Brooke's Blog

Wedding Highlights Slideshow...

2011-05-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pictures!!!

2011-04-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you again to those of you in attendance for being a part of our special day!!!

Here are the links to some pictures from the spectacular weekend! Even if you are not on FaceBook, you can still access the links to the photo albums. Let me know if there are any pictures you would like copies of!

Professional pictures by Garone Photography:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26273&id=100001789365515&l=47253c463b
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26283&id=100001789365515&l=abaa3f38fd
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26294&id=100001789365515&l=0b17085cac

Pictures we've received from friends and family so far:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23153&id=100001789365515&l=2f58867a1f
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24031&id=100001789365515&l=197a92779d

Rehearsal Dinner:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23743&id=100001789365515&l=f4da4c686e

Bridal Shower:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25202&id=100001789365515&l=b1a3d6347c

WE'RE HITCHED!!!

2011-03-24T14:36:00.001-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26717698@N03/sets/72157626342211544/

The Real Pit Bull

2011-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

FA-LA-LA-LA-LA, LA, LA, LA!!!

2010-12-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the Christmas season is officially in full effect at the Rohrer/Fenton household!

Last weekend we did our annual tree chopping trip ( at Donaghey Tree Farm)

and we decorated the house for the holidays...

Click here for more photos...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

LUCKY...

2010-11-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am reflecting on all of the many things I am thankful for and "LUCKY" to have in my life!

Wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Below is our engagement photo session video!

***BE SURE TO MUTE THE SONG PLAYLIST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG

BEFORE PLAYING THE ENGAGEMENT VIDEO***

It's been a LONG time...

2010-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I couldn't let my blog lay officially dormant for 6 MONTHS,

so I am getting this post in at the 11th hour!!!

As you can imagine it's been a whirlwind 6 months... wedding planning, house projects, wedding planning, dog issues, wedding planning, birth of our nephew and

WEDDING PLANNING!

Let's rewind...

Here are a few pics of some home improvements:

Front Walkway

Mahogany Breezeway Decking

Introducing the newest member of the Rohrer-Fisher Family...
Beau William Fisher

We have had some more ups & downs with our dog, Genny... currently we are working with Cornell University's Veterinary Nutrition Division, so keep your fingers crossed that we can get her better! Genny's 5th Birthday

Other than the above mentioned events, we've been pretty WEDDING focused...

can't believe it's only 110 days away!!!

Engagement Announcement

2010-07-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Brooke Rohrer and Ian Fenton

4 Years, 9 Months & 8 days...

2010-05-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the wait is over... and boy it was worth it!!!

Ian & I are ENGAGED!!!

Ian had planned a surprise birthday get-away weekend for me and sprung it on me last week. I had to work at convention in Freeport, ME on Friday, so he arranged to have his best friend Doug (who is here visiting from Colorado for the week) drive him to meet me & then keep his car for the weekend. After I got out of the convention, he met me at the hotel with bags and coolers packed of wish I was instructed to NOT go into!

He ended up taking me to one of our favorite places... Jonesport, ME. For those of you who are not familiar with the "Down East" part of Maine, we were North East of Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park. It is a quaint lobster village by the sea... quintessential New England! We stayed at the Cranberry Cove Cottages where we had been several years ago and were welcomed by the warm hospitality of Dorothy Rose & Dennis Higgins.

Friday night we laid low, relaxed by the fire and just unwound.

On Saturday, we headed out to explore the area, did some antiquing, bought some local artwork and explored Beals Island. Ian had told me that he had planned to make me a special lobster birthday dinner, when we got back to the cottage. (He had already packed all my favorite fixings to accompany the lobster in the cooler: Brie & Crackers, Corn-on-the-Cob, rice, green beans & salad). At about 4:30pm we headed down to Lobster Co-Op down by the wharf and bought our lobster right off the fishing boats that had just pulled their traps! As we were heading back to the cottage Ian decided to make a quick detour to a remote pier we had been to before. He reminded me of the pictures I had taken there before,

so insisted that I bring my camera.

We walked down to the end of the pier and were just admiring the beautiful surroundings. I started to take some pictures and as I turned around, Ian was down on one knee. As he asked me to marry him, I started to cry and forgot to answer him! He asked me again and of course I said YES!!! Now the tricky part... we were both so nervous that we would drop the ring off of the pier!!! Ian carefully maneuvered it and put it securely on my finger.

It was truly a magical moment!!!

After, taking some pictures, we headed back to our cottage where Ian had Dom Perignon & strawberries waiting for us to celebrate! We ended our special day with a FABULOUS lobster dinner and LOTS of phone calls!!!

This is such an exciting time for us and we can not wait to celebrate with family & friends!

Here are some more pictures from the engagement weekend:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26717698@N03/sets/72157624082661048/

Granite State Of Mind

2010-04-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

Live Free Or Die, Baby!!!

Scroll down to "pause" Brooke's Playlist music so you can hear the video below!

This is HYSTERICAL (Well, maybe only if you live in or have ever lived in NH)!!!

Watch the entire thing it's only 4.5 minutes...

Answered Prayers...

2010-03-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

We just received a call from the vet and the biopsy results for Genny showed no evidence of cancer!!! We are so relieved...

She does have Lymphangiectasia (Inflammation and dilation of the lymphatic system). She will be treated with Prednisone (corticosteroid) and maintain a strict Rx diet, as well as some other medications. Although she has lost quite a bit of weight, she is gaining it back a little each day.

