Beauty of my (new) Backyard

Tony and I bought our first SLR camera a couple weeks after we got married.  The morning that it came in the mail, my first photo shoot was in our backyard.  That day marked the start of my love for taking photos.  I remember how that morning, I noticed the details of things around me for the first time... flowers mid-bloom, the nails on a broken bench, our aging birdhouse... items I had seen hundreds of times before but never REALLY seen.

It was the first time I truly noticed the beauty around me, even in that tiny city lot.  And, when I look back at those pictures, they still bring back the warm feelings I have for Tony and my time in Buffalo.  I am reminded of all the things I really loved about our first home... the morning light pouring into our bedroom, coffee in the kitchen, trips to the ice cream shop around the corner, the warmth and beauty of Buffalo summers, neighborhood kids playing on the dead-end street.  It reminds me that, regardless of where I am in my life, it is important to take some time to enjoy the little things.  Those are the warm memories that you carry with you when you leave.

This weekend was my FIRST weekend off from work since starting intern year.  And, as Tony had to work, I took some time yesterday to enjoy the little things.  Joined by my furry friend (Butters, of course) we explored the new backyard.  With the rain this last week, providing a break in the San Antonio heat, the plants and flowers really have been looking fantastic.

As we look to buy a house next year, I think about the special memories that these photos will hold for our first experiences in San Antonio... our first time living in a new state, starting our new careers, meeting new friends and reuniting with old ones.  I am looking forward to discovering the little and big moments yet to come!

Easter Celebrations!

Easter was the first real holiday that Tony and I spent together.  Over Easter dinner, Tony met my grandparents for the first time in 2005.  He settled so easily into conversations with all of the family members, as if he had been coming over for years.  That Easter, I also happened to be fostering and bottle-feeding 3 young puppies.  Watching that handsome man juggle three adorable puppies melted my heart.  I remember, by the end of the day, I got the feeling that I would never be bringing another boyfriend home to meet the parents.  No one else would ever fit in so perfectly with my family. 

As a holiday dedicated to new beginnings through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was fitting again to see this Easter as one of “firsts.”  It was the first Easter in my life spent outside of Albion, as we celebrated at my parent’s house in Ithaca.  Margie, Paul’s girlfriend, joined us for the first time and quickly won over the whole family.  And, our furbaby Butters enjoyed his introduction to Easter as well.  On the difficult side, it was the first holiday spent together since the loss of my Grandmom Lucy earlier this year.  This really would have been an Easter she would have enjoyed.

As always, Mom cooked the food to perfection and the decorations were gorgeous.  The large ham and excellent quiches kept people coming back for seconds and thirds.  

It was such a blessing to gather with family and friends, enjoying wine, watching movies, and sharing stories.   

Paul and Margie surprised the family Easter morning with some great treats and special cards.  And, somewhere in the excitement of Easter, “Cookies and Cream Bunny” lost his head.

Butters was also very satisfied with his new “muscle shirt.”  Jessica, Margie’s daughter, picked it out (we all missed you, Jess, but look forward to seeing you at graduation!!).  It looked great on the little guy, and he happily modeled it around the house!  

I know this coming year will certainly be filled with many more “firsts” when Tony and I make our big move to Texas.  But, we will continue to look forward to special moments like these when we can come home to family and friends.  

March in a few moments Part 2

Here are some continued highlights from our month off:

(1) Tony and I returned to Letchworth State Park, the place where we were married.  It felt surreal at first, as this was our first time back since the wedding.  The park was so pretty even this early in the season, with spring flowers popping up and the waterfalls raging from the spring thaw (although there wasn’t too much to thaw from this winter).  It was unseasonably warm for March, and felt more like summer than early spring.  In our excitement to get to the park early, we of course forgot to pack a lunch.  Being in a pretty secluded area, there were not very many food options.  However, we were very lucky that in the neighboring down, Castile, there is this great little sub shop.  We ordered our huge subs and brought them back to the park, enjoying an unexpected little picnic early in the season.  Of course, Butters had a blast exploring.  He loved looking over the ledges at the gorges and waterfalls, but immediately would get nervous when we would lift him up for a better view.

(2) We visited with my parents and my sister, Kit, in Ithaca, enjoying a couple days of rest while our house was being shown.  Tony and I went back to Aladdins, a cute Mediterranean restaurant we used to go to for special occasions during our time at Cornell.  We got our regulars: I ordered the shishkebab pita and he ordered the sundried tomato pesto tortellini washed down with some of their house merlot.  Their desserts are to die for, so we ordered a caramel chocolate explosion pie and another regular for us, the baklava.  It reminded us of walking down from our collegetown dorms, first Cascadilla and later Sheldon, and enjoying an intimate evening together. As we had almost no money at the time, our times at Aladdins were very special.  We would imagine how someday we would have other opportunities for date nights more than a couple times a year.  Returning to Aladdins also reminded us that it has, in fact, been 4 years since we graduated college.  Surrounding conversations consisted of how many beers one guy held down last weekend to the best way to make a fake ID.  Oh yes, the joys that once were college!

With the early spring also reaching Ithaca, I enjoyed going on some walks with my Mom and taking some more photos around the Cornell/Ithaca area.