Day Trip to Vermont

If you remember last fall we had a retreat to Cape Cod with our LDSSA club members here on campus.  This time around we had a little day retreat to Vermont.  It was so much fun.  There was a lot of driving and some cold weather but we managed to have a really great time with our friends!

The first stop on our trip was Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont.  We were the first ones of our group to arrive (always be on time, something we inherited from the Army :) and were able to start off with a little cheese taste testing.  Clare and Andy LOVED this part.  I could only handle a couple samples before I was done with the cheese.  After the cheese we had a maple syrup tasting, which we all enjoyed, even Noah.  The farm wasn't really much to look at, at least not with snow and mud everywhere but I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of it.  We really had a great time there and even took home some edible souvenirs! :)

Some of the cheese, aged for up to 10 years, was super sharp.  I couldn't handle it but, as I said, Andy loved it.  Clare ate almost every sample also, minus maybe blue cheese and the jalepeno cheddar.

The syrup was very good.  I liked the light syrup, or 'fancy' as they call it.  It's amazing how the season can determine how the syrup will taste.  We learned a lot of interesting facts!  They also had a little store, where we bought some goodies to take home.  I loved how small town it was, and how unique to the area.  It made it so much more fun to experience.

Outside on the property they had this little chapel.  It was really tiny but when you walked in there were pictures on the wall of people who had actually been married there.  From what I've been told, the farm is really beautiful in the summer and fall.  We will have to go back! 

The next stop on our trip was about an hour away at the Ben and Jerry's factory.  It also just happened to be Ben and Jerry's winter days festival, so there were a ton of people there.  Unfortunately we really couldn't take pictures inside the factory, but we enjoyed some free ice cream and good company! 

Here's our group at the end of our factory tour.  We got to sample an ice cream that isn't for sale in stores called Winterberry, it was so delicious I had two samples!  

After our tour we walked around outside.  They had a couple of really incredible snow sculptures! 

They also had more free ice cream sampling and a little booth of exotic birds (it was kind of a random booth).  Noah LOVED the owl and wanted to stand there all day.  He kept coming back to it and watching, it was definitely the highlight for him.  That and the ice cream of course! 

 The last stop on our way home was at the Joseph Smith birth place in Sharon, Vermont.  A lot of the grounds were buried in snow here also, but we were able to go through the visitors center and also see the monument.  It was the perfect way to end our day.

We had such a great time seeing Vermont and spending the day with our friends.  I am so grateful to live in an area that is so fun to explore.  It really has been such a blessing to be here.

Pictures of the Week

The other night I decided to tackle the task of making Noah a couple more ties for church.  I had to take a before and after of my work space.  It's amazing what a mess you can create to make such small items of clothing.  I look forward to having a craft room one day!  

And, of course, a picture of the finish product.  I was happy with how they turned out (even if the bow-tie is more like a mans size)!

Walk home from the gym the other morning,  I never get tired of walking around on HBS campus. 

We have had a MAJOR squirrel problem on our balcony this winter.  We had our jogger wrapped in a tarp to protect it from the winter weather but the squirrels took the liberty of digging holes in the tarp and creating a nest inside (thankfully no babies).  Anyway, call me cruel, but every time I would see the squirrels out on my balcony I would go out with my broom and scare them away (if you can only imagine).  I have developed such a distaste for these little pests that even my kids will 'curse' at them when they see them through the sliding glass door.  I eventually unwrapped the jogger and threw the tarp away, but it hasn't stopped them from coming around (and continuing to ruin our jogger).   I continue to use my broom tactic (because maintenance won't do anything), but could desperately use a way to repel the squirrels (we even bought a fake owl that didn't work at all).  If you have thoughts please share, otherwise I give you the liberty of laughing at the thought of me swinging a broom around my balcony. 

Clare ate food, and then ran her fingers through her hair.  This is what she was left with, and the face she is making only adds to its awesomeness! 

A friend of mine and I always get a kick out of this drinking fountain at the gym on campus.  Only at Harvard would they put a sign letting everyone know that the water is filtered...or maybe I should say, only at Harvard would anyone care if it were filtered.  

I pretty much ran a daycare one morning, ha!  It's so nice to live on campus and be able to trade babysitting with some of your close friends!  

I would have many more pictures, but I am saving them for a separate post.  This is all you get for now, enjoy!