maine:days 1-2

the next several posts on this bloggy are going to be very picture-heavy. we just returned from a week visiting my brother, sis-in-law, and three precious kiddos in the beautiful state of maine. my parents and other sibs will want to see pictures. we want to remember this big adventure and maine is beautiful so i took over 300 pictures. as all parents of children know, traveling with them is not always restful or fun...but we made some memories complete with rain, sickness, dead car batteries, beauty, laughter, cuddles.   it was the first time any of the kids had been on an airplane and we timed the trip so miles would still be free.

 it was so refreshing to be with tom and kelly, good for us to be away from the normal cares of our lives and to co-parent for a week. the pristine beauty of creation on the coast of maine was good for our souls. tom and kelly were beyond generous with delicious meals, frothy milk coffee drinks, complete rearranging of normal sleeping situations to make room for five more, thoughtful conversations, time, space, embracing the chaos of 6 kids aged 5 and under in one house for a whole week. we can't thank you enough!!

playing go-fish in the airport

there are about a million other things that are more fun than flying with a (nearly) 2yr old, but we made it through and it was worth it to fly for 3 hrs versus driving for 20

they got right to painting...marit and aida taking turns imitating each other

one of the many playgrounds just a short walk from their house.  this dome reminded me of the one my parents built together to be married under.  true story.

kelly managed the babies at home while adam and i took the four older ones apple-picking nearby.  poor adam was quite sick with some sort of flu-like illness until the last few days, but he loaded up on motrin to keep the fever and aches at bay and muscled through. 

fall is cold in maine and comes early

girl wagon-ready for the orchards

benj loved the ladders

i love aida's beautiful smiles

sweetness

after working up an appetite picking apples, enjoy a homemade apple-cider donut.  yes, please!

during nap-time, the men heroically held down the fort (which included grilling dinner in the rain while preventing all six children from getting injured) while kelly and i ventured out to the the mother-ship of ll bean, a mere 20 minutes away.