Part 2: Martha's Vineyard....

Fifteen years ago, Jason and I went to Martha's Vineyard for our honeymoon. Finally, after 15 years of talking about someday heading back to the island, someday came!

 

On the island there isn't anything commercial or chain to be found. No chain hotels, restaurants or Starbucks. Which is good...makes us get out of our comfort zone! We stayed in a great bed and breakfast. Our room is the top floor, on the left with the double balcony!

 

 Isn't our bed just the cutest thing!!

The entire time we were there, we never turned on the air! Which was fine, because we just opened the doors that lead to our balcony! All day, every day we enjoyed the cool ocean breeze!

 

This was the view from our balcony, looking over the harbor.

 

This is a shot looking down towards main street Edgartown.

Love!!

 

The first night was cold and rainy, so we headed to the local movie theater to watch the original Jaws! Why such the excitement? Jaws was filmed on Martha's Vineyard!! Eeeekkkk!!!

Next morning we headed to the Coffee Shop Behind the Book Store. That's the name of the little shop! See the tarps/shade/banners in the background? That is were we enjoyed our breakfast!

This is the Edgartown book store!

We took a lot of selfies or attempted selfies, I should say! this one is in front of the Edgartown lighthouse!

We did a lot of walking around the town and enjoying the local shops!

We went for a bike ride one day...rode from Edgartown to the next town Oak Bluffs. Jaws beach is in the background!

Jason actually jumped off the Jaws bridge!! Look at him go! I thought he was trying to touch his toes!

Can't beat this view while enjoying a local lobster roll or clam chowder!!

 

On our walk we found the bed and breakfast we stayed at 15 years ago. Our room was on the second floor on the right. Oh my. It was in amazing shape 15 years ago. I bit run down now!

Here's a close up of the room we stayed in during our honeymoon. Not so sweet now! Glad Jason and I haven't aged as much as this place!!

 

We would love to head back to the vineyard with the boys someday...I hope we don't wait 15 years!!

 

My Babies!!!

The other night I am sitting in my creative space, when suddenly the boys come plowing through the door with their football gear on.  OH MY!!!

NOT JACK!

This is Jack's first year with helmet and pads. He will still play flag football, but at his age they introduce them to gear. *sniff*  He's too young to be playing football!!

 

This is Jack when Sam got his helmet and shoulder pads for the first time.

 

He has grown up WAY to fast!

And talk about growing up WAY too fast, look at Sammy!

He has perfected his tough football look. I am lucky to get this picture. Jason told the boys to put on their gear and then go show me. Sam said, "I really don't want to do that...she'll make us take pictures!"

This picture cracks me up. Sam all tough and Jack giving a big cheesy grin!

Sam finally told Jack, "You have to look tough...like this!"

And then back to his cheesy grin!

Freedom!!

After our previous day adventures, Jason and I woke up early (because of the one hour time change!) and we were ready to take on the city!

We decided to experience some history and follow the Freedom Trail.

First picture opportunity...Ben Franklin.

We were instantly hooked at looking and experiencing history...along with one million other tourists!  Talk about crowded!! UGH!

Went to the oldest church in Boston, King's Chapel. The box pews are original...the sides are built high to keep worshipers warm in the winter!

This is the governor's pew, which George Washington sat at on a visit to King's Chapel. So Cool!!

Next stop, Park Street Church Burial Ground. There are several famous people buried and recognized here such as Ben Franklin's parents, John Hancock and Paul Revere. There are also memorials to Sam Adams and victims of the Boston Massacre. Is it me, or does the graveyard seem ....foggy?

We soon realized that we came to the start of the Freedom Trail..the start? Yea, we began the tour in the middle and actually worked backwards! Oh well. Perfect place straight ahead to get some lunch where everyone would know our name!!

 

A quick stop on the way back to our hotel. The Samuel Adams statue. I love how he is standing with one foot hanging over the edge. 

Right beside the statue was an amazing group of young fellows doing acrobatic tricks. Here one is flipping over five people! They really could work a crowd!

 

We headed to our room to clean up, get some dinner and head to the Justin Timberlake concert where I suddenly became a teenage girl again!!

Our seats were amazing for the concert.

I got goose bumps!!

 

Isn't he a doll?

Yummy!!

 

 The stage actually raised up and then moved to the opposite side of the Garden Center. 

I think he looks a little stressed here...I think it's because he can't see me! Don't worry...I'm right here Mr. Cutie!!

 

It was a great ending to our first official day in Boston!

 

I'm Baaacck!

So, last week Jason and I (yes, just Jason and I) headed to Boston and Martha's Vineyard for our 15th wedding anniversary! We went to Martha's Vineyard on our honeymoon and decided we would go beack every 5 years...well, make that 10...Nope. every 15! 

