Our Last Day...

Today is a day that shows who the true Maine-lovers are! (And not that there was any doubt about it, but that would be...Donovan and Nicole!) It was a cloudy, cool, and windy day, BUT the ocean water was quite warm (um, at 68 degrees, it was slightly warmer than the air!) The die hard Maine beach lovers were on the beach today and SOME of us (namely, Donovan and Nicole) were IN the water!

Ready to get to work. 

The beginnings of the big hole

Sitting in the hole he dug

Standing in his hole. (Notice it is deeper than he is tall!)

Donovan asked to bring his chair down in the hole he had dug. I was hoping we would not have a cave-in and need to rescue him from down there. 

At the end of our time on the beach, Donovan just had to head into the waves one more time.

It is supposed to start raining tonight and rain the entire day tomorrow. For the first time ever, we are heading home one day early from our time in Maine. We have plenty to do at home to get ready for the big China trip!  

Here is a picture from our walk on the beach last night. Next year...there will be 3...

Wednesday - WARM Maine ocean water!

What a beach day today is! The water is 68 degrees!!!!!!!!!!! That is the warmest I personally have ever experienced in Maine. Incredible! The waves are HUGE today (at least 10-12 feet high). One right after the other. We are LOVING every minute of it!

The boys with their new skimboard.

Two very happy boys

Donovan skimboarding

Coming in!

Here he comes!

Monday in Maine

We had a cloudy start with sprinkles of rain at the beach. We came back to the house for lunch and
 ta-da...the clouds blew over and we had a great afternoon at the beach! Donovan's first experience with skimboarding was today. HE LOVED IT!!!

Big Waves

The robes may be 2 years old but they came in handy this morning, on a cool, cloudy, sprinkling morning at the beach. 

using the dinosaur molds on the beach (he loves this gift from Grandma)

drawing on the sand

the sun, which had just come out

SKIMBOARDING!!! 

Here he comes!

 YES!!!!!!!

Down he goes...

Digging Trenches 

A Wonderful Sunday at the Beach

A gorgeous first full day at the beach. (well, it's still going on, I just came up to get popsicles to bring back down to the beach for the boys.)

early morning walk (We were on the beach at 8:00.)

happy boy!

About 20 minutes after we got on the beach!

a stegasaurus!

Here we go! A day of fun jumping the waves!

Donovan jumps so high!

Quite a jump!

Loving every minute of it.

Aaron Swimming underwater to see what he could see. "Lots and lots of sand," was his report.

 Coming up for air

Fun in the Waves (below)

and fun in the sand

Maine...Oh How I've Missed You...

In record time the cars were unpacked and we were on the beach. Although I am a Vermonter through and through, stepping onto the beach in Maine feels like...coming home...There's just something about the coast of Maine...and not everyone "gets" Maine.  Like when you tell people you are going to Maine and they ask if you actually GO into the water ('cause it's REALLY COLD)...um yeah,like for HOURS...and it's not just that I survive it, it's that I LOVE it. And the other person stares back, not understanding how that could be. (And by REALLY COLD, I mean 50-60 degrees, and we are in that water most of the day!)
And don't get me wrong, Hawaii (specifically Maui and Kaannapali Beach) was paradise and the Gulf Coast of Florida this past April was warm ocean water and we were in all day - hardly leaving the water. But, Maine...it's just part of me it seems.
And so we have a week where reality is suspended it seems...just the beach and the ocean waves and lobster and seafood and kids digging on the beach and walking on the beach and books to read...

I do have to say, last week in Vermont was BRUTAL. It was HOT and HUMID (perhaps giving me a teaser of what it will be like in Guangzhou, China in August!!) and even our pool (without the use of a solar cover or heater) was 88 degrees. And I feared the boys and I were being too spoiled and that the cold ocean water would feel a tad bit too cold...but nope. In we went and after dinner...BACK into the water we will go!

It.Just.Does.Not.Get.Better.Than.This.