Traveling Through New England (Part 2)

When we last left off, I was describing the first few days of the trip my husband and I took last week while our youngest three were at summer camp. The camp is located in Western New York, so after dropping them off, we drove several hours to Portland, Maine, stopping at some beautiful places along the way. You can get all the details of the first part of our trip here.

After a couple days in Portland, we drove to Boston. We were there as a family a few years ago and did the Freedom Trail and historical sights. This time we had fun exploring a different section of the city. Highlights included a fantastic seafood dinner on a restaurant terrace and a stroll through Boston's Public Gardens.

We also enjoyed walking down Commonwealth Avenue to look at the beautiful homes.

It was a perfect evening and I bought this painting from a street vendor to remember it by. He did a much better job representing the homes on Commonwealth Avenue than any photograph I could have taken!

The next morning, it was off to Martha's Vineyard. We rode the ferry over and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of bike riding around the island. These two pictures sum it up in my mind. Adorable gingerbread cottages with hanging baskets and picturesque white clapboard houses with beautiful hydrangeas and white picket fences. They both just sing out summer living!

Friday was our last kid-free day, so we drove to Newport, Rhode Island to see the historical mansions. They are truly a sight to behold. We did the Cliff Walk behind them bordering the Atlantic Ocean, too.

Such a marvelous place. I would have liked to have had at least one more day there to do some tours, but camp pick up was bright and early the next morning and we still had a six hour drive to get back to that area Friday night.

I have to say we thoroughly enjoyed our week together. It was a real treat to have my husband off work and "home" for an extended period of time. He travels a lot, so to have uninterrupted time together was wonderful!

Of course, we were glad to pick up these three happy campers Saturday morning.

My son was so relieved to land back in Nashville that he kissed the ground! It really stretched him to go all week with no sports coverage and no electronics. The girls, on the other hand, would have happily stayed longer. I guess that bodes well for another get away for us next year! 

Traveling Through New England (Part 1)

A few weeks ago, I wrote here about my husband and I getting away without our kids for a week this summer. Well, the week is here and we're having a blast! We dropped our three youngest off for sleep away camp in Western New York Sunday night and have been on our own since. There are so many beautiful sights in this part of the country and I thought I'd share some of what we've seen so far.

I love history, so New England is like Candyland for me. There is so much to see everywhere I look and so much of it has beautiful character and a story behind it.

So far, we've visited Portsmouth, New Hampshire...

Love this old building and water view.

Kennebunkport, Maine...

Beautiful beaches in Kennebunkport. So much different than what I've seen in the South.

And Portland, Maine...

Getting ready for dinner on the town!

Riding bikes around Peaks Island, Maine, just a short ferry ride over from Portland.

Gorgeous views on Peaks Island.

Before dinner at The Lobster Shack overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Maine is beautiful!

I hope you've enjoyed this little taste of some of the sights in New England. I've seen so many gorgeous old homes too, but there's no way for me to take a picture that will do them justice. The character is evident in the neighborhoods and gardens and elaborate detail to the outside of the homes. I'm sure my husband is tired of me exclaiming at all the neat ones I see, but I can't help it! He'll just have to bear it for a few more days!

Until next time, I leave you with one I took for my mom who loves Queen Anne's lace...

Along coast at Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

*To read about the second half of our trip, click here.

Fear the Beach Picture

Family beach pictures...three words that strike fear and dread into the heart of every mother. If you've done them once, then you know to be afraid. You know the sun will be blinding, the wind will be blowing, the kids will be complaining, and your husband will be resigned with a hint of unspoken "I told you so". You will have to find coordinating outfits that no one over the age of three would be willing to wear. You will have to bribe, cajole, and even threaten, all the while being careful not to bring tears to anyone's eyes or leave marks on their bodies. Kidding, kidding...sort of...you know I speak the truth.

If you're trying to take a picture of more than one person, it will take herculean effort to get everyone to smile AT THE SAME TIME. You'll be saying things like Smile pretty, I'm sorry the sun is bright, smile anyway, Close your eyes and I'll tell you when to open them, Stop hitting your brother, and Now come on, that one would have been perfect, if you hadn't moved, grimaced, closed your eyes, or been goofing around. And why are they goofing around? Can they not hear the urgency and pleading in mom's voice? This is serious business people and not for the faint of heart.

