I had not been to Maine in over a year, as the last time I visited was when I was pregnant with Ella. After giving birth and realizing how stressful it was balancing work and being a new mother, my trip home to Maine was sadly put on the back burner. My sister Samantha had given birth to a baby girl, Kaylie, 6 weeks after I did. This meant she was not up for any long distance travels either. Neither of us had met our nieces, or seen each other since becoming new Moms. So sad! I finally decided to suck it up and plan our vacation. I am so glad I did because we had a GREAT week.
We took an overnight flight from Long Beach to Boston. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Maine! Boo!
This is Ella waiting patiently at the airport. We dressed her in something comfy and easily removable just in case. Luckily, we didn't need to change them. Ella did pretty well for her first flight. She was wide awake and lively for around an hour, and then got fussy. After an hour of fussing off and on, she finally fell asleep. Lucky girl- this Momma skipped an entire night of sleep!
After the flight, we had to wait for the bus to take us from Boston to Maine. We opted to take the bus rather than drive ourselves because we were EXHAUSTED and driving probably would have been unsafe. We could have had a family member pick us up, but opted for the bus because we had the option of walking Ella around, vs a car she is strapped in and usually pissed off.
We got the last row on the bus, which is the only row with 3 connected seats. As you can see, Ella made herself right at home, sprawled out and then passed out the entire 2 hour drive.
After the bus ride, just a 45 minute drive to my Dad's house. ALMOST THERE! Look how gorgeous the open road is. That is something I definitely miss living in So Cal.
Cousins meeting for the first time, definitely a sweet moment. Kaylie is 6 weeks younger than Ella. They borrowed pacifiers, shared toys and pulled each other's hair. Reminds me of my sister and I. ;)
The next morning, we joined my Meme for some breakfast at Hi Hat. This is the diner both of my siblings work at, and it feels like stepping back in time. I should have taken pictures of the food, it was honestly delish.
We went for a scenic drive to Richmond. It was drizzling but I had to stop at the boat dock and snap a picture. Miss views like this.
Ella enjoying the Gardiner park, where I grew up playing with my family. All of the equipment is new, but the naked-woman fountain still holds strong.
Getting ice cream sundaes at The Ice-cream Shoppe in Randolph is always a highlight. Ella enjoyed the whipped cream.
My sister Samantha, Kaylie, my Dad, me, Ella and my brother Bryan.
Grampie holding his two granddaughters- so proud and happy.
We took a family trip to Boothbay Harbor. My best friend Eva joined us too. It was such a gorgeous day. We walked around, bought the girls some souvenirs, and ate seafood out on a deck overlooking the ocean.
Playing in the grass with her cousin Kaylie.
Aunt Pat and her two great-nieces.
So tired from a day of fun!
My Aunt Pat has a great home-built pond in her back yard and has a great space for entertaining. We went over for a barbecue, where Ella got to meet her great Aunts on my Mom's side. It was really fun. We ate barbecue, the girls had some watermelon, they got to go swimming and both passed out on blankets on the lawn.
Aunt Lina.
Meme again!
Meme, Oscar (pup), Ella, Uncle Al, Samantha and Kaylie.
We had breakfast at my Meme's house, where Ella's great Aunts and cousins from my Dad's side came over to meet her. She had so much fun, as you can see, she is all smiles!
It was a fun trip, but I was anxious to get back home. Michael and already left, as he had to return back to work. So Ella and I were on our own for our journey back to California.
Some grumpy moments on our way to the bus station.
Happy girl on the bus! She got the seat to herself. Once we arrived at the airport, we found out our flight was delayed by 2 1/2 hours. The wait at the airport was not fun, Ella wouldn't eat and was super cranky from being over tired... We finally boarded the plane and...
Ella passed out before take off. She woke up periodically crying for a minute or two, but for the most part slept the entire way.
It was such a fun week, and so good to see my family, but it was nice coming back home and getting into the swing of things. We will be taking her again next year and probably every year after that. Hopefully she gets used to the traveling!
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