A Summer Highlight: Auntie Stina’s House

In mid-August we made our annual summer pilgrimage to New Hampshire. But this time we added a new twist— an overnight at my sister Stina’s house. Auntie Stina, Cousin Sadie, Uncle Mark, and Charlie (the dog) are much beloved by the J-Ms. They come up just about daily in conversation at our house— so while they are far, far away up in Maine, they are close, close to our hearts here in Pennsylvania. We were so excited to be invited to their house, and it turned out to be a major highlight of our summer.

While we were there we enjoyed lots of things. The scenery alone is breathtaking. We also had a great al fresco dinner. And the bambinos were enamored with the chickens, the chicken coop, and the eggs (the morning we woke up there Owen waited and waited for an egg to be laid, and his patience paid off with a fresh new egg laid right before his eyes… which Mark and Stina promptly fried up for him to eat for breakfast with his bagel). But the highlight of all highlights was an open-air ride better than any rollercoaster imaginable… a ride in the back of Mark’s truck around their fields. At first it was just the cousins. Then I jumped in too. And then Stina too. And then Braydon. Before long, we were all in the truck— for many spins around the field. It was a great, great time and one that will live in our memories for a long, long time.

As summer ends and fall begins we find ourselves reminiscing about our summer. “Mark’s Truck” and our visit to “Auntie Stina and Sadie’s House” is a big highlight.