U-Pick Strawberries Trip

Today was the perfect day for our strawberry picking trip.  We found out after driving to our normal place that due to the on and off weather the place is closed for the year.  We talked to the owner and he gave us the name of the only place he knows still doing u-pick strawberries this year so we headed there.  Started off with a wagon ride back to the strawberry rows.


Then we all got to work filling up our 4-quart baskets.


Mary's friend (and happens to be there neighbor) even joined!


Picking away


Strawberries were hiding under all the plants leaves.  Unfortunately, the field had been pretty picked through but we were all still able to fill up our baskets but it took a little more work and we ended up with smaller than normal strawberries.  The farm has several different patches they rotate between but we came when they were finishing off the one patch and they shortly will be bringing groups to a different new patch in a week or so one worker said. 


My strawberry load!




Even found a cool heart shaped one!


Of course not all the picked strawberries made it all the way home with us!


I came home and got to work washing, taking the stems off, and cutting my 4 quarts of strawberries and in the freezer they all went.  Looks like we will be partaking in some strawberry shortcake, strawberry shakes, and anything else strawberry related for the next few weeks! 

Always Playing Catch Up!

This is how my Monday started!  Yup thankfully for Christmas from my parents one of our gifts was AAA gold service, put it to great use!  Just had to dial 7 digits (ok really 11 because of the 1-800) and within 15 minutes a tow truck was there to take my car to the repair shop for no charge (well the yearly fee covers it).  Noticed on our way back from dropping off Brian's rental car last week that suddenly my brakes stopped working....as in push your foot all the way down and still flying at 50 mph!  Luckily I pumped them and then floored it again and little by little it slowed down.  We were less than a mile from home on side streets so I made sure to just floor it ahead of time so we would be stopped when we needed to be.  Made it home and there she sat until this morning when she could be whisked away to be repaired.  Hoping it's only something minor!


I spent last week in Columbus, OH with Brian as he was on business.  He will be busy with this ongoing project for the next several weeks so more trips I can see coming in the future every few weeks as long as I have a dog sitter.  The big perk was my brother and his wife and son live only a 5 minutes drive from where we were staying.  While Brian was working, I spent most of the days with my brother and the king.


One of the evenings my sister-in-law had a work function so Brian and I took the little guy.  We chanced taking him to Hibachi to find he was in pure heaven.  Don't let his face fool you, this kid would not stop eating! 


He ate all of his onion soup, everything from his salad except the lettuce itself, shrimp, chicken, steak, salmon from uncle Brian, veggies, tons of white rice, and even a huge portion of my fried rice which ended up being his favorite as he declared to the entire restaurant "egg!" every time he found a piece!  We ended up cutting him off after he ate more than Brian and I though he was still going strong! 


We took him back to our hotel for some swimming.  I'm sure with all that he ate he surely would have floated all on his own! 


He was all smiles!




We came home from Columbus and went right to the land for the night then to our friends graduation/moving party Saturday for the night to head right back to the land Sunday for fathers day.  After lunch we headed back to our house to shower and go to the Canadian Tenors concert.  It was phenomenal to say the least, my expectations were not very high going in however they blew me away!  Even Brian was shocked.  Come this morning this is what both of our pups looked like!  They are just as tired as we are after a long week and weekend!


I also secured the appointment for this upcoming Friday for Tucker to be neutered.  This is how he reacted when I shared the news :) 

Playing Catch Up

We have been really busy lately and I haven't had time to sit down and blog.  So todays post will become a somewhat camera/memory catch up dumping.

Had our 2nd Wedding Anniversary dinner at no other than Texas Roadhouse.  Texas Roadhouse was the first place Brian and I went to on a date, the place we went the evening we got engaged, went there for our 1st anniversary, and now our 2nd (guess where we may go for our 3rd?!?!).  Many other days of celebrating have been spent at this restaurant chain so it was a perfect fit for dinner!


Plus my family joined us (well some of them)!






I went with my friend Lindsey, my mom, her friend Marie, and my two sisters Quinn and Mary Grace to see an Ugandan orphan children's choir.  It was a free event and these kids ages 6-13 are picked from the program to travel the U.S. for 6 months as well as go tour other countries singing, dancing, and bringing awareness.  All of the children have been orphaned by losing one or both of their parents to HIV, poverty, or war.  While they are considered orphans, they no longer are orphans as they live in family settings with one house mother and up to 8 children in individual homes and are not released from the orphanage but rather go on to college or trade school. 


It was a great show and was worth going to see!


We spent our weekend at the land.  Forgot my camera so phone pictures from the weekend will just have to do!


It was our first time seeing the completely finished hardwood floors.  They came out perfect but were a true labor of love.


The guys installed the kitchen cabinets.


Of course they took breaks and may have become delusional from all the work and may have been seeing chariots in the ceiling paint....


The cupboards all in place!


Appliances being put in


Appliances in place besides the microwave.


Brian and I spent some time canoeing....if you look closely you will see Tucker came for a ride.


Then Meeko and Tucker came for a ride and you can see Gunther swimming behind following us!


The pellet stove gave the guys a run for their money even on the dolly as it weighs an obnoxious amount of weight.  4 people had to try to lift it up to move it from the dolly on to the platform taking several breaks.   


Now they have to vent it and such but it is there!

2 Year Wedding Anniversary!

We stood before the altar and made a vow "to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."


The church was full of those we love, family and friends, whom came to bear witness to these lifetime vows of commitment. 


We wore the crowns as we were crowned in marriage.


Beside us stood our siblings and best friends.


We shared our first dance to a song that still sends chills down my spine today whenever I hear it.


We danced the night away.


Cake was cut and served.


Of course not all of the cake was exactly eaten! 


We celebrated amongst those who wished us luck and have lent us unending support, oh how we treasure all of them as they each mean so much to us!


It was a beautiful day that intertwined and united our hearts and lives forever.

2 full years and I am still proud as ever to be Mr. and Mrs. Brian M.

Fishing Adventure

Today we decided to have a random picnic and fishing adventure.  We even took our whippets with us! 








They enjoyed chewing on twigs, watching the other dogs walking on the path, and loved peering into the water to watch the swimming fish! 


We caught a fish and the dogs didn't know what to think about it but to sniff and lick it! 

Mary with her bluegill


The official unhooker!


What do we bate with?  Yup rotini noodles!  I have never been one to like to hook a worm so we just keep it simple and fish with rotini or macaroni noodles and to be honest, they get more bites!


We look so excited don't we?!?! :)


Oddly enough there were giant schools of koi fish in the pond.  Someone must have dumped them and they must be thriving as there were a ton!