Parents Come for a Visit

The week after we moved to Baltimore, my parents flew to D.C. for a conference my dad had to attend. They always like to see where their kids are living, so this was a good excuse. So on Saturday Nick, Cole and I headed to D.C. to walk around with my mom.  We went to several museums, including the new Holocaust museum (which luckily Colette slept through the whole thing), and then met up with my dad for dinner before heading back to Baltimore. It was a really fun day with PERFECT weather!

After the conference was over, they took a train up to see us, which was fun for them, and we showed them around Baltimore. We walked our neighborhood, went to the Aquarium, ate at a Diner's, Dive, and Drive-in place for crab cakes, visited Fort McHenry to learn all about the War of 1812 and see where the Star Spangled Banner was written, and the flag was hung, then finished off the trip with a great meal at Steamers. It is a crab house where they pour Maryland Blue crab on the table and you get your hands dirty and dig in! That was a really fun time because it wasn't just dinner, but an activity. haha

I'm so glad that they could make it out here to see us! I really miss my family, and I hope they all can come and visit some time.

Remember when...

Can't believe how fast time flies. Maybe I should post his second little video...

Just a couple fun pictures our realtor took at his Client Appreciation BBQ. Colette was so excited to be outside instead of in our house unpacking. She was running a-muck (spelling?) everywhere she went and even putting her mouth on numerous bottles of water...even from another family's BBQ across the way. Funny, funny Cole.

Moving Day

Ahhh, I had to take a picture of our dish drying rack because I was beginning to detest this thing. I was so excited to throw it away and Nick said, are you sure we won't need it? I said, YES! I WILL MAKE SURE WE WILL NEVER NEED IT! And then below are all our boxes packed up and ready to be moved into the moving van. Which Nick and I did together again. Not that I wanted to because we had friends offering, but it was a Thursday and they were all at work and Nick didn't want to wait until 5:00. He motivated me to help him out...or a little bribe... :) So we did it together. OH my friend Melissa was an angel for watching Colette while we did it. That would have been very hard if she was there!

 Good bye Providence!

And here is us moving into our new place. Our new bishop and a missionary came and helped us load everything in.  It only took 30 minutes! I guess we don't have a lot of stuff, but still...That was fast. And as you can see, I am very excited about our new dishwasher :) (not to be left out washer and dryer, ice maker, and garbage disposal. You really value the little things when you have lived without them for so long. Keeps me low maintenance. hehe)

Our last days in Rhode Island

During the last month in Rhode Island we were busy. We had a lot of buying house paperwork, Nick finishing his comprehensive exams (aka comps), and packing up the house. But we did manage to get in a lot of time with our friends before we left. This is what we did...

 

Kaitie and I went to Boston for the day. Cole was just perfect all day. So we took advantage and went to Buffalo Exchange and made $20 between the two of us. (jealous), then we went to Urban Outfitters, H&M, and finished the day off at Mike's Pastry shop. We rallied up our dimes, nickels, and pennies to enjoy some tasty cannoli's. It was a fun day!

 Another day, seven of us girls went to Newport to run a 5k. I previously posted about this, but it was really fun! Kaitie forgot her keys though so we 'attempted' to hitch hike back to our cars, but quickly realized our courage was that of the lion in the Wizard of Oz. So a nice Newport city librarian gave us a ride when she overheard us talking. We finished the day with lunch and a perfect cupcake that I'm still thinking about. (but not missing any freeway exits thinking about...Leah)

 AND THEN, another day we went to the beach. It was beautiful, we got a little sunburn (except Cole) and I realized that I don't like sand so much with a one year old. Especially when she was trying to run and fell face first in soft sand, which was all over her face and eyelashes. Poor thing had a perfect and rough day.

 Lastly (of the pictures because we did lots of other fun things that I just didn't take a picture of) our friends the Resch's hosted a great going away party. And the girls did separate from the boys because let's me honest, talking about Real Housewives, breastfeeding, food, and clothing is way more fun than whatever they talked about. :)

There you have it in a nutshell. Our last days of Rhode Island. I really miss it there, but I'm not counting Baltimore out. I know I am going to have a great time here too!