Thank you so much for your support, love & kind words during the last 5 weeks... we truly appreciate it!

Brooke, Ian & Genny

LONG Overdue!!!

2010-03-22T15:07:00.001-07:00

Holy smokes! I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last posting!

Alrighty... here's a quick re-cap of what's been going on:Ian & I took a great trip to VT over Valentine's Day Weekend... had a blast dog-sledding!

At the end of February, my 4.5 month stint of unemployment CAME TO AN END!!!

I have officially been an employee of Teva Respiratory Pharmaceuticals for one month today!

There has been quite a bit of traveling going on over the last few weeks for my new job training and a National Sales Meeting that we recently had in Scottsdale, AZ.

In addition to the hectic-ness (if that's even a word?!) of starting a new job & traveling, we have been having some health problems with our beloved, Genny.

After weeks of MANY vet visits, X-rays, ultrasounds and lab work, we were referred to a specialist. She will be going in tomorrow for an endoscopic biopsy procedure and we will hopefully have some solid answers this week. Please keep her in your thoughts & prayers!

Just Can't Get Enough...

2010-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Depeche Mode said it right... "Just Can't Get Enough"!

And for me that's DEEP FRIED TURKEY (DFT)!!!

For those you who may recall it was just 2 short months ago that our family experimented with this phenomenon for the first time at Thanksgiving. We decided to gather up the family again for round 2 and this time added some kick! I experimented with a Southern Style DFT recipe that required the "injection process" the night before, as well as a spicy dry rub (Is it just me or does that sentence sound a bit naughty?!?!) We had done the Traditional Style DFT recipe before. Here are the before pictures with the dry rub:

And after about an hour of cooking (17.5 lb. turkey) at 350 degrees...

Voila'!!!!

Now, I know Trytophan can have a "sleepy" effect on people after eating turkey,

but what's their excuse, they didn't even have any?!?!

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!

2010-01-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

Auld Lang Syne...

2009-12-31T12:09:00.001-08:00

I never knew the meaning of the traditional New Year's song,

"Auld Lang Syne" until I looked it up today...

translated into English literally as "old long since",

or more idiomatically, "long long ago" or "days gone by".

Surely I am not the only one, that can not wait to bid "fare-well" to 2009!

I also came across this poem by William Arthur Ward

that I thought was appropriate for ringing in 2010:

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

I am raising my champagne glass to toast all of you a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Scroll down to "pause" Brooke's Playlist music so you can hear the video below!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Need I say more?!?!

2009-12-17T15:36:00.001-08:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

2009-12-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Although the weather outside here today is frightful,

something about winter still makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside!

Here are a few pictures taken from our most recent snow fall...

Oh, yeah... and our Christmas Tree this year too!

T & T!!!

2009-11-30T16:47:00.000-08:00

T & T... short for Turkeys & Trees...

which is what my Thanksgiving weekend consisted of!

This year my family decided to live on the wild side and do a "Deep Fried" Turkey! For all of you skeptics out there (obviously people who have never tasted one), it was the best damn turkey ever! Way to go Dad!!! Here are some before and after shots...The traditionally cooked turkey... just as delicious! Nice job Mom!

The weekend was wrapped up with a gorgeous 50+ degree day on Sunday, of which Ian & I took full advantage! We headed out to the tree farm and cut ourselves down a Christmas Tree! (Well, to be fair... Ian cut down the tree!)

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!!!

2009-11-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Dirty 30 x2!!!!

2009-11-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

As some of you recall, it was not so long ago that I celebrated my "Dirty 30th" Birthday. The whole phrase had originated from a football jersey my mom had made for my father in 1979. I carried on the tradition (of which will be passed onto my sisters in the years to come) by wearing the above mentioned jersey on my 30th birthday. However, The Rohrer Family patriarch (aka: Big Jim or Jimbo) recently celebrated another milestone... his 60th birthday!!!

We headed up to Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine to celebrate...Here is the amazing house we rented...

Fun was had by all... Who are those masked bandits?!?!

Here are the "moosehead" cake before & after shots...

My Dad in all his glory...

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY, DAD! I LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:37:00.001-07:00

Every Thorn Has It's Rose...

2009-10-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every Thorn Has It's Rose...

It's a play on words (obviously!),

but oddly enough an interesting perspective on how I have been looking at life lately!

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this last night from my love!

When life gives you apples...

2009-10-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know the saying is supposed to be,

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

However, I didn't have any lemons, so my spin on this phrase is,

"When life gives you apples, make apple pie!"

Today marks the official one-week marker since I was laid-off from my job. Yes, I realize I am not alone and that the national unemployment rate is quickly approaching the 10% mark. But, this is an all time first for me, and I must admit it has been a whirlwind week of emotions. Initially, I was just plain SHOCKED! I mean, I saw the writing on the wall with my company and all of the changes that had been going on, but come on... no one ever thinks it will really happen. Well, it did. So, I proceeded to drink a lot of wine that first night to try and numb the pain. Unfortunately, that was probably not the best way to deal, as I felt like CRAP the next day! The next emotion to set in was fear. Fear of finding a new job, fear of there being a job, fear of finances and fear of failure. I tried to overcome this emotion by being as proactive as possible! I got my resume updated and started the job search! Landed myself my first phone interview on day 3 (which has lead to a face-to-face interview this week)! This gave me some hope. Another emotion that has set in is utter gratitude. I have been blown away by the kindness of family & friends! You have all done so much to lift my spirits, help to network and just brighten my days with random acts of kindness!

