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.

The Place We Now Call 'Home'

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

Curious to know more about this community among the neighboring towns on Chautauqua Lake?  Check out their Tourist Website & Year-Round Event Calendar

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!

THE MOVE

Saturday, June 2nd 2012 was our move day.  The day before, Stadler & Jensen packed our breakable items and then bright and early the next day, Saturday, they arrived to load all boxes and furniture on to the truck.  The truck was so huge, they couldn't park it on the streets of CdM, so they parked it in the vacant  parking lot right next to Brad's office building in Fashion Island (it was a weekend so most medical offices were closed).  They used a smaller truck to load our things on at the house, then made multiple trips to the big truck, loading it and organizing it on there.  Speaking of Brad, my poor husband was up all night our last night in CdM, not at home, but in the office, packing boxes!  He had just gotten back from a quick trip to NY, and had less than 2 days to pack his office, plus he had to let his secretary go on Friday.  

No matter how far ahead you think you are with packing, there are always things left over, and its never-ending.  You never think you have that much stuff, but you do.  In the very end, when movers are an hour away, and its down to the wire, its like all of sudden these things crawl out from under the bed and from behind the bookcases!  I stayed up until 1am the night before, and still had more to do the next morning.  Brad on the other hand, stayed up the whole night, and still had half his office to pack on the day of.  Its not an easy task moving a household, a storage, and a business across the country!  I was in charge of the storage and household, and I managed to pack it all up, while Brad concentrated on his office.

Stadler & Jensen arrived 8am sharp, along with our babysitter Sam (who by the way, was a godsend our last week.)  She took the boys out on a stroller walk and park, only coming by when Jax was ready to nurse.  First delivery pick-up was the storage, that was the easy move.  Then it was on to the house.  Can you believe we estimated close to 16,000 lbs of boxes and furniture (total count of storage, house, & office)?!!!  We took up about 2/3 of the truck.  My sister, mom, and Chloe arrived at 11am and I then took a break and drove over to the Embassy Suites in Irvine (right next to the airport) to check us in to our a 2-room suite, so the boys (specifically Taji) could take his nap.  This was where we planned to spend our last 2 nights in CA, since our beds were going on the moving truck.  Embassy Suites conveniently provided cribs for the babies, free breakfast buffet every morning, and complimentary shuttle service to the airport (this was a must, because we had to leave our cars parked on Iris for the car transport pick-up.) After settling them in, and dropping off our suitcases,  my family then spent the rest of the day playing with kids at the hotel, while Brad and I continued finalizing things at the house and office.  Sam stuck around until the mid-afternoon, supervising the movers at the house while I was at the hotel, and then later dropped off our old electronics at an e-waste recycle center.  Saturday was pretty much the most hellish day because I was spread so thin, between the hotel, 609 1/2 Iris, and Brad's office.   Neither Brad and I had time to be hungry or tired, it was GO GO GO!  We did however take an early dinner break, and got Panini Cafe take-out.  As we sat in Brad's conference room of his office,  the emotion overcame me.... It's like when you take a second to slow down and finally rest, the physical and mental exhaustion finally sets in.  It made me feel sad to see so many of our friends and family get so emotional about our move..... that part was the most difficult of the whole experience, because there's no way you can really comfort them besides saying we will be back to visit and urging them to come visit us.  It was a new exciting beginning for us, but it was grief for them.  9pm finally rolled around  (13 hours after movers started) and all of our stuff was finally on the truck.  I was at the hotel a couple of hours before then, putting the boys to bed.  Brad was there till the very end, sleep deprived, but appreciative of the mover's work all day, that he tipped each guy $100.  You should have seen how sweaty they were from moving all of our heavy things up and down those stairs! One of the things that sticks out in my mind the most is the feeling I had when driving back to see our empty home (or what we once called home).  I was surprised I wasn't sad seeing it so vacant.  But honestly,  there was nothing there for me to be sad about.  My husband was finishing up in the office, my boys were at the hotel having fun, our precious stuff was on a truck, fond memories stored away in my mind, a new adventure and family life about to begin on the east coast, and all that remained at 609 1/2 Iris was the skeleton of our life.  609 1/2 Iris was no longer home, and it was then that it occurred to me, home is where your family and your belongings are,  the comforts, the laughter, the excitement of the household.  


When Sunday rolled around, we were able to breathe a bit better, relax a little more, and regained our appetite! Oh yes, pretty much our last CA meal was an Inn N' Out burger!!! The best way to pay tribute to the West Coast....our tummies thanked us! Both sides of our family came up to the hotel to spend time with us, and helped us tie up some loose ends.  The cousins got to bond all day, and we had a fun little pre-bath/ pre-bedtime at the hotel's indoor pool.  It was actually a perfect way to end this crazy weekend, with a hot jacuzzi, and plenty of sweet little giggles from the kids.

