August's Auditions (20th Anniversary trip to Maine edition)*warning: picture overload
Hello All :)
August's Auditions were bursting at the seams! August was a very full, yet blessed month. Jadon got home from Quest Leadership and headed back to work, Janessa started school, and then our crew went back to where Jason and I honeymooned 20 years ago, in Maine, to celebrate our 20th anniversary with our kids! It was a fun and wonderful time! Once back home, it was getting right ready for the man-cubs to start their online classes. Here are the picture 'auditions' that were captured...
...this group of young men started a Discovery Bible Study together...
...it is a blessing to see them want to come together to study God's word...
...the 4th and last trip to Big Sandy for the summer to pick up Jadon...yay! We are excited to have him home!! It feels just like yesterday he headed off to Quest Leadership yet it also feels like forever!...
...this young lady wanted to go with Daddy to pick him up but fell asleep an hour down the road...
...stopping for an ice cream treat halfway home and this man-cub pretty much fell asleep waiting for the ice cream :D...
...pool fun at a country pool of some great friends...thank you for the use of your pool!...the view of the setting sun was gorgeous!...
...my two cleaning ladies :)...
...yay, some great cantaloupe and watermelon out of our small garden...
...the last few puzzles of the summer before school starts...
...looking at books together :)...
...a yummy chalk ice-cream cone...
...sweet friends at church...
...HOW can it be time to get into the groove of school again?!?! In some ways, the schedule is welcomed, but in other ways summer went WAY too fast!!!...
...first day of 1st grade at Cross Classical Academy for Janessa...
...our whole family crew joined Janessa for the first day of chapel time...
...a backyard bbq fellowship with some families from church...it was a nice evening of fellowship...
...Smoky, the gorgeous llama, in our neighbor's pasture, that we have befriended...she will now eat sheep pellets out of our hands :)...
...um, I really would rather be on the inside with the critters :D...
...our 20th anniversary is this September. We decided to celebrate with a family trip back to where we honeymooned. It was so fun and wonderful to take our kiddos back to where we honeymooned 20 years ago, Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Island, Maine! The travel to Maine did NOT go smoothly!! It was a very LONG trip out with flight cancelations, stand-by flights, switching airlines, and hanging several hours at O'hare airport, but thankfully the return trip back went much smoother. We met some good friends of ours on the last couple of days of their vacation and the first couple of ours. On our honeymoon, this couple met us at the airport so we could borrow their car, as we weren't old enough to rent a vehicle(yes, we were married young). So, it was very fitting for our vacations to overlap a bit, and we loved catching up and spending a little time with them!
...this girl's first time flying and she was excited!!!...
...hanging around and wishing the travel would go faster at the airport...
...finally, after being awake and traveling since 1 o'clock AM, she has finally konked!!!...
...we have finally arrived in Maine :)...one of us had nothing left in them to smile...she was d.o.n.e!!!...
...the 'green knoll' overlooking the harbor...
...sweet friends...
...loading for the whale watch tour...
...on the whale watch tour...
...a view from the whale boat...
...many whales, dolphins, and porpoises were spotted...
...the whale that the littlest one got to see, lol(KeKe did not go on the whale watch tour)...
...eating with friends and enjoying the fresh seafood...
...she was holding a conversation with this seagull, although it was one-sided and she really, really wanted it, LOL :D...
...cutie...
...two sweet gals...
...a great bunch of kiddos...
...getting ready to hike the Beehive Trail...
...a view of Sand Beach from the Beehive Summit...
...Echo Lake: great kayaking, paddleboarding, and lake swimming...
...this donut shop was a.m.a.z.i.n.g! It was loved by all...
...I'm not a huge donut fan, but I even agree that these donuts were very tasty...
...a freshly caught lobster roadside stand...awesome prices, and fantastic flavor, and enjoyed it more than once :P...
...these two girlies entertained themselves with the wooden lobster and fisherman...
...an evening walk and talking with many pictures snapped along the way...
...the land bridge, when at low tide goes to Bar Island that has hiking trails on it, but otherwise uninhabited...
...a type of sailboat in the mist...
...can you spy the two ducks?...
...I see you, LOL...:)
...a misty and drizzly day when we hiked over to Bar Island...