Thank you!!!

Here is one of my favorite acts of kindness that arrived via UPS last week.... (MMMMMmmmmm!!!! Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Morris!!!)

I must say that this experience so far has definitely been humbling, but as I was told, "every cloud has a silver lining." I truly believe that this has helped me to really think about what it is I want to do with the rest of my life. Do I know yet? NO, but I have seriously considered many ideas, that I think would have remained just that, ideas, had this not happened. I am looking towards the future through rose colored glasses (or my new gift to myself, Versace sunglasses... story for another posting)!

Beautiful Day (or Night)...

2009-09-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems as though my "year of the concert" has come to an end!

First it was NKOTB, then Britney Spears, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band & The Doobie Brothers and the finale this past Monday night with...

U2 at Gillette Stadium!

We started the night by tailgating in a parking lot about a mile from the stadium, hoping to avoid the terrible traffic trying to leave after the concert.
Even though it was a sobering mile walk, we were pleasantly surprised by our luxury-like concert accommodations! The ladies and I had scored tickets in the Fidelity Club Section (Thanks UMASS Alumni Association)!

It was quite the stage set up, as the tour was call the "360 Degree Tour", the stage was also (take a guess???)... 360 degrees.

Although I was not familiar with their latest album, "No Line On The Horizon", the setlist was still pretty darn good! I definitely could have done with out Bono's political rants, but the MOST disappointing part of our overall great night was that Gillette Stadium stopped serving beer at 9:10 pm!!! What is that CRAP?!?!

Turns out our decision to park a little ways away, was a good one, bc we got out of Foxboro without a problem!

On a final note... Bono looked DAMN GOOD for his age!!!

She's not the ONLY one!!! LOL!!!

2009-09-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Too funny!!!

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=11038816

Oh, Dear (or DEER)!!!

2009-08-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, looks like I have let too much time between postings pass... so this one will be sort of a "hodge-podge" of the last few weeks...
( I guess we've been BUSY!)

We had some visitors come through our yard... Momma & Baby Deer:

Ian & I celebrated 4 years of dating with a special weekend in Boston taking a trip down memory lane back to where it all began!

We had our dog-niece, Noodle, come for a weekend visit...

Went up to Gilford, NH for a family tailgate and saw Steve Miller Band & The Doobie Brothers!

And last but not least... we celebrated our beloved dog-daughter, Genny's, 4th birthday! And even got to Skype in her Grandpa from San Francisco to watch her open her presents! (Yes, I am a little obsessed w/the dog!) That's her in her birthday hat, also sporting her new handmade hemp & rose quartz collar made by her Auntie Jamie!

I forgot to take a picture of the cake before we DEVOURED it! And yes, there was a puppy-friendly dessert too!

Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are!

Then and Now...

2009-08-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

We have officially been living at our house for 2 years now!
How time flies...

Here are a few pictures of the house from June of 2007
when we first moved in...

As many of you know this years Summer project was painting/updating the exterior of our home. With that being said, we couldn't have picked a WORSE month then this past June (historic rainfall) to begin our project!!! Through all the "June Gloom" we prevailed and the house painting is DONE (just a few minor details to wrap up)!!!

And here are a few pictures of the house now in 2009...

To check out the complete process, click here!

"The Boston Rag"...

2009-07-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

After an awesome authentic German dinner at the Jacob Wirth restaurant (check out their beer list) in Boston last night,

I went and saw Steely Dan at the Citi Wang Theatre in Boston, MA last night with Papa Jim! They are currently doing their Classic Album (Plus) Night: Setlist is one of three classic Steely Dan albums in its entirety — Aja, Gaucho, or The Royal Scam — plus selected additional favorites. We happened to be there on opening night at the Wang & caught the “Aja’’ album, where Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, and a pristine 11-piece band played it to perfection! The "plus" songs of the night included... “The Royal Scam’’, “Kid Charlemagne’’, “Hey Nineteen,’’ “Black Friday,’’ “My Old School,’’ and a pair chosen expressly for the local crowd:
“Boston Rag’’ and a cover of “Dirty Water.’’

Lobster, Mussels & Clam Strips... OH MY!!!

2009-07-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Brown's or Markey's???

Those of you from New England will probably know what I am referring to in the above question. Both Brown's & Markey's are two VERY popular Lobster Pounds in Hampton Beach, NH. There is a long history between the two (which are located directly across the street from one another), that I will NOT get into on this posting.

The long & short of it is, you are either a fan of Brown's or Markey's and that's that... no flip-flopping (pardon the beach humor)!

Which location do I prefer???... BROWN'S!!!

Which is a perfect segway into the remaining post... Ian's family has a tradition of the birthday person choosing the restaurant of their choice for their birthday dinner. Recently it was Ian's birthday and guess where he chose?!?!

MARKEY'S!!! (?)

Despite the choice in location, it was a beautiful summer night to be eating fresh seafood on the water...

This seagull swooped in & tried to grab a french frie!

Here's where the entry tidal (more beach humor) came from...

And what birthday would be complete without cake!!! Check out this doozy I got for him(another of his FAVORITE summer foods!!!)...

Happy Birthday, Ian!!!

Priorities...

2009-07-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain High...

