Weary Travelers

Today is one of those days I feel especially lucky not to work 5 days a week. There's nothing like driving 13+ hours in one day to make you feel tired! I've spent the day catching the house up from our 5 day absence. I'm in the process of uploading lots of fun Virginia Thanksgiving pics, but thought I'd fill you in first on our loooong trip down and back.

I started the drive on Tuesday night with a speeding ticket. Yep. About 45 minutes from home I was pulled going 57 in a 35. All I could think was....*&$@! I have excuses I promise - the sign was small, it was dark, I'm unfamiliar with that road....really I just wasn't paying enough attention. Most people know the feeling you get as your heart leaps into your throat when you see this in the rear view mirror.

$180, 3 points on my license, and a yet unknown rise in my insurance rate later I was on the road again. From here on out, I'm going to follow the rules laid out in this article. Now I wish I knew what the students in the cartoon below came up with to help me out because they don't give you many options for working off points in the state of Vermont :)

Luckily, the trip was all uphill from there. Matt revoked my driving privileges after the speeding incident so I got out of driving the rest of the night. We stayed in a lovely pet-friendly Econo Lodge in Wilkes-Barre, PA on Tuesday and made the rest of the drive down on Wednesday. It was the platinum award-winning budget hotel for the area for 2010 on Trip Advisor. I admit, I would stay there again. If you're ever looking for a hotel room off I-81 for under $60/night let me know.

Our trip home was much less eventful, not too much traffic and it went as quickly as 13 hours in the car can go. I did have to take a turn driving on the way back because 13 hours is just too long for one person to go alone. Plus Matt was really excited to watch "Dorm Days 2" - not kidding. I had the cruise control set right on the speed limit (ok maybe 2 mph over) and spent the whole 5 hours getting passed.

As I just mentioned, we had a lot of entertainment. We rented movies on the ipad the night before and each watched 1 of them (Awesome way to pass the time! I rented Eat, Pray, Love - Matt's pick actually was Dorm Days 2), quizzed each other on trivia (do you know what the longest US east-west highway is or what city it begins and ends in?), read magazines, and watched Willow do this the entire way.



She was an angel. Another thing I'm thankful for!

I'll be back soon with a better update and more pictures :)

Picture from: http://gas2.org/2009/11/02/british-cops-unable-to-use-blue-lights-on-new-electric-car/

Thankful Day 8

Today I'm thankful to be heading home to Virginia. As much as we love where we live, it's always nice to go home and visit with friends and family :) I love holiday traditions and that as the years go by, so much remains the same. We've always spent Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family because they are within close driving distance and because that's just what we've always done. I always look forward to it!

We are sad to be missing the beach with Matt's family this year, but still get to visit with his parents when they get home to Virginia. We have two equally fun but very different celebrations. Check out these pics from Thanksgiving a few years ago.

With Matt's family, watching his cousins playing at the beach...



With my family, watching my brother drive the tractor for the first time :) I love it.



I'm thankful school is closed today and that tomorrow I'll get to eat turkey and my aunt Sandra's mashed potatoes. They really are the best - nobody will ever, ever be able to top them.

This is my famous aunt Sandra posing with her boyfriend :) She knows her potatoes are the best.



Matt is thankful he doesn't have to drive more for Thanksgiving Day, which means he gets to sit on the couch and watch football for even longer than usual.

It's the little things. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!

Thankful Day 7

Today I'm thankful for "The Nug." Her real name is Willow, but she also answers to nug, nuggy, Will, Willa, Willa nug, poodle, noodle, poodle noodle, chi-chi, nu-nu, nu-nu nuggy, ku-ku nu-nu, precious, pretty, sweetest girl, and whatever else comes out of our mouths as we baby talk to her. I'm surprised she knows her real name. We admit to being mildly obsessed with our dog.

She's a pretty "vocal" dog, and she likes to let us know how she feels either by barking or crying. It can get quite annoying.

Even when she drives me crazy, I'm thankful for her.

I'm thankful she makes me exercise even when it's raining and cold outside. I'm thankful she's such a sweet snuggler. I'm thankful she likes to go and do fun things with us like hiking and (Matt hopes) skiing. I'm thankful she gives me an enthusiastic greeting every time I walk in the door. There are so many wonderful things about owning a dog - we just love her!

Look at little baby nug.







She then turned into a gangly teenager :)



She loves to snuggle down in blankets.





But this is her favorite spot :)



She's a big fan of the water...



And of her Mister Boo.



Sometimes we think she's funny :)







And we always tell her she's a pretty girl :)

Thankful Day 6

Friends. I've been so fortunate to have many great friends in my life. Childhood, high school, college and grad school, Jackson, new Vermont friends, and those that don't fit in any of those categories! I love that those groups have mixed together too :) I'm thankful that I've kept in touch with so many old friends and I'm also thankful that we've met people here in Vermont that are interested in making new friends!

