Christmas in Maine!

Samuel in front of our Christmas tree, which my husband was able to cut down on our friend's property. They lent us some ornaments and the kids and I made the paper chain. My friends goats will get to eat this tree when they are finished using it!

We did something very different this year for Christmas, we went to Maine! This is the first time that we have ever gone to Maine twice in the same year, we were just up there six months ago.

We had a terrific time up there, the whole trip was a real adventure. Who would have thought we could load up ourselves, 4 children, Christmas gifts, and winter gear for all of us in a mini van for such a treck and be able to say we had a great time!?

Here are some highlights from the trip: We left most of the visual schedule behind. I took along a dry erase marker board in case I needed that. I only used it one time to let Samuel know what we would be up to. I also took along the mini-schedule with 3 or 4 icons that we use in church. Other than that I verbally let Samuel know what was going on and for the most part it worked out okay.

Samuel was allowed to take some of his videos and DVDs to look at. The plan was for there to be NO TELEVISION, NO COMPUTER, AND NO VCR/DVD PLAYER for the entire week. We took time each day the week before we left to discuss this (during our morning "circle time"). This worked well but then a few days into our stay our friend's son kindly offered to lend Samuel his television/DVD player. Samuel picked up on that and repeatedly asked for it until he finally got it a few days later. Maybe I shouldn't have let him have it, but he did so well and accepted limited time on it. It was nice for him to have something to occupy himself while we socialized with our friends.

I was very proud of Samuel for not trying to get onto the computer that was in one of the rooms we stayed in. He accepted that it was off limits! My little girl, on the other hand, found it harder to stay away from it!

We "stayed home" a lot more while up there and the kids had lots of time to play in the snow. There was about a foot of snow on the ground when we arrived and we had snow, rain, and sleet during our stay. I was glad that the kids had good packing snow to make snowmen and snow forts. It took a lot of doing the weeks before we left, but I managed to have snow pants, jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, and boots for myself and all the kids! They came in handy!

This was my first trip to Maine in the winter. My other 6 or 7 trips were all in the early summer or late spring. It is our hope to one day live up there, or maybe New Hampshire, and after this trip I can say that I wouldn't mind the winter, even if it's long and the weather is difficult, though I would have to learn how to be able to drive in icy and snowy conditions!

We had to cut our stay there a day or two short because of the heavy snow forecast. We were originally planning to drive home today, instead we left this past Sunday. Good thing we did, they have gotten over a foot of snow the past few days! As it was, the last 6 hours of our 13 hour drive home were in snow, rain and sleet. I'm so glad my husband is a good driver!

Second photo is of Samuel playing where we stayed. Our friend built a bonfire one afternoon and while the kids played and sledded we ate soup, roasted lamb, and drank hot chocolate and mulled wine in the barn where his sheep and goats live!

Third photo is of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. We went there on a dark snowy day and it was just lovely!

The fourth photo is a view from Pemaquid Point. Imagine the wind and snow hitting my face as I took this photo! The only sound besides the wind and the snow hitting me were the waves crashing on the rocks!