2009-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado to attend the wedding of one of Ian's best friends,

Andrew & Kristi! I had only ever been out there to visit during the ski season

(my first REAL powder experience).

With LOTS of snow, so this was definitely a different experience.

What a difference in the summer! It was not only beautiful,

but so GREEN!! I definitely recommend taking a trip if you haven't been!

"Dog" Gone It!!!

2009-06-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

Visit my family

#1 dog site for dogs & bipeds!

This blog has gone to the dogs!!!

Makes us wanna stay, stay, stay, stay for awhile...

2009-06-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, concerts seem to be a recurring theme for me this year
(NKOTB, Britney Spears, Jeff Beck) and now...

Dave Matthews Band at Fenway Park

made me "wanna stay, stay, stay, stay for awhile" !

Let me start by saying that I think this was at least my 10th time seeing DMB since my teenage years! The first time was circa 1996 at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival in Waterloo Village, NJ when DMB was "opening" for Blues Traveler... we were all like, "who is this Dave Matthews guy?" Now he sells out Fenway Park in under an hour!

Here are some of the nights highlights:
1) Amazing night (weather wise)
2) We had incredible seats (Yes, that is the Row & Seat number stickers on my tush!)

3) Great company (my UMass Lowell Ladies)

4) The sweet sound of the DMB set list.
5) We had a DD (designated driver) thanks to the services of
ACR Limousine (Thanks Chris... hope we weren't too rowdy)!

Ahhh... brings me back to the good old days...

The only down side was the cost of the brews...

They HOSE you at $8.50 a pop!
Good thing there was an overwhelming aroma of the "funky stuff" wafting from the crowd around us to make us all mellow out... : )

Stay tuned... next concerts:

Steely Dan in July...

Steve Miller Band & The Doobie Brothers in August!

U2 at Gillette Stadium in September ...

Spring,Yard, Birds, Mothers Day & My Birthday!

2009-05-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is going to be more of a photomontage blog posting as there are many things that have been going on lately and not as much blogging!

This shot was taken one night after a torrential downpour...

look at that sky color!

The crab apple tree in our yard in full bloom!

We have been doing some serious lawn re-seeding. We had several yards of loom (which is just dirt) delivered and we had to spread all over the backyard problem areas, seed, rake & water.

The grass is now starting to GROW!

This was the UGLY juniper bush that was smack-dab in the middle of our front yard for the last 2 years. I hated looking at it, so we finally cut it down! Now we are just waiting for MORE grass to grow!

Our new patio set!

And with Spring comes putting the screens on the doors & windows to enjoy the fresh air! However, somebody forgot to SHUT the screen door and we had a nice little visitor come inside! Can you see the bird perched up on the window molding?!?!

We took my mother to Brunch/Tea at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel...

The flowers from our garden that we made a bouquet of and took to Ian's mothers grave for Mother's Day...

Ian took me out for a very special dinner

on my birthday in Boston at L'Espalier...

Seven Years & Eight Months Ago Today...

2009-05-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

Why should we close down Guantanamo Bay?!?!?!

All cracked up...

2009-05-04T09:24:00.001-07:00

Well, the excitement revolving around our Duck Nest
(yes, that pretty much is the most exciting thing going on in our lives these days...pathetic!) has come to a screeching halt! We wandered out last week to do our weekly "check-in" on our resident Mother-Duck and her eggs, to find this...

We're not quite sure if the ducklings hatched and headed onward (think happy thoughts...) or if the nest was attacked and the eggs were some predators lunch...

Such is The Circle of Life, I guess...

On a much lighter and happier note & speaking of things that are

"ALL CRACKED UP"...

Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary

to my wonderful parents!!!

Just Ducky...

2009-04-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, on Easter weekend (well the Monday after) we finally had the landscapers come and remove ALL of the post winter storm debris from our yard. We knew there was a lot, but weren't able to see it all winter, as it was covered by the snow. The landscapers informed us that they had to leave a small portion of the down branches

on the side yard bc of our nest.

"Our NEST?!?!", I said.

Do you see anything?

That was when we discovered our new tenants...

A mother duck and her 10+ eggs!

Is that ironic? Right after Easter Sunday?!?!

Genny has not yet discovered them, as I am told they do not have a scent yet (part of mother-nature's camouflage/protection).

We are anxiously awaiting the birth of the ducklings!

A Night Of Blues...

2009-04-14T07:51:00.001-07:00

Went and saw Jeff Beck at the new House of Blues in Boston last night, with my dad and sister. What a great show & venue!

We started out with dinner at Boston Beer Works. If you're in the area, check out their monthly specials, The Hanger was AWESOME!

Once inside The House of Blues, the rockin' began...

These pics are not great,

as they were taken with my dad's camera phone...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

Easter cupcakes I baked & decorated!

So, they actually do work!?!?

2009-04-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Alright, I can already hear the hypocrite comments coming! A few weeks ago at a dinner party, I stood up on my soap-box and insisted that the "Aqua Globes" Plant Watering system (As Seen On TV) was a big hoax!

I had been visiting some friends in CT who had several of these concoctions in various plants around the house. I commented that I had wanted to get some and they insisted that I do not! "Why not?", I asked. "Because they don't fill up with water! We just have them in the plants for decoration.", they stated. Being the bull-headed Taurus that I am, I insisted upon attempting to correct this problem. After many attempts and various techniques to try and fill these suckers, they were right... They would not fill up with water as they are supposed to.

