Quarter of a Century and Counting

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. It was always something to look forward to in the middle of winter (at least for me, since my birthday is in february) and it seemed like everything about the day was special. Maybe my family is unique in this, but we always said when someone's birthday was nearing that it was their birthday week! My 25th birthday week was fantastic. I didn't have to work thanks to February Break, and my sister was able to spend the whole week with me. Jeff is the best at picking out great birthday gifts. He remembers all the things I mention liking throughout the year and then when my birthday comes around he spoils me rotten with wonderful surprises.

A picture with the Mr. on my 25th.

New oxfords for the birthday girl! Thanks Jeffrey!

We had a nice little get together with some friends on my birthday eve to play games and eat cake.

Homemade ice cream cake. Thank you Mary Egan for the delicious recipe!

Rice krispie/coconut topping with chocolate brownie fudge ice cream. Yum!

Thanks to all of my family and friends for making my 25th birthday the best yet!

February Break

Working for a public school district certainly has its perks. The main perk being vacation breaks. Living in Idaho for most of my school-age years, the only long vacations during the year were christmas break and spring break. Here in Boston we get February Break too! It's probably a necessity in New England since it gives everyone a chance to escape winter and head to warmer land. Jeff is still in the busy season grind so heading south was not an option for us this year. But since I had a whole week off, my sister Melissa came to visit us here! We had a fantastic week full of site seeing, food exploring, and laughing ourselves sore being silly together. She flew in on the last flight before Logan Airport closed for a blizzard.

We spent the first couple of days she was here hanging out at home and seeing a bit of Medford, but by the end of the week the weather turned pleasant enough to walk around and see more of the city.

Just chillin at home.

On Monday we got together with some friends for candle pin bowling! I had never tried this type of bowling before and let me just say, it was challenging! It's a lot harder to aim a bowling ball that is half the size of a regular one.

The candle pin balls look more like cannon balls to me.

After bowling we took Melissa to J.P. Licks. Anyone who visits us will probably receive the same treatment. The flavors there are just so good!

 I can't remember everything we did each day, but on Tuesday we braved the non-stop snow and headed into the heart of the city to walk the freedom trail.

We started at Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall and then made our way to the Boston Common and Public Gardens. Rain or shine (or snow storm) this city is beautiful.

We tried the coconut and peanut butter fudge cupcakes. Both were very tasty!

Newbury Street

Although we were covered in snow and our shoes were soaked through, we still managed to enjoy the beauty of the snow covered grounds and shops. The next day we took the red line all the way to the JFK Presidential Museum. It was really fascinating. 

Came upon this cool boston bike rack in Dowtown Crossing

On wednesday Melissa came with me to my HappyFeet soccer classes, and on our way home we stopped at Harvard Yard to take a tour of the campus. I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get more familiar with the area and learn the history of this iconic school. Our tour guide Sadir was full of fun facts and info about Harvard.

There is a bubble tea shop right in Harvard Square that I had passed on my way to work several times. I had been wanting to try it, and this was just the opportunity. Melissa and I have a tradition of getting bubble tea together. It was the perfect treat. Fun shop and great bubble tea at the Boston Tea Shop!

raspberry almond and coconut bubble teas!

Waiting for our train at Harvard Station.

After our tour of Harvard we made our way to the USS Constitution for another tour of America's oldest commissioned war ship. We felt like pirates aboard this massive ship.

below deck!

The U.S. Constitution is very close to the neighborhood of Charlestown which we visited next.

We followed the Freedom Trail through the winding streets of Charlestown all the way up to the Bunker Hill Monument.

We wanted to climb to the top of the monument to see the views of the city from above. Unfortunately the monument was closed due to icy conditions. We'll have to go back in the spring!

After touring through lovely Charlestown, we headed back to the North End to catch the train home. On our way we passed the soon to be headquarters of Converse shoes right on the banks of the Charles River.

A jaunt through the North End is never complete without stopping by the Paul Revere statue . . .

. . . and of course Mike's Pastry.

After thorough investigation, Melissa, Jeff and I concluded that we prefer Modern Pastry's confections. But Mike's is always a fun place to visit. There are always so many tourists there! We did a lot of walking that day. I think our pedometer said we did 18,000 steps! Needless to say our feet and legs were very tired by the time we got home.

On friday evening we went out for my birthday dinner at the Lexx in Lexington, MA. It was fun to try a new restaurant and walk around the town we lived in two summers ago. I requested that we get dessert at Rancatore's Ice Cream Shop. The hot fudge, real cream sundae is so good!

 Before taking Melissa to the airport on saturday we took a short drive to Gloucester, MA to soak in the sun and see the ocean. It was a lovely coastal town, one I hope to visit in the summer! 

That would be the best beach for skim boarding.

It was so fun to have Melissa here for a whole week and to spend some quality time together. I miss my siblings and love when we can be together! Maybe one day I'll convince them all to move to Boston : )

Sunshine, Sailboats and Skating

We had a fantastic weekend! Sunny 50 degree weather was a pleasant change from the single digit temperatures that chilled us to the bone most of the previous week. We took the T into the North End and had a delightful time walking around taking in the sights and smells of Boston's old Italian neighborhood.

We passed lots of Bruins fans along the way. Afternoon hockey game at TD Garden!

Quiet North End neighborhood on a saturday morn.

Love this city!

For lunch we stopped by Ernesto's Pizza. It's a small shop that offers huge slices of delicious pizza.

Yes, that's one slice cut in half.

An unassuming facade, but delicious food and a cozy atmosphere inside. 

So many beautiful buildings in this part of town.

Narrowest house in Boston.

Copps Hill Burying Ground

We planned to go ice skating after lunch at Steriti Memorial Rink, which is right on the waterfront in the North End. Free admission if you have your own skates! We had a half hour or so before public skating started so we walked along the waterfront at Langone Park nearby.

It was such a beautiful day! I'm sure it felt much warmer to us than 50 degree weather should, but it was just so nice compared to the 18 degrees we had a couple days earlier. We're learning that temperature is all relative. There were a bunch of sailboats on the water and it was fun to watch them while enjoying the sunshine. It felt like springtime was just over the horizon.

Ice skating in the afternoon was the cherry on top of this fun saturday. The rink was fantastic. Big windows all the way around for views of the waterfront and the city. It felt good to get our ice legs back!

A great start to February!