Last Day of School

Lauren's last day of school was June 20, about two weeks ago.  We had an amazing school year!

We will always have fond memories of Mrs Nichols, her kindergarten teacher.  I hope that her tattoos won't leave a lasting positive impression on Lauren.  :)  Honestly though, she was such a great teacher and helped Lauren love school.  It was a great way to start her academic career.

Lauren's class was very diverse.  I hoped she learned that people are all alike despite how we look (I am still working on this lesson).  Lauren was the only blond haired blue-eyed child in the class!  A few of her classmates were moving back to their native countries this summer... Hadrien to France, Jacapo to Italy, Ayaka to Japan, and Lauren to Utah.  

Strawberry Picking

A group of our ward friends met for playgroup a few weeks ago at this picturesque farm in North Andover, MA.  Smolak Farms allows people to come at the height of berry season to come and pick your own strawberries.  The area was just beautiful.  There was also a bakery, ice cream stand, and playground for kids.

Our playgroup included kids 4 years old and under (Elle is in the middle).  It was a cute group.  This picture reminds me of the beginning of "Little House of the Prairie" as the girls were running through the grass and Carrie falls down.  Memories!

Very fun day.  I wish we could take a day trip to pick raspberries. 

Mr. Bartley's Burgers and more of Harvard Square

Some miscellaneous information about Harvard:

We made another visit to Harvard Square so that Brandon could try the famous "Mr. Bartley's Burgers."  

While this hamburger dive seems out-of-place across the street from the prestigious Harvard Square, I must say these burgers are darn good!  

Within Harvard Square we stopped at Widener Library.  B wanted to stop and take some photos.  While he was inside, Elle and I patiently waited on the steps of the library, people-watched and finished off our sodas from lunch.   


Memorial Church on the Square.  The banners hanging show Harvard's motto, VE RI TAS, which is Latin for TRUTH:
Founder of Harvard University, John Harvard a young clergyman, in 1639 bequeathed his library of four hundred books and half his personal wealth... $1,500.  
Brandon took this great photo of John Harvard's shoe on the statue above.  Ironically, I just read from Wikipedia, "Many aspiring applicants for admission touch the statue's left foot, and some of the more fervent ones kiss it.  However, this is not recommended because Harvard students maintain a tradition of urinating on it."  WHAT?! YUCK!  
Overall, I love the stuffiness and prestige of Harvard.  I secretly wish I could attend.  While we haven't bought many souvenirs from Boston, I'm planning on purchasing a Harvard sweatshirt or jacket to feel like I belong.  

Elle's New Bed

We FINALLY purchased Elle a new bed.  Brandon and I made a couple trips to Costco with a moving van to get the bed moved to our apartment.  Afterward, I took apart the crib and maybe had a "no baby any more" moment for just a second.  She has been sleeping really well lately.... no falling out of bed or waking up in the middle of the night.  But not only is she doing great in her new bed, she is also doing great with getting potty trained.  No more crib... and only pull-ups at night. 

She is a cheese and will hardly take a nice picture for us, so this is what you get!  Once we move we will pick out a new bedspread to make the transition complete.  Yea Elle!

Soccer

Lauren just completed her first soccer class this spring. I enrolled her in an afterschool co-ed class that met once a week for six weeks. She was thrilled about the "idea" of playing soccer. However, after a few weeks, I think the fun wore off. There were about 12 active 5-year-old boys and 3 mild-mannered 5-year-old girls in the class. This eventually led to Lauren not enjoying herself as much as expected. Her favorite part of soccer was being the goalie so she didn't have to run and to get into the middle of the boys kicking the ball.

If I could change anything about the experience, I should have enrolled her into a girls only class to introduce her to soccer. Oh well. However, because she finished out the class, she was rewarded with a trip to the ice cream store.

Elle and I enjoyed watching from the sidelines. I can picture Elle really liking soccer some day.

Yea Boston Celtics!

We have had such a fun time watching the Celtics win the NBA finals.  I remember growing up with my Dad and brothers watching the Lakers and Celtics back in the 80's.  It was a great match-up then and was fun to see the rivalry begin again.  

The celebration is happening today in Boston with the team riding the famous duck boats throughout the city for the parade.  There are some HAPPY people in the city today.

