Adventures of Em and M

Sam basically lives at the school during the week now that he is a few weeks into the semester so, Emma and I spend a lot of time together on our own. It's especially hard when we are cooped up at home for too long. Emma is a very busy toddler who does better when she is out doing something rather than sitting at home all day. Let's be honest, I do better when I'm not cooped up all day myself.

We are all settled in and unpacked from our move and more and more, our little apartment feels like a home. It is certainly a different living experience than we have had previously but, we are enjoying our new quarters. Because the work of moving is done and Sam is getting settled in school, Emma and I are more free to venture out and explore. My goal has been to take her on day trips at least twice a week where we can experience educational and exciting things about Maine and the surrounding states. 

I'll be honest again, I've felt that I've had to be pretty brave venturing out in a strange place on my own with a toddler in tow. The roads of Maine have many oddities that feel unfamiliar and unorganized compared to what I'm used to in Utah. At times, Sam and I have been stopped at a light unsure of when it would be our turn to go! It's difficult to explain but, there are many intersections that have multiple left or right turns and they might have multiple different lights that indicate when to stop or go. Anyway, the point is that, driving here has been a learning experience. I spend some time researching, mapping out our route, and packing to be prepared for our adventures before we hit the road. It's been an empowering experience to be able to facilitate these adventures for Emma on my own. 

A nice big breakfast at Mae's in Bath, ME before heading to our next stop. 

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The short time that Emma and I have had to explore Maine together has already been such a special time that I will always cherish. As we drove to Pemaquid Point lighthouse together I told Emma, "I'm so glad that you're here with me Emma. I wouldn't have as much fun if I was going to the lighthouse all by myself." She replied, "Don't worry mama. I will always come with you. I would never let you go to the lighthouse by yourself." I am doing my best to enjoy every minute of this age with her. At times, she can try my patience but, she makes me laugh everyday and teaches me constantly.

Pemaquid Light Museum

Aside from being fun and memorable, exploring together has provided so many opportunities for both Emma, and I to learn in the moment. I am constantly finding new flowers and plants to identify. Emma loves flowers SO much and wants to know their names. We have found interesting sea creatures, birds, and land animals to observe. We were even able to watch some whales from Pemaquid Point for nearly an hour-amazing! Emma has learned a lot about lighthouses, lobsters, and the ocean. We are also constantly meeting and interacting with people, which is a great experience for both of us. 

Side note: Did you know that whoopie pies are the Maine state treat? Well, they are and, it's a pretty big deal here. I have had more whoopie pies since our move than I have had in the rest of my life combined. We visited Wicked Whoopie's in Freeport, ME after our lighthouse adventure and bought some whoopie pies to take home and share with daddy after school. 

 Our adventure #2 last week was in a little coastal town called Ogunquit, ME. We visited the art museum first. As we walked through the doors I thought to myself, "Wait....what am I THINKING?? Taking a three year old to an art museum? Am I crazy?" Well, that's up for debate but, Emma actually really did enjoy the museum! I told her that we would look at all of the paintings and take some pictures of her favorites. She wanted to go much more quickly from piece to piece than I would have but, she was genuinely interested in seeing them all. I tried to encourage her to think about each painting or sculpture by asking her questions like, "What do you think they're doing in this painting?" or "does she seem happy or sad?" Emma asked to go around the museum twice. I think the whole experience was an overall success even though when the lady in the gift shop told Emma she could pick a postcard of the museum art to take home for free, Emma quickly chose a nude. "I want the one with the naked lady mama!" While I can appreciate that it is a piece of art, I felt I should encourage Emma to chose a different painting. Luckily, she wasn't too set on her choice and happily chose some flowers in a vase instead.

View from behind the museum

Our next stop was Ogunquit Beach. We built sand castles and I buried Emma over and over again (at her request) in the sand "like a mermaid". There were quite a few people on this beach but, not so many that it felt crowded. We could see sailboats in the distance and we had fun chasing the waves out and in. 

 I can say with certainty that I will never tire of the ocean. We see it nearly every day and it takes my breath every time. I have loved seeing the variety on the coastline of Maine. Sometimes the beaches are sandy and other times the coast is rocky and rugged. I especially love when pine tree forests meet the ocean but, I haven't had an ugly view of the ocean yet. It's beautiful every time I see it.

 I have loved our summer in Maine so far. I miss Sam while he's at school and I miss my family and loved ones in Utah tremendously. Sometimes I feel lonely being so far away but, I am also falling in love with Maine and I am trying to enjoy each moment that we have the privilege to learn and grow here. What an incredible experience that we've been given. I am so grateful.

Home Sweet Maine

Hello from Portland, Maine!

It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks but, we are here and settling in.

Sam is heading into his third week of classes at UNE and is already extremely busy but, enjoying student-life. He has already made some good friends and is learning so much every day. He is gone almost all day, every weekday and is going to begin fieldwork on Fridays soon. He has been very impressed with the program so far and has very capable instructors and faculty. It's hard work but, he's doing well.

Emma and I miss Sam during the week but, we have been keeping plenty busy. Our first week was spent getting things in our apartment clean and organized. It is an old apartment situated on top of a quilting shop. It has lots of quirks but, we've made it our own and we really like it. It's only a five minute drive to Sam's school and there are all sorts of fun little gems in our neighborhood. We are frequent customers of the Rosemont Bakery just a couple of doors down and there is a cute library within walking distance. We are also a short distance from the downtown area of Portland where there are plenty of fun things to do. We enjoy driving to the farmers market a few minutes away on Saturday mornings and we are less than ten minutes from the ocean.

Oh, the ocean. We are absolutely in love and already know it will be hard to leave someday. We have visited several areas on the coast already and each has been different and so very beautiful. There is something magical about the rugged coast of Maine. The mix of pine trees and tall grasses, wildflowers, and the rocky coastline is truly a breathtaking site. There are also many sandy beaches that we've enjoyed playing together on. Emma is a sandcastle master and I am always bent over collecting shells while Sam hunts for crabs. I think we could visit the ocean every day and never get tired of it.

The photos in this blog are from our picnic at the Cape Elizabeth coastline about 20 minutes from our house. Our chapel is near there so, we drove to it after church today with a packed lunch. After climbing to the top of a big green hill, the ocean came into view just beyond some tangled green bushes and jagged black rocks and my heart skipped a beat. It's like Sam said the other day, "New England is always going to have a piece of our hearts." We've been here a short time but, I can already feel that that's true. 

And it's not just because of the ocean! The people here are wonderful. They are quirky and honest and so very kind. We have had so much kindness shown to us from the people in our ward and we meet many talkative and friendly strangers everyday. I went in to the quilt shop downstairs to introduce myself the other day and the owner and I talked for nearly an hour. The majority of people here are very friendly. Even people we've passed by on the street have started up long conversations with us. People seem to really want to give you their time here and I admire that.

Unfortunately, the only thing missing from Maine is all of the people we left behind that we love and miss so very much. (Well, that and the Southern Utah mountains.) Every time we visit a new place, I think about all of the people I wish I could take there with me. I have made all kinds of plans in my mind for visitors who I hope will come. It is hard sometimes to be alone with just Emma while Sam is busy in school and loved ones are so far away. We keep busy with our days of exploring (I call them "Emma and Mama's Adventure Days") but, every day we think about the people we love that are so very far away and wish they could all come and stay. (By the way, our air mattress es su air mattress!!)

More to come very soon! I want to share pieces of Maine with each of you.