Lazy days...

Things have been same-old-same-old in the Hogan/Stanzione household. We're battoning down the hatches for the blustery weather that is coming in. Our good friends Coley and Anne-Marie are preparing for their move to Sarasota Springs, NY - so we've had a tiny houseguest with us while they try to pimp out their old digs.
Introducing Figaro "Figgie" Campbell, our first overnight guest and the best houseguest EVER. We will miss our friends terribly, but look forward to the excuse to make weekend trips up to NY state!

I'm sure that photos from their farewell bar crawl this weekend will warrant their own entry...so look for more in a few days!

Upstream Redteam!

No more 27 year fluke bowls - Schiano's boys are the real deal.

We're here to stay.

1. Ohio State (63) 8-0 1,623
2. Michigan 8-0 1,533
3. USC 6-0 1,468
4. West Virginia (2) 7-0 1,458
5. Texas 7-1 1,355
6. Louisville 7-0 1,215
7. Auburn 7-1 1,182
8. Tennessee 6-1 1,178
9. Florida 6-1 1,146
10. Clemson 7-1 989
11. Notre Dame 6-1 988
12. California 7-1 964
13. Arkansas 6-1 843
14. LSU 6-2 799
15. Boise State 8-0 608
16. Rutgers 7-0 579
17. Wisconsin 7-1 560
18. Boston College 6-1 526
19. Oklahoma 5-2 497
20. Nebraska 6-2 373

Fall Getaway to the Country House

We spent a beautiful weekend with my family at our home in Sussex County. It was perfect fall weather and we got to see the colors before blustery winds took most of them away.

We also celebrated the 8 year anniversary of the day that Dominick asked me to be his girlfriend (outside class before 7th period), and the 2 year anniversary of Dominick asking me to marry him!

Just a few weeks to our first anniversary as a married couple, we can't believe it!

Ginger striking a pose

We had a great time just running through the fields.

MK enjoying a ride in the golf cart...

A great game of hide-n-go-seek at the Christmas Tree farm

A great way to spend the weekend...

Autumn in the New House

It's officially autumn at the Hogan-Stanzione household and all is well. We are having a great time making the home our own, and are feeling especially blessed now that our heat it on after two visits from the gas company!

We've had a few wonderfully crisp enjoyable days to play outside and here are some shots of our favorite four-legged gal.

No pictures of us due to Ginger's tragic lack of opposable thumbs...

Ginger giving her best "So Busted" face after playing in the pond
Confused as to why she is the subject of yet another amateur photo shoot

Ready for her close-up

We had a visit from our friends Devyn and Kristen. Ginger especially loves Devyn for how generous she is with her goldfish - the favorite snack of one year olds and doggies everywhere!

California Dreamin'

My journey to California was for business, but along the way I met some of the friendliest faces... Donal and Joe were kind enough to share a meal with me...
I had a little bit of sightseeing time, but all alone it's a little sad.

The beautifully pregnant cousin Billie

Our adorable little Chickadee Riley
Sunday morning with Riley and Grandma (Aunt Bridie)

It was so wonderful to see my family, we miss eachother so much but definitely make the most of affordable airfare! As their families continue to grow, the distance seems that much more challenging and frustrating. Each day watching the babies grow marked the time so definitely and reminded me that soon I would have to return home and would miss the giggles and the births. We try to get together at least once a year - between now and then there will be two more babies and who knows what else!

But then, there was my own family to come home to...my Dommy that I missed so much...my new house...and I knew it was time.

Waffles and Chocolates and Lace, Oh My!

In between sightseeing in Paris, we found our way into Belgium for a day in Brugge.Because of the extensive canal system, dating to the 14th and 15th centuries, Brugge is known as the "Venice of the North"
Great Weather + Great Architecture + Great Belgian Beer = Happy Courtney!

How great is this nun statue?

Americans in Paris

Well, we've been terribly remiss in updating the blog. This was brought to my attention when Dominick came home as said "Hey - what's up with the blog - it hasn't been updated!". So here is some updated information, including our trip to Paris - which seems just as good a place to start as any. Paris was phenomenal. Photos can't even begin to capture the beauty and history of the city and its wonderful people. It most definitely is one of the most romantic places I've been - the bottle of wine a day went a long way in setting the mood! Dominick and I had a long checklist - only about half of which we got to - but we most enjoyed the long walks, sidewalk cafe chats, and ham and cheese sandwich lunches. It's amazing how in between paying the mortgage and picking out window treatments, you can forget to simply touch base with one another. For some, Paris provides the perfect setting to fall in love - for Dominick and I, it was the perfect setting to rediscover all of the reasons that we are in love. It was a whirlwind tour with all of the hustle and bustle of visiting a city, but when we got home it all made sense. We'll always have Paris...

Saint Chappelle...the most beautiful church I've ever seen. Stained glass beats Notre Dame hands down.

Dom at the Louvre
Goofing off at the Louvre - a security guard caught on to me shortly after this.
Vintage Tour Eiffel
The conciergie prison, where Marie Antoinette and prisoners of the Revolution were held.
The "Phantom of the Opera" opera house. SO gorgeous!

Mmmmm...jambon e fromage
View from the towers of Notre Dame

The gardens of Versailles...Dominick's mecca.