I'm Back!

Well, after a 3 month absence from posting on my blog, I'm starting afresh! I have some great inspirations who help encourage me to keep this going! Thanks Ellen, Ashley, and Andrea especially for being great examples-in the blogging world and otherwise!

Quick overview of the last 3 months:

So I did quench my craving (can I say that?) for that muffin.. Thanks to Rufus at work! Oh, what a great guy! I was showing them the picture I posted on my blog and talked about how much I was craving it and told him that since he lives in Woburn, he should bring me one in! Lo and behold, here comes Michael Rufus Tramonte with a dozen muffins! (Before I left, I bought about a dozen more for the Revere Relief Society Saturday breakfast, and then some for myself and Sheila of course!)

So very many wonderful things this summer! Nantucket with Ellen, Leah, Alisha, and Sarah (great and wonderful trip! I'll have to link this to Ellen's post (I think....can you do that?)

Rockport, Mass., Ogunquit, Maine -first time to Maine! Loved it! The liquid fireworks at Jordan Furniture in Reading, MA (also watched the new Batman movie at the IMAX theater)

We had fun little parties at Harvard Medical School (oh! How I miss my friends there!) I went back to my beloved Gardner to see the first people from my mission! And I got to go to three departing missionary testimony meetings! Did you know that there's a 24 hour post office in Dorchester too? I had no idea! Thank goodness though because it took me all night to pack and then I had to mail some stuff home before my 6 AM flight! So many wonderful people this summer! A huge thanks to Sheila too! I love her! She was/is a huge blessing to me!

Now I'm back in Logan at Utah State and going strong! I'm living in a cute little house a couple of blocks and a huge hill from campus with my dear Amy Washburn-a lovely mission friend....I think she might even be available if you know anyone...ahem. I am in my Senior Year (yay! I'm going to make it!) and I'm in the Spec ial Ed program with a Severe emphasis. I have a wicked cool ward, which keeps me social and busy as I'm in the R.S. Presidency, I'm also in the IWA Presidency, which I love! It's like Young Women's in College. There are stellar girls in the SPED program with me, I work in the Sped Office so I'm getting to know some of the professors pretty well, and I am a little closer to my family (not thousands of miles...I kind of got in trouble for that this summer..hehe)! We had a fun MBM Retreat at the Ranch,

I had a sweet quarter-of-a-century birthday bash about a month ago-which was a blast...

A couple of us Sisters threw together the Officially Unofficialy MBM Reunion over General Conference Weekend at Neff's house...

We have sweet dinner parties...

And oh, did I mention my cute little house? :)

It turned winter after about just a week of fall.....it's warmed up a bit yesterday and today, but I'm just not ready for Fall to leave yet! (haha...get it?)

Right now, Jessica Elsey is visiting for a few days. (She was Washburn's comp. for almost a year!) She just got back about 2 weeks ago! It's like a mini reunion! We even got to share about our missions tonight at IWA (Institute Women's Association). I'll try to get some more pics up...I'm still trying to figure out my macbook...

Cravings...

It is a Chocolate Dreme. I still haven't sunk my teeth into one of these since being back. You better believe I will dream about it until I do though.

The Next Few Days...

Annete and Baby Budha (Karla)

Mmmm...Carne Asada

Jenny, me, little Alix, and Annie

I love the beach. Even at night in the dark, scary fog.

What was that?

What fun that was! Well, we woke up at 8:30 the next morning to catch the bus to catch the T to get down to the airport for Jenny to rent a car! We came right back home and slept!
That afternoon we visited with Irma Sanchez. What a wonderfully, sweet woman! She fed us a yummy appetizer (I love spanish food!). Then we went to Nely and Telma's for Erin's 3rd Birthday! Main Course-carne asada! Oh, it was so great to see all of them again!

Then, for dessert (Gabriela's famous flan AND cheesecake!) we visited la familia Parras. I just love that family! Amariani is like my little sister! I love her!

Afterward, at about 9:30 we were heading home, and I thought wait! We aren't missionaries anymore! We don't have to be home! Let's go to the beach! So we went to Revere Beach. It was so quiet and eerie. There was a thick fog setting in off the ocean. Jenny was talking on the phone when we pulled up, but I wasn't going to wait. I ran down to the water and realized how quiet and heavy it was. I ran back to her and we went back to the water together. (no, I'm not scared!)
At church the next day we went to 3 wards! First, the Somerville Spanish Branch, which I had never been to, then the Revere 1st Ward (Spanish, of course). In Revere, I made Jenny translate for me so I could bear my testimony! The Spirit was so strong the entire meeting. It was such a joy to have Ana Silvia, Minor, William, and Nestor there AND the Parras family came too! Annie said I made her cry. Alejandro said they will start going to church every week, and they are still planning on going to the temple. Gabriela and the kids are going back to Mexico the end of August probably, and Alejandro will join them a year later. I love that family! After Sacrament meeting, we zoomed to Roslindale to attend the Boston 1st Ward Relief Society. I had never been there before either, and we ate with Timna and Sam and their cute baby Joshua and visited a cute Dominican family!

