A Few of My Favorite Things

No, not whiskers on kittens or raindrops on roses. Or even brown paper packages tied up with string. Although all of those things are nice, I have a few additions of my own.

What would those items be, you ask? Well, dear friends, a few of my favorite things would include the sight of my sweet baby's face peering at me from underneath his wool hat, the warmth of the sunshine on my shoulders on a beautiful New England Fall day, and the taste of an amazing Vermont beer on my lips. Oh, and the sounds of laughter from my mother as she looks adoringly at her only grandchild.



Yep, that'll about do it. Now write a song about that, Maria Von Trapp!

Conor, Fionn and I just returned from our fabulous week in Stowe, Vermont where we spent some quality time with the Fall foliage, Vermont's delectable microbreweries...and, last but certainly not least, Fionn's Ganna (a.k.a. my mother).

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Stowe is the town where the Von Trapp family (made famous by one of my favorite movies, Sound of Music) set up shop once they left Austria during World War II. It is an adorable town, complete with picturesque churches and a general store. Below is a favorite picture of my Mom in front of the general store with her newest acquaintance.



We had a fabulous week in Vermont. The foliage was just gorgeous, as you can see below. We timed it perfectly, and the color was at its peak. Brilliant reds, yellows, oranges, greens. It was just a dream.



Speaking of foliage, here's a little story for you. So the week before our trip, Conor told me that he had arranged for us to take a "sunrise hike" while in Vermont so that we could enjoy the amazing Fall foliage from a higher vantage point. I was thrilled, of course, because I love to hike. We got Mom on board to babysit Fionn for the morning (thank you, Mom!) since it wasn't a child-friendly hike. We grabbed a hearty breakfast before leaving our condo at the inglorious hour of 5 am and set off toward Burlington to meet up with the trail guide. I had my hiking boots laced up, my hair pulled back, and a chilled water bottle in hand. My first hike since the birth of my son -- I was ready to go, people.

However, once we arrived in Burlington to begin the hike, Conor sheepishly murmured that he had a bit of a surprise for me.

Geez, I'll say! Turns out we were booked for a sunrise hot air balloon ride instead of a sunrise hike. Oh. My. God.

Okay, this is where I admit that I did not immediately respond very well to this change in plans. First of all, I am a planner, and I hate surprises. Secondly, I was bummed that I wasn't going hiking, although I realize how ridiculous that sounds. Third, I am terrified of heights. And lastly, I was wearing NO makeup for this event which I knew would now include many amazing photo ops.

I have to fess up that I had a total Mariah Carey Diva reaction for about five minutes until I was able to readjust my attitude. Once I did, I was able to see that this was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. To see the Vermont foliage at its PEAK from a hot air balloon? I realized I was a very lucky girl. So I tried to steady my nerves and put on a happy face as we watched the Hot Air Balloon Guys begin the process of filling the balloon with air. The below picture was taken right as we were lifting off the ground. I'm smiling, but you can just barely detect a little dash of "pissed off" in my eyes if you look closely. I remember muttering something to Conor about how we don't yet have a will, and God only knows what will happen to our son if we both perish in a tragic hot air balloon accident.



However, once we got up in the air, and the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds...I am telling you, it was amazing. I'll shut up now and just let the pictures speak for themselves.





The funniest part of the whole thing is that it wasn't scary in the slightest. Truly. Maybe it's because the whole thing is just so ridiculous. I mean, seriously. We were flying 1800 feet above ground in a WICKER BASKET, for the sake of Pete! I don't know. It just wasn't scary. I don't know how else to tell you. But, hey, don't take my word for it. Let my cheesy grin in this next picture convince you.



I could write paragraphs more about the amazing time we had in Vermont, but I think I will sign off here. It's bedtime in the Crimmins household. However, there are gobs more photos on our flickr site if you are interested. I'll leave you with one more favorite photo from the week.



Isn't my husband talented? :-) Until next time...