So, as more of a "told ya' so" move, I went out and purchased the above mentioned Aqua Globes for Ian to try for himself. I was so confident that I was going to prove his skepticism wrong... not the case. The ones I purchased actually worked!!!

See, I'm not always right... just most of the time! LOL!

Doesn't NJ have a bad enough reputation without this?

2009-03-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

This should be interesting... poor NJ. Always the "Crème de la Crème" making the beautiful state look "oh, so classy"!!!

Click here for their profiles...

Now, I am not saying that I am not going to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey ( I have a little problem with watching reality TV!), but this could definitely be the show that pushes me over the edge!!!

Being a Jersey Girl at heart, I can only hope that these ladies shine a positive light on the beautiful state and the many wonderful people who call it home. We shall see...

PS - Is it ironic that it airs on my birthday?!?! LOL!

"Excuse me, can you unzip that?"

2009-03-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, Britney is definitely BACK!!!
To say she put on a show would be an understatement!

It really was a CIRCUS... trapeze, S&M (not sure that would happen at Barnum & Bailey, but oh well!) fire, 3-ring stage and even midgets (Hhhmm, not sure if that's PC, maybe "little people"?) She truly is a performer, so all I gotta' say is YOU GO GIRL!!! And OMG the outfits...

Thanks to my friend (with an inside connection) we managed to get box seats... not the really up close ones, but definitely the comfortable "We're in our 30's at a Britney Spears concert, nice to have a private room w/an oriental rug and comfy seating" kind of box. Far away enough from the stage (you couldn't bring cameras in anyways), but not too far that you couldn't see. Much better than being in the...
"We're stuck in the middle of a row with of a bunch of screaming and dancing pre-teens and their parents" type of seats.

But the most hysterical part of the night must have been that my above mentioned friend who got us the tickets, is 9 months PREGNANT!!! We went to the concert on 3/16 and her due date was 3/17! Still no baby... Hang in there, Cheryl!!! As we were going through security the nice rolly-polly man actually uttered the blog title line above to her... "Excuse me, can you unzip that?"... referring to her fleece jacket. As if we'd be trying to smuggle in a 30 pack of beer or something?!?! Her response... "Uuummm... IT'S A BABY!!"

It's Britney, B#%@ch!!!

2009-03-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned... more details to come after tonights concert in Boston, MA!!!

California Dreaming...

2009-03-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Well, we're back!

After a long overdue trip to visit with Ian's dad, RK, in San Francisco, it is back to reality!

We had an amazing time and saw soooo much of Northern California in the week we were there!

Click on the mosaic of pictures below to link to our Flickr page with all the shots from our trip...

Our excursions included:

The city of San Francisco itself (Golden Gate Park & Sausalito),

Muir Woods,

Monterey,

Pebble Beach: 17 Mile Drive,

Big Sur,

and

We highly recommend going to all of the above places if you are ever in Northern California!

Here is the link in case clicking on the above mosaic doesn't work...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26717698@N03/collections/72157614960188247/

Weekend at The Brewster...

2009-02-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

That title was my LAME attempt to put a spin on "Weekend at Bernie's". KABOOM!!!

Anywho, Ian and I had a weekend getaway up in

Dexter, Maine this past weekend.

First of all, there was an AMAZING sunset on the way up north...

Unfortunately, our amazement was then jolted by

an over hour long traffic jam!

We finally arrived, staying at The Brewster Inn. Most famously known for being the residence of the Governor/Senator Brewster (played by Allan Alda) from the movie "The Aviator" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The home was filled with such history, including a secret phone under the main staircase that had a direct line to the White House!

Our original plans for dog-sledding were ky-boshed by the sudden warm front we experienced last week, melting a majority of the snow, followed by a sudden deep freeze, causing everything up north to turn into solid ice. I guess ice and dog-sledding are not a safe combo! So the trip was cancelled. But we did some exploring of the area instead and especially enjoyed our stop over at beautiful Moosehead Lake.

We then retreated back to out B&B for a romantic Valentine's dinner, followed by some R&R in the jacuzzi and sipping champagne by the fire. Oh yeah, this hysterical card (yeah, I know, it should have been him giving me this card, but it's SO me! LOL!)

On the return trip home, we stopped in Freeport, Maine at the infamous original L.L.Bean store! I hadn't been there since I was a kid and forgot how HUGE it is! Check out the GIANT boot outside!

Well, we are now off on more excursions as I head to Austin, TX this coming week for work, followed by me flying out to San Francisco to meet up with Ian for a Northern CA vacation!

Warmer weather, here we come!!!

Freaky Friday the 13th...

2009-02-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else think that it's a weird omen that Friday the 13th falls the day before Valentine's Day this year?!?! Anywho, speaking of FREAKS, what is up with Joaquin Phoenix?!?!?! Have you seen this:

Well, on a lighter note, I hope you all have a very

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps you Glowing,

But Friendships Keep You Going!

He's Just Not That Into You...

2009-02-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is a "chick flick" but I must say, guys would be A LOT better off if they sucked it up and watched it too, as they could possibly learn some stuff that would BENEFIT them!

I went and saw this this past weekend with 5 of my best college girlfriends (Yes, we were that loud & obnoxious group of cackling women... well, at least some us were!). We couldn't believe how many of the situations they were mocking we had actually been naive enough to have been in! All I have to say is, I will never throw away a pair of Ian's Cargo Pants ever again (You have to see the movie to get this joke)!!! LOL!!!

