A Weekend in Boston

Our weekend came and went in a flash, but it was a great trip. Boston is an amazing city! Dan has been touting it since he interviewed there nearly 4 years ago, so I knew we had to make it out there sometime. I wasn't going to get excited this time until we were actually on the plane and I knew there were no hurricanes in sight. It's so nice to spend time without the kids but the older they get, the more I want them to experience these adventures with us, maybe one day we can afford to take all of us!

Making our decent into Boston. Continental had an hour delay with our first flight so we missed our connection from Newark, luckily we were able to get on standby on the next flight in.

The city from our hotel room across the river.

Sitting on the steps of the Harvard library. It's a beautiful campus, although I've never mentally compared IQ's with so many people in my life. It's a bit intimidating knowing everyone around you is much smarter than you!

Look, it's Hawvawd yawd.

Darn it, one of the students must have dropped their book!

Harvard Square

It was refreshing to be able to wear jackets because you were actually chilly and to see trees with no leaves on them!

Walking through the streets of Boson



One thing about Boston is all the old graveyards, I have a morbid fascination with graveyards! Dan thinks it's funny that I could take a considerable amount of time checking out headstones.



Paul Revere's grave







Bunker Hill Monument

Cool, old church in Bunker Hill neighborhood.



If I moved to Boston, I would want to live in the Beacon Hill neighborhood! It's beautiful with it's old brownstones and brick sidewalks and cool shops. I'm sure it comes with a rather hefty price tag as well...but it could happen!

Bundled up and loving it!



Boston Public Garden

It's hard to see everything in a weekend so hopefully we'll get the opportunity to go back sometime.

All She Wants

So a week or so ago Danielle and I went to Fry's to get a few things for breakfast that morning. As we were walking in the store they had a backyard swing sitting there on clearance. Danielle ran over to it, sat down and immediately started bargaining for it. She pulled out all the stops going so far as saying she didn't want a birthday party this year, she only wanted the swing. So, long story short, we are now the owners of a new swing and as Danielle promised, she will be skipping her friend birthday party this year, although, she's already trying to figure out how to bargain herself back to a birthday party, we'll see what happens in December.

On a Lighter Note

Before the craziness of this last week took over we had a pretty great weekend in San Diego. Let me first say that Dan and I had been planning for six months to go to Boston this last weekend, but couldn't foresee Hurricane Irene barreling her way up the east coast the day of our departure. After spending a couple of hours on the phone rescheduling our plans there, we decided last minute to go to Sea World (one of the many perks of being with the Air Force is getting in free once a year).

We've had so many pictures at the beach this last year, what can I say, we LOVE the beach and who knows if we'll live this close to it this time next year.

We sat in the "splash zone" for the Shamu show, Rayce and Avie had a few reservations.

We spent the last half day before we went home on Coronado, this is Dans very favorite place in California, if you've ever been there you understand why. It's so quaint, It almost feels like it could still be in the 1950's.

Muscle beach

Sassy beach

A good sort of worn out!

Feeling Grateful

This morning as Avie woke up she experienced a seizure. She woke with a fever and was laying upstairs with Dan on the couch when she went really rigid and then began convulsing. Dan brought her downstairs to me, she was unresponsive and her face was grey. She wouldn't look at us, wouldn't respond to her name. It was so scary, Danielle was panicked, we all were. Dan took her to the emergency room, while I took the other two to school. At the hospital they determined she had what is called a febrile seizure, this happens when a fever raises too quickly for the body to handle. They did a chest X-ray and also said she may have a touch of pneumonia, poor baby went through a lot this morning, it was so frightening to let my mind for a split second go to the worst case scenario, but now I just feel thankful. Thankful that it wasn't more serious, thankful that Dan was home and is familiar enough with seizures to know what to look for, thankful for competent doctors and nurses, and mostly thankful for my amazing resilient kids who I love more than anything. Our time with them is so short, even if they're completely healthy! They grow so fast and I hope I never take my time with them for granted!

Looking Sharp

I clearly don't quite yet understand the nature of boys, and this proves it. Rayce puts everything in his pockets; change, rocks, leaves, small toys, big toys, whatever, it all goes in his pockets. It's like Mary Poppins bag, he keeps pulling stuff out!
I know this is the case, but I still never seem to bother checking his pockets before I do his laundry...yes, you can see where this is going. Rayce leaves a blue crayon in his pocket; crayon in the washer not bad; crayon in the dryer...really bad! Most of his church clothes came out tie-dyed a lovely blue color! So I take Rayce to pick out new church clothes and what does he want, a suit?

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with little boy suits (especially when they're on clearance at Kohl's) I just didn't think Rayce was the suit type.

He does look very handsome!

Incidentally, he also tried pop rock candy for the first time...

He was a bit surprised at the capabilities of a simple candy.

Just Stuff

Look who's a looker in glasses!

Danielle has been telling me for a year now that she couldn't see the board at school, so I finally called and got her an appointment and sure enough her vision isn't that great. Good thing she looks so darn cute in glasses!

Also, yesterday Dan and I celebrated our 11th year wedding anniversary! We went to a place called St. Francis in Phoenix and it was very yummy!



And I just had to throw this in for the Grandparents and Aunts!

Big Kids

So both Danielle and Rayce started their new school year, Danielle yesterday and Rayce a week ago.

The very cool and very stylish 4th grader!

Boris and Rayce both got spiffy new haircuts!

Now, three days a week it's just Avie and I! She's staying busy maintaining her cuteness...it's not that hard for her!