Our 2013 Family Reunion

Family reunions have become a thing every year for my family, and I must admit I absolutely love them. I love being able to see and talk to family members that I don't see during the year and catch up. It's a joy to see new family members being added each year, whether it's due to a marriage or the birth of a baby! Every year I seem to forget how big my family is and it still surprises me each time! 

Everyone makes a dish or two and brings it to the reunion. The spread on the table is huge. Appetizers and entrees are served at the same time usually, and an hour or two later dessert is served. The first year I made mini cheesecakes that looked like the American flag, topping them with fruit and powdered sugar.  The next year I made firework cookies, and then I took a break because of time constraints. This year I volunteered again to cool, but I asked Sal if he could do the cooking. We ended up bringing pesto pasta salad, which is our own creation, and is delicious if you ask me, and the tomato salad that Sal made for our picnic in Pennsylvania. Everyone asked who made it, and while I was tempted to say I did, I was honest and told them Sal was the infamous chef. 

We spent the day outside, catching up with everyone and playing with my cousins. Before dessert we took our annual family picture in the front yard. Seeing how big our family actually is was incredible, and it didn't even include everyone!  We split up afterwards to take group pictures by generations. It's funny because my brother and I fall into the third cousin category, and with us were our much younger cousins that were mostly under 5! Of course there were our older cousins too, but most were extremely young. 

Before I knew it we were saying goodbye, with hopes to see each other during the year, but if we don't, we know there's always the reunion to look forward to! 

Summer into Fall

As I sit here in the passenger seat of Sal's car headed to a pumpkin patch, I'm reflecting on my first summer as an adult with a full time job. I honestly thought I wouldn't have been able to do half of the things I did, because of time constraints and working 40 hours a week with a 10 hour commute a week, but thankfully I did, plus I had the money to do it!

I was able to complete three 5ks (June, July, and August), running more than I ever have, and also working out quite a bit even without a gym membership. 

I spent days down the shore with my friend, although no matter how many days spent on the beach, it's never enough! We packed our bags full of towels, books, and sunscreen & had a cooler full of cold drinks and fresh fruit. The sand was hotter than I've ever felt before, so we actually went into the ocean multiple times, and anyone who actually saw us must've thought we were hysterical trying to inch our way in, because no matter how hot it is outside, the ocean is always way too cold to go into right away. We also saw someone get arrested, which is always a sight to see. We called it! 

During another beach trip, another friend joined Amanda & I, and it was too funny. All I can say is, the lifeguards know things they shouldn't and I will never go to a Dairy Queen ever again. 

Fireworks and nights out by the bonfire with smores were among my favorite summer nights. 

My brother turned 21, an age that you never think your baby brother will turn! He was extremely stressed out all month leading up to his birthday due to the MCAT test that he had to take, but we ended up going out the weekend of his 21st with friends and family to celebrate. We raised our glasses to him and I couldn't believe that he was actually able to drink legally. Even though I had work the next day, that didn't stop me from celebrating. I remember the days when we were younger and we'd always try and stay up late even after we were sent to bed. We knew we weren't allowed to leave our rooms, but we'd still sneak out and cross the hall to slip notes underneath each others doors. Yes, this was before cell phones. He's my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do without him as my brother. 

Dinners with friends, a country concert, trips for ice cream late at night, and traveling near and far - these are the days I will remember; these are the days that will make me wish it's summer, but I'm excited for pumpkin picking, the leaves changing colors, and the brisk air of fall. 

You Spent How Much?!

Every summer Sal and I usually have a long list of country concerts that we want to see, and in the summers prior to 2013, we have seen many, many country artists... Especially at PNC. This year was different though, because we both had full time jobs... his at night, and mine during the weekend.

