Baby Nolan

The day Jeff and I left for our trip, my little sister Krystle had her beautiful baby boy. They named him Nolan Dexter Tanner. After a week, I finally got to meet my new nephew. Laurin was out of school that day so she got to tag along too. Nolan is such a cutie (I know I'm probably a little biased)! He was making all sorts of faces (like his mommy) and cracking me up. He also peed on me so I guess I've been officially inducted into his club (at least I hope it was just his little hazing ritual and not what he really thinks about me!). I'm so proud of my sister. This was not an easy pregnancy and the delivery was pretty scary as well (he had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times). She was such a trooper and I'm sure she wouldn't change anything now that she has her little miracle baby. Welcome to the family Nolan!

Last Day!

Today was the last day of our trip. I was sad that it had gone so quickly, but I was also ready to be home. Since we'd accomplished more than we thought we'd originally accomplish yesterday, there were very few things we wanted to see today. We started out by making our way to the temple. It was a bit of an adventure in public transportation but we made it. It is a gorgeous temple. I love the steeple. I feel it fits very well with the many church steeples you see in New England. We enjoyed being inside those hallowed walls. It is comforting to feel the peace therein. After our session, we headed to Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox recently won the American League and were heading towards the World Series (which they eventually won) against the St. Louis Cardinals. I couldn't go to Boston without seeing Fenway Park. It was crawling with sports broadcasters from all over...including Japan! We didn't take the time to go inside with all the chaos, but at least I can say I've been there. At that point, we decided we were both done. We'd seen what we came to see. We decided to have another early night so we could pack and get ready for our long flight home the next day. It has been a much needed and well-deserved vacation. The best part of the whole trip was that I was able to share it with my best friend. I love you Jeff! Happy 40th birthday! Here's to at least 40 more together!!

Freedom Trail

Today Jeff and I woke up and literally spent the rest of the day walking around Boston! We headed to Boston Harbor to start our day then continued on to the Freedom Trail. While at Boston Harbor, Jeff and I took are previously obtained tea bags (thank you to our hotel!) and threw them into the harbor. I had to feel like I was participating in history. I love the Revolutionary War time. I love learning about the brave men (and women) who stood up for what they knew was right, even though that meant treason. I think that's why today was one of my favorite days of the trip. I loved seeing the places where history took place and imagining what it would have been like to be a colonist during that time. Would I have been one of the strong ones to stand up for Freedom or would I have tried to stay loyal to the crown? I would like to think I would be the first. In any case, we wandered through the streets of Boston to find the small nuggets of history hidden among the progress of modern time. We saw Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church that he rode to in an effort to warn the revolutionary troops. We meandered through the cemeteries (which I have to admit are a little creepy!) and saw the Old State House where the Declaration was read for the first time to the people of Boston. It was a day in history and I enjoyed every minute of it. We finished up around 3:00 p.m. and had a late lunch in little Italy before we made our way back to the hotel to call it a day!

Ready to throw my tea bag into the Boston Harbor! 

Replica of the ship that was carrying tea to the "colonies". 

Samuel Adams 

Paul Revere 

John Hancock 

Old South Meeting house where people gathered prior to the Boston Tea Party. 

Old State House 

Statue of Paul Revere with the Old North Church in the background. 

Last Destination: Boston

Today Jeff and I woke up and headed towards Boston. Boston is one of the cities that I've had on my "bucket list" that I can now check off. I really love learning about history - especially around the Revolutionary War and the foundations of our great nation. Because of that, Boston has been a must see for me...and a bonus since Jeff served his mission there. On our way up, we stopped in Plymouth to see Plymouth rock. I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed, but still appreciated the history of that spot. I can't imagine what those first settlers felt and endured during those harsh winter months that claimed half the people that came over on the Mayflower. Again, if there is anyone who says there isn't a God has not considered the faith that inspired and motivated these people to come to this nation. This nation was built on the faith of people who believed...so why don't we?

The monument that marks the graves of those who died coming over on the Mayflower.

