I've been here

Alright, this movie isn't the best I've ever seen but it's pretty funny, and I enjoyed it. I'm a fan of Kevin James, and if you watch this movie late at night, it's even funnier. But what made this movie really enjoyable to watch was the fact that it was filmed at a mall close to our home that we frequent often. In fact, we went shopping there while the movie was being filmed at night. I'm going to miss these near-celebrity moments when we leave Boston. I doubt Kevin James is going to Boise anytime soon!

The CCRT

I always forget how much I love my bike until I get on it again.  I haven't ridden my bike in far too long, and Eric had wanted to bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail, so we headed down there yesterday.  I had never been to the Cape when it was actually warm, so it was a treat!  We rode to the beach, and then let Aspen out of her trailer so she could stretch her stubby, adorable legs.  She loved the sand, but was a little afraid of the waves.

After our ride we had dinner and then went to our campsite, where we attempted to put Aspen two sleep for two freaking hours.   She just couldn't get enough of the tent; she thought it was the coolest thing ever.  And who wouldn't?  It's like a private, comfy fort.

By the way, what is it about a man putting a tent together that is so...shall we say....alluring?

Eric took that last photo.  What can I say?  The guy's got talent.

The get-away

After days on end of packing and cleaning, on Thursday we headed up north for a quick camping trip with some friends.  It was such a nice break!  Plus we got to try out our new tent that we bought a couple months ago.  This one is a 3 person tent, which was great.  Eric and I were tired of being rolled on all night long by Aspen in our 2 person.
We'd never gone camping with friends before, and were really big fans of the experience. 
There's lot of benefits!  For example: other kids to play with your kid, other moms to walk to the bathroom with :), and let's face it:  you never really get to know someone the way you do when you're chatting around a campfire until midnight, telling all kinds of outrageous stories!
Friday morning we all got up and took a spontaneous trip to Cracker Barrel, and then Eric, Aspen and I finished up with a hike.  It was a great break for us, and we can't wait to take another camping trip with friends in the future!

Back to Boise

Eric and I have started de-junking and it feels so good!  I hate having "stuff."  You know how there's stuff in your attic that you've forgotten about?  And you don't see it again until you move out.  Well, in my opinion if you've forgotten it's there, you don't need it!  I want to leave our place with as little as possible, so I've tried to be really selective about what we keep.  

We'll be in Boise this summer, so we're moving out.  That's Boise there up top.

Now, I love Boise.  I do.  But there are some things about New England (and the Boston area in particular) that I'm really going to miss!  Especially now that it's spring.  Boston just pops in the spring.  It's glorious.  

Why does New England have to pop, right before we leave?  It's not fair, I tell you.  Not fair at all.

Some things I'm really going to miss:

The local farms that have the tastiest ice cream on the planet.  And I haven't even tried all the ice cream on the planet.  Yet I can claim this with total confidence; that's how good it is.

The blossoms.  What!  Do they get any prettier than this?  And they're everywhere.  Like along the side of the road, distracting me when I drive (oops Eric, forget you read that).

I'll miss the hidden parks with beautiful green grass and enough space for Aspen to get out her wiggles.  They're little pockets of heaven in the city.  And I've only just begun to discover them!

And I'll miss the bike path behind our split-family-home that leads straight to Walgreens. 

I'm sure I'll be adding to this list in the future....

FYI

Aspen's middle finger is going strong; it's as active as ever.  Just in case you wanted to know.  I thought you might be wondering.

Time to shave

I knew it was a good thing Eric had shaved his beard when this morning Aspen pointed to this picture we have hanging on our kitchen wall and exclaimed, "Daddy!"  We don't need any kind of that confusion going on.  

This may sound hokey, but...

I'm a big fan of John and Abigail Adams.  Eric and I both are.  And finally, last Saturday the John Adams National Park was open and we were able to go and see several homes where they resided.  There are so many reasons their lives appeal to me.  They were strong individuals who were honest and hardworking.  They sacrificed so much of their lives and time together for their country.  They knew what was right and what was wrong, and they weren't afraid to stand up for truth.  I wish there were more infamous people like that today that we could look up to. The world needs more Johns and Abigails!

The steering wheel

This girl thinks she is so grown up.  Look at her, trying to engage the cruise control!   
See that black strap around her shoulder?  That's a purse that my mom knitted for me.  Aspen loves to wear it.
It's basically hers now.  Along with half of my necklaces that she likes to wear to church.
It's funny how kids think they're just entitled to everything:  your food, your tupperware, your cell phone, etc.  I remember when I used to feel like that, like the world was mine.  All I had to do was reach out and grab it.
I hope this little one never loses her sense of entitlement.