Boston

The 6.5 hour drive from Philly is worth it!

Juan and I had the time of our lives in Boston this last weekend. Besides missing Siena like crazy and the frrrrrrigid weather, the trip was perfect. We got to go with our friends Mike and Marin and I think we all had a blast.

We loved Boston the moment we stepped off the bus. It has been a dream destination of mine for a long time because of pictures/movies I had seen, but I was still stunned at how picturesque it was; we passed blocks and blocks of old buildings, peppered with new skyscrapers in the short distance from the station to our hotel.

There was little time left before our dinner reservations, so we took a mini-trip over to a cool building we saw from a distance. It turned out to be the Christian Science world headquarters building. This was a religion I was unfamiliar with. I actually thought it was something similar to Scientology, but we were soon informed otherwise. It is very interesting; the Christian Science followers believe that through prayer and prayer alone, one can be healed of sin and sickness--which are actually just figments of man's imagination. The tour guide was kind enough to show us to the original edifice in the back which was built in 1879 (?). The church was founded by a woman named Mary Baker Eddy and they have both the Bible and Science and Health (a book she wrote) in their canon. The thing I found the most interesting was that they reject medical drugs, hygiene, and procedures; this is because they believe that even if you break a bone, the pain is just man-made and that once one realizes that, he can discover himself spiritually.

The next stop we made was dinner. If you are ever traveling, and want to have a nice dining experience without having to dish out your life's savings, go to restaurant.com. We went to Jae's for dinner and had some amazing food. To give you an idea, let me tell you this: Juan and I love sushi, and we've eaten it at many different places. The Red Sox Maki was the best sushi we both had ever tried! If ever in Boston, go there if you like sushi.

After dinner, we all went to Duck Pond where we got to go ice skating. It had been a long time (say... 5 years!) since I had been ice skating, and once I got out on the ice, I had a horrible realization that I had aged; I no longer could keep my balance and I was embarrassing Juan, though he refused to admit it. It was still so much fun!

The next day we started the morning by heading up to visit Harvard campus, a place we got to know well (...we got a little lost.) The art museum was awesome! They have an amazing collection of van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas, etc. paintings there as well as a really cool Eastern/Asian art collection. We saw Grecian urns from 530 B.C. and even a gold olive headwreath from Rome around the time of Christ. Right now, two of Harvard's three art museums are being renovated, so the best of the best exhibits are all together in the Sackler Museum. What a treat it was for us to be able to go.

After the museum, we went to lunch at the original Pizzeria Regina in the North End. It was established in 1926 and the history speaks for itself--delicious Boston brickoven pizza! After trying to finish off two 16" pizzas loaded with delicious goodness, the four of us made our way up to part of the Freedom Trail (which is a literal trail through Boston's most historical sites.) We saw the Old North Church where Paul Revere lit the lamps ("one if by land, two if by sea....")

Then we headed up to the Bunker Hill Monument; this looks exactly like the Washington Monument in D.C., but luckily not as tall. We climbed all 297 steep stairs to the top and the end result was worth the climb. Beautiful Boston.

Then we went to the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It was built in 1794 under the permission of President George Washington. It withstood the Battle of 1812 against a British warship and became known as "Old Ironsides" because of it's durability (despite the fact that it was entirely made of wood.) After many renovations, it is still free floating in the Navy Yard and is manned by Navy personnel... we even had to go through security. It was cool to see the guts of such an old ship, but after the tour, we all decided that the life of a sailor back then was not pretty. They got only 4 hours of sleep per day and had to eat stew and bland "brick" crackers every single day. They were only allotted one gallon of water per day to either use to drink or bathe. Nobody chose to bathe.

Next, we took the ferry to Long Wharf, right outside of Downtown Boston. We eventually found the Faneuil Hall (which was like NYC's Chelsea Market but a bit bigger. It is also known as Quincy Market.) After warming up there, we walked to the Holocaust Memorial and the site of the Boston Massacre, which we didn't realize were there at the time. It was cold, so we were okay that the time had gone by fast that day and it was our reserved time for Kennedy's Midtown. This was one of the most delicious meals both Juan and I had ever had. We started with baked brie with cheese toast and fruit; then Juan ordered a Mixed Grill dish with swordfish, salmon, tuna, and steak with sauteed vegetables and Jasmine rice; I ordered my first lobster dish ever-- Lobster-stuffed Ravioli in a cream sauce with fresh lobster. Yes, I am now a lobster fan. I'm telling you, you can eat like a king with restaurant.com (and it's not only for Boston, it's for most U.S. cities.)

