Our short but oh-so-fun trip to Beantown!

 Last weekend, Clark and I took a very quick trip up to Boston to visit Chad, Janet, Violet and Lucia. We left after my pharmacology class on Thursday night, drove through the rain which never...let...up, and arrived in Waltham in the wee hours on Friday morning.  Though the trip was brief, we had an absolute blast and look forward to our next visit to Boston, which will be when the weather is more accommodating for outdoor adventure (and when I have a break from school).  Chad and Janet were amazing hosts.  We were treated to an awesome Brazilian buffet AND the decadently rich chocolate cake from Russo's, there were condoms and pregnancy tests available just in case (explanation and photos below), and rooster Violet served as our alarm clock each morning.  We felt pretty dang spoiled.

On the top of the toilet in the girls' bathroom: a complimentary toiletry basket for guests.  A closer look shows...

GASP! Oh Janet, you are too clever! Mixed in with razors, sunscreen, dental floss, and toothpaste, one can find condoms and even a pregnancy test. Cause you might one day be visiting family or friends and think, dang it, I really need to take a pregnancy test right now! Where will I quickly be able to find a test?? If you ever visit Chad and Janet, you'll never have to worry, that's for sure!

My Friday morning goal was to get Lucia to hug me without having to chase her down.  I accomplished my goal within minutes of setting it.  Fortunately, she loves playing games where she gets lifted up in the air.  That improved our friendship immediately :)

Lucia and Violet fighting for space on the step stool.  

Friday morning consisted of a lot of eating and lounging. Violet pretended to sleep, however she does not nap that easily.

Have I mentioned that Friday was pretty rainy and dreary, and more of a stay-warm-and-cozy-indoors type of day?  I guess we all got a little restless and decided to take a drive around Boston.  We made it to Bunker Hill as the rain slowed to a drizzle.  Clark, Violet and I decided to tour the monument while Janet stayed behind with a napping Lucia in the car.

It was a little too foggy to see downtown Boston from the monument.

Violet loved splashing in the puddles!

Apparently you can walk up the 294 steps to the top of the monument.  Of course Clark and I were game.  And Violet, she had to do whatever we wanted because she was stuck with us!  Lucky for her, she got a free ride all the way up.  And all the way down. Courtesy of Uncle Clark and Aunt Rachel.

Unfortunately, the views from the top were unimpressive on this particular day.  We'll just have to do it again when it's NOT winter !

Back at Chad and Janet's, Lucia was looking cute as ever, getting ready to eat dinner.

She is an eating machine. I know this picture doesn't prove it, but most of the food does make it into her mouth and not on her face/bib.

Later that night after touring Chad's work and going to the Temple, we had the delicious chocolate cake from Russo's that Chad and Janet always rave about.  And since they like to use their wedding cutlery, we deemed it appropriate to get a few special cake cutting photos!

Awwww, young love.  Just as exciting as cutting the wedding cake back in 2004?

Oh my gosh, it was sooooo good!  Really rich, which is the only way to go if you're gonna eat chocolate cake.

Saturday morning we had a breakfast fit for kings and queens.  Hootenanies (not sure about the spelling here, this is Tobler tradition I just don't buy into) and pancakes. 

We visited the Waltham Museum of Industry, and got in for FREE thanks to the pass that Janet got from the library. Violet was not thrilled at the idea of taking photos on the bridge.

An old Waltham Fire Truck.

Watches, bicycles and other items were manufactured at this museum ,which was once a manufacturing plant.

After the museum tour and a delicious lunch at a Brazilian buffet, we drove to downtown Boston.  Hooray for a sunny day!  Though it was still cold, at least it wasn't foggy.

The Massachusetts State House

Walking the Freedom trail! The red bricks in the middle of the walkway lead to many points of interest in the city, the last being the USS Constitution. We did not make it to the end of the trail, which only means we'll be coming back when it's warmer to walk it again!  

Old headstones in the Granary Burying Ground.  Paul Revere, John Hancock and Ben Franklin's parents are buried here.

The Old South Meeting House.

Clark double fisting it in front of the Old State House...I think.  Around this area is the site where the Boston Massacre took place.

Cobblestone streets near Paul Revere's house.

The Old North Church beyond the statue of Paul Revere.  This is the oldest church in Boston.

Sunday morning before we had to depart, Violet and I put together a snow globe.  She was very focused on mixing together every color of glitter.  It turned out beautiful, although I don't have a photo of the finished product.  

And....afterward she decided to let off some energy by running around the house.

Little Lucia...such a daddy's girl.

We were able to capture a couple of self-timed photos, though none of us adults were looking too presentable.

Clark had such a tough time figuring out how to take a photo of us from the chest up.  First he took close ups that were so close, they cut off part of Janet's face.  He needed extra instructions not to zoom in on the faces, but just not to take pictures below the waist.  As I mentioned, no one was really wearing presentable attire.

