husband and i are in boston as i type this, and we have been house-hunting, school-visiting, restaurant-trying, dance-studio searching, etc etc – working out all the details to move our family of six across the country soon…
so, it’s now officially official.
we are finalizing our home plans. we have found a ‘1965 deck house’ in Brookline that has lots of retro charm but needs some love. the task of charming-up-the-place makes my heart pitter-patter. i live for projects like this. i’m a nester – full-time, pregnant or not. the home sits in an amazing neighborhood with fantastic public schools + we will be less than a ten minute drive from fenway park. AND, there is a trader joes right down the street – bonus!
so…? why are we moving? well, a lot of reasons*…
first, husband and i have always wanted our kids to have a diverse upbringing. we have spent most of our time in utah with travels taking us around much of the west and periodically to asia, mexico, etc. but, we’d like to spend more time on the east coast with the kids and hopefully europe. we love nyc, but feel boston is a more family-friendly town. we are city-people-at-heart, so we only considered manhattan and boston out here. just outside of the city, the public schools are incredible. Brookline borders Cambridge, so you can imagine the influence placed on education! the differences of utah vs. here are interesting. the school our kids are going to attend is a K-8, so kiana will actually be back at the same school as myla and kj. at least for one year, everyone except sela will be at the same school. there are seven schools like this in the town and they all feed in to one high school. they feel it takes out any uncomfortable transitions to “jr. high” and allows teachers to pass on information about students with easier access. pretty cool. we also found out they have a “lego club,” seriously. kj may join! and, it’s so close to our home, “.3” mile, everyone walks or rides their bikes! i think this will be fun, {in the very-limited-nice-days-of-weather!} second, husband can technically work from anywhere. his company headquarters will remain in utah county. he will visit there regularly. third, with our kids spanning ages 4-13 right now, we feel this is the time to just do it. for the most part, they are all really excited but have some nervous jitters too. they are split 50/50. kiana would have moved months ago when we started planning. she thinks living & dancing back east will be exciting. we are going to try & get her to workshops/classes in nyc as often as possible. kj is mostly concerned about the x-box moving with him! sela and myla are still emotionally adjusting to the idea. overall, they are all looking forward to a new school, new friends, adventure, and re-decorating their bedrooms. ::winks::
and, it definitely helps that most our friends are already planning trips to visit us. one: we are going to salem for the witch festivals around halloween! this was a friends idea that i hadn’t even thought about! it just sounds cool!
how long will we live here? we are committing to one year. if that year is a disaster, or we can’t handle the l
oooong winter, we will enjoy the experiences we had and return to utah quicker than quick. or, maybe, pick another city! if the kids adjust well, we plan on staying longer.
next up: we are touring the neighborhood again today… checking out a few more things. once we return home: cleaning, organize by minimizing, HUGE yard sale, packing, and the move! we will be down-sizing in a big way, but the whole process is exciting and feels very soul-cleansing. i think every family with kids should clean-out their stuff every few years. a grand-de-junking of sorts!
we are hoping to be moved in about two months. or less. give or take. the exact date is still being determined.
the timing couldn’t be better, the kids will finish with the school year, most their spring activities will finish early summer. miss thirteen will attend dance nationals in nyc, then return home to our east coast house!
readers, please give me any recommendations for the boston area – we are compiling a list of our first outings in the city + the best beaches we should visit in our first summer here – where to stay on the cape – anything! i’ve already been looking for boston bloggers, i met christine from the boston mamas blog at alt. design summit, and i look forward to getting to know the design/art community here.
with all of this in the works, there will be much to miss in our beloved utah county. we will be visiting frequently. our heart is there, with dear dear family and friends.
*one more reason we will be shipping up to boston, have i mentioned my husband is a red sox fan? fate has decided, we just-so-happen to choose a home one block from john henry’s home.
who is john henry? john henry owns the red sox!
things are looking good…
xo.
{photo by me. last night at the game}
yay! it's official!!! Please please don't leave Boston this week without going over to the North End and getting a cannoli at Mike's Patries. You'll thank me when you live there and those things call to you at night.
I can't wait to connect you with so many more wonderful people there!!! You are going to love it!!!
Wow! So exciting! My parents moved to Boston (suburbs) a year ago. Maybe we will see you when we visit them next! Good luck and enjoy!
That part of the country is AMAZING… you won't be sorry, or come back would be my guess… How exciting.
well…as i've said it a million times, i feel like a part of me is going away. ;-( BUT i can not wait for you to experience so many amazing things! boston is beautiful and you know i'll be back to visit. this is perfect for your little family…
lots of love and luck your way!
