bag.

Golden Delicious!

The pretty grapevine walkway.  I tried to get some grapes, but I couldn't reach them :(  I suppose that's on purpose.

Jonagold!

That night, Don met me at the Museum of Fine Arts after work.  I had also been really excited to visit the MFA, and the weather was perfect for a walk and an evening indoors.  I really enjoyed seeing all of the great pieces of art.

Edgar Degas.

Vincent Van Gogh.

Auguste Renoir.

Claude Monet.

Childe Hassam.

Can you tell Impressionism is my favorite?!  Cliche for a Humanities Major, but I love it. 

Childe Hassam is my favorite American artist.  AND, he lived and worked in Boston!  He had a fascination with painting the effects of rain and snow on city streets.  Although there wasn't a rain painting in the MFA this go round, they are stunning.  He has a talent for capturing the light that reflects off of the wetness of sidewalk. 

Beautiful.