Mom and Dad Visit #2

 My Mom and Dad were able to fly out for a 2nd visit this past weekend!  This time we took it a bit easier on them and were able to hit a few new spots on the visit.

The above picture is shot aboard the USS Constitution which gives a fabulous view of the city from the Navy Ship Yard.

Just blocks away from the Navy Ship Yard is the Bunker Hill Monument.  We also visited the museum across the street which houses an incredible diorama of the battle. 

 Carter mastered biking without training wheels just in time to show off for Grandpa and Grandma!

 Grandpa and Grandma took in a lot of softball and baseball while they were here.  They got to watch a game of each kid while they were here.  The weather was fabulous!

 On Saturday afternoon, we made a day trip to Newport, RI and picked up cousin Heidi on the way.

We enjoyed the scenic ride on the bridges of Newport and walked the Cliff Walk which allows you to take in the coast and the mansions of Newport.

 Mom and Dad took the first Duck Tour of all of our guests and loved it.  The tour guide was great and we learn a so many new things about Boston and the history within.

 This is a shot of the Longfellow bridge while aboard the duck

 A long standing tradition in Boston is the Swan boats in the Public Garden.  Mom and Dad took a romantic spin around the pond.

 On Monday evening we took the train to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox take on our own Minnesota Twins!!!

 It was a long game and we ended up leaving after the top of the 9th.  The Red Sox ended up taking down the Twins by a run in the bottom of the 11th.  

 On our final day we went to the Marathon Bombing site to pay respect to the victims that lost their lives due to the horrible act of hate just three weeks prior.  The finish line remains painted on the street and the memorial is stacked with notes of love, prayer, and respect.

 Just across from the memorial site is Boston's first Public Library which houses some of the most amazing art, architecture, and archives.  It is truly something to see!

Beckering Visit #1

 Our life long friends, Dan and Laura, flew in this past Friday for a fun filled couples weekend.  They left their 4 kids behind with grandparents, much to our kids' dismay, and we enjoyed the best of Boston with probably the best history guide: Dan!

 The Public Garden is now in full bloom.  It is so very pretty.  The swan boats are out and about and the leaves on the tree are in their beginning stages.  The weather was kind as it averaged around 65-70 degrees for their visit.

I think that Dan could have spent much more time at each site that we toured.

 It was our first time at Bunker Hill.  It is a spectacular site up on a hill.  The monument was built in 1846.

The USS Constitution is a high light for most of our visitors.  

Their visit allowed us to catch up on so very much and also allowed Dan freedom to read all the information around him.  They are planning to drive out with the kids in June for a full family visit to Boston!

Thanks for coming!

The Zeinstra Visit

The Zeinstra family arrived in Boston on Wednesday morning after a long morning of travel from a snowy Minnesota to the warm sunshine in Massachusetts.  Boston was in a state of heightened security as only 2 days had passed since the bombing at the marathon.  Mike was able to give them a brief tour of down town Boston, but the presence of security was hard to ignore.

 Harvard University tour................

The USS Constitution

Friday morning was another morning of shock as we were quickly made aware of the fact that the suspects of the bombing were identified during the night and that one of them was on the run, armed, and dangerous in Watertown, Ma just 2 miles from our home.  We were asked by the authorities to remain in our homes behind locked doors.

After a couple of hours of watching the developments of the pursuit of the suspect we felt comfortable that he was contained to a general area to the north of us and that leaving the city was the best plan for us and for our guests.  Our favorite New England spot is Ogunquit, ME.  We took a round about way out of the city in order to avoid any confrontation with the authorities and made our way north away from danger and to enjoy the coast until the conflict was resolved.

Zeinstra family picture

 The weather was so beautiful and the kids were able to enjoy rock climbing.

 Can you spot my little harbor seal basking in the sun?

 Lobster time.................

and

tea time...............

Sunday morning was an especially emotional service at our church as we all gave thanks for the capture of the marathon bomber and prayed for those involved in the attack. 

The girls enjoyed the ride on the T.........Thanks a bunch for coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boston Marathon 2013

Monday, April 15th will be a day that we will not soon forget.  The kids were off of school for spring break in New England.  We had plans to stay put in Boston because our next set of visitors were set to arrive in Wednesday morning.  We were excited to take in our first (and probably only) Boston Marathon.  The marathon route runs just south of where we live by only six blocks where they are approximately at the 20 mile mark in their quest.  

We didn't really know what to expect as we set out.  We did know one friend from our church back in Minnesota that was running and we were excited to try and spot him as he ran past.

We heard the cheering immediately from our front door step; there was excitement in the air.  It was clear that this was a family day for Boston as families came in droves to cheer on both strangers and friends.

We watched the elite and those that ran for special cause and had nothing but admiration for everyone that ran. 

We made the decision before leaving the house, that we did not want to go to the finish line and fight the crowds and find parking.  We didn't know how important that decision truly was.