...someone was tired of the carrier and wanted to hike herself...not surprised at all, lol...her brain is pretty much an adult brain in a toddler's body I think :D...
...she fell in love with this dog, Cash, on the trail...he was super sweet with her...
...Keke begging to be out of the carrier...
...trying to pull up the map of the trails, as Keke takes off, lol!...
...the mist of Bar Island made the landscape uniquely beautiful...
...this seagull, caught this seastar and ate it one leg at a time!!...
...this blanket was left in Texas a couple of years ago and has been waiting to be joined back up with this sweet gal :)...
...Flip Uno...it was lots fun :)...
...walking along the coastal trail on sunny days was also gorgeous...
...some beautiful hydrangeas...
...Uh, what car?? Obviously, this mom wasn't as into the cars parked on the street we were walking along, LOL :D...
...an afternoon exploring and looking for sea glass...
...one of the things this trip will be remembered for was its ice cream...Mount Desert Island ice cream is seriously some of the BEST ice creams we have ever had...although the pic below is from the ice cream shop next to the MDI ice cream, this one was a grape nut ice cream that some of the JK crew fell in love with...
...someone now knows what having a cone herself is like and isn't willing to share anymore, LOL :)...
...the village green had a community piano that the girls loved plunking around on...
...the best smoked, fresh-caught salmon!!!...this guy who owned this roadside stand also had New England BBQ which was so delicious!!! Lavender Espresso rubbed brisket-YUM! I wasn't sure at first, but it was amazing, among his other smoker creations!...
...Bar Harbor is a beautiful town...
...the bay on a clear day...
...the puffins had migrated early, so we weren't able to see any puffins at any of the nesting sights, so this one had to suffice :P...
...we went on a lobster fishing boat that was very neat and educational...
...a sand dollar out of the trap...
...a sea star also came up...
...this little gal got sea sick and ended up having to be at the back of the boat, until she finally passed out...I think Dramamine is going to be our traveling friend...
...and several kinds of crabs...this one's nickname was the 'bone crusher', as its pinch will break finger bones...yeah, no one got to hold this guy, lol!...
...Egg Rock Lighthouse that we went by while on the lobster boat...there were seals in the water that would pop up, but they didn't take pictures well...
...the Pink Pastry Espresso Shop was also another great and frequent stop...the BEST espresso/coffee ever and did I mention their cake options were out of this world!!! I am NOT a cake fan, but fell in love with the cakes they make from scratch here!
...Lemon Berry Gluten Free Cake...
...Flourless Chocolate Torte...delicious with an espresso shot!...
...their Wild Maine Blueberry Pie was the best we had on the trip...
...one of the evenings we spent on the coastline in the harbor: scampering over rocks and seaweed, scouring tidepools, and looking for sea glass...
...one afternoon while Keke napped, the older kids and Jason hiked Schooner Head Trail...it was the most liked hike of the whole trip, as they found sea caves during low tide and were able to enjoy all kinds of stuff in the tide pools...
...my bone china harbor mug with some Downeast Tea Blend...delicious!...we got it home without it breaking too...
...caught a picture with the representation of two-time eras...
...another harbor picture...
...the BEST seafood casserole ever!!! ...
...the boys' enjoying their last seafood meal...
...a mile walk out into the ocean on the breakwater to Rockport's Breakwater Lighthouse...
...it was SO windy...it was just as windy 20 years ago on our honeymoon too here...
...Wild Gardens of Acadia trail hike that we did...the last thing we did on Mount Desert Island/Bar Harbor area...
...it was a beautiful hike, but pretty much straight up and then straight down...3 miles total...
...Keke LOVED getting down on the straight parts and running her little legs with the rest of the big folk :)...
...God's beauty in the details...
...the view was breathtaking...
...plantain...growing on the rocky coast right above the roaring waves...
...Kirk's sea glass and other delicate finds, getting bottled up to return to Texas...
...Sand Beach...a beautiful, even if chilly evening...
...we even had a seagull attack our bookbag and get INSIDE and flew off with our big bag of snacks!!! The seagulls were NOT scared and very BOLD...
...the beauty of God's landscape is breathtaking...
Once upon returning home it was immediately digging back into school for Janessa and getting ready for the man-cubs to start...thankful for the special memories and blessings made!
Blessings to each and everyone of y'all!!
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