Detroit

"I think there's only one place more dangerous than Baltimore...Detroit." - Sterling

That was when we were still in Baltimore, so it didn't make me too excited to spend a month in Detroit.  I will have to say, it has turned out quite splendidly.  =)  We had originally arranged for an extended stay hotel (not so splendid), but found an apartment last minute from another med student.  It was the last month of his lease (we thought he was on rotations too), and we would just sublease it for the final month.  Turns out he moved to start a residency, so what we thought was a furnished apartment, turned into an unfurnished apartment.  Nonetheless, it was not a shared basement with roommates (like Philly), or an extended stay hotel.  And it was located in a safe neighborhood (based on a recommendation from a colleague of Sterling's).  So we took it!  We looked into renting furniture (mainly a bed), but we arrived on Saturday and wouldn't get a bed for at least a few days.  So we purchased an air mattress (a nice-ish one) and after a couple of days on it, decided we'd just man it out for the month.  We got a cheap table and chairs, and have been set!

I was pretty excited to have a pool in our complex (it is July) and imagined us poolside during our 4 week stay.  Wrong. It has been stinkin' cold here!  We are leaving Saturday for Erie, PA and we've used the pool twice.  And the water is like one of those cold springs that you have to work up the courage to jump into.  It's freezing!

The Riverfront.  Apparently it's been quite the reconstruction from Ghetto to really nice.  And it is, in fact, very nice.

This kid loves his sunglasses, haha.  My favorite part is watching him push them back up when they slide down.  I'm sure it's just one of those mom things that seems insignificant to anyone else.  =)

How I got dinner made one night.  Since the pool water is like ice, the sink will have to do!

4th of July - We made chipwhiches.  Which might turn into a staple at every holiday! Yum

Breakfast - everyone only got one star pancake.  I guess I'm only part Pinterest worthy...I didn't have the patience for more. haha

We went to a fun little parade nearby

Then we went out to dinner with some friends.  We ate Indian food (we were really celebrating America, right?), which I had never had before.  It was pretty good, and surprisingly Cohen really liked it too!  Then we went to fireworks.  We weren't sure how Cohen would respond, but he was glued!  At the end he clapped with everyone and loved all of it.  What a great 4th of July, and what a great country we live in!  I am so grateful to live in America with all of the opportunities it provides us; it really is quite the blessing.

Philly Part 2

We only had 2 weeks at this rotation in Philadelphia, so here are our last week's adventures.  Be warned; there are a lot of pictures!

Cohen's first time "driving" in the grocery cart. I think it was more dangerous having me pushing that giant cart!  Luckily I didn't actually hit anything, but it was pure luck, haha!

We had a state park/nature trail nearby, so we explored that one day (complete with cookie break, of course). 

A walk through the neighborhood...

...with a stop/run at the baseball fields...

...then to the slides...

...then playing in the rain (which he LOVED)!

A package from Nana and Mapa (woohoo!)

It was my birthday, and Sterling had a conference in D.C. the weekend before, so Cohen and I went with him and after he finished his conference we all went to the zoo!  We hadn't been yet and heard it was really good (and free...Bonus!). 

 We found a park to play at while Sterling was in his conference.

Cohen's big into animals recently so it was a lot of fun to see all of them!  The lion was pretty upset when we stopped by so we got to hear him roar.  Then they had a big farm/petting area.  Fun! Fun!

Looking at the goats

Petting the cows

Sunday nature trail walk 

...including skipping rocks...

...and, as usual, a cookie break! (Sterling was pretty excited to get to participate in it this time)

Sterling was at his rotation on my birthday, but he arranged for a babysitter so we could go on a date! Yea!!!  (There was a mom in the ward that I hung out with, and she lived right down the road and has a son the same age).  We hadn't had good sushi for a long time, so Sterling got a recommendation from one of the residents for Sushi Land.  Haha!  Sounds sketchy, but it was really good!  And I got to enjoy every bite without a little person interrupting me.  It was a fabulous birthday present!

When we picked Cohen up, Amy (my friend) had helped Cohen with this happy birthday sign, and had made some birthday cupcakes!  So sweet!  I'm not sure she realized just how much that touched me.  I guess you never know how your actions can impact someone.

The cupcakes were amazing!  Chocolate filled with a peanut butter heaven.  Yum!

Get together with one of my favorite missionary comps! (Turns out she was only 45 minutes away).  It was such a great visit!  It was fun to talk about the mission and our experiences.  We both agreed that serving a mission was one of the best decisions we've ever made.  So grateful for that experience!

Todd and Cohen....future missionary companions?  =)

My first time in a laundromat.  Not as bad as I thought.  However, it was incredibly pricey.  Maybe we're going in to the wrong field.  =) 

Next....on to Detroit!