Our Final Summer Fling

All right! Summer's over, so get back to work!

I know, I know, I have been taking a little last summer vacation from this blog, but Labor Day has come and gone and we are in the thick of Back-to-school Week, so I'd better get crackin', eh?! I hear you.

A couple of weeks ago we took one last summer fling trip up to Maine to see Mike's relatives and show the girls the farm where Grandpa grew up. We had been talking about how we haven't been up to Searsport since Maggie was two years old (and Kate hadn't ever been). And then Mike's cousin, Anne, contacted him to see if we could get our girls together sometime, since she has a daughter, Emily, who is only a few months younger than Maggie. The girls are peas in a pod and haven't seen each other since they were tiny, so it was well past time to go up.

Maggie and Emily meet for the first time, October 2007.

At Swan Lake, Maine, July 2008

Thanksgiving, November 2008

We took a leisurely drive up from our summer home in the woods of New Hampshire (Mike's parents' house), leaving the interstate at Brunswick and heading up Route 1 through all the gorgeous little seaside towns. We stopped off in Wiscasset to visit Lear's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, which is owned by Mike's cousin Ron and his wife Pam. They make lobster ice cream there, and it is totally delicious! I am not pulling your leg whatsoever. I went in intending to try it just for the sake of being able to say I did and assuming it would be weird, but it is honestly amazing. Ron and Pam gave us a sampling of their many flavors, and I can also highly recommend the blueberry, the pumpkin, the caramel apple, the peach - well, all of them, really. If you are ever in Wiscasset, ME, you have to stop in. The location on the waterfront, and the whole town itself really, are so lovely.

We continued on up the coast to Belfast, where we had dinner and checked into our hotel. Belfast is another really fun little town where you can eat a lobster roll for dinner on the deck overlooking the Passagassawakeag River where it flows into Penobscot Bay - which is exactly what we did.

More funny cutout pics. This one was much too tall for Kate; Mike had to give her a boost.

The view of the bay from our hotel balcony.

The girls loved to play out on the lawn overlooking the sea.

The Perfect Spot!

There is also a little path next to the Adirondack chairs that goes down to a beach.

It was rocky and low tide, but the girls loved it.

Not a bad place to spend the summer!

Back up the path to the hotel

On Sunday afternoon, we headed over to Searsport to visit with Mike's family. His Aunt Linda still lives on a piece of property that was once part of the farm. We had lunch and visited and then went up the road to take a walk around my father-in-law's portion of the farm.

Hanging out in Aunt Linda's hammock. The girls really want one now!

All the little ladies!

Emily and Maggie, the 2013 Version

Grandpa leads the Ducklings

You gotta have a walking stick.

Looks like Little House on the Prairie!

Farm Girls

Headed down to the pond with Grandpa and Uncle Jay

Maggie is a country girl at heart.

Katie is more of a city girl. She did NOT like the tall grass scratching her legs.

So she convinced Grandpa to carry her on his shoulders!

Maggie and Emily, however, were fearless explorers.

I have to say, Maine has become one of my favorite states to visit. I think I still love living near a big city most of the time, but Mike and I agreed that we always feel at home when we're in Maine. It's one of the most beautiful places I can think of, in any season. We'll be back soon!