THANK YOU Chad, Janet, Violet and Lucia for such a wonderful visit, and for being so hospitable!  We are so glad we could make it work and that we could at least see you all for a couple of days.  We are so excited to come back in the spring and continue to see all that Boston has to offer! (And maybe take some more self-timed photos when we're all wearing street clothes and not pajamas!)

Just FYI

Clark got home from work tonight to find me hunched over with nausea and stomach pains.  In retrospect, I think the nausea/pain was caused by stress/the overwhelming nature of my studies.  Anywho, As he browsed YouTube looking for a band from Phoenix who played an alleged song titled Kick Down the Door (the vow he made on our wedding day to take care of me in sickness AND in health was dismissed pretty easily), I sat curled up in a chair next to him, and he found this:

Tip: Yelling is also used in sports to contract the diaphragm and give you an extra power boost.

Man, I can't believe this video has so many dislikes.  According to our standards, it is pretty entertaining.  And now I know everything necessary to kick down a door properly.

Changes

For starters, it snowed today, and I really thought we might escape this winter without snow.  I debated on going running in the freezing mist (can't really call it a rain) for about an hour until my guilty conscious gave in.  However, I had to cut my run short because the sidewalks and running path were so slick.  Breaking a bone does not seem like the ideal situation right now.

Also, I have now entered the unfamiliar world of smart phones.  In one of my classes, my peers and I received a lecture within a lecture on why we all should have smart phones during our clinical rotations.  Boy gang, my professors really made it sound like I would fall behind if I didn't succumb and join the elite field of smart phone users.  I was only one of two people in my class who raised our hands when asked if anyone did not have smart phones.  Nothing like peer/instructor pressure to motivate me to get a new phone and add a data package to our plan!  This better be worth it, as I was really hoping to get through school/life without a smart phone.  I don't know, I guess I'm not the type of person that desperately needs to have my phone with me at all times, and be able to update my facebook status thirty times a day.  So, I vow NEVER to add the facebook app to my phone.  There's way too many other fun apps to browse through and use anyway.

To changes! (Cue raising our glasses of sparkling grape juice together. Or wine. Or soda.  Whatever you prefer.)

The signs you see in Wilmington...

We had to visit our bank in Wilmington today (since Chase bank is not represented at all in PA).  We saw this sign from our parked car.  I didn't even know that people ate muskrats.  Huh.

It ain't homemade, but it'll do just fine

She's sure pretty, ain't she?

I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am to have bedding (i.e. a quilt) that finally fits our bed!  Since we first purchased a queen size bed back in September, we have been sharing one full/queen blanket from my college years and one twin sized blanket made for Clark when he was on his mission.  It's been kind of uncomfortable due to the inconsistent sizing of the blankets and I often feel like I'm in a tangled mess when I wake up.  We've refused to use our California King comforter because it hangs over the bed onto the floor and it grosses us out.   You'd feel the same if you had experienced a flea infestation as badly as we did.  Anyhow, after much deliberation, I finally settled upon a quilt from JC Penney that fit my qualifications.  Long story short, it was much cheaper at the JC Penney back in WA state so I had my Mom purchase and ship it to me, and I sent her a check in the mail to cover the cost/shipping.  It arrived yesterday and I couldn't be more pleased.  Coupled with my fuscia blanket from my college years, I was so warm last night!

Now I just hope Clark and I can stop upgrading/downgrading mattress sizes.  Seriously, we've owned every mattress size there is in the 3.8 years we've been married.

Also, I vow to learn to quilt...someday in the not so distant future.  Something simple like my new quilt.  Square pieces of fabric sewn together, how hard can it be?  (Someone please tell me it's easy and that there are helpful tutorials online. Please.)

The last couple excursions before the start of spring semester

Scott and Dagmara came to visit over my last free weekend before the start of my grueling spring semester (thanks for coming, guys!).  Since Clark had to work all day on Friday, I decided to keep the troops entertained by exploring some of downtown and then trekking ALL the way back to our apartment by foot. It's a three mile walk from downtown back to the apartment, but there was plenty to see along the way, and in reality, the walk didn't even seem that long.  Our first stop was Macy's, so Scott and Dagmara could bask in the aesthetic beauty of the building's interior.  They even got to hear the WORLD'S LARGEST PIPE ORGAN in action, so that was a plus!

 Go point and shoot, stitching together two photos properly!

 World's largest pipe organ.  YOU KNOW IT.

One of the many beautiful churches in this city. This was taken downtown, at the beginning of our trek back to the apartment.

Making our way back to University City.

Below is the Fisher Fine Arts Library on UPenn's campus.  I will soon have an entire post devoted to awesome buildings on campus and row houses around our neighborhood.  At the end of December my friend Sheri and I walked around a good portion of University City, photographing really cool structures we've wanted to shoot for months. So, the post will be coming soon and YOU WILL LOVE IT. That is a threat.  Kind of.

 On the steps of College Hall.

