The Bailly Buzz

Friday, September 24, 2010

Lake Powell

Last week we met up with David's mission companion, Dave and his wife Linsey, at Lake Powell for a long weekend on their houseboat. It was my first trip to Lake Powell and hopefully not my last. It was so beautiful and the group was a blast. It has been a long time since I have laughed that hard for multiple days in a row.

David and I at Hole in the Rock

Shanna, Mindy, Linsey and I

David's companion skiing. I just loved these pictures so I included them and I don't have any good ones of us wakeboarding or surfing.

Dave wakeboarding.

David was our official history guide through Lake Powell.

I loved the reflections that the cliffs made in the water. Some of my pics literally looked like I had taken the picture upside down.

Rainbow Bridge
Mindy, Cam, Shanna, Cody, Linsey, Dave, David and I

On our way back from the trip a tire blew off the boat trailer. While the guys were getting scavenging the small town of Green River to find the parts they needed, we entertained ourselves on the side of the road with a game of dominoes.

This trip actually made David wish he were done with training so that he had more time to play.
Thanks Linsey and Dave!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Triple Falls Hike

Labor Day David and I went out to the Gorge with our friends Todd and Cary. We hiked to Triple Falls. What makes this hike so wonderful? Well, you start off the hike with a waterfall, Ponytail Falls. Then you see a another waterfall midway to the turn around point at Triple Falls where you actually see the creek break into three waterfalls. It's a pretty easy hike and doesn't take all day.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Boston

While David was in Boston working and had a place to stay that was being paid for by his program, I figured this was the best opportunity to get to see my husband, and of course get to see Boston. So, I flew out to Boston for David's last week of work there.
I decided, if we end up in Boston for a few years, I wouldn't mind a bit. What an awesome city! There is soooo much to do. I think I walked the entire city during my trip which is probably a good thing since I also enjoyed a lot of great food. Since David was working during the days, I went out exploring by myself. I'll just include a few highlights from the trip that include fun, lots of history and delicious food.

I started off by walking the Freedom Trail.

State House

Senate Chamber

Fun Fact: The chairs in this room are all different heights. This is so that when all the state senators are seated, they are all the same height to represent that they are all equals.

Fun Fact: Each of the senators can have their portrait done however they would like, so they are all different. One of the senators is outside wearing blue jeans, one is a side profile picture, and then Mitt Romney's is the only portrait that has a portrait within in a portrait. He has a picture of his wife on the table behind him. I loved this!

Before I came into town David had told me about the Holocaust Memorial, so I made sure to stop by and see it.

My favorite part was the following quote:
"Ilse, a childhood friend of mine, once found a raspberry in the camp and carried it in her pocket all day to present to me that night on a leaf.
Imagine a world in which your entire possession is one raspberry and you give it to your friend." -Gerda Weissman Klein, Holocaust Survivor

After the Holocaust Memorial we headed to the North End to the Italian district for some yummy food and dessert. We had been told by several people to go to Mike's Pastry to get a Cannoli. This place was packed, but I could have stayed there for hours looking at all the pastries and drooling. It was such a yummy looking bakery.

We also visited the First Church of Christ Scientist headquarters. They have a huge reflecting pool outside (that I wanted to swim in) and the headquarters building was beautiful, so we took the quick 20 min tour which really just talked about the design and architecture of the building. But, it was just long enough for David to ask questions that I'm sure the tour guide was not expecting.

David: So, when did you join the church and how did you join?
The tour guide rambled on about a few things and then finally answered the question after David asked it 3 times. She finally said she had been sick, was healed and then filled out an application to join the church.
David: How many people apply each year and how many get accepted?
Tour Guide: We don't know numbers. Mary Baker Eddy, founder, did not believe that the membership numbers should be published.
David: Is there a baptism or do you just fill out an application for membership.
Tour Guide: There is no baptism. Individuals fill out an application and they can apply to either be a member of the "mother" church, the smaller branches or both.

This is where other individuals started whispering. "They don't baptize? Wasn't that Christ's most important thing?"

Leave it to David to stir the pot a bit :).

Outside the church headquarters we found an interesting sign:

But, it didn't say anywhere that grown men can not enjoy the fountain fully dressed!

Fenway Park Tour- This is a must if you are in Boston. It was one of our favorite things we did and neither of us are baseball fans. There were no games while we were in town, so this was the next best thing and quite honestly, I think it was better! Fun Fact: Did you know that Babe Ruth originally played for the Boston Red Sox (otherwise known as the Boston Red Stockings). He was sold to the New York Yankees for $125,000. The manager of the Red Sox was more interested in getting money for his broadway theatre production than in the baseball team.

I got to run across the Boston Marathon Finish Line (who cares that it was while wearing a skirt and flip-flops).

Most of all, I really wanted to get out on the water. I don't know what it is with me and boats, but I love feeling the wind in my hair and just being on the water. So, I did a inner harbor ferry ride AND one day last minute I decided to take a kayak out on the Charles River.

David was post call during a day of our outings and me, being the mean wife that I am, didn't let him sleep enough before we headed out, so I caught him doing this:

This is just a short, if you can call it that, recap of our awesome Boston experience.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Missing Husband

I have been deliquent on posting, so I have lots to catch up on, but first and foremost, my missing husband.

He is somewhere in Boston saving more babies. He was blessed with the opportunity to travel across the country to work in one of the best cardiac ICUs at Boston Children's Hospital.

So while he has been gone, I've been keeping myself busy, but not too busy that I don't have time to travel to Boston this week to visit.

I spent the last week of July and the first two weeks of August house and dog sitting in Lake Oswego, and all I can say is holy crap, literally. Who knew that two dogs could poop so much in one day. David and I have always laughed at people that walk around picking up their dog's poop and I guess I was getting what I deserved. This dog sitting has reconfirmed my decision to never have a dog. Sorry to all you dog lovers out there, it's just not for me. I am a little too clean freak anal. I would say the perks of being in Lake Oswego were getting to take a canoe out on the lake and taking a ski boat out to tour all the cool homes surrounding the lake on our way to dinner across the lake. As we were driving across the lake, I turned to David and told him I was born to have a boat. Maybe someday, but unfortunately not anytime in the near future.

Once I got back to my home in NE Portland, I enjoyed the Fremont Festival in Beaumont Village, the Twilight Criterium in downtown Portland, where I saw too many men that thought it was okay to walk around in biker shorts just because they were at a bike race. And mind you, some of their shorts were baggy in all the wrong places :) . It's kind of sad when you are that skinny that a pair of biker shorts doesn't fit right.

I also worked on some craft projects. I finished my first ever knitting project and began a second one. And, I made my first rag quilt. An adorable, easy project, just the kind I like.

And most importantly, I began taking care of our newest house guest, Trunks. Our teeny, tiny red-eared slider turtle. A couple of our friends just moved back in town and gave him to us as a gift.

Goodbyes and Hellos

In July, David's cousin Derek passed away. We packed up our bags and flew to Arizona to be there for the funeral. I have not been back to Arizona in quite a while, so it was good to see all of David's family, including extended family. I actually met some relatives of his that I had never met before. I'm not sure I will ever meet them all.

The funeral was so uplifting. Derek was one of those people that always did what was right. He served and loved in a way that inspired those around him to do the same. I knew Derek briefly, but after being there, I feel like I knew him so much more.

During our short trip we played with the family and I was able to see an old friend, Paul, from St. Louis and his cute family. Unfortunately I didn't take very many photos of the trip.