Catching up: Vermont

In July, K and I made our way to New England for a visit with family and friends! To say it was great would be an understatement.

Independent traveler.

Four. Four is the age of traveling with ease while alone with a child.

Perk of having a family member who works for American: Our first flight was delayed but we were able to squeeze in a quick visit from Aunt Monica, who met us on our layover in the terminal in Dallas and took us for a quick lunch :).

First stop: Connecticut! We got to spend the a fun night at Kim and Andy's new house and got some playtime in with Ben!

After our visit with Kim, Andy and Ben, mom picked us up and brought us to Vermont.  Nana knows the way to this girl's heart - my American Girl Doll, Kirsten and a tea set were already setup when we arrived at the house. 

It didn't take much time for her to put on my old matching Kirsten dress and get right into character.

I had no problem settling into relaxation mode. This trip came at the perfect time as I was transitioning positions at work so sitting on the world's most comfortable couch at my parent's while watching Sex and the City reruns and cleaning out my work inbox was just what the doctor ordered.

The doctor also ordered my dad's homemade clam pizza and salad right from his garden.

When Sam arrived he surprised me with three (yes, THREE!) dozen Georgetown Cupcakes. They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Luckily there were lots of people around to help devour them.

Mom always plans a fun family picnic when we come and it was so great to have everyone at the house at the beginning of our stay.

Putting together a centerpiece of wildflowers.

The girl cousins!

Picking crab apples...and looking like she's in a trance.

S'mores!

Cousin Carly!

Caught.

A serious game of musical chairs.

After an exciting day visiting with family, we reverted back to easy Vermont days. 

Helping Pop Pop stack wood to prepare for winter.

And then she took things into her own hands and built a castle.

While Pop Pop and K stayed home one night, Mom and I had a date night out to a yummy meal and to see
The Chorus Line (which was phenomenal!)

Exploring downtown Brattleboro

Nana took us to a fun bead store, which was a hit!

We love Uncle Sam!

The Vermont Country Store - a must-go to place each visit.

Savoring her loot.

Exploring with Pop Pop.

Only Pop Pop lets you eat chocolate cupcakes for breakfast :).

Rolling down the hill is the best!

Mommy had her treats too - plenty of Dunkin' Donuts.

We took plenty of walks to the pond.

Best buds.

Taking a step by in time. Back in my Kirsten dress again!

Helping Pop Pop in the garden.

I snuck in a few quiet walks by myself. 

As usual, our trip ended far too soon. We couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable visit and can't wait for our next trip back to New England!