It all began on the evening of Nov 29th 2003, at former Chat Noir French Restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA. Brad approached me [Jana] and we instantly connected; it was love at first sight. The next 4 years that followed were a whirlwind of romance, growing pains, and adventures. We circled the globe, traveling to South America, Europe, and Asia. Then one night, Brad surprised me with a romantic beachside proposal. We made it official on August 23rd 2008 with an intimate wedding at a hip art gallery in Laguna Beach. A year later we finished redesigning our home in the beach village of Corona del Mar.
On May 18th, 2010, we were blessed with a sweet little miracle of our own, our baby boy Taj Leon. He stole our hearts and took our breath away! Then, 19 months later, his incredible little brother, Jax Franz, arrived on Christmas morning (December 25th) 2011. What an amazing gift we received! In an effort to slow down the clock and enjoy our beautiful family, in Spring of 2012, we sold our CA seaside home and moved across the country to our dream lake house in Brad's hometown of Bemus Point, a resort village on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York! Even though we are living a more slow paced life, we are living a life far from ordinary!
From the West Coast to the East Coast, our Grover family adventures continue! So won't you come along and join us on this journey of love, family, and travel we like to call our La Vida Grover!
We have reached our 3rd week in Bemus. In previous summers, this would be about the time we would head back home. So crazy, we ARE home! Is it possible that every week that passes we love it here even more? Despite the sudden heat and humidity of this week (which thankfully lasted only 3 days), we are enjoying our time as a family and already into the swing of things. I love going to my weekly Zumba classes at the Y, Taj and Jax love their walks on Lakeside Drive, swinging at the playground, going with me to Wegman's grocery store, and seeing the familiar faces of our friends.
Our 3rd week began with a nice, relaxing Father's Day. Brad has really outdone himself this year as a loving father and husband. The boys and I are so grateful to him for how hard he works for us, and for giving us such a beautiful family life and dream home. This has been a big year for us as a family, and also for him, he turns 40 in a month!! I'm so proud of my husband, and love him more every year and every chapter of our ever evolving marriage and life. I love watching him with the boys, it makes my heart melt with joy. I love just how much he cares and does anything and everything for us! He is such a brilliant man!
Here is daddy with his boys:
We even got to see our new house last Thursday evening, when the current owners invited us over for some wine. I hadn't been inside the house since last summer, and I didn't want to impose obviously because we just went through this ourselves with the Iris condo. But I gotta tell you, seeing it again after a year, and now that its all so real, i got very teary-eyed. The house was bigger, the ceilings were taller, the rooms and porch wider. It was all more beautiful then i remember and photos really don't do it justice. I can't believe that we will be moving into this absolutely cool home in about 3 weeks... we are in our halfway mark and are becoming impatient.
On Saturday, we used one of our babysitter referrals, and our friend's friend's daughter Hope came over to meet the boys, and then after we put them to bed I went to go pick her up, and she baby-sat for us while we went out to a romantic dinner at the Italian Fisherman. I have to admit I was a little nervous leaving the boys with a 14 year old, but she impressed me. When Taj woke up randomly and cried out for me, Hope knew exactly what to do and was able to comfort him right away and he fell back asleep. I don't know if anyone could ever fill our CA babysitter Sam's shoes, but I was happy Hope did well for her first night and we were able to enjoy ourselves. We finally celebrated our move and the beginning of our new life. Our friends even came over for drinks after I drove Hope home, and we ended having an even more fun night.
last night's sunset:
Then this morning, we took our boys out for breakfast at yet another breakfast place (we have gone to 3 now, it seems like every weekend), and afterward stopped over to see Brad's friend's parents. Taj had a blast playing with their dog Maggie.
Another week is behind us as I write this post, and actually as I'm writing this its worth to mention that this evening we are having the most insane lighting storm. The thunder is the loudest that I have ever heard, and now we have a downpour of rain! Hello NY weather, ha! From absolutely gorgeous sunny days, to way hot humid days, to the awesome tropical rain storms, I am loving the weather sampler... never a dull day!
Last weekend, Brad's sister Jody and family came over to spend the day with us and see the kids. Grandpa Grover also came over, and we all had lunch together. Jax got to meet his cousins Nicole and Michael for the first time. Nicole just graduated from high school, and Michael graduated from Cornell University (and going back to get his Masters in Engineering). Both kids are so smart and kind-hearted. Taj and Jax have such amazing cousins to look up to, on both sides of the family!
The Grover and Ingersoll cousins:
Aunt Jody loving on Jax:
Action shot of Taji throwing rocks in the lake, one of his favorite hobbies now!
After playing at the cottage, we hopped on the boat and cruised around the lake. This has become a weekly hobby for us, its so relaxing to just cruise around the lake and take in the beauty around us. It truly is this green!
Some shots of the lakeside..... Chautauqua Institution, the beautiful homes,
and Chautauqua Belle Steamboat (a historic and age old steam boat)
Taj loves riding the boat, he yells "Daddy, go fast!" but he hates having to wear a life jacket.
