Ashley Came to Visit

I was so excited for my bestie, Ashley to come visit us!  She had a free plane ticket she needed to use by the end of August, so what better way then coming to CT?  I'm pretty sure she loved it.  I tried to convince her to apply for jobs or at least enroll into Yale but I don't think it really worked. ;) We had a fun filled 4 days while she was here.  We walked around New Haven, took the train to NYC and ended the weekend at the beach!  I am so thankful for the time we had and and blessed by her friendship. 

First day-ate lunch at Clair's Corner Copia

Zac stopped by to say hi!

After we met Zac and some of his co-workers for dinner, we went to a concert.

It was no Kenny Chesney concert but it was good to say the least

I don't understand why those girls look so confused?? ;) 

On our way to NYC!  Last time we were there together it was 6 years ago on our senior high school trip!

Ash's favorite pizza from Bravo Pizza! So good!

Successful subway trip to Canal St. and back to Times Square!

Was on the hunt for a MK purse and she found it! #determination 

Before the show we ate dinner at O'Donoghae's in Times Square

We saw Annie on Broadway, it was so cute! Love Broadway!!

By the end of the day we were tired!

Happy Heart

One thing that helped with the big transition in moving all the way to New Haven, was knowing we would get to see my parents a month after we moved.  The day they arrived I was so happy.  I'm not much of a crier [except during the movie Marley and Me, or when I'm just really, really sad] but when I saw them, I cried. Happy tears of course!  I missed them so much and it was nice for Zac and me to be around family that loves us.  Side note: Another reason why I love Zac is because he gets me and my love for family. He doesn't hold it against me that I miss them terribly!  

They were able to be here for over a week and our time was filled with eating, eating, and eating.  Did I mention eating? No, but seriously I think we tried out every restaurant in New Haven!  You can't fault us, in the south, going out eat is a social thing so we were just being "social"! 

The weekend after they got here we left on Friday, June 28th, for Boothbay Harbor, Maine.  My parents wanted to see the East Coast so we packed up and went with them.  Although it rained a good majority of the weekend, we still had a lot of fun.  We stayed at a cute little bed & breakfast called The Harborage Inn that was right downtown.

First night in New Haven, ate at Geronimo's downtown

Betsy was so excited to see her grandparents 

Our bed & breakfast for the weekend!

First night in Boothbay-we had to eat seafood!

Can never be too old to wear a bib ;)

I don't like lobster so I had something else!

poor guy...

I asked them to smile...

me and my Susie Q

At the aquarium...like a kid in a candy shop!

Blue lobster!

Right outside our room

Cute little ice cream shop

4th of July

4th of July festivities are big in my family.  I grew up going to my Aunt Sundie and Uncle Wayne's boat house on Grapevine Lake with the WHOLE family.  It was so much fun!  Since our families are growing the boat house isn't quite big enough to hold the whole Tate clan. In the past years, Zac and I have always gotten together with our best friends and hung out and watched the fireworks.  This year was our first year away from all of that so it was nice to still have family to celebrate with!  We started the day visiting the Thimble Islands in Branford, CT.   They're basically a bunch of islands that people build houses on and come out for the summer to live on.  Most of them have no electricity or running water so they make do by taking boat trips back and forth to the harbor to get the necessary items to survive.  Yes, I said survive.  

We ate lunch at a seafood place and then headed back to New Haven.  We were all pretty tired so we took naps and then met back up later to grill out and have a cook out before the fireworks.  Here in the east, people say "We're having a BBQ" when referring to grilling out.  BBQ=there's actually no BBQ. Sad.

(Four) passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour...#GiligansIsland #forSusie]

Captain Dave was very entertaining! 

My dad loves him some lobster!

Strawberry Coconut Bundt Cake

Played cards out on the deck before the fireworks. 

Playing Hand & Foot-I believe Zac & I were whoopin' them here! ;)

Being cute as always.

Fireworks show at East Rock Park.  We just had to walk right down the street from our house to see them! So convenient, and the weather was perfect, too!

Happy 4TH of July!!