Since we still had our car, we decided to drive past Boston towards Salem to see the "Witch House". It seemed appropriate especially since Halloween is coming up. It is a small house in Salem wherein John Corwin, a judge, held trials for those accused of being a witch. Ultimately, 19 people were sentences to death for what was probably a mental illness that was assumed to be possession by a devil. It's crazy to think about what happened during that period of time.

Finally, we made our final destination - Boston! We checked into our hotel and dropped off our car then headed for the subways. It was really fun/weird to see Jeff in his element. Anyone who knows Jeff knows that he isn't fond of big cities, yet never once did I hear him complain about the crowds or the buildings or the traffic or anything! In fact, when we got on the subway, he recognized the smell and floods of memories from his mission came back. Today we visited some of his mission spots (the mission offices he worked in, the apartment he lived in downtown, an old pub that used to give them the food, Harvard Square, Quincy Market, Fanueil Hall, etc.) I laughed so hard listening to some of the stories about his antics! I love the fact that Jeff plays just as hard as he works...well, most of the time!

The church/mission offices Jeff spent most of his mission in. 

John Harvard 

I love this quote: Depart to serve better thy country and thy kind. 

Harvard Square 

The batterymarch apartments that he lived in downtown. 

The little corner restaurant that gave the missionaries the leftover food.

BOSTON!!





New Port, RI - 9 months!!

Today marks our 9 month anniversary! I feel so lucky to be able to spend this time alone with Jeff. As most everyone knows, kids are great and bring lots of joy...but if mommy and daddy don't continue to court and develop their relationship no amount of kids will replace the void that can leave behind. I enjoyed getting to know Jeff better and learning more about each other. I can truly say that I love him more now than I did 9 months ago...and I expect that will only continue to grow. I love the respect and communication that have been the foundation of our relationship from the beginning. Those two qualities have carried us through moments of frustration and differences of opinions. They have been the bedrock upon which our love has been able to flourish. I only hope our kids will be able to find the same love, respect and communication in their future spouses. I truly love Jeff. I love all his flaws (that seem minor in comparison to the strengths he offers) and weaknesses. I love that he loves me in spite of mine as well. I needed this vacation. I needed to spend quality time with my husband and to remember that we're still newlyweds...even if we do have 4 kids at home! In any case, we (ok I) slept in a little before we headed to Beavertail Lighthouse on a small peninsula in RI. This was the 3rd lighthouse ever to be built on the east coast. Jeff and I walked along the rocky shoreline before walking around the lighthouse. There were several fishermen casting their lines into the waves in hopes of catching fish. It was a beautiful morning. The water seemed to glow a bright blue hue. The only sound we could hear was the waves occasionally crashing on the shoreline. I loved seeing the lighthouse shining its light. Lighthouses will always remind me of my dad. He was in the Navy as a young man and has always loved the ocean and lighthouses. I miss not living close to my parents.

 

After we explored the lighthouse, we headed to the Newport Mansions. These houses date back to the late 1800s - early 1900s during the Gilded Age of America. We toured two mansions owned by the Vanderbilts. These "summer cottages" were insane!!! They were HUGE and ornately decorated. It was almost gross to think of all the money that was invested in these homes when, at that time, there was still so much poverty. Jeff and I just shook our heads as we walked around listening to our audio-guided tours. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside the residences but you can get an idea of the grotesque amount of money that went into these houses just from the outside.

After we toured the mansions, we headed to downtown Newport to browse some of the shops and have lunch before leaving RI and heading to Cape Cod, Mass.

Once we got to Cape Cod, we headed straight for Martha's Vineyard. I loved the ferry ride out to the island. As we got closer, I could see all the big summer homes against a backdrop of fall colors. There was a lighthouse that shone brightly on our return trip. Both Jeff and I started to sing Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy as we saw the circulating light. On the island, we browsed the downtown shops and took a walk through a little neighborhood before wandering down to the coast then back to the ferry. We only spent a couple hours there before coming back to shore and heading to our hotel for the night. Only one more hotel stop...Boston!