Our summer vacation this year was magical. Maine is always a magical place for me, but this year was something else. My four children experienced so much of what I remember as a child: days spent swimming in the lake, BBQs at our little camp, playing on the front porch of the farmhouse, exploring the sites. It was surreal and amazing. I will remember this summer forever.
Highlights of time in Maine:
+ Sunsets on the water that leave you breathless
+ Watching my boys go from timid swimmers to confident ones
+ Watching J love on my aunt and uncle’s cat, Little Miss (he LOVES animals!)
+ Foggy mornings on the lake
+ Teaching the big boys how to play the card game, War
+ Iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts when the heat reached into the 90’s (!!)
+ Seeing all of the renovations done at the real big white farmhouse
+ After dinner fishin’
+ Watching S devour her first blueberry pancake
+ Kayak rides at sunset
+ Running my very first 6.1 miles and living to tell the tale!
+ Mickey Mouse pancakes in the morning (a BIG favorite with the boys)
+ Getting tan (and sometimes burnt)
+ Running 2 miles in my leg of the family triathlon in record time (7:30/mi!)
+ Picnic lunches and flying kites at Portland Headlight
+ Morning hike with some of the fam
+ Seeing “the big boot” at LL Bean
+ Lobster night
+ Seeing the relationships grow between my children and my grandmothers, aunt, uncle, and cousins
No. 1: Individual Backpacks. We were so blessed to receive these personalized backpacks from Personal Creations awhile back. I can’t believe it has taken me this long to share about them! They are the small size, which make them perfect for road trips. I spent two or three weeks before the trip finding surprises to tuck inside: coloring books and crayons, little readers, and action figures all were huge hits. The front pocket held snacks in resealable baggies. Huge money saver and we avoided both fast food and unnecessary pit stops! 🙂
No. 2: Individual Toy Tubs. Since we were going to be gone for 2+ weeks, I knew we would need to pack some toys for the boys to play with. I decided to use these plastic tubs (with their names written in scrapbook letters!) and then they had free reign to choose what they’d like to bring. Any item could come as long as it fit in the bin!
I'm glad you guys had so much fun. And I love the tips! I'm always looking for ways to make traveling a little easier 🙂
Sounds like the perfect vacation! I'm a teensy bit jealous. 😉 Love the backpack and storage tub ideas – I will have to remember those the next time we go on a trip!