And it true Belding style, we had bad things happen the first day of travel. First bad thing, I THOUGHT I forgot my driver's license at home. SHEER panic right there at the check-in counter. Jason held it together very well, he wanted to tackle me, but he stood there and took deep breathes. Good thing, because I had just put my ID in a super safe place, my purse.

We flew into Chicago, with one "OH MY GOD WE ARE GOING DOWN!" moment. Halfway into the flight, the plane suddenly took a dramatic and unsuspected tip, let me rephrase that, jerk to the left. My heart dropped, another passenger actually screamed! The captain came on and said he had just crossed another airplane's exhaust track. WHAT? So, we counted that as bad thing moment two.

Caught our connecting flight at Chicago. We boarded the plane at 11:40, Boston was only one hour and 45 minutes away...can't wait to do some afternoon sightseeing! Soon the captain came on and explained that when the plane had come in, it actually had a flat tire and it needed to be changed (you think?) and check the brakes. It will take about 20 minutes. 20 minutes later, they had us de-board the plane because it would be at least an hour for the tire change and break check. So departure would now be 1:00. ok.

 

(Jason in the airport. I took a nap while waiting!)

1:00 then became 1:30

then 2:00

then 2:15,

then 2:30,

We finally boarded at 2:45.

Only Three hours and 18 minutes delayed.

Count this as bad moment three...we are good to go!

 

There is a one hour change time, so we landed at 6:00 in beautiful Boston! Finally!

Went to get our luggage, and....no luggage to be found for Jason. Oh dear! Moment number four! Thank goodness they (whoever "they" is) had put his luggage on the next plane to Boston. So thirty minutes later, we had luggage and off to our hotel...in our rental car.

Boston isn't the easiest place to drive around, but we had put our destination in our phone maps and headed out...straight into a tunnel where our navigation was lost. SERIOUSLY? We even took a wrong turn into a building parking area, which must happen a lot, because there was a sign that read, "If you are lost, take a ticket and proceed to exit." MOMENT NUMBER FIVE? ARE YOU KDDING ME? That only means one thing...we are having our second round of bad things happen in threes, so we still have one more to go! Jeepers!

On our adventure in attempting to drive to our hotel, we did go pass Fenway Park...which I quickly took a picture of, before saying, "You missed our exit...again." Moment number 6. We are now good to go! Phew!

 

A long story short, we got to our hotel about 8:00, changed and went to a fabulous restaurant right across the street from our hotel.

Summer Vacation...

Just wanted to let you know that I am taking next week off from the blog.

 

We are off making some summer memories and creating stories that will need to be shared, I am sure! Enjoy your week!



A Selfie!

So I was going through the pictures in my camera and came across this one!

Moose! Did you take a selfie?

Summerfest Fun...

Our town has their carnival the weekend after the fourth of July and it is an event!  I have been participating in the event in one way or another since I was just a little girl!  It's fun to now take the boys to the carnival, which has changed in many ways (including what the teenage girls are wearing now days!  I actually found myself saying, "How can their parents let them out of the house dressed that way?" Sounded just like MY parents!!) The carnival was PACKED!  When Jack saw this ride, the Zipper (AKA the Eggroll in my day and age) he immediately said, "I want to ride that!"

That statement was made on Wednesday.  All he talked about Thursday, Friday and Saturday was how he wanted to ride the Zipper. Well, the only person that would be able to ride it with him was Jason. There was NO WAY that Sam or I would get on that thing. Sunday night came and Jack finally got his wish.

 

We waited in line...I mean Jason and Jack waited in line.

And then at the last second, Jack tried to split! He looked at Jason and said, "I can't do this." He tried to run, but Jason caught him...

And he was trapped! Look at his little sweating hands!

"I LOVE YOU!" I yelled from afar!

And off they went. During the entire ride Jack kept repeating,

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

"Oh my gosh."

He then looked at Jason and said,

"I hate myself."

 

Well, much to his happiness they finally touched ground. He got off, ran over to me and said, "I'm trembling."

I knew exactly how he felt.

 

Next ride up, the "Round Up." It is exactly like the Silly Silo that use to be at Adventureland. It spins, the floor drops a bit and it spins faster. Instead of the Round Up I think they should have called it the "Throw Up" because that is exactly what I would have done if I had ridden this one!

On they went...no straps of bars to keep them in. That's a bit stressful for a mother. Oh yea...they are only going to have 500 gazillion G-forces on them... they'll stick to the wall. No problem!

Oh yea...did I mention that the ride then tips sideways?

Can you spot Jack's neon yellow tee on the ride? He's on the left side. Happy to say that the boys didn't get sick, but Sam looked like he just got an amazing face lift!

Another year of carnival fun in the books.