I'm dreaming of a Celtic's championship

One of the things Jeremy and I love about living in Boston is cheering on the Celtics - especially since they are really good these days! Last Saturday Ray Allen, a starting Celtics basketball player, had an event for his Ray of Hope foundation. If you brought a toy for a child to the mall he would sign something for you. Thinking we should take advantage of this opportunity to see one of our favorite men in green, we decided to brave the lines and go to the event.

Great decision! While we were waiting in line, Ray's wife Shannon came to the mall and started walking down the line and talking with everyone. This wasn't just, "Hello I'm Shannon, thanks for coming", no this woman was amazing and took probably five minutes just chatting with us before moving on to others in the line.

One thing we didn't think very far in advance about was what we wanted to have Ray sign. About 15 minutes before we needed to leave we decided to print off a picture of Jeremy and I at a Celtics game with the court in the background. When I gave the photo to Ray to sign I think he was a little surprised because most people were having him sign Celtics parafinalia or pictures of himself. But let's be real, I do love Ray, but do I want an 8x10 picture of him hanging up in my house? Not really. Ray took a double take at the picture, and I assured him that he was on the court behind us somewhere, probably making a shot. Obviously Ray was signing things very quickly so we didn't get a lot of time with him, but we did exchange a few pleasantries which was fun.

Go Celtics!

Christmas at the Alcott's

Last weekend Jeremy and I decided to head to Concord to celebrate an 1863 Christmas with the Alcott's -- Louisa May Alcott, that is. For those of you that don't know Louisa May Alcott is the author of Little Women, a book she wrote about her own family. The family lived in Concord, MA and the house they lived in is still there. For most of the year you are able to take a historical tour of the house, but during December they bring in actresses to play Louisa, her sisters, and her parents and they tell you what their life would be like during Christmas in 1863. I gained such a respect for the values this family seemed to have and can't wait to go back again for the regular tour to get more details about them.

I blame my sisters-in-law

What, you might ask, am I blaming them for? My last two nights of restless sleep. During the Johnson family reunion this summer two of my sister-in-laws were reading the Hunger Games. They were both completely enthralled by it and couldn't put it down. At the time I didn't ask much about what the book was about however, when looking for a good book at the library the other day I decided to give it a try.

Little did know before starting this read, that the main story line involves mortal combat (aka battling to the death). Needless to say, the last two nights I have spent being chased by people trying to kill me. Luckily I am always a step ahead of my pursuers but it is unsettling nonetheless.

The worst part is that the book pulls you in and leaves you wanting to know what happens so now I have no alternative but to continue reading to the end. I did however, decide not to read right before bedtime and I am also determined to finish it quickly so I can once again enjoy peaceful slumber.

A good read...but beware before starting that you might lose some sleep.

PS. If you have already read this book, please don't leave any spoiler's in the comments.

Thanksgiving in Utah

A week long vacation to Utah for Thanksgiving provided a great opportunity to see some of both of our families. Since we planned to spend Thanksgiving Day at Jeremy's parents house, we got together with my sisters the Sunday before. This is our attempt at getting a picture with all the kids. Not very many people are looking at the camera, but at least no one is crying so I count that a success.
Here we are in front of Jeremy's parents new house in Utah. We (mostly Jeremy) spent much of the vacation helping finish the basement, which is a huge project. One day we decided to do double duty and incorporate our workout for the day into the house building project. Jeremy and I would carry a large piece of sheet rock down to the basement and then run up the hill to the garage for the next piece. It doesn't sound like a lot but after 45 minutes I was definitely feeling the burn.

Jeremy's entire family was there for Thanksgiving -- a first in many years -- and it was great to catch up with everyone.

Our last night we went to Temple Square to see all the beautiful Christmas lights. Even though it was freezing, there are few places in the US that can rival the splendor of the Christmas displays at Temple Square and I love seeing it all.

Because of the cold weather we looked for frequent opportunities to enjoy the beauty -- and warmth -- of the many buildings.