This Week In Review

 Well folks, we have officially sprouted gills over here.

Maybe we should be called the AmphibiHAHNs.

Did that joke give anyone else retarded tingles?

Anyways, this is what we managed to get done this week.

 We swam on Monday,

 and Tuesday,

 and Wednesday, and Thursday, but on Thursday we also

 ran a little community race.  Yes, the picture above shows Anna at the starting line.  She started, but her little 6 inch long legs got all tummy tuckered out.

On Thursday, we also got our new little man a birthday present...

400lbs of wheat

60 lbs of beans.

And because we got so much done on Thursday, we decided to swim again on Friday and Saturday.

Summer just comes and goes so quickly.

I feel like you have to squeeze every last drop out of it.

Guess what we are doing tomorrow?

Independence Day

 Our 4th of July could not have been better.

We started out on the ferry that takes you from Boston to Charlestown.

While on the ferry...

 ...4 Navy Seals para-trooped down with red and blue smoke, flags, and stunts.

Then, the Blue Angels and the Air Force did two fly overs.

 We made our way to Bunker Hill.

Everyone but Anna and I climbed the 297 steps to the top

(James did it for the second time in his life)

where they saw "Old Ironsides" shoot off her cannons.

The print shop along the Freedom Trail

(which has never been open on my other tours)

was printing The Declaration of Independence.

They nailed the freshly printed copies to trees all over the square.

And no holiday is complete without some good eatin',

 friends who get excited about fishing,

 

 and childlike spectacle.

Amongst all the festivities and good times of the day,

I did pause to re-read the Declaration of Independence and ponder it's significance.

I am grateful for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"

Up, Up, and Away

 

 Dear Daniel,

I hope you always soar.  The world is yours.

love,

Mom

11 Years Ago...

...I entered the CTM (that is the MTC in Brazil).

Today I met up with my first companion.

It was so great to see her.

We haven't seen each other since we left the CTM (we served in different missions).

Aunt Lulatooler

 We have had a visitor.  A very fun visitor.

 She just about wore us out.

 But now we have picnicking memories,

 bike riding memories,

 lobster lunch and fudge on the pier memories,

 beach, and

 critter harvesting memories.

 Thanks to Aunt Lisa, we have the whole thing documented.

 This is my favorite picture.

Maybe I should dedicate a whole post to it.

That's a hermit crab in his hand.

Come again, anytime.

4th Anniversary

This week we celebrate our fourth anniversary living in Boston.  This is the longest I have ever lived anywhere in my whole life!  Does that mean I'm from Massachusetts?  Yeah right.  Massachusetts wouldn't claim me.  I don't own any Red Sox gear and I've never watched a game, I have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on my minivan, I have more than one kid, we own a trampoline and we let our kids roam the back yard with their airsoft guns, oh there are many reasons.  But I love it here.  I love all the memories we have and I'm grateful we will be here longer to make more.