Wow…how very exciting! We live in CA but have family that live in Lexington & Wellesley. We love love love to visit…especially spending a few weeks in the summer on the Cape. Day trips to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket…the BEST! : )
Okay…I love that you can follow your dreams and explore this beautiful planet. You are a wonderment to me…and I wish I had your courage and spunk in seeking out adventure. I know you will be great where ever you are and the people in Boston are in for a wonderful treat with your family there. Best wishes and God's blessings on your journey.
Now when is this great yard sale again??? I love me a good yard sale.
WHoop Whoop!!!!
This is SO great, for so many reasons. Your kids will have so many wonderful opportunities there, let alone being somewhere where not everyone is basically white and mormon:) don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-utah, but oh man, Boston will be so incredible!
Chad just picked up and moved to NC and it was one of the best choices we've made. Such and adventure, so so so excited for you guys! Cant wait to see pictures and what you do to your place!
whoa! big change.
congratulations… it sounds so fun!
So exciting! We lived in London for a while and it was such an amazing experience. The kids loved it and would go back in a second. Boston is my hubbie's favorite city and my sister-in-law worked there for a year so I will pick their brains about fun things to do. I'm so jealous!
i live outside the city! i would recommend the north shore beaches in the summer time– they are LOVELY… and of course eat somewhere in beacon hill for a romantic date…
i should really have more advice then this but i can't think of it right now… i'll get back to you.
but congrats!!!
On one hand I am so HAPPY for you guys, then on the other hand, I could CRY! With a girls trip already in the planning I feel a little better about things. I can't wait to hear (and see through your blog) all the adventures you will go on. When you come back to visit, our home is open, lots of room for visitors!!
Can't wait to hear about the house you found. It sounds perfect for you. I am sure it will be the cutest house on the block really, really soon. Boston is so lucky to have the Rhodes Family!!!
This is very exciting! We went to Boston on a little family vacation Fall 2009…it was so amazing. I'm sure you've already had a cannoli at Mike's Pastry…but they really are that good! We loved the North end.
We also visited Salem and had a great time. What a fun adventure for your family!
How exciting for your family! I can't believe Dusty is leaving the office, SAD! I remember him telling me Kiana is going to Juliard, KJ is going to MIT, Myla is going to Boston College and Sela is staying home forever. So now they won't be so far from ya'll ha.
I love to see Utah based people get out of the Utah bubble. It's a wonderful place, but it is a bubble. So exciting! Congrats!
Whitney
Send me an email and I'll add you to my bostonfamilyfun email list. And I can send you a few lists I've put together after I've spoken about things to do in Boston. You will LOVE living here!
So sad for us 🙁 but I am OH so happy for you and your awesome family, I love love love Boston! … and now I am all the more motivated to qualify for Boston so Casey and I can come stay awhile and see our buddies again in April! I love you to pieces, let's get the little girls together when you get back… we need to catch up!
I happened upon your blog some time ago and I love to read it. I am also from Utah and ended up in Boston with my husband. It is such a fun city to explore. I love Salem, Concord, Martha's Vineyard, and one of my favorite places in the summer is Newport Rhode Island. It is a quick one hour trip and is so fun. Some of my favorite restaurants are..
Olives
Henrietta's Table
Tresca in the North End
New England Soup Factory (Brookline)..Not so much a restaurant, but really great soup.
I am going to love to see your adventures while you are here.
I am so excited for you guys! I know you will just LOVE it and I can't wait to see all your fun pictures. Myla will adjust – will probably take 6 months though. Just give her time. You make everything fun for your kids so I know she will come around eventually. PS – I just read the KJ post below – Yes, it is just a boy thing. About a year ago, I was convinced that Chase was on the fast track to Juvie (exaggeration, of course) and he is like the best kid in the world. Remember, boys learn from doing, NOT from being told. Everything is an experiment to them. Lets just hope they "experiment" and learn while still under our roof!
The cat is out of the bag 🙂 you know all of us blog stokers are so excited to follow you every step of the way! I am so happy for you guys. Glad to see everything is falling in to place.
P.s. I'm still sad I have to miss your yard sale 🙂
Wow thats awesome! You goys will have a blast! Cannot wait to see pics of the new house, it sound beautiful and mysterious. Hope the move goes well!
