Our Trip to Boston

Over a month ago, our family took a six night trip to Boston.  We left very, very early on a Friday morning to fly out of Birmingham, and we arrived home the next Thursday, which was Olivia's birthday.  I finally looked through the 325 pictures that we took, and narrowed them down to 34 to share.  Many of the details of this trip are now a blur!  I have just been so busy since we got home, and I have finally taken the time to review the pictures and remind myself of our adventures in Boston.  

This trip served as sort of a bridge for me.  When we left, it was five weeks after my surgery, and I was still in the recovery mode.  I was resting some each day, and I had just been cleared to run one day before we left.  While we were in Boston, I walked miles and miles, I carried bags and my backpack, and I rarely rested.  I did get tired, but the change of scenery really distracted me from my physical discomfort. When we came home, I hit the floor running.  It was like I was finally back to my old self--full speed!

So here are some highlights, as best as I can remember!

 This is the subway station, The T, that was about a half mile from our hotel.  We walked to this T station every day to board the train to travel all over Boston.

Our first stop in Boston was the Boston Marathon Expo.  Jimmy was registered to run this race on Monday, and he had to pick up his race packet.  We also did a little bit of souvenir shopping while we were there.

 The next day, Jimmy had to attend an American Medical Athletic Association meeting.  While we was there for a day and a half, the children and I did some sight-seeing.  

We visited the New England Aquarium first.  It was a really nice aquarium, but it was so crowded!  I could not believe how many people were crammed in there.  In fact, the entire city of Boston was pretty crowded the whole time we were there, especially until the marathon was over.

 I don't even remember what this statue is!  But the children liked climbing on it.  It was was outside the aquarium.

 One of the children touching a stingray.

 This is taken on the exact spot of The Boston Massacre.

 Can you read the words at the top of the circle?

On Sunday Jimmy had to attend meetings again until early afternoon.  The children and I spent our morning sight-seeing again, and then we met up with Jimmy for a church service.....I found out before we went to Boston that the Christians that we wanted to worship with met at 3:00 PM.  That seemed like an odd time, but it worked out great for us.  The people were so nice, and it was evident that they loved the Lord.

 We went to the beautiful Boston Public Garden.  We rode a swan boat, just like the swan boats in Make Way For Ducklings.

After our church service we went with Jimmy to a pre-race pasta dinner that was part of his medical meeting.  We heard three interesting athletic speakers, including Lorraine Moller, the 1984 female Boston Marathon winner and the bronze medalist in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Meeting with our dear friend and marathon Koach, Kenneth, and another running friend, John before heading back to the hotel for the night.

On Monday, Jimmy left our hotel room early--he had to take the T to Koach's hotel, take a cab with Koach and some others to the Boston Common, and then join 20,000 (or maybe more!) people in boarding school buses for the 26 mile ride to the Boston Marathon starting line.  

This was not a typical marathon experience for Jimmy.  He had been sick with an cough and cold before we left for Boston, and by Saturday afternoon he was very sick.  He was running a pretty high fever, and his cough was terrible.  Our cousin-in-law (is that such a thing?  Joe is married to Jimmy's first cousin) diagnosed him over the phone with pneumonia!  He called him in some medications.  At that point Jimmy did not think it was any way possible for him to walk around, much less run a marathon in record breaking heat.  It was predicted to be in the upper 80s on race day.  Anything above 60 is really too hot for running a marathon. 

Jimmy and Koach waiting to begin the marathon

The medicines (which took me multiple T rides and over two hours to find a pharmacy that was open!) seemed to be working very well, and Sunday morning Jimmy felt well enough to attend all of that day's activities.  He was still running fever Sunday night though.  When he woke up Monday morning, he decided that he felt well enough to run....but he chose to run at a pace that would keep his heart rate under 160.  That was a smart decision!  He ran slower than he ever has in a marathon, but he had negative splits, and he finished the marathon in good shape!  We were so proud of him!!  We tracked him online for the entire race, and we cheered him on in the park where we were when we tracked him across the finish line!  It was just too, too crowded for me to try to take five children to anywhere on the race course.  We watched most of the race on live TV in our hotel room!

Leah, playing at the park near our hotel while waiting for Jimmy to come back from the marathon.

 Julie and Olivia--waiting and crocheting!

 This is what Sam does when he sees a camera!

 Isn't that lovely?

We spent the remaining days of our time in Boston touring the city's historical sites.  We did a trolley tour of Boston, and we also walked parts of the Freedom Trail.

inside the U.S.S. Constitution

 our family

 the U.S.S. Constitution

 playing on hammocks inside a children's museum

 waiting for the trolley

 with Mrs. Quack and her duckings (from Make Way For Ducklings) in the Boston Public Garden

 Leah, Sam, and Mrs. Quack

 Sam and Clay

 all of the children

 trying to pick up some heavy chain

 Paul Revere's house

approaching the Bunker Hill monument

There are 294 steps to the top of this monument.

I walked all the way to the top!

Sam on step 75

 Leah, tired and almost to the very top step!

 resting at the top

 We made it to the top!

 the tortoise

 and the hare!

 the Boston Public Library

We spent some time looking around inside, and it was beautiful!

 a kind policeman visiting with Sam

It was a very fun but extremely exhausting trip!