I *Heart* Maine: Our Adventures

I've wanted to write the vacation recap story all week, but just havent been able to. Part of the reason is that I've been too busy.... this was a huge week of "firsts" around here... more on that later. Another part of the delay, however, is that I am having a really hard time writing this post. There is just SO MUCH I want to say and SO MANY awesome memories to share that it is HARD to pick just a few highlights to share with everyone. However, I am quite sure that no one wants to read an hour-by-hour account of our trip, so let me just jump in and do my best at picking out the "best of" this best trip ever!

Neither of our kids are really car sleepers, so we knew that for all of our sanity, it was best to break it into 2 days (with several stops along the way... including the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, ME.... OMG... ya gotta get there, people!). So we arrived in Southwest Harbor, ME around 4pm on Sunday. The kids were ROCK STARS during the 2 day drive and we arrived with all of our wits about us. Our friends Lisa and Gordon, who own Acadia Cottages, were there to greet us and, boy, were we happy to see them! We got settled in our cottage and walked down the hill to L & G's house for dinner. What a nice night!

The next day we went met up with our friends Amy and Chris and their 3 year old son, Finn. We decided to go into Acadia National Park and do some biking around Jordan Pond, and then stop for lunch at the Jordan Pond House, which I had been looking forward to since we booked this trip. They serve up their famed popovers, and while they are seriously overpriced, they are so deliciously worth it, and I couldn't wait. The only problem was the route we chose for the bike ride. Ummmm, yeah... it was up hill.... the entire way.... until I could take it no more.... and we decided we really deserved some pop-overs.

See, before I had these two children, I could hold my own on my bike. Bike riding was something that Matt and I did regularly and enjoyed many weekends. So, I was a little taken aback at just how miserable I was on these hills and how out of shape I was. However, it then dawned on me that I had McKenna on my bike with me. And, my mom is gonna be mad that I wrote this... but McKenna is a Big Momma! At almost 11 months she is already over 25 pounds. So, you see, it was hard enough getting my own butt up those hills without an adorable Big Momma strapped to the back!

My beautiful Big Momma!

The next day we had booked ourselves on a beautiful schooner called the Margaret Todd for a sail around Frenchman's Bay. It was a fantastic way to spend a morning together! Once we got underway, Daddy, Aunt Amy, and Uncle Chris all got to help raise the sails, also. What a job that is!

The Margaret Todd

This is my family... aren't I lucky? Love you guys!

Another highlight of the trip was going on a Sunset Carriage Ride through Acadia. The horses pulled us to the summit of Day Mountain and it was such a scenic journey. The kids loved the horses and loved the ride. We packed a picnic dinner and ate on the carriage and at the summit. A big thanks to Amy and Chris for suggesting this outing. We will definitely do another carriage ride on a future Maine trip.

This is Jim and Bob. I love how they are looking all camera shy!

At the summit of Day Mountain!

Snuggling with my baby girl on the carriage ride.

A real highlight of the trip was a hike that the four of us did one morning at Ship Harbor. This hike was great because it was partly wooded and partly snaked along the rocky shoreline. It was so beautiful at every single turn. We kept saying, oh look over there... no, look over there. It was spectacular. This is a relatively flat hike and was easy enough for Maddie to do on her own. I remember this one point in the hike Matt saying "This is my favorite moment of the trip." And, I remember thinking the exact same thing at almost the exact same moment. There was just something really magical about the four of us enjoying the hike and the pure beauty and really feeling like nothing else in the world mattered except the four of us!

My hikers along the Ship Harbor trail

Matt was teaching Maddie how to skip rocks at one point in the hike. I love this action shot as she is practicing her rock skipping technique!

On Friday, my friend Lisa was able to get away from her work at the cottages to show us some of her favorite hotspots that she knew that the kids (and the adults!) would enjoy. She took us to this great spot to find starfish. Lisa found a huge grouping of starfish almost as soon as we got there. She pulled out two starfish for the kids to look at and hold. Maddie touched it, but didnt want to hold it. But, she and Finn loved getting to see the starfish up close and personal!

Lisa and Maddie with the starfish they found!

After we hung out with the starfish, Lisa took Maddie and I over to a private beach to look for sand dollars and sea glass. We couldn't find any sand dollars that day, but we had a great time looking for sea glass. Between the 3 of us (or really just Lisa and I :-)), Maddie has a nice collection of gorgeous sea glass. She is so excited because Lisa promised to make her a sea glass necklace for her 4th birthday and send it to her. She can't wait!

Madison with a pretty piece of green sea glass.

So, Maine, I really do *heart* you. For these few memories and the whole host of others that I have etched in my mind and my heart, I thank you. The trip was full of family, friends, food and fun. We relaxed and unwinded and it was worth the long drive 10 times over! We cant wait to book our next trip!