Saying goodbye to my family very late in the evening:

The move could not have gone any better or smoother without our families help!  Its amazing how much family is there for you when the tough gets tougher.  Thank you Fetters and Rustman family, and my mom (Babi) and Grandma Sue & Poppa Gene for all of your love and help in getting us moved!

Monday morning we rolled out of bed and got ready for the final piece of this moving journey, the flight from CA to NY.  Little did we know what madness was in store....

Taj, ready with his spiderman backpack (great idea Grandma Sue!)

on the plane, he got his own seat this time!

First of all, nothing prepares you traveling as a family of 4.  Second of all, nothing prepares you traveling with 2 babies (that still require carseats and LOTS of stuff).  We have flown a couple of times with Taj (when he was a baby and could remain in our laps), but nothing compared to flying with 2 little munchkins.  I will never forget our travel experience that day, a day that could have gone very, very badly if it wasn't for the sympathy of the airport security officer who (bless her heart) put her job on the line (she did this in front of a disapproving supervisor) and allowed us to cut in front of everybody in the long security line.  If it wasn't for her, we would have never made our flight out of Orange County, would have possibly lost our luggage we already checked, could have been stranded at the airport, and much worse.  Close your eyes and picture this...me carrying Jax in the Baby Bjorn carrier, with my purse and diaper bag draped over my shoulder, a boppy pillow in one arm, and struggling to hold (let alone carry) Taj in the other arm. Brad with a backpack on his back, briefcase, 2 carry-on duffel bags, and Taj's carseat.  Now, picture us running through the airport, through the security line, then through the gate, where once on the plane, we had to somehow unload all these things, shove them into the compartments above, attach and secure Taj's carseat on to his seat, and not be in anyone's way.  HA!  The funny thing is both mine and Brad's face expressions were that of utter panic, Taj was having mini melt-downs from all the rushing, but leave it to Jax to have a gleeful smile on his face from all the motion (he must of thought he was on a ride with me hopping around the airport!!!)  At least, one of us was having fun!

To make things worse, I got these wheels that are supposed to snap to the bottom of the car seat so you have a makeshift stroller (and toddler strapped into it), but we couldn't figure out how to put it on, and didn't have much time to study or practice it over the weekend.  If we could have had that in place then it would have truly eliminated some of the physical strain.  Let's just say we were more than relieved we got on our first flight, because everything from there was a piece of cake.  The boys were fantastic. It was Jax's first time flying on a plane, and he fell asleep right away on the Boppy after nursing during both take-offs!!

Jax's guilty pleasure: chewing on my hair!  That little boy always manages to grab my hair and suck on it (even if its in a ponytail!)  Do you think he likes the smell or taste of my shampoo?

Taj was a good boy too, playing in his carseat, and later fell asleep.  The flight was not bad at all, we had a 3.5 hour flight to Chicago, then we ate dinner and walked around the airport, until our last 1 hour flight to Buffalo.

I like to flip around this quote ..... Its not the journey that matters so much, its the destination.   Sometimes, its not so much how you made it, but that you finally made it! We arrived at our destination safely, soundly, with all bags (and checked baggage) intact.  We had a rental car waiting for us, which we drove the 2 hour treck south to Chautauqua Lake, then to our cottage in Bemus Point.  Our cottage welcomed us with open arms.  I was SO glad I had Diapers.com deliver 2 big boxes of diapers, wipes, baby food, and snacks, so we didn't have to pack it with us. We already had a pack n'play (travel crib) there from last year, but our friends also dropped off another one for Jax to sleep in.  We were so thankful to have survived the endless and one of the craziest experiences, and to finally plant our feet and go to bed soundly.  Our plan was to stay in the cottage until our move-in date of July 11th (pics of our new house coming soon!!!).

Exactly 5 days later, Saturday morning (a week from when the movers came to pick up our stuff and only 3 days from the time our cars were picked up in CA), our things AND cars were delivered.  We moved our furniture and boxes directly into 3 storage units (only taking the necessities, like high chair, baby bath tubs, baby gear, and stroller to the cottage.)  Brad has set up a temporary office in one of the cottage's bedrooms until his office space is ready.  I'm amazed at how we pulled off the biggest move ever, and magically nothing went wrong.  Still can't believe after that kind of a move and flight madness, we finally made it!!!  Pinch me! We are really in Bemus Point, NY!!! Our stuff is here, our cars are here.  We have arrived!  Bemus Point, are you ready for us?!!!

Isn't It Ironic?

That the same month we move, the Newport Beach Magazine prints an article "Life in Newport" and describes the different communities.  The article mentions Brad and I, and quotes me on what I like about living in Corona del Mar.  LOL  This is the interview we did almost a year ago.  They ended up not printing the photos, but they did quote me and a couple of our other friends.

