Portland, Parties and the makings of Apple Butter

Last weekend was a lot of fun.  Friday we went to P-Town (that's Portland, for you non-Mainers. The "big city" when you're livin' in a small town) for Nate's cousin Brandon's Birthday.  We went to Pat's and then to Gritty's for a few drinks with Brandon, his new girlfriend Bri and their friend Lacey along with a few others.  It was a lot of fun to get out and meet new people.  I love Bri.  She's really nice and easy to talk to, and that's always such a relief when someone's dating your family member.  I always dread Nate or my siblings ending up with someone we can't stand.  That would be awful, so it's so exciting when you learn you actually really like the person they are with.  I hope we'll get to spend more time them in the near future.

P-Town

Saturday I was busy all day and Saturday night Nate, Tom, Hillary and I all headed out to Litchfield for a party in the woods behind Brandon and Devan's house.  Don't ask, it's a yearly ritual.  It's a fire, and beer pong, and hanging out in the woods.  It was surprisingly hot out for a September evening. There have been years this party in woods is in November and you pretty much want to sit on the fire you're so cold.  I spent the night relaxing and chatting with Hillary, Bri and Lacey around the fire, which was nice. I was so dead tired, I couldn't stand to be on my feet for one moment longer. Get it? Couldn't stand it?! haha never mind...

Apples

Sunday Nate and I just did chores around the house and groceries, then we went to the Lydon household.  Kate made her Chicken Cordon Bleu Choweder.  That might sound weird, but it is soooo good. I HAVE to get the recipe from her and share it here sometime. mmmmmm! We also started our Christmas projects by making Apple Butter.  Well, really Kate made the Apple Butter, I just helped jar it.

Marilyn

Totally different story: my camera died while on our honeymoon. I know, awesome timing, right? I need a new camera so bad, I just don't have the money for one right now, and of course I'd really love a nice one.  One I can actually get good shots with.  But I'm pretty sick of the un-original photography on here right about now, aren't you?

Here's dreaming...

Softball Tournaments and Gender Revelations

What an awesome, busy, crazy, beautiful weekend we have had.  Friday night Nate and I both got home fron work around 6:00.  We both crashed on the couch and kicked our feet up doing the usual "Don't you want to cook dinner tonight, hunny? Oh no, you make dinner better, you should do it." game.  Nate got up to grab the mail and found a wedding card from the Thomas family with a gift card for Margarita's.  Halleluiah for not having to cook! haha, that taco salad and prickly pear margarita were sooo goooood :)

We did some groceries that night and got all ready for the softball tournament on Saturday.  Nate, his cousins Devan and Brandon and team played while Aunt Jeannette, Brandon's girlfriend Bri and myself cheered them on.  They won the first game and lost the second two, but all in all it was a very fun day.

Besides the major facial sun burn. Case in point:

Later that evening we had Kate and Jason's Gender Reveal Party.  We got to find out if we are having another God-Daughter, Carley, or a God-Son, Jack.  I made T-shirts for Nate and I with blue gummy bears on them.  (Yes, those are gummy bears, not blobs.)  We decided to guess boy, just because everyone else was saying girl.  I thought we were going to be totally wrong, but....

They are having a boy!  Baby Jack!  I am so excited for them! It was so fun to catch up with everyone and chat with the girls (Chrissy, Nicolle, Justine, and Meg).

Sunday we laid pretty low and kicked back.  I wasn't feeling so hot, so it was nice to relax a bit.  Back to grindstone on Monday, you know.

Hope you all had a blessed weekend as well...

Thanks of the Week: Busy Days, Bachelor(ette) Parties and Booze

It's been a crazy busy couple days....er, weeks...well, months.  haha.  Even with all life's craziness, you gotta take time to stop, look around you, and remember all you've got.  Here's what I've got:

Work Hard

1.  Being busy and working hard.  Much of the time being really really busy makes me into a stressed out, angry monster.  Lately, I've been ready to cry, and scream and pull my hair out with how much I have going on, but it's not bringing me down - and I think it's because even though I'm insanely busy, it's all for good reason.  I'm juggling two part time jobs, but am happy with my work at both of them.  There's a lot to do and a lot of meetings and timelines and proverbial balls to keep in the air, but I'm happy to have these jobs and be doing this work, so it doesn't really get me down.  The wedding is really what's throwing me the curve ball.  I'd be contently busy with just my professional work, but nooo, I've got to plan a wedding on top it.  Every night of the week is being planned and filled with wedding to-do's.  Yet again, I don't get upset about it.  Would I rather watch "How I met your Mother" and stuff my face with ice cream when I get home from such busy days? Yea, but I'm only this busy because I'm about to marry my best friend and man of my dreams, so I can't complain, I'm so blessed.

