Sunday Chatter

Jill & me

Sunday was Mother's Day. And Johnny and I have two wonderful mothers that we wished we could have been near.

this photo says it's from March, but it's from earlier this month

We did get a fun treat, however, when we got to chat with my sister Jill, who is on a mission in Peru! She Skyped with my parents, and my parents videochatted me so that I could be a part of the conversation. I loved getting to hear Jill and see that she's happy and healthy. She has already grown up so much since leaving on her mission. She has the best attitude, and I loved every second of hearing her talk about her life in Lima. Here were some of the highlights that I found interesting:

• For the first time in her life, she has lice! Some of the places they teach are not very sanitary, and she thinks that's how she got it. Right now she's using dog shampoo, but my parents are shipping her some medicated shampoo right away.
• Hardly any of the toilets have lids. They are just bowls, and many times they aren't cemented into the ground. She has to be careful not to topple over when she goes to the bathroom!
• She has a huge lunch, and that's the main meal for her each day. She and her companion rarely eat dinner. 
• She is never in short supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, the missionaries can't eat the lettuce in Peru, and they aren't allowed to buy food from street vendors.
• She is in a "wealthy" area right now. She said being wealthy in Peru means you actually have a car---something most Americans don't think twice about.
• Jill gets a lot of comments from men when she and her companion are out and about. She is so much taller than everyone else in Peru, and she looks very American. She wouldn't tell us what they say---I didn't like hearing that men say things to her. Gross.
• She loves the food, but she misses the variety of dishes that we eat in the US.
• Everyone greets each other with a kiss on each cheek, even upon first meeting. Jill loves this, and she said that greeting a person with a handshake seems so stiff now. 
• She loves Peru, but living there has made her very patriotic. It has made her really appreciate the USA.

Not all of my siblings were on the line, so I wanted to share these things so I would remember them. I am so proud of Jill, but I sure do miss her!!! 

Flower Power

I love flowers. I took the above pictures around Boston the last couple weeks. I can't wait for the day when I have the space to have indoor plants or, gasp--a yard with flowers.

• We recently found out that Johnny can take a few days off, so we are taking a short trip to the beach in June. It will be a MUCH needed getaway. I can't wait!!
• Earlier this week I got a phone call from my sister who is on a mission in Peru!! It was her pre-call to tell us when she would be calling on Sunday. My parents didn't answer, so she called me! If even for 5 minutes, it was soooooo great to hear her voice. I miss her so much.
• Last night right after dinner, I fell sound asleep on the couch. Then after I woke up, Johnny fell sound asleep. It's been a long week I guess.
• I'm obsessed with homemade guacamole right now. I've made it 4 times in the past two weeks, and I'm making it again tonight. We can't get enough in this household.
• Recently, when making said guacamole, I cut myself, and Johnny was immediately by my side making me hold my hand up and put pressure on the cut. He had my finger all fixed up in no time. I sure love that boy. 

We are very excited for the weekend. By Friday, we are both so ready to just be together. TGIF!

Beacon Hill Excessiveness

I kind of feel bad about how many pictures are in this post. Hannah loved Beacon Hill and I love it, so for all of you who haven't been to Boston, hopefully this will kind of give you an idea of what Beacon Hill is like.

that time a drunk guy took our picture

This is the only picture I have of Hannah and me together from her trip to visit us. I was taking a solo picture of Hannah in this same spot when a friendly man came out of a shop and said, "Great shot!" He was just lingering right next to me with this huge grin on his face, so I thought maybe he was indirectly offering to take a picture of the two of us. I asked him if he would, and he said, "Of course!" Once I was actually up next to Hannah, I saw that the man was swaying and stumbling as he tried taking our picture, and I realized the hard reality: I had just given a very drunk man my camera. As I hurried back to him, all I could think is Please, please don't drop my camera. Thankfully he didn't, and when he handed it back to me, he said with a big smile and slurred speech, "The best part about that picture is how drunk I was taking it!" Who knows what face I made when he said that, but he soon began wandering aimlessly down the street.

This story may make me seem super clueless, but to my credit, it was the middle of the day, and I neglected to see that the shop the man walked out of was actually a bar. He just seemed really happy and friendly. . .

Hannah and I headed to Harvard.

Harvard is just a few stops away from where we live, so Hannah and I hopped on the subway and went to check it out.

It's an old, beautiful campus, of course. There weren't really people touring around, so Hannah and I had a great time just pretending we were one of the many students walking around campus. Someone even asked us for directions!

I wasn't in picture-taking mode at all because I was just enjoying being a student so much. So my pictures don't adequately document the campus at all---I guess you'll just have to come see it yourself!