Our first 2 Weeks in Bemus

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.