We weren't planning on taking another vacation after our big Utah trip, but Kyle planned and executed a crazy good time and we took off for New Hampshire where his uncle has a house on Lake Winnipesaukee! My only knowledge of the place came from "What About Bob?" which we learned was not actually filmed there. Bummer. Anywho, Kyle convinced his brother's family to join us on the drive and we all braved the 15 hour trek with our wild band of kids. I had never been to NH or Lake W and had never seen many of the sights that can be seen on the way out. We took off on a Saturday and stopped in Kirtland (which I always want to call Kirkland these days thanks to Costco).
Kirtland Temple. It's like herding cats to get all four of these guys in a picture. I'm just glad they're all there. Who cares if they're looking.
Newel K. Whitney store
Even in old Kirtland, Ethan found every air conditioning unit and thoroughly enjoyed himself.
School of the Prophets
From there we continued to Buffalo where we stayed the night with some very generous friends of my sister's-in-law and also went to Niagara Falls. The Falls were indeed spectacular but it's sort of an unnerving place if you have small, exuberant children.
Can you see the Falls behind us to the right?
The next day, our little caravan made it to Palmyra where we went to Hill Cumorah, the Sacred Grove, and the Joseph Smith boyhood home. It was so cool to see all these places I've learned so much about my whole life and that have shaped the very core of who I am and what I believe.
Hill Cumorah...it was a bigger hill than I thought it would be.
Kyle and Ethan took the short cut back down. I opted for the long way since I didn't want to recreate a scene from 'The Princess Bride'.
The Joseph Smith boyhood home..rebuilt but still the original location.
The Sacred Grove
We continued on with a short stop somewhere in Vermont for dinner, where we lost Ethan's shorts and shoes after a chocolate milk incident. We finally arrived at the lake that night after at least 400 showings of 'Kung Fu Panda'. Kyle's parents and aunt and uncle were kindly waiting up.
The lake was spectacular. We enjoyed it to the fullest.
...tubing

...canoeing

...skippering

...fishing

I had never caught a fish before this. I'm not a big fan of fishing. It's the thought of a hook being jabbed through the roof of my mouth that gets me. The smile on my face betrays the ickies in my stomach. My sis-in-law, on the other hand, is just the person you want with you if your survival depends on fishing.

...relishing

...guarding

...kayaking

...wading

...cruising

...grinning

...swimming

...sitting on the rock of the bay (hee, hee)

...taking a solo ride (Just kidding. Just appears that way. Although I wouldn't put it past him.)

...driving....she's just waiting for the 'all clear'.

...and more grinning

We waterskied....well, Kyle and his brother waterskied. I was just dragged around flailing behind the boat. Never got up. We enjoyed many good eats including some of the most perfectly roasted s'mores in recorded history.
We also took one day to explore the coast of Maine which was pretty cool. We stopped in the little town of York and took in the sights. It was Ethan's and Leah's first time to the ocean. And as cold as the Maine Atlantic is in September, they loved it!
The Nubble Lighthouse
Leah the little sailor
Salty Dogs
Ahhh, the ocean. There's just something about the way the air feels and smells.
Kite Flying
Feeding the gulls
Beach Babies
Nana and Ethan taking it in
Swimming in the sand. She couldn't get enough of this.
The week came to an end too quickly as they always do and we had to hit the road for another 15 hour stretch.
On the drive home, we stopped in NYC to see ground zero. It was the 9/12 when we went and so the place was pretty decorated.
Survivors' Memorial
It's always cool to see NYC but I don't recommend it as a pit stop on a long road trip. Lesson learned.
We spent the night in Pennsylvania at my brother's house. They recently moved there and so it was fun to see their new digs, minus my brother unfortunately. We still got to see my sister-in-law and my niece and nephews who we are all very grateful to for their hospitality. The following morning we hit the road again and stopped in Gettysburg which was totally amazing. It's so humbling to visit these battle sites and there's so much to be learned. All these pictures were taken at key battle sites at Gettysburg.
The Wheatfield....location of some of the fiercest fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Over 4000 left dead and wounded after just two hours of fighting.
Devil's Den with a view of Little Round Top, the location that was key in turning the tide for the eventual Union victory of the battle.
If Ethan were a Civil War soldier, I have a feeling he would be an artillery man.
We stayed way longer at Gettysburg that we anticipated but still made it home about 11:00 pm (and after another 400 showings of Kung Fu Panda).
Honestly, it was such a cool vacation and I'm so grateful Kyle's aunt and uncle were so generous with their home and that Kyle convinced us all to go. Good people, good times!