Trick or Treat | Halloween 2012

Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween! We are buzzing with excitement as we head out for a fun night of trick or treating!

The First and Last Heath Hurrah for the Summer of 2012

I have a feeling many of you can relate to the idea of this summer having not gone as planned. So many unexpected things came up this year and all of them were incredible time hogs. My husband was fortunate enough to be able to take on some overtime shifts this year (which we typically don't pass up and being that we would LOVE to have a little more room to stretch out for those few moments when all three of us are home at the same time, the more we can try and save the better....). I found myself being far busier than expected at all of my little jobs and of course, with my own business. Unfortunately as a result Emma often found herself overcome with boredom. Thankfully, I have a very dear friend that has provided Emma with a little bit of summertime blues relief (thanks Lori!). 

After feeling the wrath of life as adults Aaron and I decided to make sure we took at least one day to hang out as a full family of three away from home. No pagers, no phone calls, no emails. I had a fantastic day planned out to the minute (literally, Aaron particularly loved my "coffee/gas/etc - 20 min" note on my itinerary - he actually laughed out loud and sat down on the couch still laughing with his hand to his forehead that was shaking back and forth in that "I can't believe this is my life" motion). 

As fate would have it, none of that worked out. Some of us woke up late, others were fretting about the weather (I may have a small issue with being stuck in the woods during thunderstorms - thank you Mt. Moosilauke). We did not leave the house at 0800 sharp. Lunches, snacks, and waters were not packed and since I run both hot and cold all the time I was having some attire anxiety (you can bet that is a very real thing that I suffer from regularly - I often pack extra clothes for even the most mundane trips). Somewhere around 0840 the three of us piled into the truck. Our little family complete: one quiet tired dad, a frustrated mother, and a rather sullen nine year old girl. If that doesn't sound like an awesome cohesion of individuals ready for a fun-filled day together I don't know what does. 

We arrived at the parking lot for Cannon Mountain sometime after 0930 and after a much needed trip to the restroom (remember, we had a coffee break scheduled in there.....) we boarded the first available tram car up. We were fortunate enough to catch Ketchup, Emma's personal favorite (and probably Aaron's as well...). Seven minutes and twenty seconds later we arrived at the top, bombarded with a fast moving misty fog. Now, given the weather conditions and temperature at the bottom I was expecting to be far colder at the top. I had my fleece and rain coat on which seemed appropriate down in the parking lot and immediately ripped them off. We walked the short rim trail and despite our lack of a view Aaron really enjoyed being up there (Emma and I are both veterans of Cannon Mountain and have been lucky enough to visit on some very clear days). I have to admit, it was a really cool feeling to not be able to see anything beyond the trees directly in front of you. 

Upon arriving at the base again we decided to head into the gift shop, my dear husband being the last to exit, of course. I enjoyed watching a little elderly lady trouble him for some sizing help with a shirt she was purchasing for someone of a very similar size. Too cute. Meanwhile Emma and I sat outside and waited patiently (well, not so much, I can't stand people who dawdle in stores and Emma can't stand not being in them herself) for his return. For the first time ever I was dragged over to the ski museum (which was neat, but I am more for being in the woods). I have to admit, it was really neat to see Bode Miller's Olympic medals too. Again however, Aaron lingered and Emma and left quickly to sit outside and watch the tram cars. 

We took off to head to Crawford notch a little later than originally planned and decided to stop for food along the way. We were skeptical of finding anything decent in Twin Mountain (which looks a little like a small third world country as you drive through....) but came across Catalano's Pizzeria just in time to order..... we were followed by an enormous crowd. The pizza was delicious, hot, and flopped when you picked it up (which I love). It was definitely loaded with pepperoni and covered in grease, but family outings often involve a few risk taking adventures. 

