Have you ever seen snow on the beach?  That had always been on my bucket list, and this past Christmas, I finally got to see it.  It came at a price… we got snowed in for a few days after Christmas, but when we finally dug out, we were rewarded with some sparkling snow! 

Grab your favorite mug of Christmas Tea (I prefer Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea), and transport yourself into a land of snow and sand!

This is what we saw when we walked out the front door…

People couldn’t make it back to their houses, so they just ditched their cars on the median!

We finally made it to the beach, and it was so worth it.  Isn’t this breathtaking?!

The snow froze the sand, and where you thought you could stand… you just sank! 

So beautiful…

This guy decided to brave the snow too

One of my favorite shots. 

I super heart Rockaway!

And this is what we would have had to drive home in!  So… we waited an extra day.  There was no way this was happening.

Upon returning home, we were greeting by the best fur-niece on the planet.  What better way to warm back up from visiting the frozen tundra than cuddling with the sweetest bulldog ever?!  And what better way to reward ourselves for shoveling out our cars the next day than the best  New York pizza ever?! 

We might have been snowed in, but it was a fantastic trip.  We played lots of board games and card games, and generally had some sibling bonding time.  I love my newly extended family, and it was nice to spend some time snowed in with them… but I have to say the beach walk was the highlight of that visit.  The beach was so peaceful and serene, and it was a wonderful way to cure the cabin fever!

Did you get snowed in this year?  Do you wish you were still snowed in instead of sweating buckets in July?  Personally, I prefer the warmth, so I’m trying not to complain too much!  Snow is pretty in pictures… but I can wait a while longer to see it again in person!!

To start off, let’s recap the month of May in true accounting style – by the numbers.  (PS can you believe it’s June?  Holy Crap.)

1 – One new camera!  Check out this amazing gift that the hubster surprised me with.  I cried!  I can’t wait to use it on our honeymoon!

1 – Also a new iphone!  I’ve been loving using apps like instagram (see pic above!) and beating Robert at Words with Friends

2 – New blog friends who I finally got to meet for lunch last week!  Chrissey and Stephanie and I had a great lunch at Marathon Grill in Philadelphia.  It was surreal meeting people I met on the internet, but we had so much to chat about.

3 – Flavors of frozen yogurt I had at the new Yapple Yogurt down the street from our apartment!  It opened two weeks ago, and Robert and I went to welcome in summer over Memorial Day Weekend.  I tried white chocolate, peanut butter, and birthday cake – they were all so good!

4 – Number of books I read in May!  This includes Bossypants by Tina Fey (amazing, had me laughing on the train, and loving all of the Pennsylvania references!  she also included a great message for women – not just women comedians.  Girl power!)  I also read The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand.  This book was good, but I threw it on the couch at the end because I was disappointed by the ending. Finally, I read Firefly Lane and True Colors by Kristin Hannah.  I am now officially addicted to her books!  The first had me bawling on the train, and the second was so deeply real.  Kristen Hannah really paints you into the story, both in the plot and in the setting.  You find yourself so invested in the characters!  I loved both books and can’t wait to read more of her work in June!

7 – Inches I chopped off of my hair right after the wedding!  I couldn’t wait to get my Post Wedding Chop, and scheduled my appointment for the first day that the salons were open after the wedding.  Take a look:

             Before………………………………………………………After!

8 – Number of yoga classes I attended at Dana Hot Yoga this month.  I really enjoyed the chance to fulfill my groupon, but by the end of it, I was ready for a little break.  But I truly feel like I am a better “yogi” now… except:

1 – Number of times I FACEPLANTED while attempting crow pose.  OUCH.  My nose was bruised for days!

13th – My 25th birthday!  Robert and I celebrated with an amazing dinner of calamari, basil mojitos, and amazing bacon burgers at 20 Manning.  The burger was great, but not the best burger I ever had!  (Although I might have kept comparing their food to 20 Manning’s sister restaurant, Audrey Claire.  The mussels at AC are in the top 5 of favorite meals ever!)  We finished the night with drinks at Table 31 on the Thursday prior.  Although I work right above Table 31, I’d never been there.  We sat outside, and I swear it felt like we were in Miami!  The celebration continued at my BFF Kirsten’s house, where she and her husband bbq’ed for our friend Georgia, Bob’s friend Pat, Robert, and me.  We drank strawberry wine from Heritage Vineyards, ate a giant cookie cake, and just chatted.  It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday! 