We rolled ourselves back to the hotel after stuffing our faces with more good food. Our legs and feet were killing and we were sore all over from walking, so it was nice to just relax and watch a movie the rest of the evening.

The next morning, we went to the MIT museum. It was awesome!!!!!!!!! I had never seen such amazing machines, robots, and holographs. There were robotic arms that can operate just as regular arms from brain signals; there was an expression robot that mimicked and even freely responded to human stimuli with genuine facial expressions; there was an exhibit with many machines that relied on gravity or tiny motors; there was an early motion photography exhibit; a nautical exhibit; a topography exhibit; a DNA building-blocks exhibit; and many more that were just as fascinating. It opened my eyes to how real the science of the new-age is.

We had to say goodbye to the Mike and Marin (who had to leave on the earlier bus,) but were able to squeeze in a Mike's Pastry run before their bus left. We were told by multiple people that if we were going to Boston, we had to go to Mike's Pastry. It's located in Boston's Little Italy in the North End and everybody who worked there spoke Italian as their first language. I could not believe my eyes when we walked in. I should have taken a picture, but I'll have to paint it with words: picture-perfect, colorful marzipan fruit, macaroons of every flavor, cream puffs, cannolis, florentine cookies, apple streudel, muffins, huge lobstertail puff pastries filled with riccotta and whipped cream, cheesecakes everywhere, eclairs, decadent brownies, loaves of bread, pound cake, cupcakes piled with frosting,... and that's only what I remember! Delicious ...and worth the arm and the leg it cost us. So yes, we will definitely go again.

Juan and I really wanted to get some New England Clam Chowder while we were there, so that was our stop for lunch. We went to a little pub on the wharf which is famed for its chowder. Yes, it's yummy... and we didn't expect otherwise. It was definitely a warm end to our cold trip and we've decided that if we get another chance to go, we're taking it!


So, tips for Boston:

• Stay at Hotel 140 (It's small, but comfy, inexpensive, has a great location, and it fit our needs)
• Get a 7-day subway pass (It's worth it for two days or more)
• Get gift certificates at Restaurant.com for dinner.
  
• If possible, travel on Megabus (Megabus.com)... if you get the tickets far enough in advance, they are less than $5 round-trip.
• Go to Harvard Art Museum on Saturday morning. From 10-12, admission is FREE.
• Go to MIT Museum on Sunday morning. From 10-12, admission is FREE.
• Go on the Freedom Trail. It's too cool to miss.
• Take the ferry from the USS Constitution back to the city for a fun water trip. They accept the subway pass.
• If going in the summer or fall, rent bikes for the freedom trail.
• Go to Mike's Pastry!
• Eat some Boston-style pizza from a place where everyone pronounces things with "-Ah's" in place of "-R's".
• You have to experience Boston food to the fullest, so don't go to places like Buhgah King fah lunch.
• Be polite. People there are a lot more polite than people in Philly. They are not used to people walking out in front of their moving car to cross the street.

That's All.

Child's Dishtowel Apron

I have a problem.

Whenever I get really bored, I feel like the Dollar Store is calling my name, begging me to find stupid little projects to keep me busy. Maybe when we actually have an income, it would be Williams-Sonoma calling me, but for now, it's the Dollar Store.

I was bored yesterday; at 6:30 pm, I loaded Siena up in the car and drove the Dollar Store. I didn't find much, but I did spot a couple of dishtowels with prints I normally would consider an abomination to fabric. The only reason why I gave them a second glance was because I wanted to make a dishtowel apron for Siena. So, this is what I did:

In case any other readers are bored and want to make one too, I made instructions. (Yes, I know the illustrations look funny and the directions are obscure, but it's my best attempt because as many of you already know, I never use patterns.)

Can't Think of What to Make For Dinner?

...Do what we do and call it a "(Your Family Name Here) Family Iron Chef Night!"

Juan and I each choose a "secret ingredient" for the other person and then compete to see "whose cuisine reigns supreme!"


Last episode recap:

My secret ingredient: tangerines

Tangy Beet & Citrus Salad

Bacon-wrapped Tangerines with Cream Cheese in an Orange Reduction

Juan's secret ingredient: chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Lemon Hummus and Artichoke Spread Tuna Sandwiches


Vote for who you think the winner was!

Still more Utah pictures... and some Utah Drivers stories.

