Family

I recently took a trip to our family's home in Maine.  It sounds very Martha Stewart-esque, but its really simply an old, charming house on an island off the coast of Maine.  Its been in our family for almost a century.  Although it is visited from time to time by different members of the family, the week of the 4th of July is the big event.  We all go out to spend about a week together.

Although eight people doesn't seem like a big number it does seem like it to two people (my husband and I) who live alone in the quiet.  This year we also had two doggies.  Ours, who is almost three and a puppy of just four months old.  They added to the chaos.

So what do we do while we are out on this island?  We play games, watch movies, swim in the quarries, run, walk, hike, crafts, etc.  Its a great time.  We laugh a LOT, eat a lot of great food and attend the island's 4th of July festivities.  (The festivities consist of a parking lot with some booths that sell food and baked goods and raffle tickets and a small but very funny parade.)

This year I was struck at how excited I was to go out to the island and spend time with my family.  I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world that I get to spend my vacation and my time with my family who are also my best friends.

This is my "little" cousin and I.  She's 16 now and this is our classic pose.  She was 4 when I met my husband and I started teaching her to drive on this trip.  Wow!

Every few years the island saves up enough cash for a fireworks display.  This year was one of those years.  I got to watch them from the back of my car, under a blanket eating ice cream with my little cousin.  Le sigh.

On the island lobster is cheaper than other meats like chicken.  The island exports more lobster than any other place in the world.  So its fresh and yummy.  I won't even eat lobster any where else.  We have one big lobster dinner and then lobster rolls all week.  Yeah, its tough, but someone has to do it.