Whew ....

Has it REALLY been two months since I last posted?! Yes ... yes it has .. I'm so embarressed! This summer has been crazy busy. It seems like we were just celebrating Memorial Day - and then ... fourth of July - now it's mid July... where does time go?

I wish I could rattle off a long list of things we've been up to - but I can't :). We've just had a very pleasent summer - with the exception of some frustrating weeks of car repairs. I've been busy with the girls, but that's just plain fun. My cousin Doug and his family visited in June. We headed out to Bar Harbor on one of THE foggiest and rainy days yet that summer. No matter .. we enjoyed each others company and an incredible lobster boil!! :)

One of the best tasks I took on this summer was organizng a 'Moms' group here in Bangor. Within a couple weeks, there were over 15 moms and their little ones wanting to create a playgroup and support group for Moms. It has been a GREAT experience and well worth the effort. Really, once the word was out, everything seemed to fall into place. We meet once a week at a local playground and every other week, we have another panned activity like 'Moms Night Out' - or a preschool activity. The age range of the kiddos range from five months to five years, so we have a great variety of ages. We have a Mom's Night Out tonight at a local restaurant - we're all looking forward to a little 'girls time' away without the kids :)

Lexi, Cate and I have also been going to the library - on a few walks down at the bog walk in Orono. But, we've really been spending some good quality time at home. The house is coming together and feeling more like home each week. I know, we've been here for a year, but it takes time to make a house a home! :) Jason and Lexi have been canoing down our river quite a bit this summer too. We are looking for a pint sized canoe paddle for Lexi. She is great about sitting up front alone. They can go for hours and often stop along the way to chase frogs and watch turtles and eagles. It reminds me of the times I used to spend canoing with my dad when I was little :). We also have a hummingbird that visits our flowers every day. We enjoy all the different forms of wildlife - except the skunks that have visited near our house recently in the night - STINKY!

This weekend, we are traveling to the coast for Jay's company picnic. They hold it at a local club each summer right on the coast near Blue Hill - just across the bay from Bar Harbor. This year, they are having a lobster boil - which will be a blast :). They have great grounds for the kids to run and really try to make it a family event. We're looking forward to heading down to the southern part of the coast. It has been well over a year since we were sounth of Bar Harbor.

We have a 'new' favorite local here in Maine to explore. We have made a few trips NORTH - goodness, I never thought I'd want to go much further north than we already are :). But - we've really gotten to like the coast and river country along the Canadian border. It's beautiful - and not quite as 'touristy' as the sothern costal portion of Maine. We are heading there next weekend to Machias for their local Blueberry fest! :) I'm posting some pictures from a recent trip a few weeks ago.

We headed north again, to Milinocket for the 4th of July. They had a great parade we went to - nothing 'fancy'- but it had that home town feel that is so much fun. Lexi got a TON of candy - and we enjoyed a drive up to Mt. Kahtadin after (while the girls slept in the car :) ). The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed having Jay home for a four day weekend! I've posted a few pictures of the parade too.


Lexi starts school on September 5th - less than two months away! She will be going back to the Preschool program at the University of Maine this fall - three times a week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the mornings from 8am to 1:30pm. She'll get to eat LUNCH at school .. which is a new thing this year :). Lexi is doing GREAT. She is spending a lot of time drawing and playing with her train set. I cannot believe she will be FOUR this October. The state of Maine's 'cut-off' for Kindergarten is October 15th- one week before her birthday - no exceptions made - so she will have two more years of preschool. That's fine with me :).


Cate is growing growing growing :). She is crawling, pulling herself up on things, and a few days ago, stood up on her own. Shhhh - don't tell her that's what she did because she had a VERY puzzled look on her face and immediately sat down. That is something I can wait for! :). She is our serious child. Don't get me wrong, she is full of smiles and sweetness, but she obsverves everything with a very solum look on her face. She LOVES Lexi. Loves trying to 'trap' the cats. REALLY LOVES trying to get into Lexi's things :). She'll also do almost anything she can to get her hands on the food on our plates. Silly girl :)

Well ... that's it for us. Whew .. what a post! :) Hope you are all enjoying your summers. Drop a line and let us know how you're doing: thyenmn@aol.com and if you ever find yourselves in New Enlgand, let us know!! Our door is always open!!!