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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Over the river + through the woods.

There lies a place that is near and dear to our hearts...
On Saturday morning Bryan + I packed up the kids and a car full of snacks and headed to return to our dear New Hampshire. It's a trip we've been contemplating for sometime and with Bryan's schedule offering an astounding 2 FULL days (in a row) off we jumped at the chance! We haven't been back for nearly 4 1/2 years, we were so excited! Also, so excited to see some of our dear friends, the Wells' family... Emily, Greg, Carson, Jason, Ethan + Lincoln.

We got there really late that night. The next morning, we reintroduced all of the kids + about 3 minutes later they were playing like best friends do. Chatting about everything from Pokemon strategies to school tips on how to dodge someone kissing you on the playground. Emily and I just kept staring at the sight of our kids so grown up and hanging out...I can't explain it, it was just weird. They were 2 and 4 when we left, they didn't talk much then. Then it seems like 2 seconds later we blinked and now here they are 7 and 9 talking nonstop about every exciting detail of their young lives.

Around noon we hopped in our cars + drove to Maine. It was something we did quite often while living in NH.

It was freezing, but beautiful + the kids were in heaven...




Even the cold water didn't keep them from grabbing the boards and going for a wave or two...
Our two oldest: Taylor + Carson. You may remember them from this post? I can't remember exactly, but they were around 3 in this picture. Carson is 8 months older than Taylor.
Here they are now! Nine + ten years old. Both in the 4th grade.
Emily + I. Oh how I've missed this girl!

The next morning we headed into Hanover where we used to live. We had to catch some glimpses of our favorite spots: the medical school, hospital where Connor was born, we stoped and ate our favorite maple doughnuts at fabulous Lou's bakery. One of my favorite things is Occum Pond. I had to see this place I'd taken so many walks with the kids around. This picture was taken just beside it.
{Easton was too sleepy for pictures}
Dartmouth has got to be one of the most beautiful campuses ever! It was just as gorgeous as ever that day...
Counting sleeping Easton, here are our 8 kids!! (there were only 4 when we left)
This is how I remember them. Taken at the zoo. One of Emily and my many adventures. I think it was Connecticut Zoo this time, do you remember Em?
After seeing the campus we jumped in the car to go see the much anticipated part of the trip...going to Sachem Village where we lived for four years! You just head down this road for about a mile...
Turn the corner and then ta da! There she is...the white down on the right.
In front of that house is a small playground. We had a swing set of our own while we were there, this is a picture of Taylor and Connor at one and three years old.
See that bee swing with Taylor in it??
We found it on that playground...SEVEN years later!
Here's our little house. A family had just moved out, it was empty and fun to peek inside the 700 sqft piece of memory.
This is what it looked like inside when we lived there...
Taylor and Connor lived here.
Although this is more how they looked and how I remember them...
We called Stephanie who still lives here, but has since moved across town to come back to Sachem for some pictures! She and her husband Jason were the first people we met when we moved here in 2001. They shared the first duplex we lived in across the street. She had a little baby boy named Tyler who was the same age as Taylor.
Taylor, Carson + Tyler (age 3-ish)
Look at 'em now!
Like I said, it took no time at all and like de ja vu...
it was just like old times... Taylor is in the pink (always the only girl) and Connor's in the orange print shorts.
Between Steph, Em + I there were 6 kids in our years here, now there are 12!
TEN boys + 2 girls.
(not pictured: Sarah (Steph's youngest, she was busy playing + Easton)
The original SIX Sachem kiddies!!
Emily Me Steph
Love you girls! You'll always be attached to my NH memories!

13 comments:

[BrookeO] said...

Oh my goodness, THIS has got to be my most favorite post of all time. I LOVE it. Since I have been there before - I could kind of picture everything. I guess it is true what they say about med-school "if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger." Ya, it stunk at the time but looking back they seem to be ones of your favorite memories.

Love the pics J.

Stephanie said...

Jaime!! Thanks for posting all these pics! Did Em tell you what happened with my camera? Maybe you can help. I took out my card and it was like I never took any pictures that day. Completely gone!!! I cried. Can I steal some of yours? It's making me crazy. But so happy that you posted all of these. I love it!

Anonymous said...

Jaime, that's right, we do share the same BIRTHDAY... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you TOO. I hope it was a great day for you. I wish so bad we could meet up so you could take our family pictures, we are in some desparate need of some, and I only want you, so I keep putting it off. haha
I miss you guys, and your kids are just cuter by the second.

Kristal said...

Oh, you're making me sooo homesick!

Maegan said...

Looks beautiful, such great memories! My dream trip is to NH and Maine, it looks so beautiful! What is the best month to travel there?

maren said...

Great post Jaime! I love how you put their younger pictures up too. Crazy how time flies! Looks like you met some great girls. Those are the friends you know you will have forever! By the way, Barry and I always comment on what a gorgeous family you have!

Alisha said...

What a great time you guys had. I love the picture diary of before and after. I love Easton's cheeks in the pond shots :)

Emily said...

That was awesome!!! I want a nice print out of that-- is that possible??? That was sooo cute seeing the little pics of the kids too. We need to do a huge picture swap! I think the zoo was Stone Zoo in Stoneham Mass. Not sure-- just remember a great trip with a not so great zoo!!! :) We need to end up living by each other, that is all I know!!

soften said...

Wow - you're so good to capture cute moments like these! I need to do better about getting the camera out during gatherings with friends! I love all the 'before and now' pics. We miss you

The Larson's said...

What a fun trip! Isn't it always fun to look back at where you started? I already miss Dallas and get a little homesick now and then. You guys look great!

Sarah said...

ooohh!! MEMORIES!! Wow, that was quite the trip down memory lane. You can see my sachem hut, I mean house, in the background of one of those.. :) I miss those days sometimes. I found the cutest pic the other day (non-digital, of course - poor Micaela had to be born right before digital cameras came out, lol) of 20mo Taylor patting 5mo Micaela on the leg in her carseat.. Anyway, cute cute pics and thanks for the trip down memory lane! Time really does go so fast. Not the days, but the years, you know.. ;)

Rachel Call said...

Great shots, Jaime! How fun to revisit your time in NH and see old friends. I loved the before and afters of the kids. They grow so fast! Thank you for sharing!!

LACY said...

Fun Jamie!!