When Karen was in Boston: Urban Rain

Sunday afternoon we decided to wait for Hurricane Sandy by venturing into the city.  We went to the Christian Science Church and walked around Back Bay in the cold, wind, and rain.  It was loads of fun, actually.  We were raised to just roll with punches as far as weather goes, and many of my favorite childhood memories involve camping and hiking during storms and even blizzards. 

Nothing like discussing urban architecture whilst soaking wet.  With a lot of babies in tow.

Squiggles thought she had died and gone to heaven, what with all the running and splashing in puddles.

When Karen was in Boston: Newport

I picked Newport as my activity for Karen’s visit (see previous post).

We met at King Park, and drove along the Ocean Drive to see the ocean and mansions.  We stopped at a rocky peninsula and played around for a bit:

These are a couple family photo attempts that will not be appearing on any cards this year.

We were reminded while Karen was here that she is by far the most affectionate Dickey.  She likes to give people a hug when they’re walking by, even if it’s the third time that hour.  Her boy Max is the same way… so sweet.

I love how good of friends Ivy and Squiggles (usually) are.  I hope they’re always close like this.  Also, I’m dying to know what they’re talking about.

We had lunch outside at Flo’s Clam Shack… mostly fried seafood.  Yum.

Then we headed to Easton Beach (or 1st Beach, and the Newport folks call it).  We played in the sand and watched the sea.

Lance, Cami, and Peter didn’t get the memo that it was the end of October, so they went boogie boarding.  Brrrrr…

Bryn made a new friend:

Squiggles didn’t get the “It’s October” memo either, and ran around all day without her shoes, hat, or jacket.

Karen and Lily made best friends.  Lucy and Lily… still working on it.

At the end of the day we drove back to Massachusetts and had a barbecue in our backyard.  Tim grilled burgers and hot dogs, and we all huddled under blankets and enjoyed each other’s company by the light of the moon… and a lamp that we strung out the kitchen window, obviously.

When Karen was in Boston: The Watchtower Hike

Disclaimer 1:  Cami has blogged about our adventures on her blog as well. 

Disclaimer 2:  The photos below were taken with my cell phone.

We Dickeys on the East Coast get pretty excited when we have visitors.  My sister Karen brought her family out a couple weeks ago, which caused much rejoicing in the land.  In anticipation of her visit, we had several meetings to discuss what would (tentatively) happen while they were here.  Cami, Lance, and I each chose one major activity. 

Lance chose a hike to the watchtower in the Middle sex Fells.  It was the perfect length (a couple miles) for the children, and we all had a great time hiking in the crisp, autumn air.

The trailhead:

The hike:

Squiggles actually hiked most of the way, but Peter was kind enough to carry her on the way up when she got tired.

The watchtower itself was a huge hit.  Eli and Max ran up and down it several times.  I braved it once (I have a thing with heights).  At the top of the tower are panoramic views, including a spectacular view of Boston (data not shown).  But here is a view from another direction:

Just hanging around, and dog-piling Aunt Cami:

I am a baby.