The Cars

Isaac seems to have bad luck with cars. About 17 months ago, he totalled our Accord. It was a very sad day. We bought this used Avalon for him, intending to replace it as early as late 2010 if possible/necessary. It had fairly hideous, torn-up upholstery but it runs great.

Recently, Isaac was waiting for the gate to our complex to open, car stopped momentarily and minding its own business, when WHAM! Someone backed into him from a visitor parking space.

The guy who hit Isaac was cool about the whole thing, and we both have AAA insurance, so it was easy to report. It isn't pretty, and the front door takes some force to close, but we didn't think it would be too bad. We were wrong. It's totalled.

They weren't offering enough to fix the car (LAME), and rather than buy ANOTHER used car, we opted to take the money and put it towards his next car, keeping a salvage title for now. DMV deems it a "safe vehicle," so our insurance covers it still, and it seems okay. Just so long as it stays running smoothly and doesn't fall apart, I guess we'll just deal with it rather than pay THIRTY EIGHT HUNDRED dollars to fix it.

I was annoyed about the remote on my car door going out, so I have to always use the key now, but that pales in comparison to this. It's all in the perspective, right? Hooray for my car that has not been totalled.

An East Coast Adventure

Since we were gone for two weeks, I suppose this vacation deserves a long post, but I think I'll try to cut the fat and stick to the highlights.

The day after flying out to Baltimore (technically since we flew in so late, it was only hours later, I guess), we spent a day in DC. Obviously, we could not do everything in one day, but we sure crammed in a lot. I was exhausted by the time we were done. We saw the big monuments (Washington below), walked through three Smithsonians, went by the White House, and drove over to the temple. It was awesome to see all of these buildings that are in countless movies and on the news IN PERSON. We started our journey north the next day, stopping in Philadelphia to see some historical sights (Betsy Ross' house, Benjamin Franklin's old romps, the liberty bell, the oldest banks in the US...) and eat Philly Cheese Steaks, per Isaac and Dad's requests. They were way better than I expected, to be honest. This is the portrait we found of our ancestor who signed the Declaration of Independence.

We went through about ten states this trip, which was so cool. It would take a lot longer to do that on the West Coast. Not that it was a short trip... in our two weeks, we covered about 3500 miles. Woah. Needless to say, I have only been in the car about five times since we got home, all within Newark, lol.

Obviously, we had to have lobster in Maine. Look at Isaac's happy face.

Our ultimate northern destination was Prince Edward Island. I have been dreaming of this vacation for nearly 15 years. It was as beautiful as I could have hoped (although I could have gone for slightly more cheerful weather). We toured Cavendish and Charlottetown, spending one night in Charlottetown. We took a walk on Lover's Lane, had Cow's ice cream, hiked around L.M. Montgomery's old homestead foundation, and toured some neighboring sites. This is "Green Gables"... thank you little Anne actress.

What would a coastal tour be without lighthouses? We looked for more than we found, actually (how many miles are you supposed to follow those little blue signs before you give up because you don't even see the ocean?), but the ones we found were lovely. There's something serene about the way they stand so tall and purposeful by the water.

After a week, my parents and siblings went back to California, and Isaac and I got a car and headed west to see Emily. It was a quick trip, but we went through the National Forest in Vermont, spent soem time with the girls, saw Niagra Falls, and stopped in Palmyra on our way back east.

There was a deer like RIGHT NEXT TO ME in the Sacred Grove. Then Isaac scared it away in his zest to show me how tortured he was by the mosquitos. They were pretty bad.

We drover to Boston and picked up Jon & Whitney from the airport, then made a quick trip to see the Boston Temple before heading back to Maine. I like this temple. It has a lot of character.

We spent several days in Maine with Isaac's parents, sister Teresa, his grandparents and various other family. We spent a lot of time at the Hansons' cabin on Thompson Lake, and we're so thankful for how everyone took care of us! What a nice vacation it was. The boys on the lake before Isaac fell in (but maybe after Jon fell in?)...

a sunset on the lake

Finally, the time came for us to go home. On the way to the Manchester airport to catch our flight back to SFO, we stopped at Robert Frost's farm in Derry, NH to satisfy the nerdy English teacher in the car and to get a chance to stretch our legs. Who doesn't like "The Road Not Taken"? Isaac didn't know what I was talking about until I started feeding him the last two lines, and by the time I finished, he was reciting with me. We didn't take the tour, but it was a nice stop.

It was a great vacation, but now it is good to be home. I love that I am not teaching right now, and I can focus on cleaning and laundry and sorting mail (all those terribly fun things that are necessary after a long vacation). Mostly, I'm happy to sleep in my own bed and have Sophie around to keep me company. :)

Happy Fourth of July!

God Bless America

Written by: Irving Berlin

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America.

Land that I love

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America

My home sweet home.

A Day at the Beach

Isaac had the day off, so we decided to pick up my sister and go to the beach. We went to not the closest one, but one that I like and that allows dogs. It was Sophie's first time actually on the beach. I think she had fun, although we should have remembered to bring a water bowl for her instead of trying to get her water from the water fountain. She wasn't a big fan of being hit by ocean waves either, but we made her try. It was a perfect beach day... quick trip with no traffic, not too hot for Isaac but warm enough that the cold ocean felt good in small doses, not crowded... I couldn't ask for better. Isaac is a little bummed that he may have sunburned on the crown of his head *where he is balding--ahem* but otherwise, it was a really lovely day.

School's Out

I can hardly believe the school year is over! I spent hours and hours packing and labelling everything in preparation for the work they are doing on my room this summer. Isaac probably wishes I had chosen some other profession because he too spent hours moving heavy boxes and climbing ladders to take down my posters, but we're officially all done now! I am thoroughly looking forward to a summer off. I am taking one class, and I have a list of things to accomplish this summer, but otherwise, I will just be enjoying the time off. It's a bittersweet ending because I loved this group of kids, but I can't be too upset--we bought plane tickets for a July trip to Maine yesterday!

One of my students brought this for me the last day of school. Isn't it sweet?

Happy Birthday Isaac!

He's 27!

When I was a teenager, I used to think that 27 was the perfect age... old enough to be settled and really know who you were, but young enough to still be kind of "acceptably goofy" and still have energy... I don't know that that's exactly the perfect description for 27, but I'm sure Isaac will enjoy it all the same. :)

Matthew & Stephani Snow

We were able to spend the weekend in Kentucky for Matthew and Stephani's wedding in Louisville. It was so much fun!

such cute little girls :)

The gorgeous bride and groom

Sunday we got to drive up to Jon & Whitney's new home in Indiana, which is awesome. I wish I had remembered my battery charger so I could have documented our little trip north, but it seems I always forget something when I travel... better the charger than my recommend again!