Friday PM: New Hampshire

Who would have ever thought how easy it could be to visit 3 states in one weekend?! Well, on the east coast, it is really, really easy. In fact, we were going to add Maine in there for Sunday, but we have decided to make Maine it's own weekend trip. My good friend, Rachel, is from Maine and so we will take advantage of staying with her parents when we go. I had a great Friday, doing lots of errands, cleaning my house, going to the temple (I can never fully express just how much I love going to the temple, both driving there and being in there...and the Boston Temple, I just love it, everyone is so welcoming and friendly!), etc. Then I picked up Alison and Rachel, and we met up with some more friends. We all carpooled up to New Hampshire, to Canobie Lake Park. It is an older amusement park, nestled in the woods, and it was all decked out for Halloween, with 3 different haunted events-a haunted mansion, a crypt, and a 3-D haunted lab (where we got to wear supercool 3-D glasses that wouldn't stay up on my nose, hence the librarian look). Mark and Ryan were our fearless leaders, and our photographers now that I look...they aren't in any of the pictures...hmm. We rode a few rides, and the teenage girl let us do the bumper cars 2 times in a row, even though she was supposed to close them down for the night. It was a fun adventure...but just the beginning of a very busy weekend full of adventures for me...(Am I playing too much?! Probably...oh well...I am thoroughly enjoying myself!)

Saturday AM: Massachusetts

Saturday morning I picked up my friends, Andrew and Rachel, and we headed west to a town called Harvard, MA for apple picking at a local apple orchard called Phil's apples. It is still owned and operated by Phil, an old man who enjoyed giving me a hard time. The apple cider was free and oh so yummy! We had some other friends there, too...but Rachel and I kept busy filling our huge bag, the biggest size you could get, with a great selection of apples...we were racing around to get the best ones. I eat an apple a day, so I am definitely well-stocked! There were lots of awesome autumn leaves to be seen all along the drive to and from, there were fields that were bright orange and filled with pumpkin patches, and the weather was beautiful! We drove the whole way with my car windows down! I found gas for really cheap, too...that makes me happy since it really adds up driving a lot. Then as we headed back to Boston, Andrew suggested that we go out for lunch, aaaaahh...I hate being poor. I agreed though. He took us to one of his favorite Thai restaurants, and my yellow curry was fantastic! In the end, Andrew ended up taking the bill, he said that it was the least he could do in return for all my chauffeuring...I like having good friends...and I can never say no to free meals! After lunch, Rachel and I came back to my place to bake my favorite apple caramel pie (it's my Aunt Susan's recipe-a Thanksgiving favorite...Rachel doesn't like nuts, so we made the topping without it...and just so all of you that make it know...it still turned out really yummy). We hung out until Alison came over and then we were ready for our next adventure...

Saturday PM: Providence, RI

So after a busy day, Rachel, Alison and I headed down for the evening to Providence, Rhode Island. They do an event called Waterfire. There are bonfires lit all along the riverway in the heart of the city, and there is music, entertainers, and some live bands. It is right next to a really big, amazing mall. We enjoyed the sites and sounds for sure. We ran into some friends, Cassie, Adam, Cassie's friend Ammon visiting from AZ, and David (the violin maker, I think I have mentioned him before...people here are so amazing, unique, intelligent, and talented...to say the least). Then later we met up with some of Alison's friends from southern Massachusetts that were also in Providence. I love playing in New England, and I have decided that although I am here for a Master's (and don't get me wrong, I love school and I love my program), I am really here for an excuse to explore, meet lots of new people and have lots of fun. Those of you that have known me during my stressful semesters at BYU wouldn't believe it is the same me. I always say, "Well, I really should study"...but I play, and always make time for studying when I absolutely have to...and school is going fine so far. I am enjoying being social and meeting people, it makes me happy. I love Boston and all of New England, really. Oh, so Rhode Island puts me at 26 states that I have visited...24 to go...and being on the East coast will get me another 10 or so visited, no problem.

Sunday: Massachusetts

Today was a fantastic day, and a good end to the busy, but super fun weekend. After great meetings at Church (I absolutely love my ward), I went with my good friends, Rachel and Alison, for a scenic drive. Most people just think that we are all roommates, but we are not...I am just super cool and the wannabe roommate; they are lots of fun. We took some snacks and drove up around the northern part of Massachusetts to see the leaves changing. I love it, they change to all shades of orange, yellow and red...there are so many trees! We stopped and took some pictures. Then we also stopped in Salem, MA for a couple of minutes, and to take a couple of pictures. No worries, we didn't do anything evil or witchy... then we drove back to Boston, went to some friends' house for apple pie (we all have an abundance of apples from apple picking), and now I am at home, relaxing for the remainder of my Sabbath.

I LOVE AUTUMN

Growing up in Houston, TX, I have come to really appreciate living places where it really feels like Autumn. The leaves are changing here in the city, which means that we have to get a mini road trip in soon to see all the changing leaves around New England...that is on our to-do list for this weekend. I love the reds, oranges, and yellows. I love that it is chilly, and I love the fall...it is my favorite time of year, well the start of my favorite time of year...I like Halloween, then my birthday, then Thanksgiving, and on to Christmas. I love it all! So after an incredibly long, stressful week...I got to relax on Friday. The week had been full of class, work, lots of reading, writing 3 papers, preparing a presentation, and attempting to fit in some other good things and social things...Friday was much appreciated. I woke up and got my ultimate spiritual upliftment at the temple. I love the Boston Temple! Then I drove into the city, and got my hair cut and colored at a salon on Newbury Street-every girl's ideal street-packed with shops, shoe stores, boutiques, yummy restaurants and cafes, and lots of big trees. So that was my worldly/personal upliftment. Then after running a few errands, doing some things at home, etc, I went out to dinner with a few friends, and we met up with a lot more friends for games, good conversation, and lots of laughing. This weekend has been great. I absolutely loved General Conference. I watched both sessions on Saturday at the chapel, and in between, my friends, Alison, Rachel, and Andrew and I got good food and walked around Harvard Square (our chapel is in the midst of Harvard and its campus/college scene). This morning we had a brunch at some girls' in our ward's house, and watched the morning session, then Alison, Rachel and I went to the church for the afternoon session. Life is great. I am blessed. I am busy, but still have time to do those things that are most important to me. I miss you all! Happy Autumn time!