The Perfect Proposal: The happiest day of my life!

Newly Engaged and SOOO HAPPY!!!

Words cannot describe the moment when you realize your childhood dreams are coming true.  That instant when all those advertisements, romantic comedies and chick flicks pale in comparison to the events leading up to one of the happiest moments of my life.  It was perfect!

Back in June, I received this notification from Groupon for a Whale Watch for two.  I figured it would be a great date for Ian and I, since it would get us out of the apartment and enjoying life in Boston.  After several planned dates, we finally made reservations for October 14th.  Ian came home from work around 5am and got about 3 hours of sleep before jumping in the car to drive up to Gloucester.  On the way it started pouring:

Ian: Do you think they would cancel the Whale Watch?
Me: No, I bet they go out all the time with the rain.  It might make for a better trip with the whales
Ian: Really?  You might want to call and check.

Me: Fine... (get out my phone mumbling)... Hello?  Hi, I made a reservation for the Whale Watch today and I was just calling to make sure it was still happening.
Women on line (Emily): Actually I was just about to call everyone and let them know it has been canceled, I'm sorry.
Me: Crap! We had a groupon and it expires at the end of the month.  Is there anything we can do to extend it?
Emily: You can use it next year, just make a note saying you spoke to me and they should let you use it next June.
Me: Awesome, thanks!  (to Ian) So the bad news is, no whale watch, the good news is that we don't lose out on the Groupon!
Ian: Well what do you want to do now?

Me: Since we are meeting up with the family later for apple picking, why don't we just go back to the apartment?  I'll get the laundry done, I need to clean the bathroom, we can go grocery shopping and then head out.

The Beach where it all went down!

Ian: Babe, it's my day off I don't want to spend it in the apartment, let's go do something in Gloucester. (became very silent for the rest of the car ride)

So, we ended up going to Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester for a quick walk.  Somehow the weather cleared up as soon as we got there and the rain stopped.  MAGIC!!  We got out of the car and walked to the beach:
Ian: It really sucks that our plans either get cancelled or changed all the time
Me: I know, but this isn't so bad it's kind of nice out and we have the beach to ourselves.
Ian: True, but I think we need to make plans that can't be changed

The ring, My hands are gross looking but it was freezing!

Me: (thinking YAY a vacation!!!!) What did you have in mind?  (Cruise, Florida, Bahamas?!?!?!)
Ian: What do you say to spending the rest of our lives together? (gets down on one knee)

Me: ?!?!?!?!?! (tears forming, heart racing, smiling like a crazy person)
Ian: Kendra Bassi will you marry me?
Me: YESSSSSSS!!!!!


From there we began calling everyone we knew to let them know the good news!  Apparently my sisters knew what was going on and Ian had planned on doing it that day because we would be seeing everyone later to celebrate, and pick apples and pumpkins of course!!

My amazing family

Sisters and Ian, welcoming the first guy in to the clan!

I Absolutely Love Him!!!

All the "Kids" in the apple orchard

We went back to Diana's place for dinner and some celebratory drinks after apple picking.  But, they had a surprise waiting for us, a delicious Red Velvet Cake!

Yay Red Velvet Cake!

He actually "missed" and hit my face instead!

 But... the surprises don't end there.  We got back home to the apartment around 10:30 and on the steps, waiting for us was our first Engagement/Wedding present! We had bumped into our landlords on our way back from the beach and told them the amazing news.  They then went out and got us a very nice bottle of Italian Sparkling Wine and a really cute card.  I absolutely LOVE these two and it was a great way to end a perfect day.

The Wine and Card from our landlords!

Night Time Corn Maze: It's Out of This World!

In the middle of the maze

 When I was younger I got lost in a corn maze, what started off as a joke on my parents quickly turned into a terrifying experience.  After spending what seemed like an hour running through the rows and rows of corn stalks, I finally made it out with tears streaming down my face.  15+ years later I have this mind boggling obsession with throwing myself back into the middle of the corn by navigating a corn maze.  So, when a Groupon for a Flashlight Corn Maze in Ipswich, MA popped up in my inbox, I jumped at the chance and began seeing who else was up for the challenge.

