Maine

We took a trip to Maine last weekend and it is beautiful! We went to Moody Beach Saturday morning. It is a good thing our girls are early risers (they very cheerfully woke us up in the hotel at 5:45) because the beach got really crowded, but when we first got there it wasn't bad at all.

I hadn't ever been in an ocean warm/safe enough to swim in (Oregon was too cold for me last year) and it was super fun! Jessi really enjoyed being in the water with Dad.



Emily mainly enjoyed the wet sand, she filled this bucket over and over again!



Jessica found a very large seashell!



Nate swimming in the waves.



We had to try a "lobster roll" which is a big thing in New England. Basically it is lobster on bread with butter--and it is really good. Even Jessica liked lobster!



Emily really enjoyed her hotdog!



Last of all we saw Cape Neddick Lighthouse.



It was on an island so we couldn't go in or see it up close, but the island was really close and very beautiful! This is more what we pictured Maine like--big rocks down to the ocean...

Dress Up

It looks like my girls are going to like dressing up as much as my sister, Crystal and I did! Jessica wears her Snow White costume about every other day, but since that is the only costume around, they find whatever they can!



(Notice the way she buttoned it up.)



I guess Emily thought these placemats were bibs and she wasn't content until I had tucked all six of them in her shirt!

Boston

We had a very timely trip to see Boston over the 4th of July weekend, and got to see many inspiring sites of those who gave or were willing to give their lives for freedom.

But first thing we had to go see the ducklings from "Make Way for Ducklings" one of Jessica's favorite books in Boston Public Square. We also loved seeing some of the other things Robert McCloskey brought to life in this book--Beacon Hill, Louisburg Square, the state house and the pond in the public garden.



Jessica was way excited when she first saw Mrs. Mallard and her 8 ducklings that she rushed right over to them. Emily was right on her heels and climbed right on one of the ducklings.



We also got to ride on one of the swan boats! (Also in the book.)



Then we walked along "Freedom Trail" and saw many interesting sites.

The Massachusetts State House



Old City Hall



Boston Harbor



We had to take a break in the middle so we went back to the hotel so Emmy could nap and Jessi and Dad went swimming. The water was really cold and Jessica was just shivering and shivering but would not get out she was having so much fun!!



Paul Revere House



Paul Revere Statue



Old North Church



U.S.S. Constitution



Bunker Hill Monument



The next day we went to Lexington and Concord where the Revolutionary War began.

Lexington Green





I also got to tour the Louisa May Alcott home!! (Wrote "Little Women".) Thanks to Nate who watched the girls--it would've been disastrous to try to keep them from touching anything, and I was really able to listen and enjoy it--it was wonderful!!



Then we drove down to Plymoth and saw Plymoth Rock, which was MUCH smaller than I imagined. I pictured a huge rock jutting out into the ocean--not so, but it was still neat to see. (I guess it was 3 times bigger when they landed...)



We also saw a recreation of the Mayflower--Mayflower II.



Finally we just found a beach on the Atlantic Ocean so we could play. The girls LOVED it, and so did we!! When Emily sees water it means pick up rocks and throw--watch out! (She gets it from her Dad.)

Joseph Smith Birthplace

We went to Sharon, Vermont last weekend and saw the birthplace of and memorial to Joseph Smith. There was a very special feeling there. I really liked what the missionary who was showing us the visitors center said--that the monument doesn't just represent the testimony of those who built it, but the testimonies of millions that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God!



I was hoping to get better pictures of the hot air balloons we saw on the freeway, but this was all I could get. There was a hot air balloon festival near Quechee Gorge.



Here's Quechee Gorge. The picture doesn't do it justice, but we got pretty dizzy looking down at it from the bridge!



Once again we found covered bridges to look at (there are over 100 in Vermont.)

Fun in Vermont

We went on a beautiful little trip last weekend. We drove through the green forests and mountains of Vermont near Burlington. We saw a few covered bridges, hiked in the rain to a stunning waterfall, drove up and saw the lodge and land of the von Trapp Family, and ate ice cream at the Ben and Jerry's factory!!












Emily was pretty worn out by the end. She would open her mouth so I could give her some ice cream, but she wouldn't lift her head up--poor girl. (Very unlike our baby who loves sugar!)

So Much Fun

We left most the girls toys in Illinois, and they are anxious for anything they can play with. It was a wonderful day when the diapers I ordered arrived in a very large box!! All weekend the girls have been playing in it.




Jessi with her "party hat" and "balloon".

Memorial Day Weekend!

We had a super fun Memorial Day weekend! We went down to New York City (about a 6 hour drive.) We met up with our friends, Bruce and Brittney Richards, in New Jersey across from NYC. We stayed there Friday night and Saturday we spent the day in New York City. It was pretty crazy, and fun, although we spent a lot of time on the subway trying to figure out how to get where we wanted to go. We went the wrong way once, and accidentally got on the express track once, plus there was subway construction which added confusion, but we made it and enjoyed most of the things we wanted to see: Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Chinatown, Central Park--it was great. One day was enough for us for a long, long time!

We spent Sunday in Pennsylvania at the Richards' house, saw Valley Forge and the house that George Washington actually stayed in there, went to church with them and saw Delaware Valley College, where Bruce works. We even got to go out and see the cows--which the girls loved!! (Bruce is a dairy science professor.) We stayed up way to late playing games and had a great time!

We spent most the day Monday traveling home and got to drive our car (well Nate did the driving and I went along for the ride) onto a ferry for the first time to cross Lake Champlaign--it was pretty exciting!