THE Dairy Queen

I love those moments in life that could fit perfectly into a disney animated movie. On Saturday afternoon we were finishing up 16 hours of cub scout camp over two days, in 100 degree weather, when we decided to take the cubbies out to DQ. Let me back track a little to set up the scene...
Anna had a busy week. She worked Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Three 12 hour shifts in the ICU with patients calling to attend to their every need, even if it meant re-arranging the pillow. But it's usually not that bad. Most of the time it involves cleaning up vomit or poop. And after her day, which involves nothing more than one 30 minute break when she must cram in lunch and all personal needs (and she still calls her husband), she then has the half-an-hour drive home in Tucson traffic. For all future visitors to Tucson, beware, this is traffic inferno. In fact, I think Dante received inspiration for his Inferno while having a vision of the future traffic in Tucson, or so the rumor goes. Anyway, Anna slept heartily Monday night and woke up at 6 Tuesday to head off to young women's camp for the next three days. She was THE leader on duty, in charge of everything and everyone in the ward. The three-day stint ended with an overnight hike out on the mountain with a furious, cold wind knocking down the girls' tents. Then she was whisked home only to jump into cub camp on Friday and Saturday. Oh, and in between this, she took a midterm for her online English course. Somethings are inherently exciting in life. Online English courses are not. So this brings us back to the story's climax of my own Dairy Queen...
With windows rolled down and the sun following suit, we headed West down Prince Road (ironic) to Dairy Queen. Unsure of its exact location, we kept a lookout. But with the week in the sun, we were simply lethargic. Kind of like when the Utes battle against Bronco's Sons of Helaman. So as we and the cubs were melting away in our four-door, pontiac grand-am, our vigilant Queen spotted DQ on the left-side of the road. With more energy than a firecracker, Anna shot out her arm and yelled out like our very own Mowgli in Jungle Book would do, "Dairy Queen!!! There it is!!!." And that, ladies and gentleman, was my golden moment in the setting sun. There to my right was my sweating Dairy Queen, who has worked harder in the last week than I ever have in my life. After pulling out the drive-thru, you can guess, we lived happily ever after...
...until our ice cream ran out.

DITCH!

We woke up Monday to a gorgeous day, definitely too gorgeous to be cooped up in a classroom. So, as we said in high-school, we SLUFFED! We packed a picnic and stole up to Mount Lemon. We spent most the time driving with the windows down, enjoying the cooler air, but we also played in the creek, walked a "tight-rope", climbed a tree, and hiked around a little bit. The only downside was that we had to come back!

MORE BOSTON

I've completely slacked on blogging lately! We've had so much fun--and this has all been during school! We'll see what happens when school's out :)
So Spencer talked a little about Boston, but I wanted to fill in details and add the pictures...But first, I have to thank him! He is the one who made it possible for us to go, qualifying for the marathon and all. Boston is my favorite East Coast City I've been to, so it was a dream come true for me! And he did FABULOUS, finishing in under 3 hours! Finishing at all is unfathomable to me, and going that fast the whole time is just crazy in my book. He also got to run with Lance Armstrong for about 6 miles (then, naturally got bored and decided to pass him). Perhaps most impressive of all is that, after all that running and amid all the cramping, he survived the forever long plane ride home that night! What a trooper! Besides running and making the whole thing possible, he also made it just so fun. I'd have to say he's my favorite traveling partner, too!
So anyway, about the trip....these are Spencer's wonderful cousins, the Frandsens, who let us stay with them. We had a blast hanging out with them and were so grateful that they made the trip possible!

This is my favorite street in Boston, Commonwealth Ave, aka Millionaire Ave. It's all these old cool houses, lined with incredible blossoms, etc. I picked out my house for when we move there...haha

While walking through downtown (along the Freedom Trail), we ran into some of Spencer's family friends...random! It was exciting to see familiar faces among all the thousands, and we had fun catching up.

We kept getting lost in Italy, I wonder why?! (However, their amazing gelattos well compensated for confusing street signs)

We kept coming back to this part of the harbor, Long Wharf, because it was so beautiful and so peaceful.

I had never had much seafood...and what I had I've tried to forget. But, we could not leave Boston without having seafood. So we hit lunch at Legal's on Long Wharf. It was INCREDIBLE! We got an entree with swordfish, mahi-mahi, salmon, scallops, and shrimp, every one of which was divine. My plate was gone in two minutes--I think I'm forever converted to seafood! Plus, they were super nice--I nudged the bar holding up the canopy over their patio, which knocked out one of their light bulbs and sent it bouncing on other's tables and finally on the floor--and they didn't kick me out; in fact, they laughed!


We toured the US Constitution--SO COOL! If Spencer and I suddenly disappear, it's probably because we hijacked the ship and are pirates somewhere on the Atlantic...

CHEERS!(We're almost getting hit by a car as we take the picture, thus the awkward angle...)


Our gorgeous bike ride....

And finally...the champ in his silver cape! I wish you could see all the crowds in the background. Marathon Monday is a holiday, so the whole city comes out and cheers on the runners. It makes it all so exciting. And Spencer, again was fabulous! He finished in the top 1200 out of 30,000! I was/am a very proud Mrs.

Anyway...it was an incredible trip. Thanks to all who made it possible! And thanks to all who endured this forever long post!

Bean Town!!

I wanted to post my top ten reasons why Anna is my favorite traveling partner as well as my favorite partner, period.
10) She laughs a lot (Anna Nichole Smith :)
9) People open up to us and give us free things when they see her.
8) She can ride a bike with tunnel vision.
7) She reminds me that as long as your having a good time, it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing.
6) She always is having a good time
5) She appreciates little flower boxes in windows ( I don't appreciate them but she makes me want to someday)
4) She laughs a lot (and to make this one different, she loves American history) Ask us anything about the USS Constitution and she'll know it!!
3) She loves good food (this is impt. to me because when I travel alone I usually take a can of tuna with some packaged relish)
2) She's more into people and places than souveniers.
1) She has showed me once more in Boston that as long as I know she's at the end of my literal or figurative 26.2 miles, I will endure so I can see her. Love you bird!

An Ode to My Woman Warrior

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She wakes up day and night,
The pain rises like full-moon tides.
She's the woman who will fight.
Making sure everyone else is all right.

She withholds from pain medication,
to make sure I'm having a good time,
She'd rather suffer while on vacation,
Than take Vicoden, oh, she's so fine!

She's my woman warrior,
the former ms. boyer!!

Just Because it Looks Good

Sixth Months!!

It's funny. I used to love to write, and write a lot. But since Anna does such a darn good job at bloggin' and what not, I have felt like all I do now is get in the way of greatness. She really does do it all, and does it all well. Right now she's making Chicken Parmagiani, slaving away while I relax at the desk. We've had a great weekend. We went out and bought a Mountain Bike so now we can ride together again on the great Southwestern trails. Yesterday we hit "Fantasy Island." Anna braved it down "the shaft," but after St. George this was a cake walk! It's heating up here in Tucson slowly. We're enjoying life. Anna's spending her week at St. Joseph's hospital, and I'm at school. We look forward to a great Spring Break, though it will our first week apart :(