I could spend hours describing why I'm thankful for each person...you are all special and each one has made me a better person today! Instead I'm just going to post some fun pictures :)

I'll start with some "during college" photos...(please don't be mad I posted the first picture - it's funny!)





College friends more recently....





Jackson...





Grad School...




All of these are a mix of childhood, college, new friends and high school!















I'm especially thankful that lots of those friends have made the trip to our new home in Vermont to visit!









I realize I've left out Matt and his/our joint friends - I need to do a better job of getting pictures of them :)

Love you friends!

Thankful Day 5

The state of Virginia strikes again. This time it got my sister. I'd like to give someone at the income tax department a piece of my mind...if only they'd answer the phone...

http://thepennysaved.com/2008/03/12/tax-audit-survival-tax-man-cometh/

I'm still posting this under thankful because I wanted to give myself a challenge and think of a way to be thankful for this situation. I came up with 2 things.

1. Income taxes provide funding for schools. As a school employee, I know first-hand how bad things can get when school budgets are cut. SO - me and Meg paying income taxes to VA = helping children in school. I'm thankful for that.

2. Meg called me to complain about the bill she received. It's always nice when I get to talk to her and because it reminded me that I get to see her again in 3 days. I'm thankful for those things.

That's about it....and it was a stretch.

Thankful Day 4

Today I'm thankful for this program:

Matt and I attended our first volunteer orientation today and learned just how awesome it is! I'm going to copy and paste their "about us" description.

About Vermont Adaptive

With nearly 400 active volunteers, plus generous partners and sponsors, and an amazing base of clients and friends, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports has been at the forefront of sports and recreation for those with disabilities in New England for more than 20 years.

Our Mission - Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is committed to empowering individuals with disabilities. We promote independence and further equality through access and instruction to sports and recreational activities.

Our Vision – We believe sports and recreation provide a physical, mental and social experience that is immeasurable in promoting self-confidence and independence in an individual.

I'm so thankful that we have the time and skill necessary to be 2 of those volunteers. I'm glad we found something where we can share our love for skiing with those who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity. Matt is also excited because he's going to learn how to guide people on a sit-ski and that he could have the opportunity to try it out himself :)

Don't know what that is? Check it out.

http://www.disabledsportseasternsierra.org/event20080317mono_madness3.html

Also check our their new promotional video - very cool.

Thankful Day 3

Another big one. My family. Words can't really describe how thankful I am for these people! They've given me unconditional love and so so much more. I'm going to quickly go through a few random things I'm thankful for for each of them :)

Here is an old one of my fam - circa 2007 :)



Mom - My mom has helped me move 12 times. That includes driving across the country twice, waiting on the side of the road with our broken down truck on the way to Vermont, and countless hours spent cleaning and unpacking (The last two moves have also included lots of painting and one impressive bathroom remodel - including re-grouting a bath tub). She's just the best. Period.

Remember this? Thankful doesn't begin to cover it.





Dad - My dad instilled in me my love Duke Basketball. Please note that my entire family is obsessed and it has brought us many happy memories. Evidence below.



My sister - The obvious is that she's my personal shopper. I can't make a purchase without her really. She's also my personal cheerleader. She encourages me in anything and everything I do - you can tell because she comments on every one of my blog posts. I love it :)

I'm posting this pic because she was as excited about my wedding day as I was. It was great.



My brother - The calm one in the family :) I'm thankful for him not only because he came up with "Megodorant" (inside joke sorry), but also because he's just one of the sweetest and most compassionate people I know (who loves all animals and Willow even when she barks at him).

This is also an old one but I love it too :)



OK on to my newer additions!



My mother-in-law - AKA My personal interior designer. I'm thankful for her not only because she made Matt what he is today :) but also because I am the most indecisive person in the world and she still managed to get me to pick out linens for my 2 bedrooms!

She also loves Willow like the rest of us and has been a great doggy babysitter :)



My father-in-law - An amazing chef who I am thankful for because he has tried to teach Matt to cook - he was successful at teaching him to grill (and I'm really thankful for that because I don't know what to do with one of those).



My sister-in-law - A girl who takes after her dad - she always brings a fun and light-hearted attitude to any situation....something I need to learn how to do!

Check her out having fun at our wedding :)



Besides the immediate family, I also have 2 living grandparents, 9 aunts/uncles, 17 cousins, and 3 second cousins. With the addition of Matt's family I need to add 2 more grandparents, 6 aunts/uncles, 5 cousins, and 2 second cousins. Whew! I'm thankful for each and every one of them!