Maine

Hello Followers!

I am blogging from the great state of Maine! I was sad to see a post on my fb wall from a friend stating that 2nd to Iowa, Maine is the most uneventful state. Well, I guess I can agree that it is "uneventful", but people don't vacation in Maine for thrills, excitement, and a fast paced environment. People come to Maine to relax, think, and to absorb God's beautiful earth.

Our first night here we stayed in Kennebunkport, the famous location of the Bush's summer home. I jogged past it one morning. The place we stayed was very quaint. We had a great pool and great food!

Now we are in Small Point staying at an elite "club". It is a house that holds 15 rooms, and is a "members only" place to stay. Men wear suits to dinner, women wear dresses, shoes are always worn in the house, screaming is not permitted, children are not allowed in the dining hall after 7pm, and there is no internet or cell phone use in the building (ok, I've been cheating a little). Even with all the rules it is a great place to stay. We have a private beach to walk on, and during the low tide (around 9am), you can run for miles! My morning run is my favorite part of the day. I can get away, listen to some good music, and absorb how wonderful my summer has been. This experience is truly the best I've ever had.

The past few days we typically hang out on the beach, check out some light houses, play tennis, run, and eat good food. I take care of the kids for a few hours in the morning, and then every night from 6pm-9pm. The parents eat dinner with the other adults, while I eat with the kids table and take them upstairs to watch a movie, read books, and put them to bed.

We're in Maine until Sunday, then we stay in Vermont for a week at Charles' mom's horse ranch.

Aunt Katie and Dorinda come to visit!

The last few days of my time in South Hampton was long and tiring, but fun at the same time. I experienced what its like to be a full time stay at home mom, and boy was it hard! The family went into the city to show their cousins around while I took care of Gabriel for 3 days by myself at the beach house. Gabriel and I became very close and he likes me a lot, but there were a few times I felt a little overwhelmed!

After two weeks we drove back to the city. That night my Aunt Katie and cousin Dorinda came and stayed for 5 days! I was so glad they visited-I really needed my own family and someone familiar to be with. We had so much fun walking to all different places in the city! They were such troopers and we saw so much: Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero, Madison Ave, Columbus circle, central park, Statue of Liberty, south Seaport, and so much more! Dorinda really liked the city, and it was great she got to see the house I live in and to meet the family I'm staying with. Gabriel and Sabine really liked them, and Sabine got Dorinda and I mixed up a few times because we look so much alike!

Dorinda and Katie left on Tuesday morning, and afterwards I took Sabine and Gabriel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Sabine's art lessons. She is doing it for 1 full week. Pushing 2 kids in a stroller for 40 blocks can get very tiring for my legs, but its a great workout! Afterwards we play in a really cool park that has fountains for them to splash in. Luckily I've been able to catch up with some friends on the phone while they play! Then the 40 block walk back. The heat in NYC is sometimes unbearable, but I'm starting to get used to it.

I'm tempted to take a train to Washington DC this weekend, but I don't have a place to stay and I can't do the trip in a day....boo. Hopefully Leah is home so we can hang out again.

A week from today we leave for yet ANOTHER vacation! We are driving to Maine and staying there for 4 days, then driving back to Vermont for the remaining week! Maine is one of my favorite vacation spots, so I'm very excited to stay there!

I love and miss you all, and I'm already counting down the days till I'm back in NW Iowa- 30!

I could vacation here every year!

Hello friends!

It's been a long time since I've posted, sorry! I have really bad internet connection here, as well as no phone service.

Right now I'm staying for 2 weeks in a tiny town in South Hampton called Bellport. It is very cute and perfect for a long vacation! Kristen's grandparents own a really nice beach home that is right on the water! We spend hours on the beach: boogie boarding, laying out, reading, making castles, finding sea shells, etc. We also do a lot of swimming in their pool, bike rides into town, and consuming a lot of ice cream at the local parlor called Carla Marla's. One day we drove all the way to Montauk point: the most eastern point of the United States. There was a beautiful lighthouse there. We also spent a day going to Wineries and doing some wine tasting. I have to add that my palette for wine tasting is getting so much better!

This family has been such a blessing to me! I couldn't have asked for a family so kind, loving, and welcoming. Kristen's extended family is really cool. She has two sister's that came along who are also married and have kids, which means my nannying responsibilities quadrupled over this trip! I do a lot of nannying at night when the adults go to dinner parties or out to a restaurant.

When I get time off I do a lot of reading, running, and swimming. Yesterday I ran in the Clipper Classic 5k! All the kids cheered me on so it was really fun. I also was able to visit my friend Leah, who is only a short train ride away!

I'm leaving to go back to the city on Thursday. I'm looking forward to that because my bff cousin Dorinda and Aunt Katie are visiting for 5 days! I am so excited to spend time with them and to explore the city. Dorinda is going to love it!

Anyways, hope everyone is doing well. I felt super homesick yesterday because it was my sister's birthday and everyone was together hanging out. I miss my family so much! Even though I love the city I feel like I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to be with family, friends, and most importantly Todd!

hiking, kid concerts, the yankees

Hi Friends and Family!

The rest of my time in Aspen was amazing! We spent a lot of time at the pool, library, playground, and eating at fancy restaurants. We went to a Rodeo and Sabine entered in the cattle scramble-where you try to grab a ribbon off a running cattle's tail! It was fun. My last day there Kristen gave me the day off to do a long hike, and long it was! Myself and two other nannies hiked from the bottom of the Aspen mountain all the way to the top! I was very proud of myself. It took about 3 1/2 hours. The view was spectacular, so it made having a sore bum and calves totally worth it!

We went home earlier than planned, but I was ready to be back in the city. The city impressed me this week. I had so much fun with the kids and really experienced a lot of the culture. Sabine, Gabriel, and I went to the museum, a children's rock concert in Madison Square park, central park zoo, seeing Toy Story 3, a beautiful walk through Central park, and playing a lot with water balloons.

I don't consider my time here "work" anymore. I absolutely love these kids, and the time I spend with them is fun and enjoyable. I tend to hang out with the kids even when its my day off!

On my day off I saw "Eclipse: Twilight Saga". I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for months! It was fun to watch it in an IMAX theater. Also, I went to a Yankees game with Kristen's sister Laura. She is my age so we had a lot of fun together! I found a $3 yankee shirt from TJ Maxx so I looked like I was a fan! The Green's would be proud (or at least I think Lisa and Todd are fans?)

So whats planned for this 4th of July weekend? THE HAMPTONS! We're spending TEN days in the Hamptons at Kristen's grandparents house. They live right on the beach! I can't wait to soak in the sun and run on the beach.

I'll post more once I'm at their beach house. I love you and miss you all!