Providence in 9 pictures...

 

We are officially livng in Baltimore, but I thought a recap on our previous life would be in order. So here we are - Providence in nine pictures. Why nine you ask? Because nine months is how long we lived there!

#1  Our humble abode on Sparrow Street, in Smith Hill. Scared to live there the first couple of days, but grew to feel safe and loved it. (and for $700 month who wouldn't learn to suffer through a laundry mat, no ac and no dishwasher)

#2  Open the gates and seize the day! These are the gates at Brown. Brown is the University where Nick spent 12+ hours each day. He spent that long there so he can do well in school, which he did do earning in the "A" category. My little smarty pants... I guess one of us had to be.

 

#3   Apple picking with Colette. She loved to suck on the apples! This was a really fun day. I miss those days where she was just happy looking around. Now she loves to touch and grab everything; even if it's dirty and not safe.

#4  For Christmas Nick got winter surf gear. He had to use it as much as he could before we moved away from good surf. So, here he is in 50 degree weather, enjoying the third love of his life, and not even catching a cold! I need a passion like this...

#5  Colette on Christmas. She was more interested in the ribbons and ornaments on the tree, than what was in the presents, but hey, you've got to start the excitement somewhere. We stayed in Providence for Christmas with just the three of us. It is going to be one of my favourite memories for many years. We had the best time!

 

#6   A Rhode Island original, Duck Pin Bowling. It is bowling with little balls, and little pins, AND it's hard to find a regular bowling alley. This is a local favourite. Hard though to keep Colette's curious little fingers off all the bowling balls...Even typing that grosses me out. I must have gone through a box of wipes that day.

#7  These are a few of my favourite things...or people :) Just some of the great friends we made in RI. This is us after running a 'kim made' 5k. I say Kim made, because if an actual organization organized it, then we wouldn't have run across one mile of boulders...It was a fun time nonetheless. I miss these ladies.

#8  Colette turn one! 365 days old. I can't believe how fast time flies. This little firecracker keeps me on my toes. Six teeth, walking, and gives hi-fives. Just a regular little lady.

#9  All our stuff packed up ready to be moved to the moving truck. Sad day...exhausting day...weather behaved day...and exciting day! PS nothing broke during the move. Yipee

History 101 of Charm City

The nickname "Charm City" traces its origins to 1975; it grew out of creative conferences among four of the city's leading advertising executives and creative directors. Mayor William Donald Schaefer requested them to 'come up with something to promote the city. And do it now! I'm worried about this city's poor image.' "  So, short answer: "Charm City" started in the mid-1970s as a promotion by one or more ad agencies.

One thing visitors quickly notice is that some locals refer to their city as "Balamer," dropping the "t". The traditional local white accent, peculiar to some working-class areas of the city, has long been noted and celebrated as "Baltimorese" or "Bawlmorese." 

 

Baltimore is the largest city in the state of Maryland.

Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic United States Baltimore's Inner Harbour was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States and a major manufacturing center. After a decline in manufacturing, Baltimore shifted to a service-oriented economy.

At 620,961 residents in 2010. Baltimore's population has decreased by one-third since its peak in 1950. The Baltimore Metropolian area has grown steadily to approximately 2.7 million residents in 2010; the 20th largest in the country.

The city is named after Lord Baltimore, a member of the Irish House of Lords and the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony Baltimore is an anglization of the Irish Gaelic name Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "town of the big house"

 

The city was the site of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. After burning Washington, D.C., the British attacked Baltimore on the night of September 13, 1814. United States forces from Fort McHenry successfully defended the city's harbor from the British. Francis Scott Key, a Maryland lawyer, was aboard a British ship where he had been negotiating for the release of an American prisoner, Dr. William Beanes. Key witnessed the bombardment from this ship and later wrote "The Star Spangled Banner", a poem recounting the attack. Key's poem was set to a 1780 tune by British composer John Stafford Smith, and the Star-Spangled Banner became the official National Anthem of the United States in 1931.