The Prudential Skywalk

Daniel and I took Kristen and Ryan to the Prudential Tower on our last day together in Boston. The Pru is a 52 floor skyscraper that provides an amazing 360 degree view of Boston and beyond on the 50th floor Skywalk. Daniel and I had heard that the skywalk was a great place to visit. We hadn't gone before so we thought it would be fun to experience it with Kristen and Ryan. It was a clear sunny day and the views were spectacular.

Kristen and Ryan's Visit

Daniel and I had such a great time this past week with his sister, Kristen and brother-in-law, Ryan. They are home from Sudan for a few months and flew in to Boston last Wednesday afternoon. It was an adventure in itself for me to pick them up at the airport. I walked down to the train station from home (about 15 minutes) and took the train into Boston. From the North Station, I walked to the Government Center Subway Station (about 10 minutes). I rode the blue line up to the airport stop, where I caught the shuttle bus to the airport. It was great to see Kristen and Ryan when they arrived! We have had a very busy week, with trips into Boston, New Hampshire for berry picking, and Plum Island for Fish and Chips. Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Kristen and Ryan's first train ride into Boston

The Wharf

Looking out at the airport from the wharf

The courtyard behind the Old North Church

George Washington in the Public Garden

Blueberry picking

Raspberries and blueberries

Picking Honeycrisp Apples

A picnic at Lynch Park in Beverly

The beach on Plum Island

Plum Island Wildlife Refuge

Fish and Chips at Bob Lobster

An Afternoon in Boston

Our friends, Jesse and Kelly, invited us to join them for a day in Boston on Sunday. After attending the early service at church (8am!) we boarded the train and headed into "Beantown". We walked from North Station to Quincy Market, where we met up with friends of Kelly's who were visiting the area. We enjoyed a walk through the North End, Boston's oldest section. It just so happened that we were in town during St. Anthony Feast, a large celebration in the North End over the weekend. There were a lot of people along the streets watching some local marching bands. We enjoyed a visit through Paul Revere's house and even made our way across the Charles River to tour the USS Constitution, America's oldest Navy Ship. Daniel and I had a great time in Boston. We were grateful for a beautiful day, full of sunshine and a gentle breeze. We're also very thankful for the friendship we've developed with Jesse and Kelly!

Congratulations, Daniel!

For the past two years Daniel has been working toward the completion of his Master's Degree in Public Administration. On Saturday, he submitted his final capstone paper! He is officially done! It's hard to believe! Daniel says that its surreal. He is so used to turning in a final paper for a class and in a few weeks getting the syllabus for the next class. It may take a while for the reality to sink in. To celebrate Daniel's huge accomplishment, I took him to Richardson's for ice cream cones. I'm very proud of him!

Lobstah

Before...

After...

Old Orchard Beach - part 2

Sunday morning turned out to be cooler and cloudier than Saturday. After breakfast at the hotel, Daniel and I drove down to Old Orchard Beach to enjoy our morning by the ocean before heading home. We spent a little time visiting some of the local shops as we made our way to the beach, sampling fudge in a candy store and picking out a magnet for a suvenier of our trip. On the sandy beach we spread our blanket and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the ocean. Daniel and I spent the time writing in a journal, recording the events of our first anniversary trip, listing the memorable events of the past year, and looking to the coming year and what it may bring. The drive home went much faster than the drive up, since we left Old Orchard Beach around noon. We stopped in Wells at Wonder Mountain to play a round of miniature golf. It was a beautiful course with waterfalls, ponds, and wildflowers. We had a great time and I beat Daniel by one point! It was a very close game. Daniel and I finished our First Anniversary weekend with dinner at Bob Lobster for a wonderful seafood meal. We sat outside on a picnic table overlooking the Merrimack River. Daniel had fish and chips and I had lobster. After dinner we returned home and finished writing about our day in the journal. It was a fantastic, relaxing weekend celebrating our first anniversary. I am very blessed to have Daniel in my life. This past year has been wonderful and I look forward to what the future holds for us.

Old Orchard Beach - part 1

Daniel and I chose to spend our First Anniversary at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. We had wanted to go to Maine for our honeymoon, but weren't able. It was the perfect choice for our anniversary now that we live in New England. We chose to take the scenic route up the coast Saturday morning. What we didn't consider was what the traffic would be like on the two lane road as opposed to the freeway. What should have taken less than two hours, took us over four hours! We finally made it to our hotel in Saco where we dropped off our stuff and made our way to Old Orchard Beach. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and we were excited to spend some time at the beach. We checked out the busy pier, which consisted of suvenier shops and restaurants, before heading down to the water. As you can imagine, the sandy beach was definitely crowded! Daniel and I took a nice walk hand-in-hand along the water's edge, ocassionally getting splashed by a bigger wave. It was a wonderful time of reflecting on our first year of marriage. We finished the evening with dinner on the pier and homemade ice cream from one of the shops along the beachfront.