Rockport Family Vacation: Part 3

One thing you need to know when you have the ocean as your backyard is that sunrises and sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. You don't seem to mind only four hours of sleep when you get to see the most beautiful vision of colors and light. David sure enjoyed it. He also really enjoyed throwing practically every rock in Rockport into the water. Can't say I wasn't right there with him. It's easy fun!

I mentioned in Part 2 that one of my favorite shops was 8 bells. Well, another shop that I've always adored is Paper Mermaid. So many cute paper crafts, cards and gifts...my heart was exploding, folks. I didn't browse as long as I wanted for the simple reason of avoiding the temptation to buy out the entire store. What's so cool about it is one half is pure crafty awesomeness for mama and the other half is fun, unique toys for the kiddos!  

Our trip ended on a very sweet and sentimental note. The Monday we left was Memorial Day. There was a parade through the center of Rockport followed by a nice ceremony near the docks. It was amazing to me the unity in the air and as the Reverend prayed to the Lord through the microphone, I felt hope for this country. Soldiers fought for our freedom and God has a plan for us all. We prayed for the families of lost loved ones. And His peace filled me. It's easy to talk bad about this country but the truth is, we are so blessed. While we still are able to, we should worship and give God praise for the freedom we have.

I'm so happy to be doing life with this man and our son. 5 years married...wow. It hasn't always been easy but I'm so thankful I get to go through it all with him. This trip really was therapy for our family. We got to spend three amazing days in one another's presence, making memories, laughing, smiling, soaking up the surroundings and really enjoying what God has created. If we could afford to move there, we would ask no questions and just go. I can't wait to take David again when he's a bit older so he will have his own memories to carry in his heart.

Have you ever vacationed somewhere you'd love to live?

Rockport Family Vacation: Part 2

One of the greatest things about Rockport is walking down Bearskin Neck and looking at all of the cute little shops. My absolute favorite is called 8 Bells. Anchors, typography signs, teal frames, clocks, photography, handmade goodies, fine art...it's a dream in there, ladies. There's so much creative goodness to look at! And outside, which always draws me back.

We stayed at Captain's Bounty and was blessed with a kitchenette, which is pretty much necessary when traveling with a toddler. The awesome part about staying here is that not only is it affordable but the backyard is literally a beach! Every morning and night David would constantly chant "water, water, water" as he heard the waves crashing. It's been almost two weeks and he still talks about the "water" and "beech".

My husband (doesn't he look so handsome baby wearing? seriously), David and I strolled around for most of our trip. We ate at the most adorable ice cream parlor called The Ice Cream Store and had fantastic lobster lunch at Roy Moore's Fish Shack Restaurant.  Roy is the name of the owner and he also runs a smaller seafood shop down Bearskin Neck. He is always present at one of the locations, right in there with the staff working and interacting with customers. They catch all the seafood themselves and you can tell. So fresh and tasty. We go there religiously at least once a day, however many days we are staying in town.

It was also so adorable watching my boy stop at every (and I mean every) sewer grate to point out the letters. I'm proud to say that he knows the entire alphabet at age two (#parentingwin).

If you missed it, here is Part 1 of our Rockport trip. Don't worry, just one more post left about our vacation, then we can get back to the regular programming. Whatever that is.

Rockport Family Vacation: Part 1

Oh Rockport Massachusetts, how we love thee! The last time we visited was three years ago when we took our pup Jackie. We finally returned this past Memorial Day Weekend to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary and David's first Rockport experience. Man, we had a blast!

The town is so beautiful and covered in New England charm. This week I'll be sharing some amazing highlights from our trip. There's so much inspiration in Rockport between the shoreline, quaint shops, nautical themes and culture. We are always so at peace when we go. Truly it feels like we are home when we're there and David totally enjoyed every moment.

Have you had your family vacation this year yet? Are you planning one?
I'd love to chat about it in the comments!

Fresh lobster, Fresh air, Fresh inspiration

Check out that balcony view! Oh yeah...

In celebration of our two year wedding anniversary, Jonathan and I headed to our fav spot...Rockport MA!

We go there every year but this time we took our baby girl Jackie with us...

We all had a blast. I can go on and on (just ask my husband) so I am going to stop talkin' and start postin'.

WARNING: You may start to feel a little pinch. That is called jealousy. But don't worry, it is curable with a dose of "Get Over It."

 One of my fav shops: The Paper Mermaid. Cute prints, whimsical notecards and filled with all sorts of random products and toys...all bright and fun!

 My other fav shop: The Blue Lantern! Gorgeous asian inspired garments, handbags, sunglasses, shoes and more. They also have a big display of asian fashion dolls which are so awesome.

 Isn't this dog the funniest thing you've ever seen? His owner said when she starts up the scooter,

he runs and gets the goggles!

 Cool pinwheel flowers! Hm, anyone want to try and make a tutorial for these?

Ahhh...what a weekend...