Visiting friends in Connecticut

It had been about 3 years since my last trip to Connecticut (before I got pregnant with Austin.) I was SO excited about going to visit my friends!! I know they all wanted me to bring Austin along, but I wanted to be able to spend the time visiting with friends & not dealing with a toddler! Plus he's not the best with traveling & I was moving from house to house a lot! I wasn't good about taking pics, but here are a few~

Holly & I (I told you I wasn't good about taking pics- as I didn't get out my camera until Friday morning when I was leaving her house). We went to church with & were good friends with Holly & her husband. It was fun catching up & we're hoping to see them this fall (Shane & I are planning a trip to New England with some friends.)


On Friday Joe and I visited UCONN- where he attending school. It was fun to walk around campus & pretend we were students.. yes, I do realize that nobody else thought that. :) Joe & I worked together & have kept in touch over the years, so it was fun catching up! I am also friends with his wife, Brigid!

Campus


Joe & I (yes, I was a little worried that the kid might run off with my camera.)


Close up! So we don't look like college students anymore?? :) JK


Checking out Gampel Pavilion where the Huskies play basketball!


Posing with Joe, Brigid & their daughter Julia


On Saturday we met another friend, Laura, for lunch! Joe & I worked closely with Laura, and she was my closest friend when we lived there!

Old friends- Joe, Laura, Brigid & I


Me & Laura


and another :)


Surprisingly the snow in Dallas delayed my return until Monday. I was sad to go another day without seeing Austin, but it was good to spend a bit more time with friends!

While visiting, I realized (once again) how much I missed New England. It's so funny because we really disliked living there at first, but ended up being sad to leave. And now we talk about someday moving back. I'm sure that will never happen, but it's fun to consider! So in honor, I made a list of a few things I miss:

1- trees... lots of them!
2- foliage in the fall
3- my friends, of course
4- our small church, where we knew most people & were friends with people of all ages
5- snow
6- small towns
7- living close to big cities like NYC & Boston
8- living in a small state- where you can drive 1 hr and easily be in another state
9- mild summers
10- covered bridges, country stores, orchards

And a few things I don't miss:
1- having to drive 20 min to find a decent place to eat/shop (and having FEW options)
2- high taxes
3- cost of living (we'd live in a shack)
4- being far away from family
5- bundling up kids in the COLD winters

Thanks for everyone I stayed with- I'm looking forward to another trip soon!

Working on Austin's 2 year post next... stay tuned!