We finished the day out by heading through Crawford Notch where we welcomed the downpours while driving and were happy they parted in time for us to stop at the Willey-House site for a bit. Aaron took a hold of the adventure reigns and instead of stopping in North Conway for a snack before driving the Kanc, we took a short cut straight from Bartlett to the highway. We enjoyed stopping and seeing many Monarch butterflies along the way even though the views were taken over by some much needed precipitation. Back in Lincoln we decided to hit up the mini-golf course. There were no photos of our time there as I was far too busy concentrating on my fantistically awful short game.

The Beginning of Summer (2012)

A little over two months ago I posted about my daughter turning nine. As if that milestone was not enough to swallow, she has just finished third grade and is officially heading into the fourth grade. A rather large transition, one that I hope will be smooth. Until we reach that stepping stone, summer is here to wrap us in warm sunny days and happy memories of outdoor adventures. Already we have visited the Squam Lakes Science Center, hiked a few local littles, enjoyed dinner outside, spent and afternoon on the boat (all inclusive of fishing lessons with yours truly), went out for ice cream (and agreed it counted as dinner), and have almost finished the book we are reading (Ida B.). There is so much ahead of us we can barely contain our excitement. We are looking forward to more visits to the Science Center, more hikes, a trip to Canobie with our fellow Girl Scouts, Christmas in July (injury and incident free - we hope!), more boating and fishing, day trips, and watching our plants grow. For now, it is nice to stop and capture Emma at this point, and of course, we will have to do it again at the end of the summer to see how it has changed her (well, her, us, and our relationship....). Happy summer everyone!

 

Sunday Special: Home Made Soft Pretzels

I have loved soft pretzels for as long as I can remember. I used to get really excited when I was younger and we would go to one of those big wholesale warehouses (I think back then we had Pace and then Sam's Club and THEN BJ's) and cash out. I would keep my gaze fixated on the magical wheel of giant pretzels. We would buy the frozen ones you can heat in the microwave, but they aren't really much to speak of. Then when I was a teenager I would go to the good old Belknap "mall" and hit up the pretzel place there. Even better than that, I worked at the bookstore in that mall for a while and would get either pretzels or pretzel sandwiches there and then I would be able to have pretzels AND be in a bookstore. It was THE best. Yup. Now however, I don't come across too many opportunities to eat giant soft pretzels. I rarely make it down to any of the larger malls and the one in the Belknap Mall is long gone. A few weeks ago I had quite the craving for one, but decided against trying to choke down one of those microwave ones. Instead, I found a recipe in my bread maker book and gave it a whirl. Emma and I had a blast making these (even when I played "Roll Out" by Ludacris as we rolled the dough, which my daughter pointed out was a horribly inappropriate song, worsened by my impressive dance moves - it rocked, and questionable lyrics aside, the song kicks butt). They were delicious and far better than many I have had. I think next time I might make some rolls so I can use them for sandwiches! It is comforting to know I am not the only one mesmerized by the bread maker :)

How I Spent Mothers' Day

Around here we don't do a lot for days like today. Little holidays in between the typical holidays for mass gatherings. We don't celebrate Valentines Day (we do a little something for Emma, because it is fun when you are a little, but pointless as an adult), we don't do a lot for birthdays, and while my husband is the king of cards, I'd much rather phone calls instead. On days like today I like to get away from the ordinary and keep the television turned off. Since my husband is working today I decided I would drag Emma along on a few outings (she would have much more preferred to be left to her own accord with her ipod or wii). Instead of the usual day of work and games inside the house we headed outside for some adventures with my camera and her ipod (I gave the camera Emma used to use to a friend a while back who was in great need of taking photos for her booming business). At first she wasn't terribly interested, but eventually loosened up and started getting right into it. She used to love to do this with me when we would go hiking (pre-everything that prevents us from getting out there these days). After our little adventure we had a quick lunch and were off again. Not too much later we returned with plants, seeds, soil, and dinner. We got to planting right away, cleaned up a bit, and enjoyed a nice dinner on the deck in front of our happy little greens. Mothers' Day success.