I know it's been too long without an update. Life has been pretty boring here in Boston, so there hasn't been too much to blog about, but I'll do my best to catch everyone up.
Christmas came with some guests, some welcome, some not. Since my parents wanted to celebrate Christmas with my Grandmother, Boz's kids wanted to celebrate with their respective mothers, and Kerry and Boz wanted to celebrate with Boz's family (for the first time in their marriage), we decided to hold the Lang/Bosworth Christmas on December 26th-27th. I spent Christmas hanging out by myself since I didn't have anywhere else to go. December 26th, I had to work in the morning, but the plan was that I would travel to Kerry and Boz's house. It was around that time that the epic snow began. We were hit with a blizzard that made traveling conditions treacherous so I wasn't able to get down there. Katelyn and Justin, who were flying up from Jacksonville, FL, had their flights cancelled. Long story short, we finally got everyone together on the 27th to celebrate including Boz's mom and neice. Despite our agreement for no gifts, everyone bought each other something and I was given a sock monkey hat, a Jim Shore figurine of the Wicked Witch of the West, a pretty pink scarf, a Shrek Chia Pet, a few books, an ornament and a new sewing machine. It was a wonderful Christmas, once we all got there!
Santa Came!
Opening my Jim Shore Elphie
Siblings! My Nieces and Nephews!
Then came the snow. For five weeks, every 5-6 days, we would get slammed with a blizzard. In those 5 weeks, we had more than 70 inches of snow fall. For those of you not good with math, that averages out to 2 inches of snow per DAY. It was beautiful at first, but then it just started to get annoying. There are only so many times you want to dig your car out of that much snow. I feel like this was God's way of testing me. If I still like Boston after that much snow, I must be in it for the long haul.
Winter Trees
Snowy Bushes
After and because of the snow, those 5 weeks were pretty boring. Every time I'd make plans with someone, the snow would foil those plans. Even the locals were starting to complain about the snow, and then roofs started collapsing. I did get a free 27 inch TV that a woman on Craigslist was giving away. I had to plan my trip around the snow, but I finally got it. Of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't find someway to injure myself and I swear I broke my toe when I dropped the heavy sucker on it. That was back in December and my toe still hurts!
This has also been the winter of illnesses. I have had the flu twice, and a cold with a low grade fever once. Yes, this has all been in the last 2 months. I'm just getting over my latest bout of the flu (which put me in the E.R. for a few hours due to a very high fever) and I hope that this is the last! For those of you who will make fun of me for being "sickly", there are several things that cause a weak immune system. 1. Chronic illness, such as migraines. 2. Mental illness, such as depression (yes, I take pride in the fact that I'm a mental patient) 3. Stress...I think we can all agree that the last 18 months to 2 years have been pretty stressful for me. 4. Fluctuations in climate, such as moving from sunny, warm California, to cold-ass Boston....so yes, I might get sick more than the average person, but it's not because I'm weak...or maybe it is, but there are other factors going on as well.
The good news is that I've had a little bit of time to spend with Reagan. They are going to Hawaii next and it will be the first time in 2 years that I won't be living within driving distance of them, so I'm trying to squeeze in as much Reagan time as possible. I also want Kerry and Boz to be able to go out as much as they can without the baby, so I've been offering to babysit. This past weekend, I wanted them to go out for Valentine's Day, so they left Reagan with me and went out on a date. Ms. R was perfect the entire night. I swear this kid has an IQ of a million, she's so smart! She loves puzzles and although she asks "Where's this piece go, Aunt Di?", if I tell her to figure it out, she does. She has a huge floor puzzle of the United States where each state is a different piece. The last time I was down, she put the outline together by herself and although she needed a little help with the states, if I told her the general area it went in, she could figure it out herself. She continues to amaze me. It's like she got the best attributes of both her mom and dad. She got Boz's super intelligence and Kerry's kindness and sensitivity. She amazes me each time I go down, and I know that it's going to be very difficult to live so far apart next year.
Anyway, like I said, Reagan was a perfect angel the entire night. She always gets a little sad when her mom and dad leave. We were lying on the couch doing puzzles on my phone when Kerry and Boz left, and then she got a little sad. I asked her what she wanted to do. Play a puzzle? No. Have a tea party? No. Play dress up? No. Dance? No. Catch frogs? No. Bake cookies? YES! So off we set to bake some cookies. (I started taking pictures with my phone and ended with taking pictures with Kerry and Boz's Nikon. My phone's camera doesn't work unless I use an app called Retro Camera which I love, but that's why the first few pictures look older)
First, we rolled out the dough...
Then we cut out shapes-lips and hearts to be exact...
Then we attempted to clean up while the cookies baked.
Then the fun part came...the decorating! Reagan did this all by herself. The kitchen was a mess, as you can imagine when a 2 and 1/2 year old goes nuts with the sprinkles, but we both had fun and that's all that matters.
She started out slowly, deliberate....
...concentrating on where every bit of confectionery sugar would go...
...then she got a little more bold, emptying them out into her hand and pouring them on...
....until she discovered the little round balls and just went to town.
Pouring...
...and pouring...
...making sure they stick...
...and licking off the excess...
...until we had a finished product to enjoy.
Then we got to try them....Yummy!!
So that has been my life for the last 2 months. Snow, sick, Reagan, and work. Still trying to figure out that last part. Maybe I'll be an occupational therapist. Maybe I'll be a teacher. Maybe I'll be a fireman. Maybe I'll be an astronaut. Maybe I'll be the president. Maybe I'll be a caterpillar. Who knows which road I'll get to take...