We weren't able to go to any of the country concerts, that is until Luke Bryan - I made sure I took off of work that day. My brother and his girlfriend already had their tickets a weeks before, having known someone who was selling them. Usually lawn seats are extremely cheap; they're the seats for the real fans, the fans that want to be there to enjoy the music, the artist, and nothing else... Okay maybe (definitely) some tailgating too. However, this year, due to the debut of Nash FM - the first country radio station in the NYC area in YEARS, and Luke having just won entertainer of the year, tickets, even in the lawn, were astronomical. Sal and I decided to hold off on buying them... Thinking the price would go down... It didn't and Sal ended up spending way more than he should have on lawn tickets. I was more than grateful, after getting a little upset to say the least. He always knows just what I want, even when I don't want to admit it. If I didn't go to that concert with my brother, I would've been more than a little upset. 

Sal bought our tickets as he was out shopping with my brother for our tailgating essentials - beer, burgers, & chips! None of it was healthy, but that was definitely the last thing on my mind. We had our tickets in hand, my truck packed, and we were headed to my friend's house to meet up with everyone before heading to the concert. Once we got there, we had a minor mishap getting separated from half of our friends. Thankfully Sal has quite a way with words and makes friends easier than anyone I've ever met and was able to get us out of the parking lot and to the one where our friends were. That's when the party started! Someone started up the grill, Sal got the game corn hole out, and someone else put the pile of hay in the middle of our parking spots! We blasted our country music and enjoyed the hot afternoon in the sun. I can't say that I won any corn hole games, but despite that I think I laughed more that night than the whole summer, especially when it came to going to the bathroom! 

When we knew the concert would be starting soon, we packed up the trucks and started walking up to the concert! It was a long walk, but worth it of course, especially when Florida Georgia Line & Thompson square started signing, and then Luke Bryan came out and the crowd went even more wild, if that's even possible. I had seen Luke prior to this show, but it's as if he just keeps getting better! 

While I knew almost every song, it was funny to listen to the songs that everyone else knew - most didn't know his older songs (those fans being the Nash FM fans), but after a while I just enjoyed him shaking it on stage. At one point, he even brought a little girl on stage who knew all the words to "Someone Else Calling You Baby." Let me just say that Sal was in love, and could not stop talking about how cute the whole scene was. I swear he's going to be wrapped around his daughter's finger. Being with my brother and his girlfriend, just made the night that much better, because we're the four best  FRANDS that anyone could have! 

The concert continued on, and I can honestly say that I didn't want it to end. Hopefully he'll go on tour again next year, this time we'll make sure we buy tickets much, much earlier.

When we walked back to my truck, we all jumped in, but when Sal turned the key in the ignition, it didn't turn on. The battery had died; we later figured out that having my trunk open for hours on end, kept the overhead light on and thus caused my truck to die. Out of no where it seemed, a lady with jumper cables came and helped us out. As we sat there talking with her, we realized that we live extremely close to each other. When she broke out sandwiches and Calandra's bread I knew that she could be my best friend. Michele, my brother's girlfriend, and myself immediately helped ourselves to the deli meat and delicious bread and I kid you not it was the best tasting sandwich I've ever had ... EVER. She had come to the concert by herself because her friends couldn't at the last minute. I was shocked she went to a concert, especially a country concert. When my truck was ready, we left, thanking the lady that had helped us, when we got in our car, I kid you not it was like she disappeared. It made us all wonder if she was even there at all. 

Chasin' Waterfalls

I'm not sure what it is about waterfalls, but Sal and I always seem to find them - unintentionally at first, but now we've made them 'our thing.' So when I had off a short time ago, Sal decided we should head over to Pennsylvania to explore! We didn't have set plans, but we were together on another adventure. Sal packed a homemade picnic lunch, consisting of an incredible tomato salad and sandwiches, water, and healthy snacks!

When we arrived we realized there were more than enough adventurous things to do in one day, so we decided to start with a bike ride along the river, and then eventually make our way back and attempt a Segway tour around the lake. 

Well it turns out that our little bike ride, ended up being a 15 mile long bike ride, with Sal carrying our picnic in a backpack the entire time, which weighed way more than I thought, even after we stopped for lunch.

 Sal kept wanting to turn around, but I was determined to keep going, not only did I want to push myself and rack up the mileage, but I also felt a pull to keep going. Sal wanted to stop for lunch, but I pushed him a little further, and we were both glad I did, because we found a beautiful waterfall with a picnic table that seemed to be open just for us. 

