In August, Jarrett attended a conference in Boston so we decided to tag along up north and make a vacation out of it! We visited Lake Winnipasaquee in New Hampshire, and it was only a 2 hour drive from Boston. It was a blast! Here are some fun things we did:
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| Andrew practicing his Speed Boat driving skills |
Here's the place we rented... It was on the hill above and overlooked the lake and beach.
The part we enjoyed the most was the screened in front porch. The name of the cabin was called "Hawks Nest" and the kids loved watching the boats go by while eating.
The fact we even made it to NH was a victory in itself... the stomach bug was going through the house and everyone had it except J... guess who got it (but not as bad as the rest of us) on the DAY we left?! Poor J had a well deserved rest after making the 7 hour drive from NJ. He knows all the rest stops well between NJ and NH.
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| Daddy Sickie, but not for long! |
We did a little sightseeing, but mostly spent our time kicked back by the lake on the beach.
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| Daddy and his mini-me |
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| Will have been married 13 years in Nov?! |
As with any vacation, we ate ice cream every day. Andrew likes to taste everyone's and decide which person he wants to share with him.
Burr! The water was kind of cold compared to the lake we visited last year, and it was August. I can't imagine how cold it is in June. The girls were so excited to use their newfound swimming skills at the lake. It took them until the last day to work up the courage to jump off the swim dock!
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| First Daddy jumped off the swim dock... |
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| Next Maddie jumped in... |
Jarrett took the kids for rides in the paddle boat at our cabin. I couldn't figure out how to make it go straight, and crashed into the swim dock. Needless to say, I totally embarrassed Lindsay who was next to me in front of some kids nearby. She said, "MOM!! I'm jumping ship! You are a terrible driver!!" LOL.
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| Lindsay and J watching the sunset |
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| Daddy is a better paddle boat driver than Mama |
Maddie taking a spin on the boat
The water was so clean and clear!
All the kids had a blast playing in the sand and building castles. Andrew didn't eat the sand this year...hooray!
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| Mr. Sandman |
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Madison and her sea creature creations |
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| Kicking back watching the sunset with Daddy |
We visited Weirs Beach, just a short drive from the cabin. It was gorgeous! I loved that it had a swim net and was shallow and clear for 6 feet.
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| Behind the beach was a really cute old fashioned train that would go by... Andrew loved watching it! |
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| Burr. Beautiful but chilly. |
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| Chips and dip on the porch |
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| Sissy love |
When we ventured away from the beach/cabin, we took a scenic boat ride in an antique wooden speed boat to get a better view of the lake.
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| Sweet Ride! |
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| Pretty girls |
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| Not too sure about the wind in his face. |
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| Family Pic...LOL |
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| These girls loved being on the water, and especially going FAST! |
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| Enjoying the view with my love |
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| At first I though this little sailor was going to be seasick, but the rocking of the boat made him fall asleep in my arms. |
Lake house someday?! Haha! So beautiful!
We visited a historic home called, "Castle in the Clouds". It is a huge private estate that has been turned into a museum. When I was doing research into what tour we would do, I discovered they had PONY RIDES for $15. Although the house tour looked fun, it was more J's and my speed rather than the kids, so we opted to hang out at the barn and stable and took our resident pony enthusiast on a ride. We didn't tell her until we pulled up to the barn, and let's just say she was thrilled!!
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| Our girl wore her pink boots, and enjoyed walking around the barn |
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| "I'm going to own a pony farm like this someday Mama, and teach you how to ride!" |
When it was her turn, oh my, she was in heaven. She rode "Snickers".
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| Look at that proud face! |
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| We offered Lindsay a ride too, but she said, "Ponies are Maddie's thing, not mine. I think I'd rather just watch." She was so sweet about it though, and was excited for her experience. |
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| Giving Snickers a pet |
Best $15 we've ever spent on this kid. She has memories for a lifetime!
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| Miss hot stuff |
We loved you Lake Winnie! We had such a relaxing time, and made some sweet memories! Now on to the next leg of our vacation/conference to our (Jarrett and I) most favorite city in the US... BOSTON!
