Maine Friends

Oh, what an action-packed trip to Maine we had.  In addition to our fabulous Christmas celebrations, the snow play, and all of our family fun, we managed to squeeze in time for almost all of our favorite Maine friends.  Unfortunately, due to time and travel constraints, we didn't get to visit everyone we wanted to see, but we certainly made our rounds (not to mention everyone we did not take pictures of).

One of our trips was to see our old next-door neighbors, Martha, Sandra, Glorene & Dave, who we miss terribly and know they miss us as well.  Who am I kidding, really, they mostly miss Lucy, but I'll survive.  Though Matt's a great guy, they tell me living next door to him is just not the same.  We've been gone so long they don't even have the cabinet stocked with juice boxes! 

 Next on the list?  Kimmie, the most wonderful/amazing/fabulous babysitter we could ask for.  I've joked that I'm not working here only because I know nobody will live up to her standard of care (unfortunately for Lucy I don't either) and that she had to move with us (ironically Kim does have family in Iowa).  When we left Lucy called her "Mimi" and now she's "Timmy."  Maybe those K's will come soon, but Lucy loves you either way!

 

 A girl's day in Portland with my friend Katy.  The great thing about Katy is that she's always up for something coastal.  She's actually always up for anything.  We went to the waterfront to have some breakfast and then spent a gloomy hour walking around in the cold and gray fog.  Whatever, I say.  It was great to see and smell the ocean.  Water is one thing that I definitely miss in Iowa, lakes, rivers, ocean, all of it.  Aside from some September rain, the last water we saw here was the flood when we first arrived, and that was not the kind of water that made me want to dangle my toes.

 And Lucy's beautiful friend Chloe.  Chloe and her mom Stacy were more neighbors in Maine, recent friends that were just too good to be true.  I wish we could have taken them with us too, and if I told Stacy what we pay for heat and hot water here, she might have abandoned her humongous old house and come, too.  Lucy and Chloe get along famously and didn't miss a beat playing together after a 5-month hiatus.

 

 

 Finally, in order to see as many of my mommy-friends as I could, I sent everyone a facebook message that said I was parking myself at the Broadway McDonald's playplace and they could come to me.  And they did!  Though I have some really great friends out here, I still miss the network of people I had built over my time in Maine, both old and new friends.  We missed all our wonderful little buddies that couldn't make it but had a lot of fun with those we saw!  Here are Kate, Chloe, Marin, Lucy, Ben, and Ellee.  Kate's the big sister of the crowd but less than 6 months separate the other 5 kiddos.  Had to take a single picture of Shannon in her seat, as she's not walking yet to enjoy the fun and wonder of the playplace.  We'll miss seeing all of our friends grow up.

 

 Yes, Lucy, after all the visiting and traveling, this was kind of how I felt too.  Just need a rest.  Phew!