It is nice to have Friends in Boston!!!

It has been so nice to have Jenny and Brandon in Boston! Jenny and I have enjoyed lunching together and eating over at each other's houses. Jenny and Brandon have been so nice in giving us Bruins Hockey tickets! Justin and I love watching Brandon play at the Garden, which is so close to our house! I get to live vicariously through Jenny and Brandon with their dog Buddy! We all know I want a dog really bad, so it is fun to play with Buddy in his new home!

Jenny and I at a Bruins home game!
Justin and I (it is his recipe and inspiration though) made a beef stew in our crock pot and Jenny came over for Dinner (Brandon was on the road).
Poor Buddy, getting teased by Justin!
Isn't he so cute!!

The Big Apple!!!

My Mom, Aunt (Chris), and I met up in New York City for some girlie fun! My Aunt celebrated her birthday weekend with the Rachel Ray Daytime Show, a book signing by Rachel Ray, three enjoyable dinners, manicures, shopping, Zabars, the MOMA, 5th Avenue, and a lot of waiting in line (hint hint Rachel Ray). The Rachel Ray Show was so much fun and really neat to see (I have never been to any kind of a live or TV taping).

Okay, so we were advised to get to the Rachel Ray (RR) taping very early because a line forms around the block...being a little too excited and well, nerdy, we got there at 6:45 (for a 10:15 arrival time). The security guard was not even off of his night shift yet, and was shocked that we were there for RR. Let's just say, the next person did not arrive until 8:45 and it was COLD outside (toes totally numb). The show was super fun, but no pics from the inside because we would have been kicked out-yikes!
Not only did we get to see her show, but while we were there we found out about a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, so we waited in yet, another line, to see her face to face and chat a bit while she signed our books.

Auntie Chris and I at her birthday dinner, with her birthday Cosmo glass.

Yummy yummy!

Okay, let me just preface this little story with the notion that it was way funnier in person, but I will share it with you anyway...So we went to the Museum of Modern Art on our last day in NY and had too many laughs. These laughs were twofold, one, my Mom and I do not have a lot of appreciation for modern art, and two, it is just strange! The picture above is of a shovel, yes a shovel hanging from the ceiling...I mean, really, I could do that and I have not one ounce of creative ability. There was also a room with a large bright pink 2 by 12 leaning up against the wall (I had no idea painting was a famous skill), and last, I saw one two many blank canvases...white, black, etc...just blank, that was it, really??? Nonetheless, it was still very neat to see certain pieces of artwork and share in the memories with my Aunt and Mom.

Fun, fun trip in a hustle and bustle of a city!

Rick and Angie in Boston!

Rick and Angie spent a nice long weekend here with us in Boston, and even stayed with J and I at Casa Langlois. We did a few things here in the Boston area, like the Freedom Trail and climbing the 204 steps of Bunker Hill Monument, but we also drove North of Boston to Newburyport. It was so nice to get out of the city and see some of the beautiful fall colors. We went to Newburyport to visit Peter and Allison at their church, Hope Community Church. Allison is the sister of Jeremy (Justin's sisters husband). We really enjoyed the service and only wish the church was closer. The town of Newburyport is so quaint and the downtown area has a lot going on. Justin and I would love to go back for a weekend getaway! Newburyport is right on the eastern coastline so we were able to dip our feet into the Atlantic Ocean. It was an unseasonably warm fall day...perfect weather for our day trip outside of the big city!

Mother and Son enjoying the wind and sun of Massachusetts!
Father and Son enjoying a stroll together on the eastern most part of the U.S. (well not technically, but we were at the Ocean, so pretty close).

Bunker Hill Monument (this is very close to where Brandon and Jenny live in Charlestown).
These are the hammocks where crew members slept 3 floors below the deck of the U.S.S Constitution. J and I had been on the ship before, but never below deck.

Ahhh, beautiful fall colors...just ask Justin...I had been craving Fall colors, and I finally was able to enjoy them on our drive to Newburyport, MA.
It was wonderful to have Rick and Angie out here in Boston, after all, Boston will always be our first home as a married couple! We made steak salad (of course) and enjoyed each other's company.

The Circus Is Not Just For Kids!

Justin and I went to the Circus over the weekend and had a blast. I was actually surprised how fun it was for two adults without children! The acrobats were amazing, the white tigers were beautiful, and the household pets (cats and mini dachshunds) were hysterical. We could have gone for round 2 when it was over, but we headed home to reminisce.

We are both huge fans of cotton candy, and with it came this "cool" hat.
You can't really tell in the picture, but these are beautiful white tigers. I thought of you Mer!

Mom's B-day Bash!

We had so much fun celebrating in our front yard with family and friends for my Mom's birthday! It was a blast dancing on the driveway and getting drinks from a "real" bar (bartender and everything). People brought lots of good appetizers to share, but most importantly they brought themselves. My mom got to dance with my Justin (which she loves) and him and I even snuck in a few moves! Good times had by everyone.

Showering Dana and Little Lily!

Dana had her first Baby Shower! We all had so much fun showering Dana with gifts, catching up, yummy food, and presents as she and Michael await the birth of their first child in early January. The diaper cake that you see below was made by Melissa (super cute) as where other decorations throughout her house. Dana was able to visit with college friends, high school friends, and family. It was so much fun and a new experience for all of us!

Visit to Cali!!!

Justin and I were able to go home for my mom's birthday and her dancing diva party! Having a flexible schedule, I was able to stay for a nice 8 days, with Justin visiting in the middle of them. We truly enjoyed being back with family in suburban life, eating yummy burritos from El Sombrero, the 82 degree non-humid weather, and much much more! My parents hosted a b-day party for the madre with family and friends on Sunday the 7th! The band was great and the food was oh so nice on the belly! I was able to help my mom out at Bella while she is experiencing staffing changes and we had a great time together! We also spent the afternoon and evening in SF on the day I came into town and had a blast! We visited a store on Union that I enjoy called Ambiance, and a specialty shop on Polk that is adorable and very whimsical! While I was home I also got to visit Sequoia where I taught kindergarten before moving to Boston. It was SOOOO much fun seeing my old colleagues and the children. It was the walk-a-thon so I was able to see everyone! I saw Brooklynn's new classroom and caught up with her in the staff room a bit. It was so nice being home and hearing familiar sounds, seeing familiar sights, and spending time with family and friends (including the cats)!!