 The Boston Bombing 2013

We began to receive text messages asking us if we were OK?  Were you at the finish line?

We had no idea what had just happened at the finish line, but quickly went inside and turned on the TV.

Two bombs exploded at the finish line.  3 people died, nearly 200 injured and no one knew who or why.

Brouwer Visit

We knew the Brouwers' were coming for weeks, but we kept in under raps to surprise the kids.  It was so very much fun!  The girls were shocked.

Jack, Michelle, and the girls spent Easter weekend in New York City and then took the train up to Boston's South Station where Mike met them.  (We told the kids that Dad was at a meeting.)

The next few days were so very much fun.  The girls had to go to school, but we made sure that we were prompt with their pick up.  The girls basically had a 5 night sleep over.  They were not very interested in seeing the sights of Boston, but instead just playing and laughing.

 The Brouwers in front of George Washington's statue in the Public Garden.

 Carter and I skipped the Freedom Trail tour and played at the Frog park in Boston Commons

 We took the girls home on the Green Line while Jack and Michelle took in the JFK Library

The weather improved nicely for their visit so that the girls could play on the swing in the back yard

One of the best evenings was out on Sargent's Wharf, going out for pasta in the North End, and getting dessert at Mike's Pastry.

Other highlights of the trip were shopping in Quincy Market, the street performer, University of Michigan winning the semi-finals, Harvard's Museum of Natural History, and the USS Constitution.

The count down is on!  The girls endured a difficult good-bye to their dear friends, but we tried to reassure them that the move is just 82 days away.  

Walhof Visit and Easter!!!!

Hailey and Makenna inside Cabot Elementary

It was a long dry spell without visitors for us out on the East coast, but on Tuesday it came to an end with the  Walhofs arriving from NW Iowa.  The kids were so very excited to see their cousins and everyone at school  knew that their cousins from Iowa were coming!

It was difficult for the girls to go to school for the next couple of days, but it was best for us to take Stephanie, Eric and the kids on a a tour of downtown Boston without our kids.

Makenna was up with the girls and walked them to school each day and at the end of the day their cousins were waiting eagerly outside of school for them.

The Public Garden and Freedom Trail tour was on Wednesday.  Thankfully the temps allowed us to take off our coats from time to time.

The second day of the visit Mike took them to the USS Constitution and Harvard Square.

 On Friday, our kids all had school off for Good Friday and so we packed everyone up for an overnight trip to Ogunquit, ME

 The Marginal Way is one of our family's most favorite spots in New England.  The kids love climbing the rocks and exploring the beaches.

 Damon and Carter found a cave in the rocks

 Our hotel was right along side of the Marginal Way with outdoor hot tubs that over looked the Atlantic Ocean.  (We could all use some sun!)

 When in New England, it is essential to have LOBSTER!

 The Atlantic was frigid, but they had to give it a try

 On Easter morning, we celebrated our risen Savior at our church that we have come to love and belong to here: Evangelical Baptist Church.

Thanks a bunch for coming Walhofs!!!!!!!

Spring please...............

Well, it has been about a month since my last post.  I believe the reason to be that winter is dragging on and we are all lacking in some Vitamin D.  Please spring come quickly!
New England winter has not been kind to our 1st and only winter we are going to be living here.  We have had another two snow storms since winter storm Nemo.  The city of Newton and surrounding areas do not handle snow fall very well and so the response to snow fall seems to be to cancel school.  Snow removal is difficult and there is just no place to push it.  The kids have used up all 5 snow days that are built into the calendar year plus an additional one this past Tuesday.  This unofficially puts them in school until June 26!  The crazy part is that we are hoping to be packed up and leaving on June 29th.
Along with the snow came another wave of illness that struck hard in our home.  All three kids acquired a mean virus that involved tons of snot, coughing, sore throats, and fevers.  Hailey has now officially missed 12 days of school this year with 10 of them being due to illness.  She gets hit very hard each time and it always lingers for her longer than the other two.  Taylor and Carter both also missed school with fevers and poor sleep.  We also had our first fainting episode in our family as Taylor fell over at 2am after coming to me in the middle of the night with a fever spike.
Despite the illness and snow, Mike was able to persevere and finish his course work for his masters at the school of public health.  He had finals all last week and can officially say that he is finished with classes FOREVER.  (For those of us that know Mike well, I am never really sure if he will ever be finished.)  Anyway, now he can regroup and focus on all the research projects he has going on.  He is off to New Orleans to present at AHA over the weekend.
To add to some of the stress of life, we received a phone call from our renters in MN that the sewer had backed up into our basement back home.  After spending most of the day on the phone, we have all the carpet removed there and the area cleaned and inspected.  I guess we will have nice new carpet to return to in July!
Next week we are eagerly anticipating the start of visitors from the mid-west.  My sister and her family are coming to celebrate Easter and to tour New England.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate with all our plans and sight seeing.
I look forward to the next blog post............................