We set up our lunch and began eating. Sal was so hungry that he inhaled his sandwich, while I was still enjoying the tomato salad. The food was incredible, but knowing that we had to now turn around head back, on bike, wasn't the most comforting idea, with our bellies full. 

We still thought we could make it back in time for our Segway tour, which was quite funny because we definitely weren't even close to being there. I will blame myself for that one, but we weren't even upset about it because we could always do that another day, another time. Still, we tried to make it, pedaling faster than ever before, until we both felt like we were going to be sick, and we weren't about to let that happen to our delicious lunch, so we slowed down and enjoyed our ride back. When we made it back, we thought about going zip lining, but the place we found seemed like it was for kids, and we wanted to make sure our first zip lining experience was memorable, so we began looking up nearby places that could spark some interest. That's when Sal remembered Bushkill Falls, a remarkable place a coworker had mentioned visiting recently, a place that they knew we would love! Why would we love it? Well why else ?! There were 9 breathtaking waterfalls to see, and a hike! 

We headed there and luckily made it before it had closed. We grabbed a map and started our hike, which seemed easy at first, until some of the falls were deep in the forest. My favorite waterfall was the one that was flowing so fast that when you walked by you got soaked, but not before seeing the way the light hit the water, creating a magnificent full rainbow. 

Everywhere we turned, I felt like I had to stop to catch my breath. I was literally in awe that this was all so close to me, that the world could be this beautiful just down the road. It makes me wonder what else am I missing out there, in states I had never visited and countries I've only dreamed of. Needless to say while our trip ended that night, my longing to travel only grew. 

Surprise, Surprise!

A month or two ago, while I was on lunch at work, Sal and I were talking about going out to dinner that night. Usually he picks a new place that we haven't tried, and most of the time, the places are actually quite good. It gives me something to look forward to after work, instead of thinking about the hour drive I have before I get home. I usually just ask him what I should wear, something more formal or casual. I figured I'd just wear jeans and a nice top, but Sal had other ideas in mind. When I got home from work, I stopped to talk with my mom in the kitchen, and noticed a text from Sal, asking again what I was wearing, even though I had already told him... And he answers "still?!" At that point, instead of thinking he was up to something, I was annoyed. Yes still! My mind didn't change on my way home. 

But when I got in my room, this is what I saw. 

A beautiful dress was laid out on my bed, along with a card, roses in a vase, and my cowboy boots that I was obviously supposed to wear with the dress. My mom was in on the whole thing, having had to let Sal into the house. She walked in after me with a huge smile on her face. I was in awe and was honestly speechless, I just secretly hoped the dress fit. 

The note read: 

I quickly hopped in the shower and slipped on the dress, and let me just tell you that I've never had a dress fit more perfectly...ever. I found out later that Sal had went to Target, and after finding nothing, headed to the mall... Guess, to be exact, and immediately asked the saleswoman what would be the best dress with cowboy boots. The woman was confused and asked what for, and he told her it was a surprise for his girlfriend who he was taking out to dinner that night. The woman loved the idea and told everyone else that worked there, explaining what an amazing boyfriend he is. He eventually showed her a picture of me to figure out the right size. It was more perfect than anyone probably could have guessed. I was even shocked that a dress I hadn't tried on before, fit better than dresses I actually tried on in the store. He had gone through all that, just for me, and I couldn't have been more grateful. 

He picked me up at 7 sharp, and we headed for dinner at the Blue Morel, a restaurant and wine bar - come on, could it have been more perfect for us? Wine lovers. 

The wine was crisp and sweet, because we got a bottle of Riesling, of course. We ordered appetizers and eventually dinner and dessert. Everything was presented quite incredibly and tasted great. We both had salads, but while Sal ordered the steak, I ordered the swordfish. I wasn't a fan of the sauce, but everything else tasted pretty good. Dessert was a sweet sorbet, which I don't normally have but Sal convinced me and I'm glad he did! 