Computer Time

Lately I have been working at the computer looking for homes in the Highland, UT area to rent.  It has been literally mind-numbing!  I feel tied to my computer screen hoping that a new listing will post, and so I'll refresh my searches over and over during the day.  I feel like I have been neglecting my other responsibilities!  But finding a home to live in is so important. I find that I have expensive taste and while we are going to try to save money this year, I find myself only satisfied with the brand-new modern sparkling clean homes.  I have to admit, it has been funny calling many of the contacts and hearing a Utah "twang" in their voice.  I guess we have been away awhile to be able to discern the accent.  

I have found a couple of possibilities, but being so far away has been so difficult and frustrating.  I would love to be able to drive around and personally look at all of the possibilities.  Luckily I have a wonderful friend that has been willing to help go see the homes. She has given me great advise about the housing market in the area, schools to avoid, and general tips on the neighborhoods.  

Time is getting short for us in Boston.  We have many things we still want to see and do.... I hope we will find the time.  But it won't happen if I don't get away from this computer!

Camping in Vermont

Saturday morning we packed the car with camping gear and drove the three hours to Camp Joseph near Sharon, Vermont. The Church owns this piece of property for camping purposes which is near the birth site of Joseph Smith. While there aren't a lot of original artifacts, there is a large monument commemorating Joseph's life which stands nearly 39 feet high in remembrance of Joseph's 39 years of life. There is a peaceful visitor's center along with a few other items of interest in the area. Vermont was really beautiful.

After arriving at camp on Saturday morning, we waited to eat lunch with our ward members and then headed off to see other sites. We made it to the Ben & Jerry's original factory for a fun tour, free samples, and another ice cream treat at the end of our tour. I have always loved Cherry Garcia. It still tastes very good! It was a hot day, so the ice cream was a perfect treat.


We came back to camp just in time for dinner and for the activities that evening. We had dutch-oven lasagna and smores for dessert around the campfire. Our tent was situated on the grass near the large campfire, but others of our group set up their tents in the nearby wooded area. There were also small cabins available.

The girls had so much fun playing with the other kids there. During the campfire activities and after they had had their smores, they went off "looking" for bugs using our lanterns to see in the dark. The next morning I found their trail of marshmallows and white chocolate bars they had broken up under various trees around the campsite hoping to catch something interesting. Their plan worked! The ants were loving the sweet treats.

That night, the four of us squished into our three-man tent and had a very warm night's sleep. I will have to admit that I had a terrible time sleeping that night. But we woke up the next morning, and I was able to take a nice shower. I promise we were really camping!!

On Sunday we held Sacrament meeting in a nearby amphitheater in the woods and then started to pack and clean up camp. During this time, Lauren and her friend found some kind of rock that they broke into pieces and collected the "crystals" from inside the rock. They also thought it would be a good idea to earn some money... so they attempted to sell their crystals. It was a good Sunday activity.

On our way home, we drove to Sugarbush Farm. The farm produces pure maple syrup and makes 14 different types of cheese. It was fun to learn the maple syrup making process and to sample the cheese.

This is a strange poster, but we couldn't resist taking a photo.

Overall, we had a great trip. We loved sight-seeing in Vermont and had a true testimony-building experience visiting the birthplace of our first prophet.

Weekend Plans

Our ward is organizing a camp-out for this weekend in South Royalton, VT with Sunday services held at the campground.  Those not attending the camp-out are actually encouraged to attend another ward for the day.   The campsite is near Sharon, VT which is the birth place of Joseph Smith; so Saturday we will spend the afternoon sightseeing church historical sights.

Today I'm organizing our camping gear and getting the necessary items in order.  It's been at least 10 years since I've slept in a tent and sleeping bag.  But because we will be there only one night, and because Lauren is so excited to go, I think I'll be able to manage (my family may argue my optimism).  Lauren slept in a sleeping bag on her bed last night to practice "camping out."  

The weather forecast is isolated thunder storms with temperatures in the mid 90's.  Oh, I also found out today that there are a lot of bugs... so bring bug spray.  Can't wait!   Insert sarcastic tone.

Pictures to follow!

Lilac Sunday and Arnold Arboretum

An official sign of spring in Boston is Lilac Sunday in May at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum. There are 422 lilac bushes that bloom with 194 different kinds. Who knew there were so many?! We decided to visit the arboretum a week or so after the actual event, but the lilacs were still in bloom and smelled amazying. It brought back happy memories of growing up in Idaho and having the lilac bushes in our backyard.

In addition to the lilacs being in bloom, there were other magnificant plants and trees flowering. The arboretum is an amazying place for a beautiful walk, all 265 acres of it. We walked approx one-fourth of the park and can't wait to go back.