September trips

The trips continued into September...my Mom, Fiona and I headed down to San Diego to visit family and take a trip to the zoo!  This was our last "Fiona flies free" trip since I don't have another plane trip planned before she turns 2.  I must admit though, it will be nice to have the "extra" seat from now on.  Holding a squirmy toddler on your lap for more than a few hours is a lot of work :)


San Diego:

 2nd Cousin Prince...this was the first time Fiona and I met him

 2nd Cousin Jordyn

 Fiona and Great-Uncle Ernie

 This girl loves her water fountains!

 Being a monkey while looking at monkeys!

 Hanging with the goats

 Oma and the giraffe

 Great-great Aunt Joyce and furry friend Chloe...my mom and I couldn't get close to this little dog but obviously she and Fiona were buds :)

 ice cream!

We saw many more people than this but for some reason my camera wasn't out as often as it usually was.  Hope to see you all again next year!!


Boston:
After we got back from SD my mom stayed to watch Fiona while Matt and I headed to Boston for a friend's wedding.  We were really excited to have an excuse to visit the east coast since neither of us have before.  We took a red eye and got to our hotel in downtown Boston around 8 AM (5 AM to us) and were just hoping to put our bags in storage since check in wasn't until 4.  They took pity on us and let us check in early, YEAH, and so we were able to take a nap before heading out on the town.

We just stayed the one night but had a blast, eating way too much, going to a Red Sox game and exploring the very walkable city of Boston.  The weather was perfect too, maybe that's why we want to go back!

After our short stay in Boston we headed north to the area our friends live and where the wedding was going to be.  It was very beautiful with the big open fields and trees lining the road.  I really liked all the stone walls from years ago when that was used as a fence and barrier between lands.  I told Matt that I want a stone wall some day!

The wedding was so much fun.  We had met up with another couple the night before and ended up being at the same table with them at the reception, who were great to talk to.  I was a little nervous as the DJ started playing music to get people out on the floor.  The majority of the guest looked to be older relatives of the couple, many from England and Europe rather than friends our age.  But let me tell you, they could dance and party with the best of them!  They had provided a shuttle bus (more like a charter bus) to take people back to the hotels from the reception....it was needed :)

After the wedding we decided to head north to Maine and check out a few more states so we could check them off our list.  We ended up staying in a little town on the coast and made sure we had an ocean view so we could watch the sun rise :)  Heading back down to the airport we stopped in NH to eat, mainly to check a state off and to eat at the most eclectic place I've every been.  Matt described it as if someone bought out an antique store and decorated with the stuff.  It wasn't old rather than different.

The whole time we were gone my mom was taking care of Miss Fiona.  She was going to stay at our house with her but decided Opa would love having her for a while so she made the drive to hang out at the "farm".  It was so nice being able to leave her for almost a week but not having to worry one bit.  We got constant updates with photos and videos which made it easier too.  Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Walking around Boston...we couldn't have picked better weather

Can't really read the sign behind Matt but it is "J. McLaughlin"

The Computer Science building at MIT

Fenway Park

The Green Monster

We visited Minute Men Park...pretty amazing history.  Matt and I agreed that if our history classes were able to take field trips to the actual battle fields, we would have payed a lot more attention :)

 

Maine lobster dinner

Coast of Maine....since we were there after Labor Day, it was a ghost town...really creepy :)

The toilet in the crazy lunch spot we stopped at in NH....see what I mean!

Couple Pics my parents sent while they were watching Fiona

I think Fiona looks like Opa in this photo :)

And a big Congrats to the Iltis family...I started on this blog a couple of days ago as an Aunt to 2 and finished as an Aunt of 3.  Mr. Lincoln Iltis was born Wednesday AM...can't wait to meet him!