Connecticut won't be gettin' rid of us anytime soon...

Well we have some big news to announce.  Clint has been offered a full time position here in Connecticut at Pratt and Whitney. We thought long and hard about it and feel that it is something we cannot pass up.  Therefore we will be moving here permanently (at least for a couple years) while Clint builds up some work experience with this company and gets through a masters program. It was a hard decision, but we feel it is right for us at this time in our lives. After figuring all this out I thought we needed to celebrate. Here are a few pictures from our crab leg fest. (It's the first time I have ever cooked crab legs.)

Family Time...

Last week Clint's family came to visit. We were so exited to see some familiar faces after being out here by ourselves for over three months.  I was able to go with them to a few places around Connecticut. Clint then had a few days off where we hit the beach for the first time and also went to New York City for a couple of days.  I am not a very good at taking lots of pictures of people, but here is what I have from that week. Thanks again to his family for spending time on their vacation to visit and hang out with us.

The beach

Rose Garden in Hartford, CT

Clint at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Example of one of the flowers in the Rose Garden

Submarine Museum

Going down into the submarine

Clint's Dad

Top of the submarine

Lion Fish at the Aquarium in Mystic, CT

Frog at the Aquarium

Ice cream in Mystic (Clint and his Mom)

First time playing in the Atlantic Ocean (Clint, Haley, and Amber)

Herman our sand turtle

My first time at the beach on the east coast

Clint in Central Park

Me in Central Park

Amazing views

Statue of Liberty at night

New York City Dinner Cruise along the Hudson

Egyptian pyramids at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Oreo's first hair cut...

Oreo was beginning to look pretty shaggy so I finally broke down and cut his hair. What was I thinking doing it the night before family was coming into town. haha. Clint tells me it doesn't look bad. I will let you decide.

BEFORE

AFTER

We filled up half a garbage can full of hair

Oreo's first time swimming...

This weekend we decided to take Oreo out to the Connecticut River where there is a little sandbar and see how his does at swimming. He really ate it all up and enjoyed swimming around. He enjoyed it so much that when you picked him up he just continues to keep on swimming in the air. (See the video below).

Clint and Oreo playing on the sandbar

Exploring the beach

All the sand stuck in his nose and beard

Does he look like a homeless dog or what?

The sandbar

Palmyra, New York...Hill Cumorah Pageant and more...

Since we first got here, I have been wanting to go to Palmyra, NY and see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. This weekend I got my wish.  We made the six hour drive on Friday and camped over night at the KOA. The next morning we went to all the church history sites there including Joseph Smith's family farm, the printing shop where the first Book of Mormon was printed, the Sacred Grove, and Martin Harris' home. What a neat experience it was to see first hand where the church was reorganized. One our favorite things that we did that morning was the Sacred Grove.  There was such a peaceful and calm spirit there and we were able to just sit on a bench in the middle of the grove and reflect on what happened there. It was such a testimony building experience of the truthfulness of Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We also got to see the Palmyra Temple and hike up the Hill Cumorah.  (Which is nothing of a hill really and took all of five minutes to climb. That's my kind of hike. ) The pageant was amazing. They had hundreds of volunteer's who fill up a three-tiered stage and put on an such a awe inspiring and spiritual performance. The part I felt was so amazing was when the portray Joseph Smith burying the golden plates on the Hill Cumorah and the thought ran through my head that "This place where I am sitting right now IS the place where that happened. It IS the place where Moroni came to Joseph and where Joseph buried the golden plates." Everything that I have ever read or learned about Joseph Smith came into clear focus and my testimony grew so much.  I am so grateful for the opportunity that we had to go to Palmyra this weekend and to have the opportunity to see the things we did and to gain a greater testimony of this wonderful gospel. 

Palmyra Temple

Joseph Smith's Log Cabin

Where Angel Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith framed home



Fireplace where Joseph Smith hid golden plates from the mob



The Sacred Grove



The Sacred Grove



Sitting in the Sacred Grove

One of the original manuscripts of the Book of Mormon

Where the first Book of Mormon was printed

Martin Harris home

A little detour that we made... The first shopping mall in America

Did someone say shopping? I am there!

Hill Cumorah

Hill Cumorah Pageant

New Britian, Connecticut...Fourth of July...

Clint and I were a little unsure of what to do for the Fourth of July. We are usually close to family and participate in what they have going on. So we did a little research and found out that most places around here celebrate the Fourth either the weekend before or the weekend after. Luckily we found one place that actually had a celebration and fireworks on the Fourth.  We decided to take Oreo and let him experience his first Fourth of July. We had dinner from one of the little venders in the park and then sat on the hill and waited for the fireworks.  Clint and I thought the firework show was a worthy performance. Oreo probably had a different view. He basically burrowed his head in my arm like a little Ostrich and didn't come out until the fireworks were over.  It was kind of a hard day for me. I really missed not being able to be with my family and participate in the traditions there. But we made due with our situation and still had fun. :)

Oreo's first Fourth of July

Clint and Oreo hanging out before the fireworks

Our little Ostrich

Oreo and I (He needs a haircut)