Two Fridays ago, our friends, The Bensons, threw us a Welcome BBQ Party. Everyone has been super sweet to us since we moved here, and we are so grateful for all of the generosity we have received. Brad's friends from childhood (Josh, Greg, Hans, etc) who live in Bemus Point are like family to us.
Uncle Josh is a sucker for babies, he just adores Jax:
The girls. From left: Kristina, me, Amanda, Kari, Tania, and Shelly
The guys playing Bocce ball as the sun was setting:
Taji LOVED playing with all the kids (there were 10 kids total, including ours that night). It was the cutest thing seeing how the older boys (Carson and Pete, who are 13 and 11 years old) took Taji under their wing and involved him in their games. He just adores the older kids and they adore him! In these pictures, they were trying to teach him how to hit the ping pong ball with the paddle.
We had such a wonderful time that night, that we didn't even realize how late it got! It was 10:30pm by the time we headed home, and both boys were so wired! Taji had so much fun running around with the kids, climbing the tree house, throwing rocks, playing balls, watching the older kids ride the go-cart, and roasting marshmallows over the bonfire. He laughed and talked so much, that the next day his voice was hoarse. His whispery, squeaky voice sounded A-dorable! Jax was loved on by almost every single person, as he was passed around and cuddled. Thank you Kristina and Greg, for such a fun night, and for welcoming us into the neighborhood!
Cannot believe we have been living in Bemus for 2 weeks now, time flies when you are having fun! We have already acquired a Bemus "state of mind": Boating, Bonfires, Bike rides, and Bugs! We are surviving day by day at the cottage, and "roughing" it up a bit (not having a washer/dryer or a dishwasher, and our big fridge not cooling is ROUGH). But like with everything, we make the best of it and make it work for us. Our cottage neighbors (who have a vacation cottage here like us) have been gracious enough to let us borrow their washer/ dryer anytime we need, and our fridge issue was solved with not one but TWO little office fridges. Bemus Point thus far, has exceeded my expectations. Excuse my California ignorance here when I say that for a small town, Bemus and surrounding towns of Chautauqua Lake have big things to offer. There's plenty of restaurants (many cute breakfast places), Wegman's supermarket is like Whole Foods X2 (yes, can you believe it is that much better?), and Lakewood (neighboring town just across the lake) has majority of the stores we were used to in Orange County. It is Walmart Super-Store instead of Target, Wegman's instead of Whole Foods, YMCA instead of 24 Hour Fitness, they have an Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday in every town, fast food joints like Wendy's, MacDonalds, Burger King, and Arby's; Even Michael's, TJ Maxx, Home Depot, Office Max, and Coldstone Creamery!! Jamestown, the biggest city in Chautauqua County, has a "europe meets the east coast" historic buildings and churches, with its red brick streets, and its a tiny city compared to any city I have visited.
I forget what it was like enjoying driving! Why? Because I never sit in traffic here, and every drive (whether its the 2 lane highway or 1 lane road) is a scenic one. As in the life one lives here, even the speed limit is slower so you have no other choice but to take in the [very green] nature around you. In Bemus its deer you have to watch out for when driving, in Orange County its other cars cutting you off! Now that Taj's carseat is facing forward he also enjoys the view and always points out "That's a big red barn!" or "there's another horse!" I like looking at the properties and houses as we drive by, every house is unique.
In our first 2 weeks, we accomplished so much. Right on our first day, we had the cable, phone, and DSL internet connected, and Brad got his temporary office set-up in one of the bedrooms of the cottage. We retrieved some boxes and furniture from the storage and reconfigured the living room so it is much more comfortable now with a couple pieces of our sofa. Every day of the last two weeks I made a conscious effort to explore and "take inventory" of Bemus Point, and the neighboring towns. Storytime at the local library, DONE! Bouncy play place at the Chauatauqua Mall, DONE! Impressed with the mall's 20-some stores, including our favorites like Old Navy, Amercian Eagle Outfitters, Pac Sun, a Forever 21-like clothing store. Big grocery trip to Wegman's, DONE! Get this.... at Wegman's, once Taj turns 3, I can drop him off at their indoor supervised play area while I shop!!! To my surprise, Wegman's has an organic section the size of Trader Joes, carries Taj's favorite kefir brand (Lifeway) in not just all the flavors but also in a frozen " kefir ice cream popsicles ". They carry the organic formula that only Mother's and Whole Foods carried in CA, and even sell both skincare lines I have been using these last two years (Avalon Organics and Mychelle Dermacueticals). Ok, if those aren't all good signs, then I don't know what is!
