A Maine Wedding

Fall is here! The temperature has dropped; the leaves have changed; and the days are shorter. This past weekend, Megan and I traveled to Maine for our cousin Kaitlyn's wedding, and the beauty of fall was on full display. It was the first time either of us had been to Maine, and we enjoyed as much of the state as we could while there. We took two days off work and began our travels on Thursday, the 15th. We had a smooth flight out of Greensboro, with a short layover in Philadephia, before arriving in Bangor around 5PM. Our Aunt Glenda picked us up at the airport, and after a quick outfit change, we dashed over to the town of Castine, where we joined the rest of the family for dinner at the charming Pentagoet Inn. Our cousin Casey is good friends with the owners of the Inn, and they treated us to a private room with a delicious dinner and drinks. I had the shrimp over polenta. It was so special to be reunited with our family. With the twelve of us from four different states, we were all together for the first time in many years. 

On Friday, we left the AirBnB in Stockton Springs around 8AM and had a caravan of four vehicles for the journey to Acadia National Park. It took about an hour to drive to the park, and we walked around near Thundering Hole and then got popovers and blueberry soda (two Maine specialities) at the Jordan Lake restaurant. After leaving Acadia, we stopped in Bar Harbor. We had lobster rolls, clam chowder, and lobster bisque from Stewmans, right on the waterfront. Meg and I even got to hold a live lobster! We walked around the quaint coastal town for a little bit after lunch. Even though there was a steady drizzle of rain and a chilly wind, everyone was in good spirits, but also ready to be indoors. We changed our clothes and went to the Belvedere for the rehearsal dinner that evening. Casey and Ryan's beautiful home, the Belvedere, was the venue for the weekend, and it was a stunning location that showcased all the things you would imagine in Maine. From the top lookout, which is the architectual design called a "belvedere' and hence inspired the name, you can see the water where the ship captain's wife Mary Staple would watch for her husband to return home in the mid-to-late 1800s. The rehearsal dinner was in the Belvedere's BARn. I wasn't a fan of the oysters, but I tried them anyways. When in Maine!

On Saturday, Meg and I were on hand to assist with the wedding prep. We helped with table set-up in the tent and any other tasks that were needed. My cousin Kaitlyn and her groom Ian chose a camp theme, a nod to Kaitlyn's job as a park ranger and to both of their love of the outdoors. There were a lot of special touches that Kaitlyn designed herself. The ceremony began at 5PM, and I was given the job of recording on a handheld camcorder that Kaitlyn had purchased. No pressure! Hopefully I got some good footage. I filmed the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the reception, and the after-party in the BARn. It was a beautiful wedding, and I'm so glad that Megan and I could be there together. The sister time was extra special. 

While the moms were away, life carried on in Kernersville with the dads and grandparents shuttling kids to all their various events and sports. For the Kennedy kids, over the four day span of my absence, there were 6 ball games, student council campaigning, a fall festival, and a chicken stew. It looks like they had a fun time and managed to carry on without me :)

Fall Fun

After missing the Carolina Classic Fair last year, I was so excited that we were able to go again this year. We had one free evening over the 10-day span that it was in town, and we made the spontaneous decision to go after work last Thursday. The kids were so surprised when we told them our plans for the evening. We arrived around 5:45PM and left just before 8:30PM, and in that time, we managed to fit in a few rides, dinner, a walk through Yesterday Village, and the Figure 8 racing. Watching my crew's reactions to the Figure 8 racing was well worth the price of admission. The looks of shock, joy, concern, and surprise made me laugh, and I found myself watching them more than the cars! The evening was a comfortable, mild temperature, and it felt like the perfect fall activity. Whether planned or spontaneous, I hope we can continue to go again in the future. 

On Monday, the kiddos' school had a Teacher Workday, and although I had a regular student day in Yadkin County, I took the day off to be with them. In the morning, we went to get their flu shots, and then we headed to the Science Center, which was a nice treat for being so brave at the doctor's office. We had not been to the Science Center since the summer, and we seem to always see something new when we go. 

The first half of October has flown by. As the days slide quickly to November, I'm hoping we can enjoy each day as it comes. It's been a wonderful fall so far!