Life in Boston: Top 10 & Bottom 10

As an attempt to look on the bright side of things-I've decided to just do a TOP 10 and BOTTOM 10 list of our lives in the North East so far:

TOP 10

***10-Our WONDERFUL ward. People have been SO wonderful. We LOVE it. Rachel and I walked all over downtown Boston looking for this food truck. TOTALLY WORTH IT

I made this cute owl cake for her birthday-first fondant attempt so don't judge 

Me and Carter-my good friend Juliana's little boy

 ***9- I got a temporary cycle instructor position teaching 12 and 13 year-olds. I was in heaven! 


****8- The leaves oh the leaves

Apple picking

*****7-Bree gets to take a FREE art class- she loves it

***6-Going to see my sister-in-laws in New York City

View from the balcony where were staying

My first steamed milk-SO DELISH

We shopped and stayed up late and ate yummy food. I love them.

I dragged them to the fashion district where I was amazed in a store with a room FULL of just zippers!

After NY Amber came to Boston and we took her to our favorite SMALL burger joint, Casey's Diner in Natick, MA.

 

****5- My mom coming to visit-I think she thought I was ready to throw in the towel and move away (she was right)

The girls love grandma reading to them

Pumpkin Patch and whale watching-one of THE coolest things I have ever seen.

 We saw TONS of whales and Bree just squealed every time we saw one

Lobster

Public Gardens in downtown Boston

Of course visiting Cheers in a must. My parents love that show.

***4- Babson Fall Formal on the Boston Harbor Cruise with Joseph's classmates

Take a look at that awesome ship behind Joseph. That's where we had dinner and dancing while cruising the harbor.

These were the table decorations-totally not a Utah party

***3- Our awesome little New England town where we live: Needham, MA!

Town hall

The school buses

At this park people leave bikes, wagons, toys, on the lawn at the park and NO ONE takes them. They just stay at the park! I hate to say it, but that would NEVER happen in Utah.

shopping carts AND strollers are called carriages

***2- Great Friends. 
In addition to all the great friends we made in the ward, our old friends Becca and Taber live only 45 minute away, so we've spent many weekends and holidays with them.

****1- Joseph and his partner, Darshan Doshi, won a $40,000 grant to start their business.


 If we choose to take the money we will be moving to Chile for 6 months to participate in their business incubator program.

BOTTOM TEN 

10 - 1 earthquake

9 - 1 hurricane resulting in no power

 8 - 4 FAILED attempts to find an affordable gym
ie.. less than $80 per month (one attempt ended with me wandering around downtown in my BATHING SUIT and water shoes pushing my double stroller......Though I did get a few honks and waves;))

7 - 1 BLOWN transmission 
$3,000 of student loan money down the tubes and two and half weeks with no car

6 - 3 ER visits for Joslyn. 1 ER visit for me

5 - Severe Strep 
It was so bad, I was bed-ridden for 3 straight days and the doctor was positive I had Mono. "If the tests come back negative for mono, I'm going to have you tested again. That's how positive I am that its mono." Nope, just the Strep from #@!&

4 - Bronchitis

3 - Rectal Strep 
(yes it exists, and yes Bree was in lots of pain-poor thing)

2 - Reality of being poor, living on a student budget, and going into debt

1 - Reality of a husband (or lack thereof) in a full-time MBA program