All in all, it was one of the best weekends since my mission. Jenny drove me to the T station Monday morning and then drove to the airport and flew home. It was good to have a mission friend to wander around Boston again!

Finishing Up

Now it is over...

The National Guard standing....guard...

During the Event

Coming to America: Zoe McCarthy of Cambridge but originally from Lincoln, England, took this photo from the Cambridge side of the Charles River. It was her first Fourth of July in the United States. boston.com

Another living toom shot from Arthur Kah-Git Wong's of Boston boston.com

Mario Elias of Milton took this photo on the Esplanade. boston.com

Boston's getting ready! (From the Cambridge side)

Kristie Chesebrough took this photo while kayaking down the Charles River at sunset before the July 4th fireworks. boston.com You can see the hatch gleaming along the water.

Arthur Kah-Git Wong of Boston snapped this photo right before the fireworks started on the Esplanade from his living room. boston.com

Courtesy of Jean-Francois Caubet from boston.com

The Boston Pops

Starting the Celebration

I don't know what it is with Massachusetts men and their bellies.

Inside Faneuil Hall

Street Performers

Me and Nick Carvil

Sister and President England and Me

Friday we went into Boston and wandered around Haymarket for a while. There were all sorts of booths and people and free samples. We walked to Quincey Market and enjoyed several street performers (of course), and I finally went in Faneuil Hall! It seemed very appropriate for the day to be there! I loved it! Many of the Founding Fathers spoke from the pulpit there.

We walked down the Harbor, saw more street performers near the Aquarium, and tried to go to Yada Yada's (the best food made by the best family! I love the Loloci's!) but they were closed. We headed toward the Charles around 5 pm to save seats with Ellen and the Arlington Ward group. Nick Carvil, a former investigator when I was a missionary, called and said he was on duty with the National Guard at the Esplanade and to come see him! We had been trying to get together since I've gotten here!

So we got of the Charles/M.G.H. stop and wandered up and down the Charles trying to find where he said he was. We finally touched base when he said "I'm in the Hatch!" Ohhh! He was in the best place you could be to see the Boston Pops! We headed that way and got in the huge line. A lady on the side asked if we had wristbands, which of course we didn't. They weren't giving anymore out, and you can't get in without one. Sad. :( I called Nick to tell him we couldn't get in. "Hold on, Misty. Stay there, and hold on!" He and another Soldier came to the gate, talked to security, and we got it! Wristband and all! (Nick even got us a Celebration Crown! hehe)

It was so good to see him, and awesome to be right there! We were there for an hour or so, and wanted to go over the Cambridge side of the river to where the Arlington Ward was and President and Sister England, the Ovards, and other missionaries were. We walked back up to the T station (about a mile or so?) got off at the next stop at Kendall/M.I.T. and found our friends. They had the perfect spot right along the river! Oh, it was beautiful! It was fun to see the Englands in their "street clothes". I have never seen that before.

We really wanted to see the Boston Pops and Rascal Flats play live, and they closed off the T at 10 PM for the fireworks (so we heard), so about 9:30 we headed back. We ran all the way from Charles/M.G.H. down back to the Hatch! The streets were super crowded, it was sticky and humid, and we were sliding across people with our wet skin. When we got to the gate at the Hatch, there were people jammed up against the gate for those who didn't get in with wristbands, but wanted to get as close as they could. I didn't think we'd get back in, but Jenny squeezed her way in, and I was right behind!

The live, rich feeling in the air with people full of patriotism and celebration was exhilarating! We crowded to the river as soon as the performance was over and peeked the fireworks through the trees. Unfortunately by the end the fireworks were completely covered by their own smoke as there was not breeze to move it along, but it didn't put a damper on our night at all. We met up with the Revere Sisters afterward and walked with them to the T and headed home. We finally slept at about 2 or 2:30 AM

Happy Birthday, America!

Departing Missionary Fireside July 3

What a great weekend! I even got off of work early on Thursday as well as the full day Friday! It was fun to have Jenny fly in for the weekend so we could visit families as well as run around Boston. We, of course, did some shopping at H&M in Downtown Crossing her first day here. We met Phil at Alewife and headed to Weston for the Departing Missionaries Testimony Meeting. I can't believe who is home now! I remember when all of those missionaries came! I think there were 10 that went home this transfer. The craziest of all is Hermanas Richey and Washburn! Really? It's already been a year and a half? Sheesh! I also got to meet Elder Warr's parents. I, of course, was especially happy to meet his dad-the first missionary who taught Daniela and her Mum and brother in Belgium.