I'm so glad we got to go to the cabin while we were in Utah. It is still a work-in-progress, but it is cozy and warm anyway. Juan and I struggled to get down there with his parents' Honda Accord, especially because we were driving in the middle of a huge snow storm. We can laugh about it now, but it was miserable then. We left Provo at 6:45 pm (after dark, our first mistake), and were expecting to get there around 8:30. Well, we missed the freeway exit, which meant we would have to drive another 38 miles before the next exit. I was so upset! So I played the part of the devil on Juan's right shoulder and told him to use the emergency vehicle turn-around (for lack of a better word) on the freeway. There were not too many cars on the road, and I thought this would be our ticket back to the correct exit. He hesitated, but eventually gave-in to his wife and turned off the freeway onto the next e.v.t-a.

Yep.

We got stuck between the northbound and southbound freeways in some deep snow.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!!?

This was the first time I think I've ever seen Juan show even a glimmer of panic in his face. He got out to push from behind and I got in the driver's seat. "Rock back and forth with the momentum" was our motto, as the tires were spinning in place. It took about ten minutes, digging the snow out from under the tires as cars were rushing in front of and behind us at freeway speeds before we got our big chance. It was extremely dangerous because I had to gun the gas pedal at the right moment between the random clusters of cars so we didn't end up as permanent fixtures to the asphalt. (It was not that dramatic because we had about 30 long seconds between each set of passing cars, but it was still risky.)

We finally made it out! Juan was so nauseous he was about to vomit and my right leg was shaking uncontrollably.

We decided that we would never do such a stupid thing again to save time.

The rest of the drive was not a piece of cake, either. When we finally reached I-70, and started up the canyon, the snow started falling. It soon turned worse and I got really nervous. I was driving because I felt so bad about making Juan take the e.v.t-a. I was already nervous about hitting the deer that frequent the freeways at night, but my knuckles turned white once it started snowing. There was a nice, big, truck that led me through the canyon as much as he could (we were the only drivers on the road), but eventually he gave up on me and took off. I could barely see the bends in the road, let alone the lane markings so I just tried to follow what was left of his tire tracks.

Just in case you forgot, we were in a little Honda Accord.

Miraculously, we made it to the exit, and started our ascent up the coal mining road. It is the scariest part of the trip even in broad daylight because there are huge semi-trucks barreling down the mountain every 5 minutes... and it continues throughout the night. We lucked out, however, because they must have deemed the roads unsafe for the truckers that night; we only saw a coal mine snowplow. Once we got to the dirt road turn-off, we had to snowmobile in to the cabin, Siena and our "stuff" in-tow. (We did this last year, but that was planned. This year, my dad was going to pick us up in the truck, but as he was driving out to get us, he got stuck.) Once we finally had made it inside the warm cabin, all was good, but the journey had been rough, cold, wet, and scary. I guess we'll just have to remember to take a Humvee next time.

Christmas Day 2008

Numbering these pictures was just too tedious this time....


On Christmas morning, we went over to my parents' house and opened gifts together. Everyone got flannel pajamas that my mom made and Ooooohhh, are they warm! Siena also got some teddy bears that Grandma made for her (we named them "Coco" and "Peanut" this week. She loves them!) We ate a huge waffle breakfast together, then headed over to Juan's parents' house. There, we opened even more gifts! Juan, Siena and I got some really nice clothes that will help us stay warm this winter. Everyone was so generous to us this year... we cannot say "Thank You" enough. For lunch/dinner, we went back over to the Camp's house; Grandpa and Grandma Wood came for the afternoon, and we even got a visit from Grandma Camp. It was such a nice afternoon.... We played cards and took long naps, and ate, ate, ate!

This year, Christmas felt more special. I think it was because 1.) We knew this might be the last Christmas for a couple more years; 2.) We made just about every gift we gave to others; 3.) The Christmas Devotional really started off the season right for us. Remembering the Savior and His life throughout the season really deepened our gratitude for Him, for our family, and for our countless other blessings; and 4.) Siena is a year older and she was so excited opening the boxes of gifts... emphasis on boxes.

It was a great way to wrap-up 2008.

Christmas Eve 2008

Family Pictures

Here's the start of the slew of pictures coming...

Bag it, Tag it, Sell it to the Butcher in the Store

(I never really understood any Phish songs... but that line was going through my head tonight.)

We're back! What a great holiday vacation we just had. The last two weeks went by so fast, we were left standing at the SLC airport yesterday wondering what had just happened between the time we first landed and then.

