No Longer New Yorkers

Today, we officially sold our house in Buffalo! The closing took place earlier this afternoon (thanks, Dad!!).  With the final crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s, we ended our reign (for now) as homeowners.  It is a bittersweet moment.  Tony and I are so happy to now only have ONE check to pay each month for housing.  We no longer have the burden of balancing 2 separate sets of utilities (it was starting to get confusing). The final step in our move from Buffalo is complete.   Today, we really feel a little bit more like Texans. 

As a final farewell to the house at the end of Walton Drive, here are some of my favorite memories of our first home.  

• The first day we moved in, we only had a few pieces of furniture transferred from our tiny one-bedroom apartment.  We celebrated the first night by watching Mall Cop on a futon mattress in the new living room sharing a pizza from Bob and John’s Suburban.  It was the BEST feeling to be able to crank the volume up on the TV without having a neighbor banging angrily on the walls.
• Not having a landlord!!!
• Our first home project together as a couple involved ripping up carpet (the previous owners had a not-so-housebroken Chihuahua) and repainting the walls (originally a puke green color) in the living room.  During the many hours we shared together in that room, we felt a great deal of pride in admiring our fine teamwork

• Cooking in our huge kitchen!  This is probably what I miss the most about the old house.  Tony and I cooked so many meals together.  We had enough space to cook at the same time, and we got making meals at record speed down to an art.  Both of us really enjoy cooking, and we tried out a ton of new recipes.  We baked homemade pies for Thanksgiving, prepared various types of chili and dip for football parties, tried our first experiments with Thai food, and greeted weekends with at least 10 different varieties of omelets.  We enjoyed sharing baking nights with friends like Erik and Maggie, which included a delicious raspberry roll recipe and a (not so successful yet delicious) attempt at tiramisu

• Romantic date nights!  We really didn’t have much money at the time to splurge on fancy restaurants, so we brought the restaurants to us!  Steak nights and lobster dinners were my favorite, sharing time together by candlelight with a bottle of wine.  Valentine’s Day 2011 was especially fantastic!

• Double dates with friends, including Heather and Bruce, Whitney and Joe, Matt and Ashley, Marc and Cassie, and Maggie and Erik.  It was fun to share movie nights, play video games, share dinners and conversations together, and of course sample different types of alcoholic beverages at our leisure.  The warm feeling that made the house into a home came from the people we shared it with
• Reliving all of the best (cheesy) action films of the 80’s with Erik
• Spencer living right around the corner.  We enjoyed many episodes of South Park and pizza/wing nights (of course, from Bob and John’s Suburban).  Tony and Spencer made some pretty epic recordings, my favorite being Deathercize 2001 (mocking P90X using a spin off style from the Powerthirst youtube videos).
• Surviving medical school with my sanity!  Without my quiet study places… the big yellow chair, my spot on the living room couch right next to the window, having a kitchen table big enough to fit all of my books… medical school would have been a harder beast to tackle. 
• Our first Halloween: We prepared with abundant outdoor decorations and were armed with 5 bags of candy... unfortunately, only one family came to the door.  We pretty much were eating candy until Christmas.
• We loved weekend visits with family.   We enjoyed reversing the roles and hosting our parents for weekend meals and get-togethers.  I had a chance to spend quality time alone with Kit and Liz.  It was great to have them each visit, where we could casually make plans together and just enjoy conversation and some girl time!
• Listening to Tony fill the house with the sounds of his bass.  I loved when Henry visited from Pennsylvania and joined in on the music.
• Celebrating Christmas!  I enjoyed setting up our full-sized tree (thanks, Lori and Mitch!!) and decorating it with both of our collected ornaments.  We watched Christmas movies all the way up to the big day.  Together, we wrapped presents for family and friends while listening to holiday tunes

