Owasko 2013

It was another beautiful weekend at Owasko Lake this year!  Friday night was hot, hot, hot, but gorgeous on the water.  Unfortunately, Saturday was mostly overcast, but we made the most of our time with many rounds of Catchphrase and delicious white sangria! Luckily, things turned around in the evening and we were able to capture another breathtaking sunset.  

Backing up a bit, our trip started with a casual break-in through the kitchen window, since the renter forgot to leave the code for the door. :/  No big deal - where there's a will, there's a way.

That's Wes and I enjoying an early Sunday morning on the dock.  Causing the ripple in the water is Maddie, the neighbors dog, who basically acts as our adopted dog each time we visit.  She loves to play fetch in the water.   

We can't wait to get our own dog to do this with soon!! 

Erin and Enid are all smiles before one of our delicious dinners on the deck.

This year we did things a bit differently, by having each couple be in charge of one day's worth of meals.  There was a spreadsheet involved and everything!  We were in charge of Saturday's meals and chose to have a "Make Your Own PIzza" night for dinner.  We're happy to report that it was a success and also that Naan pizza's taste freaking delicious on the grill!  Come to think of it, what doesn't taste better grilled??

This year Wes and I decided to ramp things up a bit, by creating and bringing our very own "Mini-Engel!"  For those of you who don't know, the real Matthew ENGEL is the handsome man, wearing a totally rad Kashi t-shirt, featured on the far right side of this photo.  

Mini-Engel had an active and enjoyable Owasko weekend, as well!

We forgot to bring our camera and tripod this year, so we had to get creative with the annual group shot.  

Can't wait for next year!

Lake Bound!

Later this afternoon, we'll be headed to Owasko Lake to take in this view for the 3rd summer in a row! It's a fun little weekend tradition we've started with great friends!

Really looking forward to enjoying some early morning or late eveinging kayaking...

...being carefree and silly...

...complete relaxation...

...great conversations...

...with fantastic friends!

 Hope your weekend is naturally beautiful, too! Stay tuned for photos from our trip, next week!

*Disney Magic*

Two thumbs up is what we give this years Disney Vacation (along with the sake from Teppan Edo in Epcot's World Showcase).  

  

We started our journey at Port Orleans - Riverside.  It's a Louisiana inspired resort complete with southern manor type accommodations.  You can rent the boats pictured above and take a ride down the river to Downtown Disney. 

We opted for the poolside bar, instead.

I love this photo!  

This was on the 4th before our delicious dinner at Beast's castle in The Magic Kingdom!  The rose was there and everything!

I believe my cue was "give me a silly pose," not "look like the big idiots."

Fast forward a few days and we moved ourselves (and 16 pieces of luggage - see below) to The Beach Club Resort, a.k.a. Disney's version of heaven.

Here we are manning the cargo.

This is where we pretty much lived each afternoon.  Our plan of attack was to hit the parks early, so we could be out and poolside by the time our faces started melting.

Go, Go Gadget legs.

Go, Go Gadget arms.

My parents flew into Tampa to visit my Uncle "Bobby" for a few days, so we rented a car (a VW Beetle to be specific) to spend some time on the Gulf Coast. 

Grilling buddies.

There he is - Uncle Bobby!

Back at the Beach Club and enjoying a visit from Laurie!

Aren't our moms just fabulous?  We think so.

ESPN Zone is what happens when us girls decide to have a spa day.  

Either the bartender has a heavy hand or they're just that excited to be rid of us for the morning.  Jeez.  It must be the hand.

Here we are in the lap of luxury.

Classic shot at the Rockin' Roller Coaster!  

It's still just as exhilarating as the 1st time - the roller coaster ride that is, not posing for this photo.  Come to think of it, putting our arms around each other in 90+ degree heat was actually quite gross.  But we got the shot!

 

On our last trip to Disney, Wes and I discovered that Donald Duck was both of our favorite Disney character.  Can you say meant to be?!

ATTENTION:  There is a Starbucks in The Magic Kingdom!

