Summer Vaction in Massachusetts

A couple of weeks ago we headed up to MA for a week to visit Jeff's family.  I hate going up there in the cold weather but love spending time there in the summer.  The weather is beautiful (even if it is chilly still some days) and they live near the ocean!  We tried to get out and do something fun each day but also spent a lot of time at home with the grandparents and cousins. 

 Waving to the Passing Fire Truck

Hanging Outside with Grandpa

Sipping Water with Freshly Painted Nails

We headed up on a Thursday and were having the easiest trip until Logan threw up out of the blue, right as we were passing NYC with no good place to pull over.  I still don't know why he threw up but it was probably because of the nasty NY Turnpike food or because he stuck his hand too far back in his mouth.  It was gross and we were not prepared at all for that type of emergency.  Let's just say that it got everywhere and the only tools I had to clean it up were a cream colored blanket and my bare hands.  The rest of the car trip was uneventful...but rather stinky.

On Friday we went to Ellisville Harbor State Park which is only a few minutes from their house.  I wanted to take the kids on a little walk and show them  the ocean.  Later that evening we went to Jeff's brother's house to celebrate our niece's birthday.  The kids were excited to see their cousins!

 Perfect Spot for a Picnic

 Cape Cod in the Distance

 Checking out the Ocean

 Kira and Cousin Abby

 Fun Toy

 These two were so cute together all week!

Saturday was dreary and cold so we decided to stay in Plymouth.  We checked out a playground down by Plymouth Rock and it turned out to be fabulous but the wind was too cold and strong so we didn't last long.  We piled back in the car and picked up some doughnuts to take to Uncle Phillip's apartment.  Logan loved Uncle Phillip's model car collection but didn't quite understand the concept of collector's items = do not touch!  The kids also had fun going to a pet store and looking at the different animals.

 Brrr!

 Cute Kittens

Fun Birds

Father's Day was on Sunday so we found a male friendly event, a car show!  We drove to Hyannis (Cape Cod) and spent half of the day checking out classic cars, riding a carousel, and eating $2 waffle ice cream cones.  That evening we made a fancy steak dinner, recipe courtesy of Pinterest and probably about 3,000 calories.

 Blue Eyes

 Loves her Daddy!

 Carousel

Having Fun

 Getting Tired

 Asleep

 Pink Car for Kira

 Yummy Ice Cream

 The Guys

 Steaks about to take a bath in garlic butter!

On Monday we went to the Christmas Tree Shop and then the Cape Cod Canal (about 10 minutes away) and visited their museum which had a few interactive exhibits for the kids.  For dinner we headed back to the canal and ate at Seafood Sam's and then took a walk along the canal to where it meets the ocean.  The highlight of the walk was spotting a baby dolphin swimming down the canal!

 Tugboat Captains

 Fishing

 Boats on the Canal

Tuesday was our last full day and was warm so we chose to do a beach day.  I read online that Corporation Beach in Dennis (Cape Cod) was the best beach nearby for kids and it did not disappoint!  The kids had a great time wading in the water and playing in the sand.  I forgot my camera so I had to use my phone to take pictures.  We can't wait to get back to the beach, hopefully later this summer.

 Before our trip home on Wednesday we wanted to wear the kids out so we took them back to the playground on the Plymouth waterfront.  It was a hot day so the fountains feature was very popular.  There was a small beach area near the park so Jeff took the kids briefly in the water for one last dip in the ocean.  We left MA around 3:30 and arrived in Springfield around 12:15 a.m., exhausted but happy to be home.