Apples to Apples is the Worst Game

Sooo, we're getting there!  We are officially into September with posts..woohoo!  The summer and fall are definitely upstate New York's finer times and we took advantage of one weekend to go apple picking!  I think I have only been apple picking one other time in college and let me tell you..a floor of college girls going apple picking means apple desserts, breads, cheesecakes (Jen the RA!), and anything else apple for months!  For this apple picking trip, Clay kept me down to earth on the amount of apples that we would actually use.  It's probably best that he limited my take-home amount, but I have to be honest and say that I wanted more apples after we used all of ours because I love homemade apple sauce..or in my case, homemade apple chunks with a little sauce.

The apple festival that we went to was only about 15 minutes away..and we actually didn't get any apples there.  We did however get our picture with some huge pumpkins:

 I think that's about all we have for pictures from the festival..it was your typical festival with carnival rides, apple fritters, apple donuts, tent after tent of crafts, cider tasting, stick your head in an apple photo boards, and even flu shots.

A couple shots of us actually picking the apples and that's about all we have for this post:

In closing, a note on Apples to Apples the game: we really don't like it and do in fact believe it is one of the worst games..for real.

Brandanda

Our friends Brandon and Amanda came to visit for a quick trip!  They were are first non-family guests (and at this point the only ones..but we have hopes that will change!).  Amanda's brother had a baseball tournament hosted in Syracuse so they were sweet enough to stay an extra night to visit with us.  

We walked from our apartment over to a nearby bbq restaurant--the locals up here rave about this restaurant but we really don't think its that great.  It's one of those places that people talk up so much that you have to join in the chatter about it even if its not that great..but I'm not going to.

Anyway, here are a couple more pics from the visit.  Thanks for coming Brandanda!

Waterfalls

As I've mentioned before, Clay does really well at finding activities to do locally and making sure we don't miss out on things that are right by us!  So, one Saturday we headed to Ithaca for the day (about an hour away).  There are several state parks in Ithaca along with several waterfalls...absolutely beautiful waterfalls!  We had pretty perfect weather and even managed a few swims!

The first waterfall was almost right off of a little road..not much of a hike to it at all.  Some people climbed all the way up to the top while we were there.  Clay got a little adventurous but I reigned him in (those rocks are covered in slippery moss!)..

 

We later went hiking on some trails that had little pools along the way.  Let me just say that we were pooped by the end of the day but it was great scenery and great company :)

I was supposed to get that last one mid-air but I missed..oh well..same end result.

From Cooperstown to Watertown

Patty and Stu came for a visit just before the end of Summer.  We met them down in Cooperstown, which just happens to be the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I am actually a baseball fan myself, but this is like four stories of baseball..a little more than I can handle!  I'm afraid that the pictures I choose to highlight probably aren't the same ones a guy might choose to highlight...but, I guess it comes with being the blogger.  Here are a couple shots from inside the Hall of Fame:

(that last picture is of a girl's uniform with "City of Peoria, Illinois" on the badge) Cooperstown sits right on a lake and is home to a beautiful resort..the Otesaga Resort?  I don't always have a very good memory..  We were able to walk around and enjoy one of our last warm weekends:

Cooperstown was on Friday night and Saturday morning we left for Alex Bay or the 1000 Islands region.  These places are in the Watertown area and Watertown makes my title more catchy.  Anyway, the 1000 Islands regions is beautiful!!  Patty and Stu treated us to a boat ride that tours the whole lake region.  Basically it is what its name says it is!  There are thousands of little islands..some big enough for mulitple houses and some that are too small to even stand on.  The people that want to spend big bucks buy an island and build a house on it.  The lake freezes over in the winter so many of them are just summer homes.  I enjoy snowmobiling but not to get to my front door.

Finally, there is the most awful story dealing with these islands.  So this really rich man (I can't remember what he did) was deeply in love with his wife and wanted to build her a castle on an island.  I think the island is shaped like a heart..or something is (there's my lack of memory again)..and he builds her the most extravagant castle called Boldt Castle.  I'm thinking its about seven stories tall (???) and the kids had their own play building and it was just beautiful.  The castle was ninety percent complete when the wife got sick and eventually died leaving the husband to vow he would never step foot on the island again.  He stopped all work on the castle and it stayed like that for many many years.  The castle is now in the process of being restored but is still pretty crummy on the inside.  The property that it sits on is beautiful and we definitely took advantage of the photo-op:

I know..its not the greatest family picture but we're all in it..and there is supposed to be a lighthouse in the background that someone (either Clay or Stu) really wanted in it which should explain the awkward positioning.

Anyway, we had a good weekend and saw some neat places.  Clay does a great job of researching what we have near us so we're not the people that lived by something and never went to it.  See what all we have to offer if you come to visit Syracuse?? ;)

An 80's Mishap

So we actually had a legit party invite..my friend Torey was having an 80's themed birthday party with a luau twist.  I wasn't exactly sure how to combine these two themes so Torey advised me that she was dressing 80's and there would be lei's handed out at the party.

Clay and I were so all over this!  I mean we're not too far removed from Liberty and my RA creative juices were flowing, Clay loves a good party, and we had decided to go all out! 

We look good, right?  I know..great outfits not to mention the I Love Jesus (which we do) hairbow.  Unfortunately, we showed up at the party not knowing anyone but the birthday girl only to find everyone else was wearing normal clothes..the craziest one had a Hawaiian print shirt on.  My balloon-sized sleeves left little chance of not being noticed and I'm sure we are now known as "that couple."  Oh well..we can look back and laugh...

doddfest?

My workplace is pretty good about offering social activities for the employees and their families.  With clay and I lacking in the social department, we tend to look forward to these activities as it puts something on the calendar.  The big cheese at my company hosts what they call "DoddFest" every summer.  It's a large gathering combined of neighbors, friends, family, company employees, and anyone else they want to include.  Having never been to DoddFest before, Clay and I were most intrigued by the claim that the Bubble Man would be there..not to mention an ice cream truck. 

I have to include DoddFest in the blog as it is unlike a party we've ever been to before.  Below is the Bubble Man..a bit of a disappointment but we're still fans:

Yes, I realize we are slightly older than most viewers of the Bubble Man.  The magician was much more impressive that happened later.  Anyway, the rumors of an ice cream truck were true..be sure to make note of the snake woman that was also an exhibit for the party:

Finally, there were a couple competitive aspects to DoddFest which of course we felt the need to participate in..there we're prizes and we are always up for free stuff!  I can only wish we had pictures of the egg toss that we came in second in.  My boss still likes to re-live the fact that Clay and I came in second in the egg toss in front of hundreds of people at the company dinner.  I suppose it's a good thing that he remembers, but I hope to be remembered for more than an egg toss eventually :).  We'll top off this post with Clay's bubble blowing competition..the results really aren't the important part, right?

Clay's Birthday Bash

As much as I would love to post about what we actually did this weekend, my personality is coming out in that I refuse to not catch up on past events and go in order.  I'm having an internal debate about whether or not I will alternate old posts with current posts, but until I come to a decision, I will be catching up on old posts.

So, go back with me to July 21st and we will re-live Clay's birthday celebration!  My overriding goal for this birthday was for Clay to have a pile of presents for him to open..I think it was pretty much a success:

Ok maybe it wasn't a pile but it was still more than two.  Here are some of his presents:



As you can see, family was great in contributing some random yet useful gifts..we are blessed!  It was a pretty simple evening that started with walking to dinner and ended with some mini ice cream cakes.  Oh how I miss July with our tan faces and warm weather!!!