Well, it's that time. Back-to-school shopping. Over the weekend i had the kids make a list of what they needed for the start of school. They had to be fairly specific: how many jeans or shorts, how many tees, how many button-up shirts, how many neutral (khaki, gray, black, white, etc) skirts, how many printed skirts, how many casual shoes, how many flats, belts, underwear, etc. Then we sat together as a family and went over each list and figured out about how much each would cost and which stores the kids wanted to shop. We totaled the list and yesterday we went to the bank, got out the cash and headed to the stores. It was fantastic! Everyone knew pretty much what they were looking for and didn't waste time looking at stuff that wasn't on their list. If they found what they needed and the price was lower than what we estimated...Yeah! If it was more, they had to pay the difference or they could wait and we will look for it at a different store. I loved it, they loved it. Lauren only bought one thing, but we still have stores from her list that we didn't get to. Dallin and Sara got most of what they need. The girls need new backpacks. Sara got hers: bright pink from Vans. For us, it's worth it to spend $12-15 more on a quality backpack because the kids can use them for 2-3 years. I bought Lauren a backpack at TJ Maxx last year and she needs a new one because it's ripping. Sara has been using her Roxy one for 3 years and it's just now that she needs a new one. Dallin got a Quicksilver one last year and it's looks brand new and might even last through high school (can't believe he only has two years left!).
Anyway, it was a good day. We walked and shopped at an outdoor mall and it was beautiful. I love hanging out with my kids. I love to listen to them shop together and ask each other, "How does this look?", "Would it be weird to wear this with that?", "Does this look too young (or old)?" I'm grateful that David has a job that allows us to get some new school stuff. I wish he could've been shopping with us...but someone has to make sure PacSun has the stuff kids want, right? Love you David.
A beautiful old cemetery on a hill overlooking the town of Concord. We enjoyed reading the gravestones and just thinking about what it must've been like two- and three-hundred years ago. Some of the burials took place in the 1600s.
This is the Wright Tavern (built in 1747). It was the headquarters of the Minutemen early on the morning of April 19, 1775 (the day that the American Revolutionary War started). Later that day it became the headquarters of the British.
We arrived in Boston on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning we drove to Walden Pond. David has been reading Henry David Thoreau for years and years and really wanted to see Walden Pond, where Thoreau lived for about two years. The weather was beautiful - cold, but sunny and gorgeous. We met David's sister, Debbie and the three of us walked around the pond (it was bigger than I expected) and stopped at the site of Thoreau's cabin. I think it was the highlight of our trip for David. And I liked it, too!
