Happy Birthday to the Dad!

We just celebrated the dad's birthday. The boy drew him a few pictures and was excited to help blow out all the candles. We were missing 4 off the cake but the boy felt that it was already a lot! I can't laugh though since I am 5 months older.

Just some extras

Our furry boys

Our furry boys needed to make an appearance. They are now 6 months old and still full of craziness. We love them though and they surely do know how to snuggle.


Hunter


Chase


Chase


Hunter

Our Builder

Home Depot and Lowes both have great workshops for kids. You can check online for the dates and times for each store. The boy loves to go "build" something and I love it because it is free and fun. He has built quite a few things already and he is working on a school bus in the photos. Usually the dad brings him but we all went this past weekend. I now know why I don't go. 30+ kids pounding the heck out of some nails in one of the aisles is not my idea of a good time and I left with a headache.

Bowling

We love to bowl. Here are a few action shots from the boy.

Bowling makes the boy thirsty


Cooling himself and his tongue off!

The First Week of Kindergarten

It is official, the boy is in kindergarten. There were many tears (by mom) the night before. The dad had to ask me if I was going to be okay?! I still can't believe that the years have passed so fast. I know that the boy has been in school before but somehow kindergarten makes everything so official. He has never been gone this long before. We met his new teacher on the Friday before and on Monday he was so excited to head right in and get to work. He LOVES it and I really am so glad that he does. School starts early here, 0725. No worries for the boy though, he is up by 0630 most mornings. I drive him to school and then he takes the bus home. The bus, I know. I never thought I would let him take a bus (ever) but he started riding it on day 1. He pleaded with me over and over again this summer and I finally gave in. He actually gets home on the bus before I would get the chance to pick him up and he says he feels old enough to ride the bus. We are the first stop after they leave the school and the bus has seatbelts so that makes me feel a little better.

I am finding that I am counting the hours until he comes home. It is still going to take awhile to get used to. It probably never will.

On another note, we snuggled in bed to read Hop on Pop the other night and the boy read the whole thing by himself and knew all the words. I was amazed by his correct pronunciation of five and six letter words. The boy is just AMAZING!

In his seat


Outside the house

Our Maine Vacation

So I finally posted our vacation pictures. We had so much fun in Maine this year. It was our best trip ever and the shortest by far. I think a lot had to do with the fact that the dad was able to finally join us. He hasn't been to Maine in 7 years and we were happy to share in the memories with him. The weather was perfect and the company even better. We did a ton of stuff, as you will see in the pictures below. The dad was able to go golfing at least 5 times in 9 days which he loved. He enjoyed Maple Lanes alot and had fun golfing with the guys. The boy couldn't get enough of everyone and was always happy to see whoever showed up. He did have lots of fun with his two cousins Jack and Owen and I was so happy he had many chances to interact with them. It's hard living so far away from his cousins but it is nice to know that some of them are just not pictures on the walls to him. I hope he gets the chance to meet and know all of his cousins one day. Thank you to everyone that made our vacation the best. We are looking forward to our visit next year already.

Finding Seashells at OOB

The last evening of vacation was spent at Old Orchard Beach. The boy and his memere and papa had lots of fun collecting shells and other treasures along the sand while the tide was out. The dad and I had fun too of course. It was beautiful and the water was cold as always. The dad got a lot of great pictures. These are just a few of them. The sun was in the right spot for sure.

Cabbage Island

Out of Boothbay Harbor there is a tour called Cabbage Island Clambakes. You take a boat out to a small island right off the coast where you can enjoy a traditional lobster bake. My family does it every year and the boy and I always love going. This is the first year the dad was able to join us and we all had such fun. The ride out is pretty and they do a talking tour of the surrounding islands. Once docked at Cabbage Island, there is a little time to explore. Our family and the Bryants took to the rocks in search of some sea treasures. We found everything, sea rope, seashells, sea glass, etc. You get the idea. It was lots of fun and we made it back to the common area just in time for the feast. You start off with clam chowder and then you get the full on bake. Twin lobsters, steamed clams, potatoes, eggs, corn, and onion. Once you are stuffed with all that you end with a giant piece of blueberry cake. What makes it even more fun is the company you take with you. We had a great group this year and the dad found out why the boy and I love it so much.

The Boy and the mom on the boat to Cabbage Island


The group of Cabbage Islanders


The boy and his cousin Brittany


The boys exploring the rocks on the island


More exploring


The Bryants


Mr. Crabs


The cousins


Our little family


The mom and Denelle


Three generations

The Maine Coast

Just some pictures of the coast of Maine near Boothbay Harbor. We love the Maine coastline. It is amazing and to me, there is nothing quite like it. While these pictures are good, they surely don't do it justice. The rocky coastline is a must see in my opinion.

Mini Golf and Red Relish!

One of my favorite places to go in Maine is a place called Roys. There burgers are made from fresh meat and they have the best red relish I've ever had. I go there everytime I am in Maine. They also have a driving range, golf course and a mini golf course. The boy had fun playing mini golf with the dad, papa and pup. The ladies and my Uncle Billy stayed in the shade and watched. I truly enjoyed getting the chance to catch up with Billy. I miss seeing him daily. (he used to be my boss!) The boy loves him too and I love the picture of the two of them with their "cheesy" smiles.