31 – Days of being a wife!  I never thought that being married would feel very different.  We’d  been living together for almost 3 years by the time we got married, but it has been amazing.  I feel more connected to Robert, and I’m just giddy with love.  (Ok I’ll stop making you puke now.)

80,000 – Degrees that it’s been outside.  OMG it is so hot and humid, and it was only May.  I’ve never wanted rain so badly before in my life.  Anything to break the heat!

What were you up to in May?!  I can’t believe my favorite month is over

As the year went past, there were several celebrations for the beautiful couple.

But none were quite as amazing as the wedding between the beautiful young lady and the handsome Irish fellow…

The wedding was on June 4, 2010 at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, and I can’t imagine a more picturesque location!

The food was amazing (think: seared tuna and filet mignon!)  and the DJ was terrific.  He kept us dancing all night… in fact I’m hoping to book him for our wedding!  And with plenty off family  and friends to celebrate with, there couldn’t have been a more perfect evening!

In the end, all anyone could talk about was how perfect the beautiful young lady and the handsome Irish fellow were for each other.  I couldn’t be more happy for them, and am so excited for my future sister-in-law!  I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride!  Congratulations!

Anyway, I don’t know if you know this, but I am the oldest of 15 cousins on my Mom’s side.  (No cousins on my dad’s side!)  Even though I am only about a year and a half older than the next cousins, I look at them all as my little chickies!  Thus, when I was invited to my cousin’s graduation from… WEST POINT… I welled up with pride and immediately made plans to trek to NY.  On top of that, we found out that Obama was making the commencement speech, and I got really excited.  I mean – who cares about political orientation? Whether you voted for him or not, how often do you get to see the President make a speech?!

On that note… time for some pics!

Mom, Robert, and I stayed with my grandfather (GP for short), and traveled about an hour to get to Michie Stadium.  There was traffic everywhere!  If I were a local, I’d book vacation during graduation week every year

When we walked into the stadium, I was so excited to see this sign!  You can bet your bottom that I tweeted the whole time

The stadium was pretty full, even an hour prior to the ceremony.  All the underclassmen lined the top sections in a flood of white.

Finally it was time for the cadets to march into the stadium.  I admired their sweet marching skills   Every graduate and cadet from West Point are a part of the infinite continuum called the Long Grey Line.  Everything at West Point is so steeped in tradition!  I loved it.

After all the students, faculty, and military marched into the stadium, it was time for El Presidente.  We’d heard rumors that he was being transported by helicopter, and sure enough, 10 minutes after the cadets marched, the Obama-rama parachuted down from a helicopter to the main podium.

Ok, or maybe he just marched in too.  But it would have been awesome if he dropped from the sky!    He gave a great speech too – he even absolved all the underclassmen of any minor infractions!  He was great and personable, and really supported the graduates.  He also mentioned that the number one cadet and the valedictorian were both female – for the first time in history!  Girl power!  Here is a link to his speech.

Anyway, all of the honors graduates received their diploma from the President.  How cool is that?!  I wish I’d received my diploma from the President!

Here’s my cousin getting his diploma – I was so proud!  West Point is a tough place, but I know he made the best of it

After the graduation ceremony, we stopped for pictures, and then headed to his commissioning into the Army. 

I love touring college campuses, so I had to snap some pictures on the way to Trophy Point!

My uncle was in the Army as well, and got to issue the oath to Mark.

And there were some sweet moments too.  My littlest cousins never knew my uncle when he was in the Army, and it was so cool to see their reaction to him in his uniform.  They were amazed!  And the very youngest says to his brother “Wow, Mark, I’ve never seen you wear that uniform before!”  And Mark goes “I know – I’ve never worn this uniform before!”  And you could tell how excited they both were.  It was the cutest thing ever

Of course I insisted on taking a picture with my “little” cousin:

(ps can we take a minute to discuss this “million dollar view”?!  could you imagine walking past that on your way to class?!)

After the festivities, it was time to truly celebrate!  My uncle’s friend donated their house for party purposes, and we all gathered ‘round to toast to Mark.  It was the first time in ages that every single cousin was at the same party!

I am so grateful for my family – I love that we all get together to celebrate the good times with each other!  I am so proud of Mark, and I wish him all the luck in the world.

Do you have any family members in the military?  My dad was in the Navy, and of course my uncle and now cousin are in the Army… and my younger cousin is about to join Mark in the Army!  Hoo-rah!