sd land

Road-tripped to San Diego (affectionately referred to as "SD Land" by my dad) this past weekend and although we had a semi-sick little girl on our hands decided to make the most of it anyway and had some pretty fun adventures.

seals in La Jolla Cove

never too big for an Ergo Baby, I guess

pondering the Pacific with my little man

feeling right at home in the sand

saying hello to a walrus at Sea World

Sea World has some really goofy penguins

cool dolphin show!

Elmo ride with Auntie Becca

tuckered out

trying to see the starfish

ahh, much better

Vesper was beside herself
in the presence of Paul the cat

beach cruising in style

one of the plusses to moving around a lot
catching up with dear friends everywhere you go :)

Katie and me, circa a few years ago
(Katie, please don't kill me for posting this picture -
it could have been so much worse)

fun Balboa Park play date with the Leon Family just before heading back

out of metaphors

I was doing pretty well for awhile. Actually lived in one place for 4 years. I'm talking the same roof over my head for 4 years! That's the longest I've lived anywhere in my adult life and I've been an adult for 20 years now. And then Ollie came along and we've moved 4 times since then.

Well... we knew our time in Arizona was limited and it's been fun, but it's getting hot! Oh, and Morgan was offered a faculty position at Purdue University that he just couldn't turn down.

So here we go again... and I simply don't have anymore "moving" metaphors left in me, but we're excited about being closer to family and experiencing 4 seasons, finding a fun "project" house again... and our big dream of having summers off to travel, build furniture, run a B&B, summer at the beach... who knows. It took us a while to get to this point, but every move made it fun, educational and adventurous and we have no regrets.

We'll miss you, Arizona, particularly in January... and February... and March and April, but it's time to move on - shoot, is that a metaphor? Aw, heck, who cares - Indiana, here we come :)

more visitors!

Within one seven day period we got to see Grandma and Grandpa Hynes, Uncle Whitney, Auntie Cally, Auntie Janna and Uncle Scott! Lots of great eating too!

impulses

Some are tempted by candy in the check-out aisle. Others... furniture on Craigslist.

I swear I hadn't even looked at the site for months, but something on Pinterest motivated me to do a random search on Craigslist for mid century furniture and low and behold, there she was.

The tall version (high boy) of the same dresser we found on the street last fall. I had actually researched the manufacturer etc for more info on this dresser last fall and never even saw so much as a picture on google yet here was a second piece. Same maker's mark, joinery and everything. So I did the only humane thing I could. I brought it home :)

water table

Flipped a bin over and filled another with water. Saved $100 today ;-)

too close to home

Today is the anniversary of when Morgan and I met. We met on Patriots Day in 2006. I was watching the marathon and he was at the Red Sox game. I, and then later we, lived mere blocks from the finish line. And I still continue to work for the same architectural firm as I did then which is also mere blocks from the finish line. The Back Bay of Boston was my 'hood. I know those streets quite well. Heck, my blog is even named after one.

It's been difficult to process the continued coverage of the marathon bombing. Sometimes I tell myself that it's better to not look and listen. To shelter myself from it. After all we're 2700 miles away and people here don't really talk about it. But I'm not so sure it really is better. There's a fine line between wanting to know nothing and wanting to know everything.

Yesterday it was tough not to sense the somberness throughout the office even through email. One co-worker noted that some construction was going on in the building next door and every time there was a loud bang he would jump. That police/army officers were patrolling the peaceful Public Garden with automatic rifles where we typically eat our lunch and watch the Swan Boats. But when I found out the second identified victim was from Medford, where Morgan and I made our home the last couple years, that truly broke my heart. I knew I couldn't be in denial anymore and now I just wish I could hug my friends and neighbors for like 80 years. But I can't.

That being said, it's tough not to absorb a lesson here as we embark on making some major life decisions (what to do after Arizona) in the next couple months. Life is too short to always be waiting for it to begin. Occasionally I'm guilty of this... once I get a new job, once we have a baby, once we move to a new house, and then once we have another baby... etc. But there are absolutely no guarantees in tomorrow. This is it. You don't like where you're at? Change it. I guess I've sort of always lived my life this way. It's what brought me to Boston in the first place. And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

In closing, I love you, dear, dear City. Wherever I go you will always be in my heart. And I promise not to forget what happened here.

a very pregnant me, at the finish line, spring 2009

instagram goofball

strike a pose

Vesper's all business in the courtyard

a Grand holiday

What's better than a weekend with Uncle Blake and Becca? TWO weekends with Uncle Blake and Becca! This Easter weekend we rented a cabin together in northern Arizona, visited Sedona, the Grand Canyon, the original Route 66 and had a really fun time! The Easter Bunny even found us!

outside of Sedona

playing at the cabin

see the people?

Oliver decided he was done looking at the "giant hole"
we had to point him away from it

the Easter Bunny came!

saying "good bye" at the cabin

super gorgeous Easter day in northern Arizona

back home, it was hot!

playing with chalk from the Easter Bunny