Waltham, Mantown has come to town!!

So 'Mantown' made the trip east yesterday, but not without travails, they had a tire blow out on the Mass Pike but thanks to Paul's fine driving skills, all were safe and they drove the last 100 miles on the donut...but what should have been 2 more hours turned into about 4 more hours due to traffic. They were all mighty happy to be out of the car. I used my 'dorm-style' kitchen to make the kids noodles and meatsauce. Paul and I ordered Chinese food from a place called "lily's", which she loved.

So last night we pretty much just chilled and then went to sleep, we went to sleep sure the SOX would win game one of the ALCS series, and of course they did.

We woke up this morning and got the tires changed, we were planning on doing all 4 this fall anyway. So then we off to Walden Pond on our pretty black tires. It was a gorgeous fall day. Beautiful blue sky, awesome fall color on the trees. And nice and warm. We visited the replica or Thoreau's original house, and when he said he lived simply, he really meant it. I am trying to convince Paul to move the mower and other gardening stuff out of the shed in the backyard and transform it into a Thoreau-inspired retreat.

On our walk around the Pond we took many pictures. Somewhat painfully, we kept posing the 4 kids trying to get a pix worthy of the Christmas card, and I think we may have done it. Also on our walk we met a 91-year-old man sitting on the beach getting ready for his swim. He said he's been coming to WP for 82 years and for the last 40 or 50 has swam every day. He says it's what keeps him young. We were not sure if he meant he swims every day at WP or just swims every day, but we kind of think he meant WP b/c he talked about how after he swims in the cold, he runs into the woods to change and then runs to his warm car. He knew lots about the pond and the fish. He was the coolest 91 year old you will ever meet.

After Walden Pond we were off to a place called Kimball Farms for lunch what we have been told is very good icecream. This would be a fun place to go back to b/c they also have bumper boats and mini-golf. Lunch was yummy and the ice cream was great, the 6 of us split 2 kids bowls, they gave us a lot of ice cream.

Our last stop of the day was our friends the Laundree's. They live in Lunenberg about 45 minutes from Waltham. We went to college with John and attended their wedding when T and Z were just 6 weeks old. They now have 2 kids, Ean (4) and Mari (2). Today they were having a family birthday party for Ean, it was so nice to be included. They live out a country road, and then their drive way is about a half mile into the woods. Paul was loving this. It was so private and woodsy and yet they have a very open lot. Since it was a nice day we were able to be outside and they kids played with Ean and Mari and their 4 cousins.

Now we are back at the hotel and very exhausted, it was a full day.

The rest of the week went well for Lily. She is continuing to gain functioning and not just in the troubled leg, b/c she is working out her whole body in a way she has not been able to in such a long time, she is taking pride in her new muscles. She is also doing better managing her pain, b/c for all the progress she is making she is still in pain. Though one nice thing is that I don't hear about it as much. They encourage us as parents not to engage in the "pain talk". This is one of the many things about RSD that is counterintuitive...when your kid is in pain, you are supposed to try and fix it. But she is starting to manage it on her own. The other night she actually sat down quietly on the couch and when she got up, she said, "I was having cramp, but I meditated and it went away", I was dancing on the moon!

So, we are less than a week out. I am so glad we came. The kids are all handling themselves so well. I almost start to feel guilty b/c it really hasn't been hard, and then I realize it's not difficult b/c it was the right thing. I barely got through my second graduation ceremony on Friday w/o tears...can't imagine what it will be like on Friday when it is Lily. She has grown so much and yet is regaining her youth. It's such a blessing.

Speaking of blessings, many of you who are reading along have helped out. Helping with the boys, providing meals, sending care packages, and the church moms sent and extra care package with some gift cards to help with our expenses, the kindnesses we have received is an embarrassment of riches. Thank you all so much. You all make it easy to 'dare to dream'

Love, Jenny, Paul, Lily, Andy, Tim and Zack