I am packing today in anticipation of our weekend trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. In addition to our family of five (Charlie is still with us), we are traveling with Camille and the boys' best friend, Colin. Bar Harbor has long been a vacation spot for James' family and since we've been married I have gone there a number of times as well. But there is one particular trip which I shall always treasure.
Four years ago this fall, Camille, James and I set out for Bar Harbor with four kids in tow. We had Will (age 2) and Jon (age1) and their friends, two brothers, Colin (age 3) and Chesney (age 2). The drive up was not much fun and I was worried about what that would mean for the rest of the vacation. At least two kids had accidents that night, always in the car I was driving. We were all exhausted and cranky (and smelling slightly of pee) by the time we got to our hotel where James and I were faced with the impossible task of getting four boys (all under 4!) to sleep in a small and unfamiliar room. But finally we succeeded and even slept for a few hours ourselves before all the boys woke up early the next morning.
Then, as now, we were only there for three days and since I didn't blog back then I can't remember what we did when. But there are some abiding memories. The first is of friendship. These four boys loved each other. Colin, in particular, was the one who drew them all together. He had boundless energy and the most loving heart I have ever seen.
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| Jon, Chesney, Will and Colin on the balcony of our hotel |
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| Four friends ready for adventure |
One of my favorite pictures is the one where Grandma is playing with Colin and Chesney by the water. Of course soon after that picture was taken Camille was knocked over by a wave and she had to spend the rest of the day soaking wet. But she was a good sport and thankfully the day was warm.
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| Chesney, Grandma (Camille) and Colin on Sand Beach |
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| Grandma and Chesney contemplate the waves |
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| James reads to Will and Colin |
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| The boys bury themselves in the sand |
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| What happened to my legs? |
Another time we drove up Cadillac Mountain and climbed around on the rocks while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Well, the scenery was enjoyed by the adults in those brief moments when we weren't stopping a child from jumping off a high rock, running headlong down the mountain or eating sand. The boys barely noticed the view since they were too busy running, jumping and playing with sand.
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| Jon on Cadillac Mountain |
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| James watches over the boys as they play with... dirt. |
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| Chesney on Cadillac Mountain. Doesn't he have a great smile? |
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| Colin climbing on rocks |
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| Hurry up Jon! |
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| Bethany and James with all four boys |
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| Will climbing rocks on Cadillac Mountain |
One of James' family traditions is to eat at Jordon's Pond in the park. Camille was undaunted by the presence of four little boys (did I mention they were all under four??) and we all went out to eat. I don't remember much about the meal, which I suppose means it wasn't a complete disaster. My favorite part of the day though was the walk through the blueberry bushes down to the pond. The boys loved running up and down the little trails and throwing rocks in the water.
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| Eating at Jordon's Pond |
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| James, Colin and Chesney walk down to the pond |
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| Will, Jon and Chesney in the blueberry bushes |
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| Grandma and Will in Bar Harbor 2009 |
I can't wait to start our trip tomorrow!
