sisters

Dana put this slideshow together. Oh the memories. About our Boston trip, on her blog she said,

"We had a great time. I used to think Lindsay was really boring because all she would ever do was stay home on the couch and read (HA!). But then I grew up and found out she did things like wore cool black leather trench coats and dated the "bad boy" in school. :) And then we were roommates in college together and we had fun planning dinners and dancing together. She is incredibly talented and thorough in whatever she puts her mind to accomplishing. She is awesome to be around and I'd WELCOME HER BACK ANY TIME SHE WANTS TO COME!"

I hope she doesn't mind me quoting her. I just loved what she had to say.

boston part 3

Tuesday, October 12

Emma and I went back in time to 1627 at Plimouth Plantation. There are two main exhibits. In the English Village all the workers have a 17th century character they play. Everything is done in character--their work, their speech, their dress. They respond to your questions as a Pilgrim would. I asked about what they did with the little ones and was shown a dress with ties on it. A little one would just be tied up to a chair or something while the mother worked at the hearth. Too bad that isn't in fashion anymore. At the Wampanoag site, they don't maintain a character (and they were a lot less friendly). We saw a canoe being burned out, weaving, and cooking. Emma was not willing to ask a single question. What kind of homeschooler is she?!

We didn't have enough time to tour the Mayflower II so we just went over to take a picture of the ship and the rock.

Wednesday, October 13

With limited time on this day, we decided to do a driving version of the Freedom Trail. First we drove to Bunker Hill. The monument was closed for construction so we couldn't go up.

Then we drove down to the Boston Naval Yard to see the USS Constitution.

We just missed a tour going down below decks and didn't want to wait for another so we just roamed the deck before heading over the museum. There was a great interactive exhibit about the life of a sailor that the girls enjoyed.

On our way out, I couldn't help but set up an impromptu photo session with such a great urban backdrop.

We continued on our tour into downtown. We drove by the Old North Church of Paul Revere fame in the North End. After lunch at a pizza place, we did a quick, drive-by of a few other sites before heading out. I really love the mix of old and new in downtown Boston.

We were in a hurry to get back to Ashland so the girls could be Mystery Readers in Audrey's class. They read one of my favorite children's books called Jimmy Zangwow's Out of This World Moon Pie Adventure.

Dana made an impressive mad dash to get everyone ready for a last minute family photo session. We drove to the picturesque Old North Bridge in Concord. I was so happy for the opportunity to do their pictures. It was sort of like all my favorite things in one--photography, history, fall color, family. Happiness all around.

We followed the photo session with a delightful feast on the foundation of an old house in Lexington. Rob treated us with specialty sodas, cheese, crackers, rolls, and artichoke dip from The Cheese Shop in Concord. Emma proclaimed it her favorite thing we did the whole trip. It really was an awesome way to end our adventures.

Thursday, October 14

Our wonderful trip to Boston came to an end. We were able to fly home without any issues (except for waking up at 1:30 MST). The rest of the family picked us up from the airport and we went out to eat as one last vacation hurrah. I hope Emma always remembers our trip to Boston. I know I will.

boston part 2

Sunday, October 10
After church, Dana and I went on a drive. When I told her I'd never been to Sharon, Vermont, to the Joseph Smith Birthplace we went there. It was about a two and a half hour drive but it was full of beautiful scenery and good conversation. And where else can you see "Bear Crossing" AND "Moose Crossing" signs on the side of the highway?

We arrived in beautiful Sharon, VT, mid-afternoon. The setting was so peaceful with the fall colors and choir music played from speakers. Apparently, there was a larger than normal crowd so the tour was a little odd but still interesting. Dana probably had a totally different experience than me since she was busy talking with friends from her home stake and dealing with Lauren's diaper blowout. Fortunately for us, Dana's friends offered to share some sandwich fixings so we got to have dinner on the way home.

Monday, October 11
Columbus Day. Dana's kids were out of school so we joined the throngs at Honeypot Orchards to pick apples. It was a little too crowded to make it the magical experience it could have been but we still enjoyed it.

After apple picking, Dana and I took Emma and Avery into the city to see So You Think You Can Dance. I hadn't watched much this season so I wasn't personally invested in the show but it was still full of fantastic talent. Afterward, Dana gave in to Avery's pleadings to stay and wait for the dancers to come out. Emma and I were both not very happy about this decision. I can admit now though that perhaps I was wrong. It ended up being really fun. Emma had her sparkly sneakers signed by the two dancers who performed a dance called "Boogie Shoes." She promptly scrubbed it off the next day but it was fun for the moment.

boston part 1

Thursday, October 7

Emma and I left mid-morning for a week long visit to beautiful Boston. We were flying on stand-by which meant cheap(er) flights but no assigned seats. When deciding on travel dates, it never occurred to me that Columbus Day would be a heavily traveled holiday weekend. In the west, no one celebrates that holiday. I guess it is different in the east. Add to that the fact that we were traveling to New England in the peak fall season and we had a CRAZY day of travel.