How exciting for you guys! I love the East Coast and can't wait to take my family there some day. My dream has always been to live for a year in Italy somewhere, but Mike doesn't have the most mobile job. I will just have to live vicariously through you guys. Good luck with everything and let me know when that Huge yard sale is.
what an awesome change and adventure for the Rhodes! I completely agree that it is soul cleansing for a family to reorganize through a move! it's fabulous.
i am so excited to see you guys {well dusty and kids} in the summer and in the fall! i will miss you incredibly but know you will be living it up. I'm going to cross my fingers for your return in a year~wink.
i love you to pieces and your darling family. So excited to see what is in store for you guys.
xxoo
Jane – I happened upon your blog a while ago and love reading about your family. My husband parents moved from Utah to Boston after they were first married planning to spend 5 years and stayed 25 years… My husband loves all things New Englnad and his heart is still in Mass. What a great adventure!!!
this makes me so excited, I cannot remember how I found your blog, but I love reading it & guess what, I live in boston & I teach pre-k!:)
things I love:
-good harbor beach & singing beach-northshore
-the harborwalk/waterfront area
-the children's museum
-the mfa (museum of fine arts)
-the liberty hotel
-red sox as well!
-toro (tapas restaurant in the south end), or just the south end in general for food
-flour bakery
-eating outside at stephanies then shopping on newbury
-hiking in the fells (near sheepsfold where our dog plays)
-picnic lunches in the boston public garden
-north end in general!
-harvard square (anthro!), burdicks hot chocolate in the winter, upstairs on the square!!
-BERRYLINE with locations in fenway, porter square, & harvard square-serious froyo love.
gosh. there is a novel to get you started.
enjoy:)
i have been in major denial for the past who-knows how long i've known. now that you have publicly announced it, it may be time for me to face reality. i cant believe this is actually happening! {sniff, sniff} but secretly, i'm very excited for you guys.
i will soak up these last few months with your family that i've learned to love like my own.
Good luck with your move! I'm sad that you're leaving Utah, but happy to get to know Boston through your blog. That will be fun! I have always wanted to move to learn and experience more too. Good for you guys!
good luck to you all on your new adventure
oohh fun and congrats!! what a fun place to live and experience as a family!! XO
I'm a reader of your blog and enjoy it I just haven't commented until now. Congrats and good luck with the move. I have a few friends that have lived on Boston and love it. Seeing what a amazing family you have I'm sure since you all have eachother you will love the new adventure and would do five anywhere with eachother.. Selfishly I can't wait for your yard sale 🙂 I hope you'll provide details on your blog..
Dusty made a comment on a another post a few days ago and it made me wonder about this! I'm so happy for you guys and your "let's just do it!" attitudes. It's going to be an amazing experience for your kids and yourselves, that's for sure. I'm not an east-coaster per se but I'm in that time zone and a little more north. Winters are realllly not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Some years there's a lot of snow and some years it seems like we only shovelled the driveway a few times.
Best of luck to all of you!
How exciting! I love reading your blog and can't wait for your east coast inspired creations! I moved from the South to the east coast and we are loving it so far! Your family will have a blast! There are SOO many things to do around the big cities. Your family will definitely become cultured and experience new things here. Congrats!
That sounds SO exciting! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and "see" it all through your blog.
P.S. My email is patton_ellen@hotmail.com.
WOW…how exciting! My kids started telling me you were moving a few weeks ago and I totally didn't believe them! What a great opportunity for all of you. You have always been so generous and kind to my kiddos. Thank you! We will miss you guys!
Oh my gosh! That is SO exciting!! I'm so happy for you and your adorable family! I don't have any pointers for Boston because I have never been… but it is definitely on my bucket list to visit!
So I commented a small novella and blogger wouldn't publish it 🙁 I will have to give you my suggestions in person! Can't wait til the yard sale 🙂
I love that you can follow your dreams and explore this beautiful planet. You are a wonderment to me…and I wish I had your courage and spunk in seeking out adventure. I know you will be great where ever you are and the people in Boston are in for a wonderful treat with your family there.
Shipping Jobs
I can't remember how I found your blog, but I know Ellen! and I live in Cambridge. Congrats on coming to one of the most fun cities ever! Kelsey mentioned all the great spots I love. Berryline especially. Let us know how Brookline is, my husband just started working just west of there and we are going to be looking for housing perhaps near Newton or Needham. Good luck wiht everything. The k-8 thing is actually really great. Cambridge has it for 2 more years and then we're going to have a middle school. The older kids acts as great mentors to the little ones.