Last day in Boston

We got to enjoy a beautiful day at the pool right before we packed up to come home. There hadn't been a warm enough day for swimming yet, so I was excited! We had fun with all the girls that were out there and we splashed around with Cole in the water. Cohen loved jumping into my arms and wiggling all through the water.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end...

So, we are in the process of packing and heading home!
For a few days Scott and I deliberated and prayed and the conclusion we have come to is, it is time for our family to move on back to Utah. We are so thankful we came to Massachusetts and had this amazing experience with all of these awesome people!!! We learned so much and got way more than we thought we would out of this experience. We now have a closer relationship as a couple and family, we have spent a lot of time on our knees trying to figure out what is right for our family and this has strengthened our testimonies and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We are so grateful for this...

Things were great while we were here, but it is now our time to leave, so we say goodbye to beautiful Boston and look forward to the new adventures that await!

Boston Common, Public Garden, Newbury Street and Faneuil Hall

Scott and I spent the day together exploring Boston and left Cohen with Ashley and Regan (Thanks so much you guys!) We got off the T at Boston Common, then headed to the Public Garden and walked down along Newbury St. After grabbing some dinner we walked back through everything and made our way up to Faneuil Hall so Scott could get a look at it too. Here it all is in detail! :)

Boston Common is the starting point of the Freedom Trail and is the oldest park in the country. It's almost 50 acres in size and was filled with people lounging on blankets eating, sleeping and reading, playing frisbee, enjoying funnel cakes (like we did!) and lots of people walking their dogs!
The Common has a long history and has been used for many different purposes. Public hangings took place here until 1817 and grazing cattle filled it until 1830. Also, in 1775 British troops camped in Boston Common prior to the Revolution.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II have given speeches at the Common, along with other celebrities. It continues to be a stage for free speech which we experienced first hand hearing a man shout his religious speech at passerbyers.

This squirrel below made me laugh. It was just "hanging out" on a tree munching some food!


We enjoyed wandering through the Public Garden and seeing George Washington and the swan boats.



This is the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54^th Regiment Memorial.
It serves as a memorial to the group of men who were among the first African Americans to fight in a war. (Civil War)
Augustus Saint-Gaudens took nearly 14 years to complete this bronze monument, which celebrates the sacrifices made by these men.
It is amazing to see it up close, in detail and to again, think about all the history that makes this country what it is today.

We then walked along Newbury Street which had great shopping, (especially if you don't mind paying an arm and a leg, YIKES!) restaurants and another one of Bostons many beautiful churches.

Here is the Massechusetts State House and a memorial for a woman named Mary Dyer who was a Quaker and a witness for religious freedom. She was hung in the common in 1660.
Religious freedom is something I know I have taken for granted, seeing this memorial put things into perspective for me more than I had experienced before...

Here we are manuvering the curvy Boston roads making our way to Faneuil Hall and once we arrived, Scott quickly made a friend.

We loved spending the day together, just the two (and a half) of us, and had so much fun getting to know Boston a little better!

New England Aquarium

We got up early Wednesday morning and headed straight for the T! It was pretty packed since it was a weekday morning, but we all (the Avery's and Gillespie's) crammed ourselves in with our strollers. We got off in a beautiful part of the city and walked along the coast up to the Aquarium.





In the Aquarium, our first stop was Cohen and Scott's favorite part, the penguins!
(I don't know what he is doing in this picture! :))

We saw all sorts of awesome sea life!



My favorite was this amazing sea turtle! It was huge and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen...

Picture the turtle above saying this..."Jellies, sweeeet!" :) (Nemo quote...)


I love this picture, how their reflections show with the fish swimming by...



Everyone had fun touching the crabs and starfish!

We had a hard time getting Cohen to leave this area, he loved touching stuff and playing in the water so much!


What cute boys we have! Dylan, Cohen and Jack

Cohen loved this turtle and wanted to give it hugs.

He also thought the penguin was pretty cool.

Ok, my favorites were the turtle, jellies AND the sea horse. I can't pick just one...

Cohen trying to hold his enthusiasm in... we just saw DORY!

After we said goodbye to the fish, walked over to the pier for a quick pic.
Have I mentioned how this kid HATES pictures? AH!

We picked up a dozen Dunkin' Donuts on our way back to the T and thorougly enjoyed them as we walked. As good as they were, I really don't understand why there is honestly a Dunkin' Donuts on EVERY OTHER CORNER! I am sure I have seen at least 100 different locations and I haven't traveled that far through Massachusets! I personally think Crispy Creme is better. :)
We had a great time at the New England Aquarium and best of all, spent time together before Scott headed off for the day!