Surprisingly, the flight back to Philly was better than the flight out to Utah. Siena remained calm most of the time even though she was hyped up on the in-flight cookies and watered-down cran-apple juice. The portable DVD player and Curious George DVD saved us all. (A big thanks to the contributors.)

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We got in pretty late last night so it was no wonder that I slept through the knock on the door (possibly doorbell too) this morning. It wasn't until I slipped into consciousness when I heard two voices downstairs, neither of which was Juan's. It made my heart skip a couple of beats, that's for sure.

Luckily, I faintly remembered that our landlord was sending over his handyman and a carpet specialist to inspect our...ahem...carpets. After I came down the stairs and terrified them both with my bedhead, they explained to me that the carpet padding needed to go and that they quite possibly would have to replace the carpet as well.

HALLELUJA!!!

If the Branch even had a "Good News Minute" in Relief Society, I know that that news is what I would share for the week along with the news that my SISTER arrived in Spain today for a semester abroad.

(Tristan, if they have this thing called INTERNET out there in the nethermost regions of the world, and if you are checking my humble blog, I hope you have an AWESOME time these next three months!!!!!)

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Blog Posts On Deck:

• Christmas/New Year's Vacation Pictures
• New Year's Resolutions

Christmas Party

Juan and I love to throw Christmas parties and it's almost a tradition to have one for close friends every year. This year, the party was very similar to that of 2006, so for those of you who were there for that one, you'll see many familiar things.

Here's how the evening went down:
7:15- guests started arriving and we all mingled until more people arrived.
7:30-someone was finally brave enough to eat
(the hors d'oeuvre/dessert table included: cherry berry cobbler, delicious apple pie cheesecake, chocolate-caramel coated pretzel loghouse, gingersnap and ice cream tarts, carrot cake balls covered in white chocolate, pineapple cheeseball, roasted red pepper rolled green olives, bruschetta, tofu-stuffed mushrooms, hazelnut flavored hot chocolate, and ginger ale with blueberries.)
8:30- we played some Christmas song Pictionary.
9:00- Unwrapped Game (where you have to roll doubles with a pair of dice to see who gets to unwrap the mystery present with oven mitts.)
9:30- White elephant gift exchange
10:00- Toast (MadLibs style)... Okay, this almost was like toasts in high-society--we didn't have champagne glasses; plastic cups worked just as well.
10:15- People started heading for home with a Christmas cd favor.

Thanks to all who could make it! We hope next year is just as fun!

It's Not Easy Being Green

Tristan gave us some neat-o reusable shopping bags this past Spring. They have come in really handy at our particular grocery store. The main thing that bothers me about grocery shopping is the millions of bags you have to carry out to your car and this store magnifies that pet peeve. This is how ridiculous it is: they put only one box of granola bars in a bag, then double bagged it!

Anyway, I finally got myself into the habit of bringing these reusable bags along. Who knew! I am able to fit most of my groceries between the two bags (they are big enough to carry two gallons of milk!,) and we no longer have an exponentially-increasing plastic bag pile beneath our kitchen sink. The best part is that I feel like I am making an environmental difference, albeit slight.

Okay, now I have this on my conscience:

Someone left their white elephant gift from the party at our house. This white elephant was very humorous and left everyone laughing; it was a bundle of about nine phone books. Now, I learned in my Environmental Science class that one of the worst things found in landfills are phone books. Why? It takes much, much longer for them to break down and decay because they are so compact. I feel horrible about this: I just took the whole pile of them right out to the trash. So because of that lack of effort, I am dedicating myself to being more "green" this week.

Not Allowed:

• Showering (out of the question... what a waste of H2O)
• Food (which leaves only our neighbor's ornamental kale to raid because it is definitely pesticide-free)
• Electricity of any kind (which means no clean clothes)
• Cooking with the stove (because is natural gas really natural?)
• Hydration (can't have a tall glass of water anymore because of all of those chemicals)
• Modern clothing (because everything we own is made from synthetic material. Yes, that means we're going back to sheepskin.)

Allowed:

• Bicycle trips with Greenpeace and the Sierra Club
• Walking to Lancaster for some organic food
• Cooking with solar-powered frying pans
• Juicing wild berries to satisfy our thirst
• Protesting outside the local Tyson chicken plant
  

Can't wait until Juan gets home to tell him all the new rules!

Bloggled

Thanks to Lizzy, this blog is now being preserved against any future damage/deletion. Go to this awesome website to find out how I did it. (And you can enter the contest, too :^)

Making a List and Checking It Twice

It has been a "List" week in the Chavez home. Juan checked off a few "Finals". I checked off a "Christmas Party". Siena checked off "Sneak a candy bar" and "Learn how to say bebe (baby) and ojo (eye)", plus a couple of other words--I still haven't figured out what they mean.