Because of all of the above, I had not taken anything but casual beach pictures for a few years. Maybe a shot or two before we would go out to dinner, but no outfits, no pressure, no multiple poses, certainly no fantasy of capturing the dream. However, next year my oldest will be in college, so there's that THIS MAY BE OUR LAST CHANCE kind of pressure. 

I did not however, even attempt a parents plus kids event. There is just no way I was ever going to succeed in that without major professional help. Trust me on this.

So we did it...we got some decent shots of the group and some even better shots of individuals. We had fun making fun of the whole picture taking scene. This was the first time I think I'll ever look back at our pictures without recalling threats or bribes. The begging was still there though!  

First a couple outtakes. We keep it honest here folks!

And now two group shots that made the final cut.

While we were taking these pictures, a woman stopped me to tell me our family is beautiful. I was honored and thankful and aware that these five are precious blessings and no picture can adequately capture how I see them.

I know you feel the same way about your blessings. Maybe not during family pictures, but definitely afterward!

Have you captured that elusive perfect shot at the beach? Have you found that beach vacation in general has its ups and downs? If so, you might relate to Family Vacation Reality Check!

Keeping It Real

Normal everyday life. Not always pretty and not always ready for Instagram and Facebook. That's what I thought of when I read Rachel Marie Martin's post, For the Days When You Feel Like the Worst Mom Ever.

Confession: Sometimes I totally blow it as a mom, too. Anyone else out there? I say the wrong words and leave hurt in their wake. I act in anger and live to regret it later. I ignore things I should deal with and harp on things that don't really matter. I worry about the inconsequential and give little thought to the things that last. 

When I fail, it's easy to think I'm the only mom who loses her temper, who says the wrong thing, who sets a bad example.

Thankfully my kids are always forgiving. They don't hold a grudge or write me off as a failure. They move past the moment much faster than I do.

This week we're on family vacation. It's great and it's messy. It's lots of fun and it's tedious. There's laughing and fighting and loving and hurting and learning and growing. There are lots of opportunities to get it right and lots of opportunities to practice humility...again.

Maybe you're on a mothering high or maybe you've hit a low point today. Maybe you're in neutral, coasting along. Wherever you are, you can be certain it will be changing. That's normal everyday life.

Family Vacation Reality Check

See this view...

Don't get too excited.  If you're a parent, you will not be enjoying this view.  You'll be too busy making trips back and forth to the hotel room carrying heavy beach bags filled with sand toys, boogie boards, and beach rocks that your cherubs declare they can't live without.  You'll help build sand castles, play football, and take out kayaks.  Planning and acquiring enough snacks and drinks to fill hungry children will take up an extraordinary amount of time.  If there appears to be a lull in the activity and you attempt to nap in one of the comfy chairs, there will immediately be a siren song of sibling rivalry demanding your attention.

Remember that bike riding on the beach you were fantasizing about?

It will be fun for about a half mile.  Then someone will complain about going too fast, too slow, it's too hot, too far, or beg to stop.  Chains will fall off multiple bikes, multiple times, and you'll look wistfully at the other bikers as they ride joyously by with none of these problems.

You'll end the bike ride hot and on edge as you try to encourage your kids to hold it together through the last few feet of sand. 

Meal conversations will consist of, "Can I have some?", "Mmmm, this is good", "I hate that!", "Sit down in your chair", "Hey, I didn't get any! That's not fair!", "Do I have to sit there?", "Can I sit by you?", "I don't like this", and "Are you going to eat that?"  Lively debate will ensue over whether lemonade or chocolate milk is better.

But...you'll also have funny inside jokes, moments between siblings that warm your heart, and the freedom to just be without all the daily obligations. Less time will be spent on electronic devices and more time will be spent really seeing the ones you love.  

Yes, your family vacation will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it.  Worth it to see and do new things together.  Worth it to establish family traditions and memories that you can laugh over in the years to come.

And these are the reasons you'll plan to come back and do it all again next year.  Right after that loooong drive home!

Getting Away

It's fall break and we're using hotel points to enjoy a relaxing few days on Hilton Head Island.  The biggest reason I wanted to come back here was the great bike riding.  You can bike forever on beautiful flat trails around the island or for miles right on the beach. 

It's a slow time of year, so both our rooms were upgraded to larger suites.  All of the kids have their own beds in one suite and the other is just for mom and dad!  Bring on the fun and relaxation...