The Veurink Visit!

 We were so very blessed to have the Veurink family visit last week.  We were so excited to have guests that I am pretty sure we attacked them upon their arrival.  It was our first true test of our tour guide skills.  We had such a wonderful time with them.  The first day they took in the Freedom Trail, Boston Garden/Commons, the harbor, and the New England Aquarium.

 Day two Mike took them on a brief tour of Harvard Square and then all of us went out to Purgatory Chasm for some hiking.

 Joey was able to move some of the boulders out of the way for us to get through.

 After the hike we discovered this hobby farm just about a mile down the road from Purgatory Chasm that had ice cream, mini golf, a giant jumping pillow, and animals.  The moms decided to hang out with the kiddos at the farm and the men went to take in a game at Fenway.

 The kids really enjoyed each other during the visit.  In fact, they preferred just playing at our house playing kick the can, capture the flag, legos, and putting on shows instead of going out to tour Boston.

 Such a great group of kids.  Thank you so much for visiting Craig and Christine!

The In Between..............

The In Between..............

 I guess if you would look at our blog since we have moved, you would be led to believe that it is all travel and adventure.  The reality is that we what we tend to do out on the weekend.  This post is about what the kids and I do in the "between" time.

We got some new, fresh play dough which kept the girls busy for hours.  Carter wasn't real interested.

 We did some homeschooling to get the kids all geared up for school.

 We walked the Chestnut Hill Reservoir by Boston College. 

 The girls found a new love for their American Girl dolls once again and Carter continues his love for his "guys" and the dragon castle.

Purgatory Chasm

 After our successful  hike up in Maine last weekend our ears perked up when we heard about Purgatory Chasm just west of Boston about 45 miles.  

 Purgatory Chasm runs for a quarter mile between granite walls rising as high as 70 feet.

The theory there stated, "the Chasm is believed to have its origin in the sudden release of dammed up glacial meltwater near the end of the Ice Age."  

 The kids really liked the hike, but it was not easy.  It was very moist and humid down in the Chasm causing the growth of a lot of moss.  I was constantly worried about the kids slipping or falling.  Carter reminded me several times that he was no longer a baby and that he didn't need my help.

 Some of the formations were so bizarre.

 This rock was especially fascinating because it looks like it was cracked right down the center and was like that for about 25 yards.

6 weeks, 15 credits

 Today marked the end of the first summer 6 week session of Mike's master's course.  The first 6 weeks was pretty intense as it was 15 credits.  The masters is a part of Harvard's School of Public Health on the campus of Harvard Medical School and to campus is beautiful. The kids and I went to celebrate and go out to his favorite pizza joint.

The pizza slices in Boston are HUGE!

In our backyard...........

 We are very blessed to have very kind neighbors in our backyard.  The people that live directly behind us own our rental home and have three girls ages:11, 9, and 3.  Right next door is another 10 year old girl.  Needless to say the girls have tons of fun together but Carter is left without any boys to wrestle with until dad gets home.

 The area behind the garage is pretty limited but there is a swing and fort for the kids to play in.

Maine

 Our next adventure in New England took us up to Portland, ME.  Portland is just a short 120 miles north of Boston.  The sky was overcast but the temperature held nicely at about 74 degrees.  We took a "light house boat tour" off of Long Wharf in Portland.  The 90 minute cruise showed us the many islands off the coast of Maine that make up Castco Bay and the light houses that line the coast.

 Mike had Carter convinced that this was a pirate ship.

 We learned a bit about "lobstering" from our tour guide and this year is their biggest year ever!  When the tour was over we went right to the Portland Lobster Co. for lunch........the kids were not impressed.

 Next, we traveled south back to Ogunquit, ME.  Ogunquit is a quaint town that lines the sea and is known for its classic cottages by the sea, shopping, food, and stunning views off the rocky New England coast.

 The path that we hiked was called "The Marginal Way".  It was a paved path that allowed us to enjoy stunning views and the ability to climb down along the rocks with the kids.

 Hailey stated "This was the best family trip ever!" 

At the end of the Marginal Way is a beautiful sandy beach where their were kids swimming, other paddle boarding and surfing.  The kids couldn't resist the urge to go for a swim fully dressed!

 This is one of my most favorite homes along the Marginal way.  I just thought it was perfect; check out the little guest house to the left.