 

Heaven in a Glass

2. Wine.  For the afformentioned reasons, I've been drinking a lot more lately than I usually do.  Which, let's be honest, there's much worse things I could pick up and it helps me sleep at night, so get off my back! Where's my wine...

 

mmmmm...Johnny

3. This picture.  It just makes me laugh. :)

"We're the three Best Friends that anyone could have.."

4.  Bachelor(ette) Parties.  Nate's bachelor party is this weekend.  He so deserves some time to relax and just hang out with his buddies.  Do I have "The Hangover" fears running through my mind? Yeap.  Listen Boys: as long as you bring him home with all his teeth, no wild animals, tattoos or black eyes, I'll be happy.  My Bachelorette party is the weekend following.  I already know we're going to have some girl camping time and I'm so pumped.  I think I'll still be making lists and planning, but hopefully I can relax...just a little.

Now back to work! Be blessed my friends <3

Thanks of the Week: Mechuwana, Green Shoes and the Lake

A little late thanks-of-the-week:  

Mechuwana Memories

This week I'm thankful for Camp Mechuwana's Music Theatre Camp.  My mom, sister, brother, grandfather, godmother, and cousins were all there this week.  It's really always been a family affair.  I have so many fond memories of camp. They performed "Sardines and Biscuits" this year, the show I performed my senior year at camp.  I played Joan Rivers.  This year the role was played by a boy.  So funny.

Relaxation

Learning how to "take a chill pill", as they say, is a work in progress for me.  I am proud of myself for being more aware of my stress level and taking time to just to breathe and enjoy myself.  Amidst all this wedding planning and working two jobs and just being uber busy, per usual, it's tres important to take a minute for yourself every now and then, and induldge in a mid-afternoon pick me up: an organge soda float, as I did today. :)

 Green Wedding Shoes

 My camera is seriously lame, but my green wedding shoes came in. Be still my heart....

The Lake

I just love going to the lake.  Harley loves to swim, and though I'm no mermaid (as much as I might wish I were) cooling off with a dip in the lake is so nice.  I'm loving that my husband to be has a go to lake camp, nice when it's as hot as it has been lately.

Post-4th Catch Up

So it's been a super busy couple of weeks, last week with Monday off, just flew by.  We had an awesome 4th of July weekend.  Saturday morning Nate worked while I got some housework done, then we both got wedding stuff done and went to camp for the evening.  Sunday (the 3rd) we celebrated the 4th, just because it was easier for everyone.  I look forward to that lobster all year long...mmmm.....  Then Monday, on the 4th, I went to the beach with Kate her sister, mom, mom-in-law and sister-in-law and her two boys.  Her oldest, Ethan, just wanted to be in the water the whole time.  I have to admit, I didn't really mind it, I love swimming in the ocean.

But man were those waves strong! That's Ethan laughing at the three of us getting knocked around...

 

And then Kate and I laugh when Chrissy gets taken out by a wave.  Don't worry, like 2 seconds later we got taken out too...

Kate and I built a sandcastle.  It was fun to do all that fun kid beach stuff you never get to do.  I can't wait to have kids just to be able to play with them and not seem like the freak adult playing by myself. :)

Last night we went down to camp and Harley had a blast.  She just loves to swim.  She jumps right off the dock, it's hilarious.  We took her for a boat ride for the first time, not knowing how she'd like, but she loved that too.  She liked to stand right at the front with her ears flapping in the wind, pretty funny.  She also was digging under water, I've never seen a dog do that.  She hold her breath, sticks her head under water and digs for rocks.  She can hold her breath a pretty long time.  Such a weirdo.

In other news Nate's little sister Kristen is engaged! Her boyfriend, now fiance, asked Nate for his blessing last weekend after the 4th party, and asked Kristen last Saturday.  I'm so so so excited for her!! I'll have lots of wedding plan wisdom to bestow. :)

Later dudes,

Thanks of the Week

The blogging community always reminds me to quit my belly-achin and be thankful. If you want to do something, then do it, and be thankful for what you have. So I'm going to try and be better about spending more time reflecting on the things I do have, and the blessings of my life, rather than the bad/depressing/stressful stuff. So to start my weekend off right, here's what I'm thankful for this week:

1. These ladies. They, along with my mother, God mother and an assortment of aunts and family members, threw me the most beautiful, cutest Central Park themed bridal shower ever. (Click Here for the Central Park explanation.) They clearly put so much work into my shower, and so many lovely family and friends came. Though terribly uncomfortable by being the center of attention, my MOH and bridesmaids threw a beautiful shower and deflected the burning gazes as much as possible.

Snow Cone Cat

2. Summer Time. And this funny picture. We've had so much rain lately, I just try and take in as much sunlight as possible (...on my way to and from my car in between jobs...)