After the movie, we had to go out and laugh about all of the hysterical memories this resurrected (over several pitchers of Sangria of course!) One thing led to another and let's just say it was a late and entertaining evening... the picture below was actually taken from the wall at an establishment we visited... Great Quote! Especially after an estrogen filled evening!

Here we BLA-"GO" again...

2009-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Biden Alert!

2009-02-02T08:46:00.001-08:00

Hysterical sketch... watch through until the end where Biden makes an appearance!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

More White Stuff...

2009-01-29T05:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess that title could easily be misconstrued... I meant SNOW! Yes, we got a boat-load more yesterday. So as the pretty flakes started to accumulate, it got me thinking about how bad it must be to be a dog in New England in the winter. (Yes, I actually had this conversation with myself in my head!) If you could use indoor plumbing or wore shoes, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but they don't. A few clips of Genny trying to maneuver her little legs through the deep, wet, heavy stuff...

Now, here we are the day after all the white stuff and although it looks pretty, it TRULY is a dog's worst nightmare!! All of the soft fluffy snow that blanketed the yard yesterday was coated with freezing rain topped with cold temperatures overnight, creating a hard, crunchy-on-top, deceiving ground cover for Poor Genny... watch as she tries to run towards me and gets stuck several times... Poor thing!

'Cause Baby, it's COLD outside...

2009-01-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

It has indeed been COLD outside here in Salem, NH! We hit pretty low temperatures this past weekend, as did many areas of the country.

I think that our thermometer might have FROZE because on Friday morning it said it was -15 degrees out!!!

Fortunately, when there is cold, there is usually SNOW! Which to me translates to skiing! Here are a few shots from some recent ski trips to local mountains Cannon & Sunapee.

Genny has had some difficulties with all of the snow we've had, as her legs aren't long enough to run laps in the backyard amidst the deep snow!

See video clip below...

Ringing In 2009

2009-01-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

First and foremost... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We celebrated by going out for Chinese Food (seems to be a New England thing...) with my parents and Ian's dad & brother at Chen Yang Li in Bedford, NH (very good BTW!) Quite comical (after a few cocktails), going around the table reading our fortunes and adding "In Bed" at the end of them!!!After dinner we took part in a Fenton Family tradition of watching Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (circa 1982)

The champagne continued to flow, as we celebrated some more with local friends into the early hours of the New Year...

Genny didn't seem to enjoy all of the chaos, as she cuddled up on the couch...

I think the following picture speaks for itself as to how I felt after WAY TOO MUCH celebrating! I think I was "over-served"... LOL!!!

The 72 Hours of Christmas...

2008-12-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Seems to be the running theme of 2008... DOGS!!! We kicked off the 72 hours of Christmas with our Traditional Rohrer Family Seafood Christmas Eve Dinner. (Nice job, Mom! It was delicious as usual!) Of course there were many begging pooches... I thought only cats liked seafood?!?!

Mom & Dad's Christmas Tree

Copper (The 130 lb. Bloodhound)

Champ (Chocolate Lab)Pudgy (Boston Terrier)Bethany & her niece, Genny!

And as tradition would have it... we had to top off our ridiculously filled bellies with the Fisher Family tradition of Buche de Noel (Christmas Log Cake) We than celebrated Christmas morning at our house (last minute move from Ian's brothers place due to ANOTHER power outage!!!)

Our Christmas Tree...

Ian & I gave each other a new LCD TV for Christmas!

Here's a video of Genny opening presents on Christmas Morning...

After a morning of mimosa's, breakfast & presents, we headed down to Ian's Aunt Anna & Uncle Billy's in Winchester, MA for Christmas Dinner.

The Danahys & Fentons

Ian & Adam were nominated to be Santa's Helpers and pass out all the presents!

My first attempt at Pistachio Cake... MMMmmmm!!!

Finally Day 3 of the celebrations... Boxing Day Dinner at our house!!!

The Rohrer - Fisher Clan!

Mom was Santa's helper at our house!

Happy Holidays from our house to yours!!!

"Ice, Ice Baby..."

2008-12-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought the words of Vanilla Ice (the rapper) would ever be uttered again!?!?

So, as most of you know by now, NH was hit pretty hard by the ice storm last Thursday. Although we were fortunate to be safe & healthy there were some minor catastrophes along the way...
We lost power in the middle of the night on Thursday and were awoken all night long to what sounded like bombs exploding in our front lawn...

Here's what we saw at sunrise on Friday...

We were without power & heat until Saturday when we were informed by our power company that bc our "drop line" (wire that runs from the main street power line to our home) and weather pole had fallen, it was our responsibility to contact an electrician to repair & replace!

Here's what we did for heat in the mean time!!Fortunately, our neighbors were in the same boat and we were able to use the same company to get out and have us up & running!

Unfortunately, many of our friends and family are STILL without power and our house has been acting as a temporary Refugee Camp!!!

Hope your week was better then ours!!!

O Christmas Tree...

2008-12-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

A Christmas filled weekend!!!

Tree chopping on Saturday Morning...

(followed by going out to breakfast, YUMMY!)

"You have to let the tree sit for 24 hrs and let it suck up

all the water it can, then the branches will fall", per Ian...

(I think it's just his way of prolonging the decorating process!!!)

Decorating the house...

