Our New Hampshire Adventure 2012

Dear Em,
Well, it's been a long time coming, but I'm finally recapping our fun family trip to New Hampshire last year. While our first trip wasn't exactly what we expected, it was such an amazing family trip that we thought it could be fun to invite another family to join us. Daddy is very close to his cousin. They grew up going to New Hampshire together. Now they both have families, with her oldest son being just nine months older than you & her youngest son being a year younger than you. You are an only child, but when you & little L are together, it's always seemed like you have an older brother. The two of you play so well (when you're not bickering uncontrollably), and should anyone even look at you strange, L is right there to protect you. We were looking forward to a fun & hilarious family weekend.

We planned our trip on a weekend we were hoping would be ripe with foliage, but I was bummed when the weather forecast predicted rain. Sigh, it had rained the previous year as well, & we made the best of it. We would fill our weekend with fun no matter what. It rained on the drive up, & we hit a ton of traffic. So, when we arrived much later than expected, we were happy to settle in the warm condo we were staying at.

You & L played so sweetly, with little Z tagging along behind. You truly enjoyed having playmates. When bedtime came along, you & L were psyched to sleep in bunk beds together. We expected some whispers throughout the night & laughed when we watched you through the monitor. You just silently stared at each other in the dark.

Once the kids went to bed, the parents got to play. Our condo was stocked with video & board games. We ha old school Nintendo, an arcade game, & more. I could get used to condo living.

We woke up early the next morning to the sound of little voices, and left soon after for Storyland. It was my very first time, but your daddy & his cousin had grown up going together.

How much stinkin' fun was it that now a new generation would enjoy it together?

Storyland is such a fun & quaint little amusement park. It's just the right size & has rides that are perfectly suited for littles. At the time, your Mother Goose book was one of your favorites, & it was so much fun for you to experience the tales in life size.

It was on this trip that you boarded your very first roller coaster. I was still dizzy from the turning swanboat rides and chose to stay behind & take pictures. I watched you cry as you you got off the ride. I was worried you had been petrified, but Daddy consoled me. "She's crying because the ride is over. She wanted to ride the roller coaster again." Ha! You're such a little daredevil. You & Daddy enjoyed each & every ride.

We filled up on dairy queen before heading home. I think we all felt happy to be heading home. It was a long, long day full of so much amazingness. I think we were all exhausted at the end. I know you & L were. You fell asleep almost before we were even out of the parking lot.

One of the nice things about staying in a condo is we were free to relax & get take-out instead of having to go out for dinner that night. We also got to enjoy some time at the pool & hot tub.

The next morning L & his family were heading home, while we planned to spend another full & fun day in New Hampshire. As one last activity all together, we headed across the street to Loon Mountain. We rode up to the top to take in the views. Unfortunately due to the drizzly weather, it was difficult to see the stunning wide landscapes that we were used to. Still, it was the peak of leaf peeping season & truly beautiful.

There was a cute little park at the top of the mountain that you & L played on until we were all so cold, we went into the lodge to warm up with hot cocoa.

You & L said precious goodbyes. I feel so incredibly lucky that while you won't have brothers, you have such sweet cousins.

And our big day full of New Hampshire sightseeing? Well, between the drizzly weather, all of us feeling beyond exhausted, & football being on, the three of us were lazy bums our last day in New Hampshire & just hung out by the fireside.

It was the perfect New Hampshire getaway. I love that it has become our fun family autumn activity, & I love that you're getting to experience things that Daddy did when he was growing up. It makes my heart so happy to know that we are bridging traditions from one generation to another, & I feel fortunate that we can share those adventures with friends & family. Maybe someday you will be taking your own kids on a getaway to New Hampshire, smiling as you think back & relive our precious memories. 

I love you so,

Mommy