Wow, summer happened!  Let’s review!

June

We visited northern New Hampshire for a family memorial service at Little Diamond Lake, a special place for Bill’s family.  Bill’s dad, Dr. Bill, died in early April, and we scattered his ashes and the ashes of his wife, went through family photos, and shared memories.

Gary, Jeri, and Bill, saying goodbye to their parents, Dr. Bill and Shirley, on Little Diamond Lake.

I decided to quit my job.  It was a really difficult decision because I love the program and the people, and I really believe in the work that they do.  I gave my six-week notice, and spent the rest of June and July working on leaving.

We brought the Airstream to Martha’s Vineyard where it stayed with Quita on Chappy for a month. (See photo, above)

July

Matthew and Charlie at the Beach

We spent a week with Molly’s family on Chappy, playing in the sand, snuggling with kiddos, and relaxing.  The Airstream made it’s second annual appearance in the Edgartown Independence Day Parade!  The decorations were inspired by these colorful stripped hats that Quita brought back form her trip to southeast Asia back in January.  A lot of people thought maybe it was a Pride float, because of the recent SCOTUS decision!

Our colorful crew at the parade: Quita, Bill, Alex, Rachel, Dana, Ashley, Dom, Tim, Molly, Matthew, and Tony

We went to some concerts: U2 and Amanda Palmer’s last show before her baby is born.

Matthew’s sister Simonetta, came to town from Italy, which was a great reason to hang out with the his family. She also joined us to celebrate Molly’s birthday.

We went up to the Mount Washington Hotel for the Mathworks Summer Outing. Tony came too and he stole the show. We went zip-lining.

At the Mathworks Summer Outing

Matthew celebrated Hot Dog Week with the Mathworks Hot Dog Council.

We took one last trip to the Vineyard to retrieve the Airstream. Matthew brought it to his parents’ house to see his sister, Mandy, and niece, Julia, who were visiting for a month from Missouri.

August

We spent a weekend at Auntie Liz’s home in Rockport.  Nearby, we celebrated the marriage of our friends, Andi and Jeremie, and got all gussied up for a 1920’s-themed event at Crane’s Estate.

Rockport at night

Molly had her last day of work, and turned her attention towards other things (both personal and professional projects).

Molly went to see Mandy for a few days before she and her daughter went home.

We spent a long weekend in Manhattan.  Tony came too.  We saw the sites, two shows (Penn and Teller and The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime), and Molly’s high school friend, Vanessa.

Tony stayed in a lot of hotels this summer. It suited him well.

We spent a weekend in Rhode Island for a change of scenery.

Our friend, River, came to stay with us for a week.

We climbed a mountain with our friends, Karl and Cathy: 3710ft Sugarloaf in Groveton, NH.

We remembered the second anniversary of Bill’s stroke.

We saw Kinky Boots, explored the art on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and saw the Strandbeests in action.

We worked really hard to make a baby!  (Fingers crossed!)

And now the days are getting shorter and the nights have just a hint of crispness.  Fall is upon us, and it’s the best time of the year!  This is an exciting time of the year and an exciting time in our lives.