It was nice because there weren't many people there so we felt like we were out to dinner by ourselves. I felt so beautiful in the dress he had picked out for me, beaming with confidence and feeling the love around us. It felt like I was imagining the entire night and I could not stop smiling. You only see these things in movies or read about them in books, and I was living it. 

If I could choose again, I'd still choose you. 

Ceramic Wine Night

My friend, Amanda, and I decided that we should try doing new things on nights we went out, instead of just the usual dinner or frozen yogurt. It was hard to find new things to do around here, but she eventually came up with an awesome idea. She found a place we could go to where we could paint our own ceramics! I hadn't done so in years, so I was all for trying it out, plus it was in a fun town, so I figured why not!? It was even better when we showed up and it was Girl's Night! Ceramic painting + wine & cheese! What could be better? Yes, that's right... nothing! We picked out our ceramics and paint colors and sat down at a table. I picked a ring holder... (hint, hint... Sal)... and Amanda decided to paint a pencil holder to add to her desk, which was perfect because she had just scored her first teaching job!


We started to paint, and as people walked in and sat down, we kept eyeing the wine and cheese. It seemed like no one was going to serve it to us, but it also seemed like no one was getting up to get any. We couldn't wait any longer, so Amanda rose from her seat, and went and poured us two TALL glasses of wine, and grabbed as many cheese and crackers as she could. Soon after we were laughing and talking to the other girls that shared our table with us. Before I knew it we were getting up for more wine and cheese. We didn't know it then, but we could have brought our own bottle of wine, which would have made things easier, and probably a little more fun, because that way we wouldn't have had to worry about taking too much!

We finished painting our ceramics, and were told that we had to come back in a week to pick them up, which was perfect because then we could pick them up and grab dinner and maybe a little dessert. That was exactly what we ended up doing... our usual dinner and frozen yogurt, but only after we picked up our finished ceramics. I took plenty of before and after pictures, and it was amazing to see the difference.

For now my promise ring will enjoy it's time on the ring holder, but soon enough an engagement ring may just replace it!

Dirty Girl Mud Run 2013

For my third and final act... Nope not a magician... But I might be a runner! I ran three 5Ks this summer, one during each month, and my third and final one was the Dirty Girl Mud Run! I even met up with several Tone It Up girls and we ran together as a team - Dirty Mudder Fers! It was so empowering running with other women who are all such motivating individuals, who have the same goals, and live such a healthy lifestyle (at least most of the time, right?! ha!). We designed our own shirts, and looked like a team, a force that could not be reckoned with! We even met up with a few more TIU girls when we arrived!


While I've been asked to join Spartan teams, and I've even considered doing other mud runs, I'm glad this was my first! Not only was it all women, but we all had each other to push one another to the finish line; some even pushed one another into muddy water... All in good fun, I promise! It was by far the most hilarious mud run I've ever run, yet! It instilled even more confidence in me than I thought was ever possible!

My boyfriend came for support, and he ended up following me for the whole race, snapping pictures and catching some hilarious moments on film, such as me jumping into the muddy water and through a tube! It was quite exhilarating, and I didn't even feel like it was a 5K because I was too busy completing obstacles to even notice that I was running, and running quite fast with two of my tone it up sisters! The obstacles made the time go by extremely fast, from running in mud and crawling through tubes in muddy water, to climbing over rope ladders and balancing on wooden logs.

It wasn't timed, but I know we did pretty well, finishing it in under 45 minutes! A group of us made it to the finish line, and then waited for the rest of our team, and when we saw them running, we rsn back out there to finish all together! I couldn't have completed it without those ladies, and it was such and amazing feeling to run through the finish line all together, and of course splashing around in the mud a bit more!

I was shocked that Sal was actually willing to go grab a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese (a New Jersey staple), in public, while I was slightly muddy still. He wouldn't even hug me after the run, although I can't blame him! I was covered in mud and dirty water. Thankfully they had a tent with showers and a place to change after the race, because I don't think Sal would have let me get into his car without one, he would've probably cut some holes in a garbage bag for my head, arms, and legs... Or maybe just enough room for my face to stick out because I'm telling you I was covered!


Let's just say, I'll definitely be signing up for this race next year! Who's with me?!