Dagmara and Scott and the red door of The Arch, also on campus.

On Saturday we drove out to (and around) Amish country.  I love seeing the horses and buggies on the roads, and I love seeing laundry drying out on clothes lines.  It's just so charming and rustic.  Just so you know, Clark loves  Intercouse.  Several years ago when we visited Kyle and Kim (when Kyle was in med school at Penn State) Clark purchased a Shirt that read: I *heart* Intercourse.  He hasn't worn the shirt since living in Pennsylvania (probably doesn't want to look like a tourist in his state of residency, but people on the West coast and in Australia sure loved it :)

  Though I know the Kitchen Kettle Village is a total tourist trap, I still enjoy walking around the shops, especially the furniture stores where I tend to daydream about owning such fine craftsmanship.  I have never had the courage to take photos in the furniture shops as I don't know if it is considered faux pas and I don't want the Amish to think I'm trying to inconspicuously photograph them.  

We spent way too much time in the Jam & Relish Kitchen.  There were so many different items to try and every single one was so good!  The pumpkin butter, lemon curd, and sweet potato butter were all divine.  We knew we wouldn't be able to escape Amish country without a few items, so we proceeded to look through other shops before making our purchases.

Everyone checking out the mailboxes. 

The horse and buggy mailbox is just adorable.   

Clark's window shopping/shopping stamina is rather low so he took frequent breaks.  He's got that pissed off look in his eyes, but I'm not really sure why.  He wasn't upset, I swear.  It just appears that way.

Annnnnnd, here we are back at the Jam and Relish Kitchen.  Just too many choices! 

Loading up!

This shop was a taste tester's paradise!

Clark was clearly satisfied with our purchases.

We stopped by the National Christmas Center, but in the end we decided not to take the tour. I find it baffling that ticket prices remain the same even in early January.  Now had there been a discount we may have given in.  This is definitely one of those things that we may have to do to get in the holiday spirit come Dec. 2012.

Our spoils of a nice Saturday afternoon--besides the obvious opportunity to spend time with family.  (PS, this particular lemon curd is actually produced in Scotland, but it was cheaper than the lemon curd produced in PA and we couldn't tell the difference taste-wise.  Our little secret.)

Thanks for coming to visit, Scott and Dagmara!  We're so happy you were/are willing to have little adventures with us.  Love you guys!

Group shot!

My Dad emailed me this photo from our day up in the mountains before Christmas. Love it! We're just missing Clark and Cedar. 

What we did on Clark's Wednesday off

Our main objective was to make it to the Poconos.  We did make it, however we got sidetracked along the way and ended up here:

Clark and I actually own a Martin guitar, so visiting this site was kind of a big deal. However, we had no idea that the factory is located right here in Pennsylvania.  Nazareth, PA to be precise.  We were stoked when we passed the little brown sign on the freeway that instructed us to take the next exit and basically drive into a neighborhood to where this guitar factory is located.  

We were able to walk through the museum, however, we missed the factory tour.  Tours only take place three and a half hours a day, from 11-2:30pm.  We showed up around 3pm.  We were still able to see pretty guitars and read up about the history of Martin guitars at the museum, though.

All the magic happens behind these closed doors.

We did make it to the Poconos as dusk settled in.  Obviously, because of the dark, we weren't able to see much of anything at all.  I think we'll definitely plan another trip up that way in the summer so we can actually take the Martin factory tour and witness some of the beauty surrounding the Pocono mountains.

What we did on Clark's Tuesday off

Drove down to Wilmington, Delaware to determine whether it is a place worth revisiting and walking around in warmer weather (i.e. spring or summer).

Went to Costco (no pictures).

Went to Target. (Pictures of dollar treasures below! Much to my dismay, Target no longer carries dollar weekly planners.  I've bought planners at Target for the last three years, and I'm sad to say that now I'll have to resort to the Dollar Tree in hopes that they have what I'm looking for.  I will miss the dollar Target weekly planners dearly.)

Bubble Bath ( I just can't avoid the appearance of evil, I guess ;) )

Can never have too many of these!

Stickers for the seven year old children in our class at church.

I'm always needing notecards.  These definitely beat trying to strain the creative part of my brain to construct my own.

Pencils for our seven year old kids at church.  We will bribe them to be reverent if we have to.

And when we got back from Delaware, we put up our mug rack.  Now I can show off my kitty cat mug, fish mug, and unicorn mug without even having to use them.

Happy New Year!

We had grand plans for New Year's Eve, which consisted of either watching the fireworks down at Penn's Landing or driving to Bethlehem, PA earlier in the evening to watch their giant peep drop.  Instead, we decided to pig out on smoked salmon dip and eggnog, watch Crazy, Stupid, Love from the comfort of our bed, and engage in our favorite pastime: pillow talk (what were you thinking? Hmmmmmm?).  It was pretty fantastic. All in all, a great way to ring in the New Year, me thinks.