Driving to Chicago

Here are a few pictures we took on our drive to IL.  Some (if not all) of them you may have seen posted on Facebook.

We first stopped in PA to spend time with Matt's family.  Here we're enjoying Mexican food and the beloved Rita's!

One morning we had a delicious brunch prepared by Julia and Katy!

Visiting Matt's friend Dean in Pittsburgh.  His wife Andrea was having contractions during this photo!  They couldn't join us for dinner because they had to have a baby. :)

Enjoying some Pittsburgh grub.

New Hampshire road trip with the Smiths

Our good friends Pete and Bev Smith (sorry, no pictures of them; they do exist though!) took us on a beautiful scenic drive in northern NH that took us to some famous stops including Polly's Pancake Parlor, Sugar Hill Sample, and Chutter's Candy Store. There are some awesome places to go in NH during the summer.

Here we are at the Pancake Parlor, home of Polly's famous maple syrup and pancakes. The horse ride was free.

Here we are at Sugar Hill Farm, which includes a terrific antique store that was converted from an old barn. Of course these masks are NOT antique (Matt is David Bowie and I am some 1920s flapper girl).

You can tell here that Matt is very excited to be at Chutter's.  They apparently have the world's longest candy counter.  It stretches all the way behind Matt to the end of the store. TONS of delicious candy. We purchased over $14 worth!

Mount Monadnock - White Cross Trail

For Matt's 30th birthday we hiked Mount Monadnock, a beautiful little mountain an hour away from Concord. According to the website, Monadnock is one of the most popular or most hiked mountains in the world! That was a little hard to believe especially since we mainly saw chipmunks. 

Here we came across some cool rock monuments that past hikers had put together.

We also came across some very colorful fungi growing on a tree. A nearby hiker told us that he hadn't seen those yesterday when he was hiking. So they must have been brand new!

There truly is some beautiful scenery in New Hampshire. Lots of stone but also lots of greenery.

At the end of the day we celebrated our successful climb by treating ourselves to some Boston-style pizza. We're gonna miss this goodness!

Packing Up for Chicago!

Each year we get better and better at moving, thanks to Mica. She is an organizing machine. Look at all those labels. Packing up the truck only took a little over one hour. 

 Here we are with Bishop Brian Tew and his lovely wife Cheri. I had a great time serving with Brian in the Concord Ward bishopric. I'm gonna miss this big guy! He taught me a lot about priesthood leadership, charity,and having fun while serving in the church.

 Here we are with our moving help. These guys sacrificed a Saturday morning to help us move. A big thanks to Nerissa and Keith Weiss for staying longer to help clean our apartment. And another big thanks to Ron and Alex for giving up two weeks of summer to help us pack up and drive to Chicago.

 Here are Mica and her very, very good friend Nerissa Weiss who was/is an absolute blessing in our lives.

Mount Washington: Tuckerman's Ravine

Finally a new post!

Here we are hiking Mount Washington, the highest point in the entire northeastern part of the United States. The weather at the summit of the mountain is considered some of the worst in the world. The highest wind speed ever recorded by man was done here in 1932 (231 mph!!). Elevation is 6288 feet. 

We hiked with two friends from our ward, Lehi Mills and Jay Sutkus. Got up to the summit in 4.5 hours and down in less than 3 hours. Most of the trail consisted of rocks, rocks, and more rocks. It felt like we were walking on an old, dried up stream bed. 

At the top of the mountain we broke for lunch and stayed warm inside the visitor center. There were dozens of other people there. You can drive up to the summit or take a train as well. As we descended we saw lightning and heard thunder above us. Rain started 30 minutes later. About a mile from base camp a downpour of rain started. We were soaked by the time we reached our car. Overall, a safe, fun hike on a beautiful mountain. 

Movin' to the Windy City!

Matt will be working at two locations: The Chicago Center for Family Health in the Civic Opera House and the Masonic Medical Center. 

We might be living here next year!

See if you can guess where we might be living next year! (I have a second interview next week) :)