(while bopping around in my slippers to cheesy holiday tunes!)

Enjoying the Fruits of Our Labor....

On Sunday... a perfect end to the weekend...

Our first snowfall of the year!

Followed by Home-made Beef Stew for dinner and

trimming our tree!

(Oh yeah, and some Pinot Noir too!)

Merry Christmas to all...

And to all a Good Night!!!

Turkey Dogs???

2008-12-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was consumed by dogs, rather than turkeys! Although CHAOTIC at times, it was a lot of fun! We dog-sat for my parents two dogs, Sadie & Pudgy, from Tuesday thru Sunday...

Sadie

Pudgy

Genny, Sadie & Pudgy sitting for treats!

Couch Potatoes!!!

Regardless of all the doggy time, we did manage to have a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Ian's family...

(That's my Green Bean Casserole looking so yummy on the table!!!)

I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!

Hangin' Tough...

2008-11-11T11:47:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am 30 years old.
And YES, I did go to see New Kids On The Block!

It was AWESOME!

Nothing makes you not feel old like screaming at the top of your lungs like a 13 year old girl over a Boy Band!!!

(That is until the next morning when you realize that Mohegan Sun has way too many temptations and you CAN NOT party like that at this age!)

Notice the NKOTB T-Shirts & circa 1988 oversized pin!!!

Now, we weren't as crazy as some fans!

This is Klassic Katy!!!

Doggy Style!

2008-11-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Two peas in a pod...

Tug of war!!!
King of the chair!

Queen of the couch!!!

We're all pooped out! Too much fun!!!

LONG Overdue...

2008-11-04T18:20:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay in a recent posting... life seemed to CREEP up on me (no pun intended w/the recent Halloween Holiday!) Here are a few recent events that have taken place...

Some Fall foliage shots from beautiful New England...(Quality is poor bc taken w/camera phone!)

My sister Whitney finished the Adidas Dublin Marathon!!! WAY TO GO WHITNEY!!! Click here for a larger image... Rohrer Bib # 1673 http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm?RaceOID=22272008F1&AddressNumber=369670&Mailing=17902

We got some new furniture... a new KING size bed (GLORIOUS!) and a new couch/set-up for our living room!

Genny dressed a prisoner for Halloween! We're so proud! LOL!

I hope you all exercised your RIGHT TO VOTE!!! I DID!!!

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure!

2008-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

What better way for Big Jim to celebrate his 59th Birthday (oh boy, last year in this decade!!!) than to have a Yard Sale?!?!?!

In all honesty, he was fine with it!!!

Not bad for a few hours on a Fall Saturday afternoon ... We made $500.00!!! Well, that was combined between my mom, dad, Ian & I, but still not bad.

I can't believe some of the stuff people actually buy!?!?!

Unfortunately Dad's compound Bow did not sell, so if you know anyone who is interested, let me know! Here's a pic:

At the end of the day we still had quite a bit of "junk" we just wanted to toss, so we decided to put it at the end of the driveway with a FREE sign (including the crazy lady on crutches wearing a straw hat!!!)

Tippy, tippy canoe (or kayak)!!!

2008-10-06T05:44:00.001-07:00

So, this past weekend Whitney & I took my mom kayaking on the Charles River (mind you, not the cleanest water) in Boston for her birthday. This was supposed to be a relaxing morning/afternoon, but does anything ever go as expected?!?!

Here is Whitney sporting a retro circa 1970 life jacket...

Mom, are we going fly fishing or kayaking?!?!Kristina is ready to "row, row, row" her kayak...

Alright, time to get in the water...

And yes... immediately after entering the water, I paddled a little too hard to turn around and COMPLETELY CAPSIZED my kayak!!! Yup, I was drenched from head to toe, and FREEZING!!! Not to mention a little concerned about growing a third leg from the toxins in the river!

I guess all my years of experience canoeing as a Girl Scout reached it's statute of limitations!!! Thankfully we were all dressed in enough layers of clothing that I was able to rally, change my clothes and head out again! Quite the experience!!!

Apples, pumkins and pies... OH MY!!!

2008-09-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Does anyone want me to bake them an apple pie?!?! I am getting REALLY good at it! Here are a few shots from a recent FFF Day (Forced Family Fun Day...JK, it wasn't forced!!) Apple & Pumpkin picking at Apple Acres in Windham, NH.

Now that's a BIG Pumpkin!!!

Family Shot (minus Bethany & Morgan)

Look! I picked a "Good Apple"... LOL!!!

We didn't mess around getting in the trees to get the good apples!

My first apple pie!

Who's pumpkin is better???

Ours win!!! Pumpkins at our house...

One down, two to go!!!

2008-09-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the first of the "Jim" Rohrer girls is officially HITCHED!!

One down, two to go!!!

(As my father actually said in his toast!)

Bethany Linn Rohrer married Morgan William Fisher

on Saturday, September 13, 2008

in Gloucester, MA.

It was a gorgeous day, spectacular celebration

& a radiant bride & groom!

Annisquam Village Church, Annisquam, MA

The new Mr. & Mrs. Fisher!!!

The reception site... Eastern Point Yacht Club, Gloucester, MA.

The wedding party...

Blushing Bride...

Rohrer Family Photo...

Breathtaking couple...

Mmmm... Cake!!!

First Dance as Husband & Wife... "Have A Little Faith In Me" By John Hiatt

Love, laughter & happily ever after...