• Crashing at the house after my amazing Bachelorette party (thanks, Heather!!) surrounded by my best friends
• Watching kids ride by on their bikes and scooters, and feeling so grateful to live in a safe neighborhood
• Our first snowstorm… shoveling out the driveway and then diving into the snow pile.  We never did get that snowblower!  Getting snowed-in that same winter was great… we turned up the heat, made a ton of food in the Crock Pot, and watched the snow fall
• Enjoying our little neighborhood: the Tops around the corner, Wehrle Restaurant (boy do I miss their Greek food), visiting The Friars Table in shorts (only to learn that everyone wears formal attire there), Brew Pub, and the Irishman.
• We created some of our biggest milestones in that house.  Together, Tony and I planned our wedding in the living room.  We later hosted a good chunk of the wedding party in that little house.  In December 2011, we brought home our first pet.  I loved watching our little dog make that house into his home as well. We celebrated our med school graduation with a house full of friends and family, which was a special conclusion to our time in Buffalo

It was a great 3 years.  I know we will always look fondly back at our time in that little yellow Cape Cod!

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!

Matt and Ashley's Engagement Photo Session

Tony and I met Matt and Ashley through medical school.  Matt happened to sit just a few seats over from Tony and I in the lecture hall.  Of course, Matt and Tony became fast friends with their shared enjoyment of Star Wars, soccer, and all things superhero.  When I finally had a chance to meet his girlfriend, Ashley, I had a feeling that we would quickly become friends.  It has been great having a close friend to share chick flicks and girls’ lunches with during med school.  As couples, we have enjoyed many movie nights, football games, couples’ dinners, and other get-togethers over the last four years.  When Matt proposed to Ashley, we could not have been happier for these wonderful friends.  And, I felt incredibly honored when they asked me to shoot their engagement photos!

Matt and Ashley make a beautiful couple on so many levels.  They have supported and helped one another through their schooling, both as undergraduate and graduate students at UB. They only have kind words for those around them and share laughter that is contagious. Matt is the first to compliment Ashley on her cooking (talk about delicious Buffalo chicken dip and the tastiest cakes).  And, Ashley gets right in there with Matt during the football games.  You can find her wearing her Buffalo Bills jersey and giving her feedback on the game right along with her fiance.  Seeing them together, I can understand why they are completely in love.  And, as made clear by the photos, they look amazing together!

For the photos, we went to the place where Matt and Ashley first met and fell in love: UB North Campus.  It was perfect weather, and these two made it incredibly easy to shoot.  They are just naturals!

This bridge holds special memories for them... it is where Matt asked Ashley to marry him!  

This was one of my favorite series... a completely spontaneous set of shots.  The leaves cascading around them were so romantic.

While shooting, we saw that there were Canadian geese and ducklings on campus.  Ashley pointed out that the goslings were still in the cute stage... unlike when they are adolescents and get their scraggly feathers.  I would have to agree.

They must have thought Matt and Ashley were ok, though, because none of the geese tried any attack moves.

We explored the Marble Columns at Baird Point.  It was a fun and unique place to shoot.

These columns are right across the lake from Matt and Ashley's old dormitory... the place they first met!

 There were many flowering trees in full bloom.  I thought it might be pretty to have some petals gracefully falling onto Matt and Ashley.  Tony was the best assistant ever, and went along with my idea by shaking the tree a bit.  Well, the whole scene did not play out exactly how I had imagined...

... but, Matt and Ashley did have some fun with the whole production...

... and some great shots came out of it!

We visited several other areas on campus including the Center for the Arts and the Commons

And, of course no trip across UB's campus would complete without a visit to the buffalo.

Thank you so much, Matt and Ashley, for asking me to take your photos.  Tony and I had a blast, and we hope you love them for many years to come!

THE AVENGERS!!!

Seriously… words cannot express how anxiously Tony and I have been awaiting this movie.  As long-time fans of everything superhero, we have been counting down the days to this (sure to be) awesome movie!  Tonight, we will be going to see it in 3D with two other superhero movie fans: Matt and Ashley

Of course, in the haze of our Avenger’s enthusiasm, we had to include Butters too.  We were pretty excited when we saw these on sale:

Marvel/Avengers Dog clothes!

I think he modeled them pretty well… of course through much encouragement with treats.

“Yup, I will happily wear anything if you give me tasty treats!!”

The only bandanas left were made for large doggies.  However, I think he made it work... 

...especially as a cape.

Of course I am a tiny bit biased, but I think he would make the perfect Underdog (even if he isn't a beagle)