So more than a month since our last post just passed bye.  Yeah… that just happened.  Things have just been crazy around here!  So I guess we have a lot to catch up on…

For starters…let’s see what we’ve checked off our list since our last post… We’ve selected our florist, bakery, pianist, shuttle services, and band.  We’ve finalized our registry (for the most part)…and ordered our “Save the Dates”.  We’ve also ordered our invitations, and selected a calligrapher  to assist us with getting these things out.  All and all, I’d say that we’re finished with most of the hard stuff (or so we’d like to think).

Moving forward, Blyth has several appointments set-up over Thanksgiving break.  She will be visiting Bowen’s Island to plan the rehearsal dinner, as well as picking out linens and seating for the reception.  Billy will be enjoying a nice break from wedding planning with some turkey and football

Now to the fun stuff… For a much needed break, we spent a nice, long weekend with the Long and Graul families in Boston, MA.  Auntie Anne picked us up from the airport on Thursday evening and took us to the Long’s house in Wellesley, MA where we enjoyed some homemade bread and Veal Stew prepared by Uncle Jack.  After some much needed catch-up, the conversation quickly turned to honeymoon planning (ah…now we’re talking!).  We soon retired to bed late with dreams of 5 star amenities sprawled against Hawaiian beaches that night.

The next morning, Auntie Mary took us by Dunkin’ Donuts for a quick cup of coffee before taking us out to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.  Billy was finally able to see the beautiful campus where Blyth attended college and rowed crew.  After touring the campus, we returned to Wellesley just in time to grab some delicious sandwiches from the Linden Store.  Later that evening, we ate dinner as a family enjoying Jack’s famous Squash Soup and a Pizza that the Long kids affectionately refer to as “Pizza in a Box”.

Saturday began with a delicious waffle breakfast (at the unintentional request of Billy).  Then Auntie Anne and Auntie Mary took us to Cambridge,MA to watch some of the Head of the Charles Regatta.  For those who don’t know, this is one of the major regattas that Holy Cross’ crew team would row in each year.  I think Billy was a little surprised at just how big this event was.  After walking through a large crowd to catch a bit of the race (and buying t shirts from an event vendor),  we managed to find our way back to Blyth’s Aunties.  From there, we made the short walk to Harvard’s Campus where we used Auntie Anne’s tickets to catch the Harvard/Princeton game (How cool is that!?).  The game was certainly a high-scoring one with plenty of action, and the overall ambiance of college football’s oldest standing stadium just made it that much more memorable.  We returned to Wellesley later that evening where Billy was surprised to see a gag gift picked out for him by the boys (a Georgia Tech golf bag found at the Dump).  We then went out for Chinese with the Long family and Auntie Anne, and would later watch a movie before retiring for the night.

The next morning, we awoke to a delicious breakfast consisting of bacon, eggs, and fresh fruit.  We enjoyed a nice relaxing Sunday (and an Atlanta Falcon’s game on the TV for Billy) before being surprised by our first gifts off our registry.  Along with the gifts were three books to help us plan our trip to Hawaii!  We would stay at Auntie Anne’s house in Nahant, MA that night before heading home on Monday morning.

Overall, I’d say that the trip was exactly what we needed.  It’s so great to have family that is so kind and hospitable to host us for more than 4 days.  We really appreciated the support and company and they were more than generous for everything they offered us during our stay.  Thanks so much to the Longs (Mary, Jack, Stephen, Brian, and Matthew) as well as Auntie Anne for everything!  We will return soon and hopefully catch Katie, Jody, Maura, and Meghan next time around!