Chihuahuas!

Just got home from the Humane Society for Greater Nashua. Will post photos of tonight's chihuahua transport soon! Eventful and crazy evening. But putting 32 dogs into loving homes, totally worth it!!

Jesse's 25th Birthday Extravaganza!

On Friday I successfully surprised Jesse for the first time in our almost 4 year relationship! I got 16 of our friends to meet at a lovely restaurant called Fortunato's in Lowell. After trying to convince Jesse to go back into Lowell for dinner after driving home to Nashua I had to settle for simply blindfolding him and taking matters into my own hands. He quickly figured out that we were going back to Lowell, but couldn't quite pinpoint where in Lowell we were going. I took a few random turns to try to get him disoriented, and made him walk the streets of downtown Lowell with his eyes closed until we were inside the restaurant. As we walked up the stairs to our private room at Fortunato's, Jesse was greeted by a table-full of friends and a big SURPRISE!

After dinner it was time for a bit of modeling:

Even our "camera shy" friends couldn't escape the lens!

After dinner we headed off to Garcia Brogan's for a few celebratory shots and beers.

Everything turned out perfect and I even got a thank you kiss!

I think Jesse was one happy birthday boy :)

Happy birthday Baby! Don't know how I'm going to top this next year, but I sure will try! Thanks to all our friends who made it to dinner. It was great having you all there!!

Snowboarding!

Last weekend Jess took Jesse and me for our first snowboarding adventure! It was entertaining, challenging and an overall rockin' good time (although we never left the bunny slope).

The morning started with frozen windshields, slight overpacking, bacon, dunkin donuts, and a stop at the gas station. Did I mention the day began before 7am?

Unfortunately I wasn't willing to risk my camera's life for good pics ON the mountain. So you'll have to settle for a few of the surrounding scenery. It was pretty neat driving up to the mountain and seeing the snow machines at work.

After 4 hours on the mountain it was time to refuel and warm up! When we got to the mountain the parking lot was basically empty, but on the way out it was full of hard-core skiers' cars, clearly.

For our second trip, onto the chair lifts!

Hair

Finally, a peek at my hair, as promised!

New Hair

So I got my hair chopped off this morning. Pictures to follow later. Warning... it takes a minute to adjust your eyes!

Snow in New Hampshire

Christmas time!! On Monday I got our first REAL Christmas tree, shedding pine needles and all. I decorated with lights, candy canes and ornaments! Gifts from the housewarming surround the bottom, making it look like Christmas morning!



This morning we woke up to find the world covered in a beautiful (albiet heavy) white blanket!



Winter is definitely here!!

Family Housewarming

This weekend Jesse and I had some of my wonderful family and some great friends down to Neh Hamsha for a housewarming. There was much laughter and chit chat throughout our vibrantly painted rooms. Thank you to everyone who came down to fill our house with joy and happiness, just in time to get us ready for the holiday season!

Kristi, our wonderful Pampered Chef consultant made us a delicious fritatta.

Everyone enjoyed and it was devoured almost immediately.

After the fritatta was gone and the "monkey bread" brought out I was able to catch some candid smiles (as hard as Carolyn tried to avoid them!)

I love that we can always count on the house being big enough for all our friends yet cozy at the same time :)

Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

Thanksgiving

This year I realized there are a lot of things to be thankful for. First off, Jesse and I bought a house, and we have filled it with much cheer and happiness. I was hired at L-1 about a week ago and I feel like I'm getting a refreshing new start. Life with Jesse has brought me much joy and has helped me continue to grow. I am always thankful for friends and family -- all are in good health after a great year. Thank you to all my friends who were able to come to our housewarming, Jesse and I enjoyed having you all here and everything went extremely smooth. It was all we could ask for.

I am also thankful for the beauty of nature and the animals that surround my life. Attached are some photos I took this weekend.

Sugar has been my faithful friend for almost 13 years. She is a loving, sweet, totally amazing girl. She is getting older these days, and I always make sure to give her my love whenever I am home in Maine.

Fin is Sugar's two year old "brother". Though not really related, they are siblings through and through. Fin is the pesky little brother who won't leave his grown up sister alone. They are a perfect pair, adding humor and spunk to everyone's lives.

And I'll leave you with a peaceful and serene picture I took at the beach. The beach always helps to re-center me and bring me back to earth. I am so thankful for the place where I grew up.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!