We had another fun and packed summer. Our summer always starts with making a bucket list. The weeks fly by so quickly that if we don't make an effort to fit everything in, there will inevitably be things we don't get to. We got most of our items crossed off this year. Julia going off of the diving board was one item that didn't get crossed off. Caroline went off the diving board last summer for the first time and off of the high dive for the first time this summer. But Julia just didn't feel ready yet despite multiple attempts (walking out to the very edge, looking down at the water for a long time, and then turning around.) But that's OK! She will go when she's ready and we'll all celebrate when she does.
In addition to our big trip to Niagara Falls and Maine this summer (more about that later), we did lots of little trips and outings.
We started out the summer by hosting my family in Dublin for "Celebration Day" where we celebrate May birthdays and Mother's Day and Father's Day.
We went to the Imagine Dragons concert in northern Ohio on Father's Day. The kids love that band and this was a surprise trip for getting good grades during Kindergarten and second grade. We had the tickets for a long time but didn't tell the kids about it until the school year ended. It was a HOT day and the concert was outside but we still had a lot of fun. I could just see the memories being burned in their brains! I think it will definitely be something that we all remember for a very long time.
We went to Indiana for the 4th of July like we always do and this time we celebrated at my brother's new house that is not far at all from where my parents live. We enjoyed seeing their new place and spending time in their beautiful home in the country.
And then it was off to the Northwest. We stopped in Niagara Falls for two nights on our way to Maine. None of us had ever been and Colin especially was excited about seeing the falls. We enjoyed our time there. The falls were amazing and gorgeous, no doubt about it. But it was hot and very crowded and the Canadian side was really touristy. I could have been just fine with less time there. We did the Maid of the Mist tour and spent some time hiking on the American side of the falls in addition to checking out all of the tourist traps in Canada. Then it was off to Maine which was the complete opposite of Niagara - not hot and not crowded! We loved Maine! We stayed in a town called Boothbay Harbor which was recommended by a friend. We stayed in a cute little cottage on the harbor and just spent so much time enjoying the beauty, the weather, and the food! We did some ocean kayaking, took a sailing trip, a whale-watching trip where we saw some humpbacks up close and personal, and even tried our hand at boiling our own lobsters. We enjoyed the town of Boothbay Harbor and all of its many ice cream parlors (I think we hit one per day!) We saw three lighthouses while we were there including the one featured on Maine's state quarter.
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| A picnic lunch right near the top of the falls. |
We took a trip in August with our friends to a cabin in Ohio. Instead of camping this year, we decided to stay somewhere with real beds and plumbing since Angie was pregnant. I didn't mind!
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| Collecting chicken eggs at the owner's home |
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| Making homemade ice cream |
The kids did camps this summer (baseball and basketball camp for Colin and basketball camp for the girls). Colin had his first sleepover at a friend's house and Caroline mastered the high dive. All in all, it was an awesome (but fast) summer!
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