Boston!

We've finally come back to Boston for the first time in six years.  I am happy to report I haven't lost my awesome defensive driving skills and have successfully driven all over Boston and the suburbs without GPS.  Driving in Boston is the best adrenaline rush ever!  I am also happy to report that I am no longer completely homesick for my boys, just missing them a little.
But the first night here I was a wreck.  I missed my boys and surprisingly I missed my mom as well.  I wasn't prepared for the overwhelming flood of memories that came the moment I stepped off the plane.  Suddenly I was very aware of the tragedies in my life that have changed me and for a moment I longed to be that young, naive newlywed, whose biggest worry was how to live on a meager budget.  I remembered how scared I was when we first moved here and how every time I discovered something new and exciting or went an entire day without getting lost, I would make a mental note to tell my mom about it the next time we talked. I remembered how my mom flew out when I had my babies.  I remembered the things we talked about and the special moments we shared.  I'm not gonna lie, I had a big and unexpected cry over this sudden reminder that she is gone.  But after a good night's sleep and waking up in a beautiful hotel room I was ready for a new day and a new adventure.

Boston is the perfect blend of the old and the new

Newbury Street - shops so expensive I can't even afford to window shop here

The 130 year old historic swan boats

Boston Common founded 1634 - now that's old!

The Freedom Trail - we took so many people along here I vowed I'd never walk it again.  I guess I lied.

Commonwealth Ave - Rows and rows of brown stones Boston is famous for

Trinity Church at Copley Square - one of the top 10 architectural buildings in the world

Boston Public Gardens -the 1st botanical gardens in the United States

 Stay tuned for more. . . We spent two days house hunting in Rhode Island and now we're faced with even more big decisions. Ugh.