Ironic, don't you think?  Kinda sentimental, if you ask me.  With this magazine, and Brad's engraved name on the marble monument in the center of CdM (he was a Crown donor during the 100th year anniversary of Corona del Mar) our presence is felt in the seaside village we once called home.  And in return, its left an impression on us.  I look forward to displaying the magazine on our coffee table in our new NY house!

Check us out on page 50 in the Life in Newport article

Club Iris is now officially CLOSED

This is what our home looked like the day before move day:

 We had all of our breakables (dishes, stemware, Czech Bohemian Crystal, fine china), our flat screen TVs, electronics, and paintings professionally packed by the movers.  They used very thick durable "dish pack" boxes.  They did an awesome job packing and labeling them.  I whole heartedly recommend Stadler & Jensen Relocation (Allied Van Lines) (our movers we trusted our life and belongings to!)

The cable, electricity, water/ trash, gas had been cancelled.  Mail forwarded.  Furniture and boxes loaded on to a huge freight truck.  Cars picked up by a car transporter and shipped.  Club Iris is officially closed for business.... but stay tuned for the opening of Lakeside Lounge ;) ha

Our final week in California

In our last week in CA, we spent a lot of time with my family (my mom, sister and her family.) Got one last slumber party weekend in (and I got a lot of packing in, thanks to them!)  Taji got in some good Chloe-time with his idol cousin (pictures coming soon!), and I had very good bonding time with my mom and sister at the Pelican Hill Spa and True Foods dinner:

(teta & jax bonding time)

We squeezed in our last park playdate with our friends Michelle, Cade, and Berkley:

And many friends stopped by to say goodbye and see the boys (including Jane & Griffin pictured below, Dianka, Ashley & Maddy). A last girls nite (with Jane, Salma, and Allison), and last girls lunch date (with 9 months pregnant Laura, who gave birth right before we left CA so I was excited to meet her 2nd darling daughter! Perfect timing, right?!)

Sam came over practically every day to help entertain the boys, while I packed box after box.  She even ran last minute errands for us! The boys and us will miss her so much, because she is a 1 in a million babysitter! She has always gone above and beyond for us at the drop of a hat, and I have so many friends begging to steal her now that we have moved. (I say now, I wish we could have cloned her and brought her with us to NY!)

We were also lucky enough to have Grandma Sue & Poppa Gene, and Aunt Sherry with the kids help us out by taking the boys to the park and babysitting while we got some more last minute packing in.  Just in the knick of time, Brad sold his golf cart (Taji got so attached to it, that Brad promised him he was going to buy an even cooler one in NY!)

Between all of the activities, visitors, and such, packing boxes consumed our lives so much that I even dreamed about it.  Maybe because every room had a stack of boxes, and smelled of cardboard and tape!

Jax turns 5 months old!

Our baby Jax is 5 months old!  He is now 26.8 inches long (84th percentile) and 14 lbs 12 oz (23rd percentile.)  Sporting his signature grease ball mohawk, and flashing his sweet smile.  Jax is very tender hearted and a gentle baby, so much that daddy calls him his "sweet pea".  Yes, we are a family who has a gizzilion nicknames for each other, at any given moment.  But Jax owns the title for being our little angel, always up for anything, and very, very patient.

He loves his view of the world now from sitting position, and it seems like he began sitting overnight.  Must be all the mini sit-ups and ab work he's been doing the last couple of months, he sure is strong!  Jax loves sitting and looking at books.  He even turns the pages of a book, just ask his Babi! He's awesome with his fine motor skills,  picking up rattles, shaking his noise makers, and focus so intently when doing so! 

 He really enjoys watching his big brother and trying to do the things he does.  Jax loves to be in good company and when we leave the room or walk away for a minute he begins to yell at us, demanding attention.   He loves going outside, riding in the Baby Bjorn, and looking at the trees swaying in the wind.   He's also a big music fan, and likes the "Little Eisteins" Disney show just as much as Taj does!

Jax figured out how to get air by jumping in his jumperoo...

 And more sitting, playing, and grabbing a hold of everything.

Did I mention that Jax is a good eater?  He is a boob man, and only wants to breastfeed!  He refuses the bottle and would rather go on a hunger strike until his mommy gets home.  So interesting since his first month he only wanted the bottle, and now its completely flipped.  He does eat good with the spoon too, slurping away on oatmeal daily, with the addition of bananas.  His skin continues to be super sensitive, very dry depending on the day, and certain foods (like bananas) can give him a minor rash on his cheeks.

We just love our Jax so much, from his giggles, to the words (he says his version of 'hi"= "haaa!"), his "thhh" and "pfff  noises he attempts with his mouth, and distinct cries for whatever he needs.  He is gentle, yet strong.  Love that combination.

Every day, Jax finds something new hilarious and the most random things make him laugh.   I love this video of him and Sam, playing with the Mickey Mouse balloon Taj got in Disneyland.  At least one of the boys adores Mickey!