Labor Day Weekend

The Nelsons joined us for Labor Day Weekend. We started Friday evening with a Texas Rangers Game.  The Rangers won, of course, and the game was followed by fireworks.   Sam, Gavin, Nick and Blake went biking on Saturday.  Gavin said it was really tough.  We also got in some pool time.

Blake, Aaron, and Gavin

I love these shots of Carter and Trey cheering.

Making rolls for Sunday dinner.

Spring Recital

Gavin played The Hiding Game and The Lion Sleeps Tonight as a duet with another student of Lindsey.

Boston Day 5 - Museum of Fine Art

This vacation went by way too fast.  Katie and I spent our last day visiting the Museum of Fine Arts, which was an excellent conclusion to our fabulous trip.  Katie's flight left at 8pm and I spent one more night with the Sparks.

Boston Museum of Fine Art

We loved this clay bench.

Chihuly!

The ceiling was painted by John Singer Sargent.

Newest Acquisition of the museum

Hair styles really haven't changed that much.

Got to love Jackson Pollock.

Riding the train back to our hotel for the last time.

Sunset from the Spark's back yard.

Boston Day 4 - More Cannoli and Laughing

On our second exploring the city day, we started on the Freedom Trail where we left off yesterday.  We saw Copp's Hill Burial Ground which was the largest colonial burial ground dating back to 1659.  After going through the gift shop and trying on fashionable hats, we toured the USS Constitution.  Our biggest mistake of the trip was climbing the Bunker Hill Monument.  There were 294 steps and after we got up there Katie said, "They should have had a sign that said, 'The view isn't really that great."  We had to lay on the lawn and recover for awhile.

Everyone told me to visit the Isabella Stewart Garden Museum, which was our next stop.  It had some wonderful masterpieces, but I found the presentation to be disorganized.  Part of how the foundation was set up requires the collection to be left how Isabella arranged it.  After a late lunch we checked out the views from the Prudential Tower.  We actually should have done this first.  There was an audio tour that as you took your 360 tour, it told you about the buildings you were looking at.  

We were seeing a comedy show that night, Anjelah Johnson.  Katie directed us a mile in the wrong direction.  Thank goodness we found a taxi and we made it to the show on time.  It is so fun to laugh.  Anjelah Johnson was quite funny.  

We ate dinner at Giacomo's an Italian place in the North end.  I had butternut squash ravioli.  Fantastic!  We stopped at Mike's again for another cannoli.  I love cannoli.  We made our train but the hotel shuttle wouldn't pick us up from the train station that late, so we had to call another taxi.  We went to bed exhausted:)

Copp's Hill Burial Ground

This is a great look for Katie.

Before getting on the USS Constitution.

I could have totally steered a ship.

Bunker Hill Monument

View From the Top

Back down again.

So exhausted!

New Part of the Isabella Stewart Museum

Part of Isabella's palace/museum.

View from the Prudential Tower.

Boston Day 3 - Exploring the City with Katie

Katie and I took the train into Boston to spend the day exploring the city.  Our first stop was the Boston Public Library.  It is such a beautiful building.  We ate lunch at Max Brenner where I had an ice cream popsicle to dip into melted chocolate.  (Max Brenner please open in Texas.)  We took a Duck Tour, which was so much fun.  It gave us a lot of information about the city and we got to go into the Charles River and view the city from the water.  

We walked the Freedom trail the whole way to the Old North Church.  The Freedom trail is actually a red line that is painted on the ground for you to follow around the city.  It was an excellent idea.  We followed the guide book and got to see a lot.

After a fabulous dinner at Mamma Maria we went to the Boston Ballet at the Opera House.  We had second row seats right in the center and it was amazing.  After picking up cannoli at Mike's pastry shop, we headed back to the train station only to have missed the last train back to our hotel.  Thank goodness for taxis.  

In front of the Boston Public Library.

He he

In the Library.

Interior of the library.

Our photo from the Duck Tour.

Duck Tour Guide

Boston Marathon finish line.

State House

View of the city from the Charles River.

On the duck tour.

Another passing duck boat/vehicle.

In front of Trinity Church

Katie at Trinity Church

Boston Commons and the swan boats.

Enjoying Boston Commons

The start of the freedom trail.

Cranary Burial Ground where the victims of the Boston Massacre, parents of Benjamin Franklin, Peter Faneuil, Paul Revere, and John Phillips (1st Mayor of Boston) are buried.  Established in 1660.

Prisoners were held in this cage to be given a sermon before they were executed.  

Park Street Church was established in 1809.

Site of the Boston Massacre

Quincy Market

I couldn't pass up taking this photo.

On the street.

Plaza next to Paul Revere's house.  We ate dinner at Mamma Maria.

Paul Revere's House.

Interior of Old North Church where "One if by land, two if by sea..."

Good presentation does make it taste better.

mmmmmm

Theater District

China Town

At the Boston Ballet where we saw Fancy Free.

Sealing of the Opera House before I got yelled at for taking a picture.

Mike's cannoli!