Next up on the agenda..... the family and I discovered 5 awesome local playgrounds (stay tuned for this post), 6 out of 8 of the village restaurants here stay open year-round (a big WOO-HOO for date nites and take-out during the winter months!). We got a family membership at the YMCA, where I have already taken a couple Zumba classes! The YMCA has 2 different locations and between their daily Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, and cardio group classes, they offer swim classes (Taj & Jax are both signed up) at their 2 indoor pools, and free daycare for the kids while I workout. Starting in the Fall, they also have a structured Mommy & Me toddler gymnastics class and 2x/week "Mom's Morning Out" arts and crafts time for the kids (so moms can get their errands and shopping done, etc.) Socially, my friends Amanda and Kristina (Brad's friends' wives) invited me to their book club (aka, drinking club) last week and it was really nice getting to know the other girls. Another misconception squashed....the Bemus girls are just as stylish, nice, and interesting as OC girls! They meet every month, for a girls nite, at a different bar or restaurant in the area. Next month, we are getting together at Hotel Lenhart for drinks, then dinner at the Casino. Kristina, Amanda, and I have also started walking Lakeside Drive (around the lake) together, and hope to do this 1x/week. The perks of a small town are that everyone looks out for one another. Our friends had a welcome party for us (post and photos to follow shortly), and our friends have already found us 2 babysitters! We are trying out one of them (daughter of a friend of a friend) when Brad and i go on our first date night this weekend!
Enough of my rambling, but as you can see, we have adjusted amazingly well. So far, so good, and the best is yet to come! Here are some pics (and videos) of these last two weeks:
Jax eating carrots for the first time, and loving them!
Taji's new girl friends Eliza and Harper (Josh & Amanda's daughters)
Lots of boating....
Playtime at the cottage:
Taking a stroll through the forest at the end of Lakeside Drive:
Playing at one of the playgrounds.... (Long Point State Park) This playground just happens to be right on the lake!
The boys LOVE the outdoors! Taj loves being outside so much, that it takes every creative bone in my body to think of a reason or excuse to get him back in to eat and sleep. He loves throwing rocks in the lake, loves riding his truck and playing with balls outside. Jax looks up and smiles at the trees swaying in the breeze, loves sitting in the grass and touching everything, bouncing in his jumperoo while watching squirrels and chipmunks race by, and falling asleep to the rocking of the boat. This, my friends, I wouldn't trade for the world.
10 Things You May Not Know About Bemus Point, NY:
1) Its the Balboa Island of Western New York (Its practically the same size, has a Main St. with speciality shops and restaurants, its THE tourist spot during the summer, and even has a ferry)
2) It has one elementary school, one church, one cemetery, one bank, one post office, one library, one doctor's office, one gas station, one Boat Museum, a golf course, a state park (Long Point State Park at the end of Lakeside Drive), and a floating stage
3) Every summer on the floating stage they host Chautauqua Idol (yes, just like American Idol!), have movie nights, a ton of concerts with cover bands (this year they have cover bands for Bon Jovi, ABBA, and Rod Stewart)
4) They have a Casino (but its really a casual restaurant with an arcade, ice cream parlor, gift shop, banquet hall, with outdoor seating, and a dock in which you actually dock your boat and waiters can serve you food on the boat
5) Pine, Maple, and Oak are the trees of choice
6) There are hundreds of squirrels and chipmunks (or "chickmunks" as Taji calls them) amidst opossums, raccoons, birds, ducks, swans, deer, and if you're really lucky, maybe a black bear
7) They have LIGHTNING BUGS (also called fire flies) and the kids love catching them in glass jars
8) They have several forests with cross country skiing and snow mobile trails
9) There are at least 2 residents that have a helicopter parked on their lawn
10) They have an annoying (sounds like a fire truck) bell that goes off a few times a day to signal the time
Their tourist video: Pics and video clips of the actual Bemus Point village start at 2:21 of the video
As I mentioned, we are staying at our summer cottage for the next fews weeks until we can move in to our new house. Staying in our cottage these last 2 weeks makes it all still feel like we are on vacation, I bet once we move into our new DREAM house, reality will finally set in that we really did move here! The cottage is great for the time being (although we are getting a little cramped and unfortunately the boys are not sleeping well so we all aren't sleeping well)! But boy oh boy are we itching to move into THE house, especially since we have to keep driving past it to get to our cottage! Such a tease! Basically, we went from 1600 sq. feet and no yard in CdM, to a 1000 sq. feet old cottage, and come July 11th we will be moving into a 3200 sq. feet custom designed house on 1 acre of land AND another cottage AND a lakefront with dock. Crazy! (a major reward for all these years of living in a condo with stairs, and a definite reward for the huge move we just endured!)
Let me put it this way, did I ever think I was going to be settling down with my family in Bemus Point, NY? Heck, no. And did I ever think I would be moving into such a big house, on the lake, and with its own little road leading into the driveway? In my wildest dreams! Like I said, its our dream house, and we can't wait to get our eager little hands on this new canvas and make it into our own design masterpiece! So, here it is..... the new nickname is the Grover Lakeside Lounge:
For those that are familiar, this house design was inspired by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Yes, it has a lot of windows that all face the lake. Yes, it's 3 stories. Yes, it has a variety of balconies, decks, patios, and access to the outdoors.
The side yard (above), and the backyard (below).
That's a basketball hoop (mini b-ball court) on the side you see there:
And lastly, this is our new baby! Actually, this is Brad's 40th birthday present to himself. A 23 foot Cobalt speed boat, and a beauty she is! One of the three modes of transportation here in Bemus, besides car and bike!