We have just a little over a week left here on the East Coast this year. We'll get to visit our family for the holidays. There are many things to get ready, but I think we'll manage to get it all done in time.

I've been thinking of traditions a lot lately... especially Christmas traditions. Maybe it's because part of me wants to remember the years past because they were filled with good memories, family being closeby, and always having more than enough. When I was preparing to go to a ward recipe exchange the other night, I was struggling to find a recipe that "represented a Christmas tradition". I thought that since I couldn't think of any, we must not have had very many traditions; I later realized how wrong I was. Juan helped me think of something about an hour before the exchange. It's the simple butter-herb spaghetti his dad always makes for the Christmas Eve dinner. Just the thought of it conjured up the memories of the last three Christmas Eves I have spent with Juan. All good memories (even the year I was throwing up in a Mexican bedroom with sounds of clinking wine glasses and "Saluds" resonating down the hall. Morning sickness.)

Anyway, the first time my father-in-law made that buttered spaghetti, I am sure he wasn't planning on it becoming a tradition; however, it made its way to the table year after year. Food does not have the human capability of giving someone a comforting hug, but it sure can symbolize a memory that you don't want to lose, which is just as warm. That's why it is a tradition, and that's why we love butter-herb spaghetti.

Other traditions that my family has are cutting down our own Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, doing a jigsaw puzzle on Christmas Eve, enjoying a deluxe waffle breakfast on Christmas day, and exchanging gifts. They are all traditions that we look forward to every year, and when the time comes to make them happen once again, we will remember and be grateful for the good memories of past Christmases that we've been blessed with.



p.s. My wonderful Juanito surprised me with this:

Lately

I have been:

• hearing a constant beeping every 30 seconds from the neighbors house for about 72 hours. I am about to rip my hair out!
• working on Christmas presents, and stressing that I'm not going to finish on time.
• trying to get some Christmas decorating done. Wow, it's hard to make it look "Christmas-y" without a tree.
• wondering how everyone is doing because I haven't had time to check any blogs.
• preparing for two baby showers this weekend. I'm not hosting, I'm just helping out. Note to self: never hold a baby shower on a Friday or Saturday night; it will make people mad, and that's not a good mood to be in for a baby shower.
• nailing strings of lights to our front window frame. Hope the landlord doesn't mind.
• teaching Siena where her panzita (tummy) and orejas (ears) are.

Juan has been:

• studying
• studying
• studying
• studying

Siena has been:

• babbling incoherent words
  
• wandering around the house with her arm looped through purses, lunch bags, pants with belts, etc. like she's shopping in a high-end clothing store.
  
• Pointing to and counting everything, but especially the paint texture on the walls.

Thanksgiving Day

On the bus ride to NYC - 6:00 am

Getting psyched for the parade

9:00 finally rolls around...

The Turkey is the Grand Marshal...of course

Siena's boyfriend... David Archuleta

...and all her BFFs from Sesame Street

Speaking of BFFs: NYPD!
(These officers were great; they took pics of us, we took pics for them--and of them.)

Ask me about the story behind this picture...


Did I mention our friends hooked us up with front row "standing areas" in Times Square for this thing?

Juan's BFF: Miley Cyrus

Snuggling to keep warm

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus, Right Down Broad-way....

We had such a good time. Thank you for those who waited under that scaffolding since 6:00 that morning (you know who you are....) The next day we had a nice Thanksgiving Feast, but those pictures didn't really turn out, so Joy if you are reading this, could you ask Lindsey if she could send some of her pictures our way? Thanks!

Saturday

Patiently waiting for the car ride to be over....

Last Saturday was the Spanish Branch's Temple Trip to the Washington, D.C. Temple. We had quite the drive there; the normally 2-hour drive there ended up taking almost 4 hours!

Instead of thinking ahead and getting cash for the toll roads, we jumped on in the car and started driving. Once we realized that we didn't have cash, we optimistically decided on taking the scenic route which would tack on another half an hour. Well, we followed the GPS and "avoided toll roads" at the cost of driving through some pretty obscure neighborhoods in Baltimore:

Yes, our GPS took us through an alley about 35 minutes from the temple! Crazy directions.

Once we got there, it was a wonderful experience and we were glad we made the trip.

The annual Christmas Tree display was set up and Siena could not help but try to pick-off every ornament from the trees. We have proof of that as well: