Fall 2018

This semester was an exciting one for us! Greg started teaching this semester! We did some traveling but also took it easy a lot of the time because I was always tired and not always feeling great. It was a little bittersweet knowing it was going to be our last fall just the two of us but we were also so excited to get our baby there with us.

First day of teaching

We hate to be in Boston the first weekend in September because the whole of Boston moves on September 1st so we hate to be around then. So we decided to go to Canada! We went up to Sherbrooke, Quebec. It was like a 4 hour drive so we enjoyed the start of leaves changing on the drive there, good food and some hiking once we got there. It was a great way to get out of the city and enjoy somewhere new.

First we stopped for brunch

Did some "hiking" basically just walking in the woods haha

Before we left we stopped for poutine of course

I cut bangs. We got a 20 week bump pic. And had lots of firsts in September: first Red Sox game and first NFL game! We really wanted to see a Dolphins Patriots game and we were looking into going to a game here in New England and couldn't believe how expensive it was! For about $50 more, we could fly down to Miami, go see the game in Miami and fly back to Boston on the same day and the extra $50 are only from all the Ubers to and from airports. So we debated going to the game in Miami in December but ultimately decided to go to the one here in Boston. At the time it felt like a great decision because Gilette Stadium just started a thing for that game where if you agree not to leave the parking lot until an hour after the game ends, you can park for free! They were trying to solve the traffic problem after games so we decided to do that and get free parking! So we got to the game and it was pretty depressing for me... The only highlights for me were seeing my team score, and seeing Tom Brady throw a pick but it's about what I expected. After the game we ate at Red Robin there next to the stadium to kill time until we could leave the parking lot. So even though my team lost it was feeling like a pretty good day. Fast forward to December and the game in Miami. The Dolphins came back and won at the last second on an incredible play and it was one of the best moments in sports ever! (for me at least) So Greg and I were kicking ourselves for not going to that game. The one in Boston was honestly kind of boring and the one in Miami was so exciting! But still got to cross a bucket list item off so that's something!

We made a secret trip to Disneyland for Greg's birthday/a babymoon in October. We flew into California the Friday night and got checked in to our hotel. Saturday morning we turned on General Conference while we got ready to go to the park and got to hear the 2 hour church announcement that we were so excited for! Then we headed to the park and had a blast! It was fun to be there and know that no one else knew where we were. Except thanks to technology, AKA Find my Friends, both our families found out where we were and we also told our big Disney fan friends, Shannon and Jonathan, so we could share snaps with people who appreciate it haha! Even though we had to go at a much slower pace thanks to me being pregnant, it was still a blast! We went hard with the food though and that was great. We splurged and tried the new Lamplight Lounge restaurant at Pixar Pier and got croquettes and the lobster nachos which were ah-mazing. Sunday and Monday were also spent in the parks though Monday, Greg's birthday, was crazy busy because it was a holiday and we had to leave early to get to the airport for our flight back to Boston. But we got birthday sundaes to celebrate before we left. It was a caramel churro sundae and it was awesome! I loved this last trip to Disneyland we took before having kids.

We knew we were having a girl so we snapped a pic for our gender reveal

The lobster nachos

We also got in a really fun date downtown. One of the women in our ward works with the Boston Symphony and will sometimes get extra tickets that she gives away for free. So we got some tickets from her to the symphony and Greg planned dinner downtown too. We went to one of our favourite places, Eataly, and get dinner and gelato there. They have a wood burning pizza oven so the pizza there is to. die. for. So one of us got pizza and the other got this incredible ravioli that was filled with ricotta and butternut squash and had figs and walnuts on it. Seriously can't go wrong at this place. I really tried to savour this night because I knew we wouldn't just be able to pick up and go to the symphony anytime we wanted with a baby, or even get downtown for a date night whenever we wanted. It was a great night!

 Before we went to Utah for our last time before the baby, we also got to go to the BYU vs UMass game at Gilette Stadium. We hadn't planned on going because we didn't want to pay for the tickets mostly haha but then someone from our ward couldn't make it and we got their tickets for free! It also included food at the tailgate party they were having beforehand so that was great! There were way more BYU fans there than UMass fans which was super fun but it was freezing!! As fun as the game was, I was glad to get back to the car and warm up after the game.

In November we flew back to Utah for my brother's wedding and for Thanksgiving. I was going to be too pregnant to fly home for Christmas so we decided to go for Thanksgiving instead and my brother and sister-in-law decided to get married when we could be there which I am so grateful for! We got in the night before the wedding so it was a bit crazy haha. The next morning we got ready, went to the Draper temple where they were sealed, froze while we did pictures outside, and then went to a BBQ place for the luncheon. The reception was at my parents stake center so we headed there to get ready for it. It was decorated so beautifully! My mom made Norwegian pancakes to have for food at the reception and we had incredible family members who prepped and served all of them that night. I am so happy we got to be there for it, it was a beautiful wedding.

The next day, my cousin, Shirsten, was blessing their third baby so we got up and went to Provo for that. It was quite the crazy day since we were all exhausted from the wedding, but it was great to see the Larsen side of the family while we were in town. Plus, my dad fell asleep in Sacrament meeting after putting Vivian to sleep which was hilarious and super cute

That week was busy with trying to see friends and family and get ready for Thanksgiving. We went to a Jazz game with Shannon and Jonathan which has almost become tradition at this point haha. Both Shannon and I were pregnant so that was fun to commiserate together as we climbed the seemingly endless stairs to our upper bowl seats haha.

I was making Thanksgiving dinner for my family which made me super nervous because I had never made such a big dinner for so many people before. But I'm actually really happy with how it all turned out! We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, dressing, cranberry sauce, buns made by my mom, and my grandma brought sweet potatoes and fruit. My dad said he's carved a lot of different turkeys made by a lot of different people and he's never carved one as juicy as mine so I was really proud of that! I also made pecan squares, a pumpkin cheesecake mousse pie with gingersnap crust, and apple ginger pie to bring to my uncle's house in Spanish Fork for dessert there. Keith, my cousin-in-law, said it was the best apple pie he's ever had so again, I was pleased with how it all turned out. It was great to be with family for Thanksgiving again!

My first turkey!

That Saturday, my mom, sister, and Shannon did a baby shower for me which was so nice of them! Lots of family and friends came and I was so glad to see everyone. There were lots of Norwegian pancakes leftover from the wedding so we had those at the shower and hot chocolate and dirty sodas and it was perfect!

Payton made this sign for the shower! She's so talented

Shannon and I were only 4 weeks apart in our due dates!

After the shower, Payton took some maternity pictures for us and I love how they turned out. It's amazing the kind of pictures you can get just from an iPhone haha

On Sunday we had a second Thanksgiving dinner with my Remington cousins and I'm so glad we got to see them before we came home!

We had an incredibly eventful fall and I loved it all except feeling sick and tired and huge from pregnancy.