The Willows with Grandma and Papa

A visit to Salem with Alice is not complete, of course, without a visit to her favorite attraction - The Willows! - and Grandma and Papa could not wait to share in the fun.  Here are a few shots of the fun times we had at the Willows with Grandma and Papa:

With Grandma on the Carousel:

Racing Grandma and Daddy:

In the Photo Booth with Grandma:

On the Pier having fun with Grandma and Papa:

On the last day of the trip, we managed to squeak out a couple of extra hours for a second trip back, and a second ride on the Carousel:

Can't wait to see you again soon, Grandma and Papa!

Here are the rest of the photos from our fun at the Willows!

Life's a Beach with Grandma and Papa

We were lucky that the weather was so nice during Grandma and Papa's early September visit that we took one entire day to relax at a local North Shore beach.

North Dakotans visit the beach a little different than New Englanders do.  Here is Papa, pulling Alice around in a snow sled!  She loved it and it is sure to become a new tradition!

Building sand castles:

Flying kites:

Here are the rest of the photos from our day at the beach with Grandma and Papa.  Hope we can do it again next summer!

Home Improvement

Papa was very excited to come help us get settled into our new house and we did not let that enthusiasm go to waste!  In addition to seeing the sights around town, Papa and Daddy worked very hard on the house and yard the entire time they were visiting with us and our house looked amazing when they left.

Here's Papa, putting in a new deadbolt lock for the backdoor (upgrading it from the skeleton key which has been in use on that door for the past 80 years!)

Daddy and Papa then removed the raised bed garden that was in the backyard.  We plan to use that space for a hammock next year!

Alice enjoyed the box in which the new dishwasher arrived.  Papa and Daddy installed that too.

They also cleared a lot of brush and weeds, laid down enormous amounts of mulch, and put in solar-powered walkway lights lining the driveway and front yard.  Our house looks amazing now!  Thanks so much, Papa Pete!  Here are some more photos from the Home Improvement adventures from the week.

Fun around Town with Grandma and Papa

As we have learned since we moved here, Salem is never short on fun things to do.  It was so much fun to host Grandma and Papa this time in a true tourist town, and all the options certainly kept us going.  At the end of the week, we all needed a vacation from all the fun!

Here are Alice and Papa "chasing" at our favorite local playground:

Here we are, sitting outside and enjoying ice cream at our favorite local ice cream shop:

Taking the trolley on a historical and sight-seeing tour around town:

Visiting the old "Friendship" docked at the wharf in Salem:

At Papa's request, Mommy, Daddy and Papa even tried one of the local Segway companies for a wizz around town - tons of fun!

Here are some more photos from our local adventures during our visit with Grandma and Papa.

Relaxing with Grandma and Papa

In September, Alice was super excited when Grandma Marcia and Papa Pete came to visit us in Salem, all the way from North Dakota!  It was a fun-filled, action-packed week, but the best part was that Alice got to relax and spend some quality time with Grandma and Papa.

Alice misses Grandma and Papa a lot and even though it is fun to see them on Skype, she is looking forward to seeing them in person again before too long.  Here are some more photos from the time we spent relaxing at home during the vacation.

Plymouth Triathlon 2011

Daddy returned to Plymouth early this past Fall for his second go at the annual Mayflower Triathlon.  His cheering squad was ready to support him:

He was so thrilled with his time that he leaped over the finish line!:

Here is a link to the rest of the photos from the day.