(Goodbye) Vacation: Part IV (Good times in the Patriot State and Happy Halloween)

This is the last of the vacation posts. Sigh. I love vacation so much and am re-living it to get me through the nights while on FP night float...)

Although delayed due to midwestern storms, we made it from Guatemala City to Boston in one piece (and with all luggage-- I have a veritable STREAK going!!)


It was so great to see Marie (Shomir's sister), Adam, and the kids, Anne, Lily, and Emma, who are 6, 5, and 3, respectively, and about as adorable as they come.

While it was COLD up there, the weather was quite sunny and I got my "fall" fill (if you recall, it's my favorite season!) with the beautiful New England leaves. We did laundry (immediately when we got to the house!! Our soaked clothes reeked!), got to do more sleeping, visited the kids' school, had playtime around the house, had some good dinners, did festive Halloween decorating and trick-or-treating, saw some of historic Boston and museum-visiting, and got also to meet up with old friends Tia and Rob! It was a perfect blend of relaxation and fun.


Shomir bearing gifts of Guatemalan fabric.
Here dressing Anne, who obviously admires her "Uncle Shom" greatly!





Dressing little Emma



Ta da!!!



The kids jumping on the trampoline!

Trip to the Children's Museum of Boston, which is hugely impressive!
Lily, who is great with towers!

Action shot, Lily running on the dance-floor

Foray into historic Boston...

Despite the cold (we Californians were underprepared!), we braved parts of the "Freedom Trail" which is a walk which covers major historic sights in the downtown area such as cemetaries, birthplaces of i.e. Ben Franklin, sites of the first public school (Old Latin School), Old Corner bookstore, site of the Boston Massacre, the statehouse, and Boston Commons.

Paul Revere's Tomb at the Old Granary cemetary

I think this is a Red Auerbach statue, near Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall which was the town center

Boston Cream Pie... mmm

We made our way, via the T (public transport), to the Brigham area to meet up with Tia and Rob! I hadn't seen them since med school graduation, and it had been way too long! I miss those guys so much! We visited their cute apartment on Wigglesworth St, we drove by the hospital, and then had a lovely Venezuelan dinner followed by regional favorite J.P. Licks icecream. We four had such a wonderful time! It was so great to catch up on all the happenings of residency and their recent trip to Tanzania. I'm trying to convince them to come visit me and EVB in California, although I think Tia already has plans to go to Hawaii for her next vacation.

Halloween

... would not be complete w/o carving pumpkins!

Uncle Shom and Lily


Anne and me (we also did, using a stencil design, a more impressive kitty cat jack-o-lantern not pictured here)

Daddy and Emma

... and then came the costumes which were all variations on princesses/fairies, with myself being roped in and included! And off we went Trick or Treating... Luckily, it wasn't too cold (I always wondered what you do in cold northern climates! It's a bummer for warm clothes to have to mess up/obscure your costume, right?!)

Doesn't this princess dress look like it fits me fabulously??


While the kiddos got handed candy, the adults got handed....


..beers! Shomir liked trick-or-treating a lot! :)

The girls with neighborhood kiddos on candy break

Anne devouring her treats... (she generously shared w/ us!)



What an awesome, awesome, vacation! I can't wait until February for the next one.... :)

Now.. back to night float.