Guess Who's Back?!?!?! (with *lots* of pictures)

Ok, after what feels like a very long time, I'm back to posting!  I think it's because sometimes I don't think my life is all *that* interesting and no one would want to read/hear about it.  And sometimes it's so crazy.  Although that is probably everyone's life!

So I basically haven't blogged all of our crazy adventures during July.  So that's where I'll start!

Last year, we went to the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT.  It was so much fun.  We are very much nautical people (we owned/and will own a sailboat, my FIL built his own sailboat, we love the water, etc...you get the picture).  So being at this show was so amazing - everyone brought their own wooden and homemade boats.  It was absolutely amazing to see the craftsmanship on all the boats.

After coming home from this show, we knew my FIL would LOVE it.  So this year, for his birthday, we decided to take him on a trip to Mystic.  We had him fly out to visit us and we drove both he and my MIL to Mystic for the weekend.

 When you end the Seaport, there is this giant anchor.  It's super cool to see!

 How cute is this wooden boat?  It's actually a kit and you building it yourself!  I was surprised to hear that the kit was only about $3,100.  Granted that only gets you the pieces to the boat, but I still thought that was a little bit of a deal.  The Hubster, not so much.  Me thinks if he was going to assemble a boat, this wouldn't be the one he wants.

Some day...when I'm filth rich...like win the $500 million lottery rich, I'll buy this house.  Because it's gorgeous.  And looks so amazingly serene.

 I just thought this building was so cute.

Part of the charm of Mystic Seaport, is that they have re-created it to be an "old time" village.  The organizers have brought back old buildings and such to make it feel like you're living in the early 1900s. 

I know this picture is super blurry, but it's the best one I got.  This is a rope building.  In the older days, the rope builders made rope in long pieces.  So if you want to make a really long rope, you'll have to make a really long building.  Ie:  if you need a rope that's 100 yds, the building would have to be at least 100 yds.  So you can kind of see how long this building is.  Also the people that worked there walked up to 8 miles a day going from end to end making the ropes.  Can you imagine what great shape you'd be in!!

 My super cute Hubster and his dad.

 The original Mystic Lighthouse

You can take a carriage ride around the village.  We did and let me just say...thank goodness we go in cars.  Because this method of travel is a tiny bit stinky and very bumpy!

Someone was very proud of his new hat that kept the sun off his face.  I thought it resembled an Indiana Jones hat.  But we were all just very happy it kept him from having a very big sunburn!

We got to see a Blacksmith at work.  He was really making the horseshoes and everything!

After a full day of sightseeing and merriment, we headed out for a birthday dinner. 

The *very* happy birthday boy and his mussels!

Also near Mystic, is the National Submarine Museum.  We knew that Dad would want to visit there, and so we scheduled a quick detour there on the way home.  Fun fact:  Hubster and I have already been there.  We stopped at the Submarine Museum....on our first anniversary trip!  It actually was very interesting.  Although now that we've been there twice, I don't know if I'll need to go another time.

 

This is the outside of the museum.  The rings are the size of the circumference of a submarine and its missile.  Kind of cool when you think about how they don't seem so big in the water.

 

The Hubster and his amazing parents on the deck of The Nautilus.  The US's first nuclear submarine.

From Mystic, we drove back to Buffalo for my cousin's wedding!  It was so awesome to see everyone.

 My cousin waiting for his lovely bride...our seats were kind of far away and at a weird angle.

 Congratulations James and Melissa!!

The super duper yummy cake!  I think this is half the reason I love weddings! hehe

I love my hubby!!

My mom and her sister.  It's crazy to think they are sisters sometimes because they are so different!

My Aunt Ann and her daughter Ginny.  They are both such lovely ladies.  Aunt Ann is 88 and still super spunky.  She regrets retiring and said she'd still be working if she didn't need a nap every day! ha!  Ginny is a nurse at a local retirement home for nuns.  She is so patient and kind.

My super handsome 89 year old Grandpa, my Aunt Arlene and cousin, Lisa.  Grandpa is so hilarious.  This is the same suit that he wore to my wedding and literally the same tie.  He just loosened the knot and reslipped it over his head for James' wedding.  hahaha  Aunt Arlene's husband was my Grandpa's brother...he passed away 10 years ago and he was perhaps the most funny of my great-uncles.  And Lisa is my Grandma's cousin.  She is the most wonderful lady in the entire world.  She escaped from Germany and came to the US in the 70s.  She didn't talk to her family for 20 years and they were severely punished.  But despite all of her hardships, she laughs constantly and has the best outlook on life.

A few weeks after our trip home, we headed to Baltimore to hang out with my brother-in-law, Jon.

We hiked up to Ft. McHenry (where the Star Spangled Banner was written) and got to look out at downtown Baltimore and the harbor.  So pretty!

We found these giant soccer balls and this metal thing when we were wandering around.  The security guard said we could play with them, so we played a little soccer.  The way the cone things were built, it was super hard to get the ball into the hole...but we persisted and did it.  So fun.

Happy 59th Birthday to my Dad!!  We got him a framed poster of him of a baseball player and called him the "Player of the Year."  Because in my mind...my dad's the best baseball player of all time!  (And yes, he still plays!!)

We were lucky enough to spend an evening on this amazing rooftop bar.  It had the most unbelievable view of the Empire State Building.  I apologize for the fact that this is a little off-center.  Perhaps I had a *few* too many drinks and wasn't focusing the camera correctly. hehe

Is it cheesy that this picture makes me heart melt.  He's just the greatest husband ever.  Oh I love him.

We found this cute park that sits right on the Sound.  So we set up our beach chairs and got out our books.  The perfect Sunday afternoon!

Paul hates being in the sun.  And really, he shouldn't be in the sun.  So we found this awesome chair for him - it's got a built in umbrella.  He loves it.

We spent a night out with some friends and played table tennis.  This is not our best sport.  But Paul looks happy doing it!

While hanging out in Central Park one afternoon, we found this "Engineer's Gate"  And so I made Paul stand there while I took a picture of the Engineer in front of the gate.  hehe

Ok...so I am going to end this marathon post.  Seriously.

Thanks for reading this far.

Our lives are rather boring these days...it consists of work and watching the Olympics.  But I hope to be back to posting!