July in a Nut Shell

Once Jesse left at the end of June, Mike and I went through withdrawals for quite a while and it has taken us a month to post again. We've done a lot in July. It has been a very fun month. It started with 4th of July. The fireworks here are incredible! I thought the Ojai fireworks couldn't be beat then when I was 13ish I think, I visited Teresa in Kansas and I was there for the 4th of July. After that I thought Kansas fireworks were the best. They were bigger and better than anything I had ever seen before. I really didn't think Boston fireworks would beat out Kansas but it did by miles!!! There were fireworks of all shapes, for example: smiley faces, amazing! cubes (theres a picture of those), and jelly fish. No joke! they even moved like jelly fish! They would move through the sky, pause, the tentacles would catch up to them, then they would move again...it was crazy!!! sorry no pictures of those.

We feel very lucky with where our apartment is located here in Boston. We are literally 30 seconds walk away from a series of ponds called the Emerald Necklace. They are beautiful. I have pictures of those up for you. There are paved trails that go around the edges of all the ponds then there are dirt trails that weave around in between them. I haven't learned all the dirt trails yet so when I go running I still feel like I'm being adventurous.

Mike and I got to spend an evening with Todd in July. He was here for work and had a free evening. It was so fun for me and Mike to spend time with just Todd. I really love Todd and it was fun to spend the evening with him. I have tons of good memories of doing things with just Todd when I was in elementary school. We would ride the tandem bike on the bike trail and make grass boats to float down this little river. I loved it! But here in Boston the three of us went out to eat at Faneuil hall, also known as Quincy Market and then we went to Mike's Pastries in the north end for cannolies. Mike's pastries is soooo good. Everyone needs to come visit Boston just to experience it!

Also in July was the New England Sand Sculpture Competition. It's amazing what people can do with sand, a few tools, and a spray bottle with watered down elmer's glue. That was all they were allowed to use and look what they did! I don't know who won but I hope it was not the widow one...how unhappy for a sand sculpture contest.

We have also spend a lot of time putting our new apartment together. It's been quite the process but it's so nice to have a more "grown-up apartment" as I like to call it. Just one picture for now...I'll take more soon.

And the last few pictures are actually what we did yesterday. We went shopping!!! I love to go shopping. Even if I don't buy anything...but yesterday we did. The picture of all our stuff on the couch is what we got...a new laundry basket, jelly shoes for me and two pairs for Mike (thanks payless), a payless "I heart shoes" bag, pants for me, a rolling cart, and more! Mike must have been in a good mood because I was getting everything I wanted. I love it when that happens. And so that's where we are at now. We played all day yesterday so today we are stuck in a messy apartment with more new things to put away. I wouldn't want it any other way.