We're Back!!!

This Party of Nine left for a vacation to the east coast on July 3rd. We spent the Fourth of July with Tim, Suzy, Aileen and Joe, and the Heusels (Suzy's family), in Steubeville, OH. Then we traveled to Manomet Beach, which is south of Plymouth, MA. We rented a little beach cottage in between Cape Cod and Boston, splitting our time between the two. Seventeen years and seven kids ago, Mike and I use to live in the Boston area. This trip brought back so many memories! In some ways it was like we never left....long lost memories would be triggered back to the forefront of our minds by the sight of a quaint little beach town, by the smell of the ocean, or by the local accent of certain words spoken. On the other hand, it was all different. Seeing the same sites with seven kids, after years have passed and new roads have been built up, made it all seem like a new experience! It's funny how time and kids will do that!

So, we really took in so many sights and sounds! We went whale watching from Provincetown, visited Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower, caught up with some old friends, explored the ocean, visited the salt marshes, caught daily Mass, just down the street, whenever we could, rode the subway to Boston to explore the city, and much much more! We ended our trip by attending the National Down Syndrome Convention in Boston. What a treat. We were able to meet many of my friends that I've come to know from my Down syndrome online forum. It was like seeing old friends for the first time!

We have pictures. Lots of pictures. Rather than trying to post them all at once, I'll post a few at a time over the next few days. So, Grandmas, be patient; you'll get to see lots of grand kids soaking up some great times in the next few days!!!

Here's a starter...our whole family just before we left Boston, with the skyline in the background.