Kaitlyn carrying our "save us" flag

And so last night, flashlights in hand, Kaitlyn, Jay, Jules, Wes, Lauren, Tim and I entered the Space Exploration Maze to gather "clues" and find space themed drawings.  First stop was a quick video tutorial in which an enthusiastic cowboy told us the rules of the maze

1. No running through the maze
2. No picking the corn
3. No cutting through the corn
4. Do not break the ribbons outlining the path
5. No foul language

Looking for the boys

We quickly lost ourselves in the maze with all the twists and turns of the various paths we chose to take.  Hidden throughout the maze were the clues and images you would either write or rub onto the guide we were handed at the beginning of the maze.  The path was pretty narrow and so we have to walk single file for the most part.  About 45 minutes into the maze, Jules turned around to talk to Wes and Jay who were being very quiet... because they were no longer there!

The girls

After wandering around for a while, we finally had the bright idea to call them.  As it turns out, they had taken the wrong turn, gotten lost and somehow ended up on the bridge we had been trying to get to.  We spent the next half hour trying to get to that bridge, which is not an easy task since we couldn't seem to leave the area: frustrating and hilarious at the same time.  

Needless to say, we finally met up with them and then slowly made our way out of the corn maze.  Finally making it out 2.5 hours after we entered the maze, we found all but two clues and two pictures.  I'm completely hooked and I can't wait to do it again next fall!

Victory!!!!

Candy Shoppe Pizza: an Oldie but Goodie (Yummy too!)

Craving some chocolate?

While "amazing cook" isn't one of the terms I would use to describe my mother, she did have her moments where the kitchen would be filled with delicious smells and my mouth would water.  Her Heaven Bread, Crater Cakes, and the occasional soup du jour always resulted in me going for seconds and sometimes thirds.  However, none of these dishes come close to the one, the only Candy Shoppe Pizza.

 The Candy Shoppe Pizza, a HUGE chocolate chip cookie topped with chocolate peanut butter sauce, cut into 8 slices and finished off with candy toppings of your choosing.  Pure Heaven in your mouth.  Once my mom discovered this recipe, it quickly replaced birthday cakes and was on the menu for many special events. 

 So, when my dad called me up the other day inviting me to a pizza party he was hosting for my youngest sister and 20 of her soccer teammates, the first thing I asked was, "Do they want Candy Shoppe Pizza?" My sister seemed really excited to have it and so I went online and did some research and finally found a recipe that didn't start with "put the purchased cookie dough onto a pizza pan."  Oh no, I wanted to make this dessert from scratch, just like my mom, just like the original.

Padre's Special Homemade Pizza

 
The trick to making a tastebud rocking CSP is to have different types of candy, snickers, twix, M&M's Oreos, Gummmies, etc.  People love this dish because it's a) yummy b) fun to make and c) you decide what goes on it.   I also think it's easier to just sprinkle the chocolate chips and spoon on the Peanut Butter than measuring it out, but to each their own.

"Pizzas" fresh out of the oven and letting the chips melt before spreading the sauce

 Once the Pizza's were cut, the girls were called down and they just attacked the dessert.  It's hard to explain but seeing them all run to the table, sit down, and start building their dessert just filled me with pride and accomplishment.  I was just so happy knowing that something I made was a complete success. 

Making their pizzas!

Looking back, I realize that this idea is one of the many things that defines who my mom was.  She was always thoughtful and creative when it came to hosting and planning events, something I always thought was weird and a waste of time.  Making the dish for 20 high-school girls made me feel closer to her and understand her love of providing other with an amazingly yummy memory.

My girlfriends and I are heading up to Vermont for a girls weekend away in a few weeks. I fully intend to on making Candy Shoppe pizza while there, I wonder what type of wine pairs best with it......