CONFESSION:  We went there.  Twice. :/

FUN FACT: The Baristas there apparently think Wes should become an honorary member of the Kanye/Kardashian clan.  

TRUTH:  NEVER gonna happen.

Don't we match so nicely?  It wasn't planned.  Really.  We're just that good.

If you'd like to see more photos from our trip, check out my Shutterfly Site:  http://www.snapphappy.shutterfly.com 

Married Mondays: Family Vacations

Well, we're back from Disney with sun-kissed skin and a revitalized state of mind.  Throughout our vacation, Wes and I would often talk about how lucky we are to have two families that get along so well.  While it's not the first time the topic has come up, it was definitely one of the more obvious situations that caused us to stop and be thankful.  At some point along our 10 days together, someone said something about our family.  I don't remember the exact quote, but the word family, used in it's singular tense, caught my attention and got me thinking.  In a way, this trip together felt like the 1st step on our journey to creating our own version of a family.  A bit of a milestone, if you will.  Obviously, family means something different to everyone.  I often think of our friends as family - a pretty awesome family.  At the start of every school-year I talk to my "kids" about how we'll end up being like a family, with arguments, tears, happy memories and hugs galore.  And I can't tell you the number of times I've been mistakenly called mom.  Some of us even have our "work families."  

Merriam-Webster's primary definition of family is:  a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head.  

However, I'd rather pay attention to definition #4: a group of things related by common characteristics.

The common characteristics that united us as a family this particular vacation were smiling, happy faces...along with a strong ability to consume food and drinks at a pretty impressive pace.

Needless to say, we're both grateful that our families, willingly (seriously), vacationed together and are looking forward to creating more magical memories as a family.  :)

p.s. stay tuned for more vacation photos in the coming days.

M.I.C...

...K.E.YYYYYY!!!!  

Guess where we're headed off to tomorrow am?!

That's right, we'll be waking up at 4:00am to get on a flight to see this lovely mouse and his friends...as well as our family!  Every other year, the Danc'letics Disney Cast performs at Downtown Disney and we meet up with everyone mid-way through their trip and then extend the stay into a family vacation.  This year, my parents are joining us too!  In anticipation of our trip, we have decided to take a look back and reminisce through photos from our last Disney vaca!  

I think this was our first night there - hanging out at ESPN zone on the Disney Boardwalk, after dinner and Epcot's Illuminations.  As a side-note, the last time we were there, I think we set a record for how many times one can view Illuminations.  We're looking to beat it this year and will let you know if we succeed.  

Wes and his loyal steed.

The Magic Kingdom has added a new addition to the park called Fantasyland.  We're excited to have dinner at Beast's castle on the 4th, this year!

Posing for pictures while waiting for more fireworks. :)

This is our happiest place on Earth.

It's crazy to think that Wes and I weren't even engaged during this trip.  In fact, it was just about a year after we had met!  

*Cliche statement alert*:  man, what a difference 2 years makes.

Drooling.

(insert "Oh no you didn't" quote here)

Wes and I ventured over to Epcot to search for this picture that he and his dad took many years ago!

We also made time to meet up with Laurie and some of the friends I made when I lived in Orlando for 2.5 seconds.  This is Anthony - he was my roommate.  We're at my absolutely favorite Orlando bar,  Latitudes, which is a rooftop tiki bar!

Awaiting our infamous ride on Kali River Rapids.  If you're interested in a funny story, ask us about this ride the next time we're together! :)

My Asian, animal-loving husband.   ...and that's all I'm going to say about that.

I don't remember what they were laughing about here; perhaps the band-aid packaging was really funny.  I included this photo because it's at the Orlando airport on our way home.  Wes was actually taking a flight directly to DC to start his new (now current) job the very next day.  The rest of us were headed back to Rochester.  Again, what a difference 2 years can make.

That's all for now, folks.  Stay tuned for a post-Disney 2013, post when we get back on the 12th!  Until then, we'll be taking a bit of a break (although, we'll have a Married Mondays post next week) from blogging to enjoy our vacation.  

See ya real soon!