3. This little girl, Miss Grace. She's Nate and I's God daughter and she is just the most precious thing. She'll be turning two this weekend and will be becoming a big sister later this year. I'm so thankful for the Behne family and love them to bits!

Moustache Baby

4. On the topic of babies, I am so, so, so eternally grateful and hopeful for my best friend Kate, she's having a baby!!! yay!!! She's been struggling with conception for the past three years, and had some tough times (you can read more about her on her blog: A Bushel and a Peck) So, this pregnancy is a little nerve wracking and while I'm anxious, I am also so hopeful and pray for her and her little baby every second. I want my little niece or nephew to make it here so I can hold him or her in my arms....and put fake moustaches on them. :) Yes, Kate, I am going to do this to your children. No, I don't care if it's a girl or not, I'm taking moustache pictures of them. haha!

5. Last, but most certainly not least, my soon to be husband. He has been so great and supporting through this wedding planning. (He stuffed all the invitations himself when I wasn't feeling well.) Though he works 7 days a week and is constantly giving of himself to everyone else, he tries his best to make time for me and help me no matter how tired he may be. And that's why I'm marring him. Ekkk! I'm getting married!! yay!

My Broseph - the High School Graduate

Have you met my baby brother? This is my little bro: Jacob Joseph Sicotte. :) He graduated from St. Dom's High School this weekend. No easy task, I was there at one point too. AND he hearned his Eagle Scout Award.

I'm so very proud of my not-so-little anymore litte brother. I love him so much, and love seeing him grow into such a respectible, handsome young man. I can't wait for him to be in my shoes, and marrying some awesome girl. Ok, maybe I can wait, college is going to be so much fun for him.

But really, I love us growing up. We had so much fun as kids. Well, I think he and our little sister had more fun that me. I'm a bit older than them both, and my mom used to work nights, so all summer long I'd have to watch them while she tried to get some sleep. Our day's usually consisted of some form a torture: my tying my sister to a tree with a jump rope or tricking my brother into thinking a dog treat was a peice of beef jerky and laughing hysterically while I watched him eat the whole thing. I'm laughing now just remembering it! :)

Maybe that wasn't everyday - more often than not, the two of them were ganging up on me, hiding on me or getting me in trouble, which always worked. "Danielle - you're the oldest...." blah, blah blah. lol. We have so many great memories of family camping trips, sitting around the fire singing, or excursions to theme parks where I always forced my brother to ride the roller coasters with me. (He used to be a big chicken and would scream like a girl, but I think my hard work paid off and he likes them now.)

Really, I love this goofy, brilliant, talented kid and I can't wait to see where the rest of our lives take us!

Snow Day in Maine

Well it is, yet another, beautiful stormy day. I look out the window and it's literally a wall of white. Just snow, snow, snow. I'm hoping rehearsal isn't canceled. The training I was supposed to adminster on Tuesday that was caneled because of..oh yea, snow, that was rescheduled for today has been postponed again. Crazy Maine weather!

Source

So I'm just working from home today, doing stuff around the house. It's 11:30 and I already have cabin fever. I'd like to get some shopping done today, but not sure if I should venture out into this or not.....I love this picture. I wish my room looked like this, so cool.

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I guess it's an ok day for a snow day, cause I am so sick. uggh. It seems like I'm sick waaay more often than other people. I try to eat healthy, get a normal amount of sleep, but I always get it!

Source

It's just a cold, and I don't actually feel that awful. You know when you get those colds? When your all stuffed up, hacking up a lung, sore throat and voice is all scratchy, but you don't actually feel that bad, so you try to go about your day and your business but everyone you encounter looks at you like you've got the plague. That was my day yesterday, so I figure it's a good day to save the general public the misfortune of having to see what a hot mess I am today.

You know when you were a kid, in the cartoons whenever someone was sick they'd be sneezing, or when they were drunk they had the hiccups. I never understood that. I wasn't drunk as a child all that often, but never got the sneezes when I was sick. Well now, I understand them both. I can not stop sneezing! ha ha I also think you get the hiccups not from being drunk, but from laughing so much while drunk. That's just my experience! :)

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Well to finish my random thoughts for the day, I just had to share this picture of my beautiful little sister! Ain't she just gorgeous!!

Have a wonderful, and safe, wintery day!

What Makes me Tick

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner has asked who or what are your favorite things? Here ya go:

1. My wonderful, handsome loving fiance Nate and our big lug of a black dog Harley Girl :)
2. IDK, my BFF Kate?
3. My Family, especially these two
4. Sushi...mmm
5. Christmas Time

6. Comfy Sweatpants

7. Dancing

7. Did I mention this nut?

8. Summertime


9. movies

10. Being Upta camp and spending time with the people I love...

The End,