For more of my pictures, please click on the below link to view. I will be updating them as I receive more!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26717698@N03/collections/72157607331875981/

Got Wood?!?!

2008-08-24T15:32:00.001-07:00

So, for the last month, I have been wondering what the heck my parents have been up to? They kept talking about all this "wood nonsense", preparing themselves for using their outdoor wood burning furnace

with the increasing price of oil...bla, blah, blah...

(Yup, this is was people in their mid-50's do up here in NH!) I decided to take a trip up to see them this weekend and THIS is what I discovered!!!

They have a whole method to their madness!!!
They had 3 truck deliveries of wood delivered, with logs ranging from
8' -16' logs! They cut them into 2' lengths and then split them with the heavy-duty log splitter they bought into 8 cords of wood !!!

Mom splits the 2'cuts...

Dad loads the splits into the cart & drives to the stacks...

Dad stacks the splits in a very organized & balanced way...

(apparently Mom tried to do this & there was a near fatal collapse!)

And, WHALAH!!! They have wood for the winter!!!

Look who turned 21!!!

2008-08-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well... in dog year's at least! Our beloved pit-mix, Genny, turned 3 last week! We celebrated with Genny's favorite dinner... (well anytime we BBQ she loves it bc she can be outside), hamburgers & hot dogs! Of course any proud parents have to take the embarrassing "dress-up" photos!! However, these pics were then followed by Genny opening her own presents, playing catch to the point of exhaustion, having a play date w/her friend Mr. Finn and eating a Frosty paw (doggy dessert)! No 21st birthday would be complete without having a few cocktails & passing out!! JK of course !!!

Sì, Tesoro...

2008-08-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Sì, Tesoro"... meaning "My Love" in Italian.

Yeah, yeah... I'm about to get mushy!

Ian & I recently celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Man, does time fly with the one you love!

Ian & Brooke 2005

Brooke & Ian 2007

I just thought that something so very close to my heart deserved a blog! And it's my blog dammit, I can do what I want! LOL!

Brooke & Ian 2008

Fleurs de l'été...

2008-08-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Meaning "Flowers of summer"...

The rainbow spectrum of colors from our yard...

Life's A Beach!!

2008-07-31T16:41:00.001-07:00

A few shots from a recent outing to Plum Island off of Newburyport, MA.

Aaaaahhhhh...RELAXATION...

Summer Nights...

2008-07-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Something about the crazy weather during summer nights that just creates artwork! Looks like swirled rainbow sherbert, right? We took these in our back yard the other night...

BBQ & Dogs?!?!?!

2008-07-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah...that title sounds a bit disturbing, huh??? Ok, Let me explain...
So, I know I said that nothing says summer like lobster in my last posting, but so does a good BBQ!!! We decided to throw together a last minute 5th of July BBQ at our house with some local friends.

It was actually more of a "Dog Party"!!! I guess that's what people our age do that don't have kids?!?!? LOL!!!

Anyways, we had quite the pooch mix...

Little "Lola", a black 3 month old Pug puppy...

"Rocco", a one year old EnglishBulldog...

and "Genny", our almost 3 year old pit-mix...

I hope everyone else had an enjoyable holiday weekend with family & friends!!! (To see more BBQ pictures, click on the link to the right...)

Lobsta' Season

2008-06-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tis' the the season for LOBSTER!!! I don't know what it is about this crustacean that just puts people in such a great mood (especially New Englanders!)!

Ever since I was a little girl, lobster has played an eminent role in my interpretation of "summertime"! My family would visit my dad's brother & his family in York, Maine, where our Uncle Johnny had his own lobster traps. It was tradition for us Rohrer Girls, to bring all of our Cabbage Patch Kid clothing with us to play "dress-up" with the lobsters my uncle had caught. I am not sure at what age I finally determined what a DISTURBING tradition this really was?!?! Great... we're going to dress up our lobster, treat them like our babies and then throw them into a boiling pot of water and eat them for dinner?!?!?! This is one tradition I do not think I will pass along. LOL!!

No matter how you serve them (shelled, just the tail, lobster bisque or a lobster roll) it's DELICIOUS!!! And most importantly, brings me back to the fondest of memories... So no matter where you are, if you have the craving...satisfy yourself!!!

My first blog entry...

2008-06-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come...there is a new method to my madness. After many discussions with friends and family, I have come to the realization that a "blog" is the best way for me to continue sharing the many happenings in my life with those I care about, without having to send out a mass-email or Shutterfly album every time I buy a new garbage can! LOL! This way, all of you can check in on the excitement of my life (I am being facetious BTW) at YOUR convenience (aka: when you're bored at work!) Should you miss the random picture albums and/or mass-emails of yesteryear, feel free to let me know and I'll be sure to keep 'em coming your way!

Listed on this blog, you will see some links to photos of recent events that have taken place in my life. First being... my "DIRTY 30" Birthday Bash!!! **WARNING!!!!** Some of these pictures are VERY silly (but not too inappropriate!) There are also A LOT (548 to be exact!) of photos from the recent trip Ian & took to the Southwest to celebrate my 30th birthday. I have arranged them by location we went to, so feel free to check out the ones that may interest you!) If you are not into landscape picture, I wouldn't even bother looking!!! LOL!!! But some of the stuff we saw was absolutely AMAZING!

Stay tuned for new blog entries in the near future!!!

Ciao'!!!