We had no trouble getting on the Salt Lake to Phoenix flight but it was all downhill from there. Every flight was full. Every flight had several stand-bys ahead of us. We miraculously made it onto a flight from Phoenix to Charlotte even though we were number 19 and 20 on the stand-by list. Sadly though, our luck ran out and we got stranded in Charlotte overnight. To make matters worse, our bag had been sent on to Providence since that was our original final destination. We got a very cheap, very sub-standard hotel where the front desk clerk yelled at me. No pajamas. No tooth brushes. No clean underwear. We still managed a few hours sleep before getting up at 5:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. Utah time) to try and catch the first flight to Boston.

Friday, October 8

We made it onto that first flight and arrived in Boston at about 10 a.m. After talking with a very nice woman in baggage, we arranged for our suitcase to fly to Boston on another flight so we could pick it up later. Dana picked us up from the airport and we headed out on our first adventure: the quaint, coastal town of Rockport.

I had fun making Emma pose in front of the cute and colorful shop windows.

We wandered through the shops and let the girls try on the accessories the boutiques had to offer.

Emma was willing to try any seafood including lobster and clams. I was too cheap to let her. She got New England Clam Chowder instead.

We made it back to Dana's in time to meet Avery coming off the bus. Such a happy reunion.

Saturday, October 9

We took advantage of the great weather and a free Saturday and went to Six Flags New England. Usually at amusement parks, I am the one sitting on the bench holding the baby. Dana got to play that role this time. I got to play the role of thrill-seeker and ride all the big rides with Emma and Avery. We stayed the whole day. Just as we were leaving, a fire broke out in the Haunted Mansion. No one was injured but it made for an exciting end to the day to see the flames leaping up from the building.

good habits

Last night, as I was going through blogs in my reader, I came across a fitness/healthful living challenge called Happy Holiday Habits. I was intrigued. Simple. Doable. Measurable. I decided it was a good plan to follow through the rest of the year so I started today.

1. Drink 48 ounces of water a day

2. 30 minutes of exercise (doesn't have to be consecutive)

3. No soda or alcohol

4. No sweets (desserts, pastries, candy, or sugary snacks)

5. No fast food or unhealthy snacks

6. Consume 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegetables

7. No eating after 8p.m.

8. Read 15 minutes of spiritual or uplifting text

9. Write in your journal (Daily blogs count, too.) Express specific appreciation, love, or praise in your journal...a goal of two or three items is a good goal!

10. Personal goal- each week make a personal goal for everyday or make a goal for the entire week. ( Like reading more to the kids, organize a closet, get 8 hours of sleep, etc.)

ONE FREE POINT PER AREA, PER WEEK
for example: only one day with sweets a week, only one day without exercise, one late night snack per week........or one whole day free.

Today, I earned all ten points. Yeah for me. Even with cookies and ice cream in the house! Anyone else out there interested in joining me. The blog I found this on actually has it organized as a group challenge with everyone contributing and receiving a prize at the end. I'd love to set it up if anyone wants to join the fun.

Additionally, I have challenged myself to read The Book of Mormon by the end of the year. Our stake presidency made that challenge at the beginning of the year. I have been reading here and there but I thought I should read it the whole way through. I used this site to come up with a schedule. I've made it through week 1.

Lastly, I challenged the kids to limit the amount of screen time in our house this week. They can earn extra marbles in our marble system for each day that they don't use screens in the afternoon. I am making myself commit to the challenge also because I have been spending far too much time on the computer. Today instead of being at the computer, I made a fabric garland for the girls' room.

I'm sure I'll fall short in these challenges in the coming days but at least today was successful.

12 on 12 | october | boston edition

[click to enlarge]

Emma and I took a fantastic trip to Boston last week. On the 12th, we were out and about seeing all the beauty of New England. I also forgot it was the 12th until the day was nearly over. So I decided to just make this month's edition of 12 on 12 a collage of our trip.

1. Rockport, MA. We got into Boston on Friday morning. Dana picked us up from the airport and we headed directly
to the beautiful coastal town of Rockport.
2. Six Flags New England
3. Sharon, Vermont at the Joseph Smith birthplace. Dana and I are sitting on the old hearthstone.
4. Apple picking at Honeypot Orchards
5. So You Think You Can Dance. Dana is a way cool mom and agreed to Avery's pleas to stay after the show and meet the dancers.
Here we all are with Kent.
6. Emma had Lauren and Billy sign her "boogie shoes".
7. My super adorable niece, Lauren
8. the monument at Bunker Hill
9. Emma and Avery were the Mystery Readers in Audrey's class.
10. the old north bridge at Concord
11. I took family pictures for Dana at the old north bridge. What a good looking bunch!
12. We went over to Lexington to the Minuteman National park and had a feast of specialty sodas, apples and cheese from The Cheese Shop in Concord. We sat on the stones of an old house foundation. A perfect ending to our New England adventures.

three no more

Sawyer is four!

It was our turn to host co-op on his birthday. We managed to squeeze in presents before it started. He got a new bike! Because co-op was all about ancient Egypt, I made a pyramid cake.

Unfortunately it rained most of the day so he did not get much time on his bike. He spent the day playing with friends and watching movies.

Four things I love about Sawyer:

1. He has the best dance moves.

2. He can go from wearing a frilly princess dress to being totally aggressive on the soccer field in the blink of an eye.

3. He is just so dang handsome. The hair. The eyes. The smile. Heart-breaker in the making.

4. He is such a bundle of personality. Ranging from happy and sweet to mad and violent. Full of passion, adorable wit and surprising intelligence.

I adore him.