I was born and raised in Maine and I love it there!
I will greatly miss the beauty of the state, the ocean, my family and friends. However, we've embarked on a new journey here in Idaho and I know that we will love it here as well. I'm excited to explore Idaho and see all that it has to offer!
I grew up in South Portland and Saco, both on the southern coast and right on the ocean:
The Portland Area:
The Saco Area:
A Few of My Favorite Things!
"Red casing on hot dogs and butter on lobster!
Fried dough and pier fries unlike any other!
Fried dough and pier fries unlike any other!
Fluffer-nutter sandwiches and picnics in spring,
These are a few of my favorite things!
Bright sunny beach days and waves in the ocean,
smelling the salt air, pipe tobacco and tanning lotion,
all of the seagulls spreading their wings
These are a few of my favorite things!
Lighthouses casting their lamps into port,
buoys and lobstertraps, sailboats all sorts,
Smooth rounded seaglass that ocean waves bring
these are a few of my favorite things!
When the job market stinks
and the economy is bad
when we're feeling down...
I simply remember my favorite things...
and then I move to Boise, Idaho!
(Oh, I mean..."and then I don't feel sooooo bad!!!")
Beaches & The Ocean:
Lighthouses:
Sailboats:
Favorite Places:
CAMDEN...
SOMESVILLE/ MT. DESERT ISLAND/ ACADIA NATIONAL PARK...
I will miss Maine dearly, and I know Chris will too. Brady has told me everyday so far since we've been gone that he loves Maine and misses it. We've grown together as a family, Chris got hired at his first career-minded job with Enterprise, and Olivia joined our family. We will always be grateful for the time we were able to spend with my family in Maine.
Chris worked for L.L. Bean for 2 years and we enjoyed our discount and going often as a family, if for nothing else, for window shopping, free concerts in the park and giving family "guided tours!"
I also worked in Freeport for a year as a florist and enjoyed that. Freeport is a beautiful, quaint town, about 8 miles from our home in Durham. Along with outlet stores, cafes, forest trails and rocky coastline it's also the home of the "Big Freeport Indian!" The sentinel that marks the freeport line and welcomes all who drive along Rt. 1 or the highway.
Here's our big trip across country!
We left on Saturday, November 29th from Durham, Maine
Gassing up before we leave- our local town gas station which we supported almost exclusively over the last 2 1/2 years! See ya "Get N' Go!!!" (Thanks heavens gas prices have gone down by more than half since summer!!!)
Bye bye Maine!!!
The kids were really great in the car. We did have our "want to pull your heair out" moments but all in all it went well. Olivia seemed resigned to the fact that she was stuck in her car seat and only grumbled and complained when she was hungry or in serious need of a diaper change! Let me tell you- it's very interesting and challenging to change a VERY poopy diaper in the front seat of your car with the baby balancing on your knees because it's so cold outside! The poor girl- she really put up with a lot!
We sang many songs with Brady, constantly changed up his toys and movies and played hours of "I Spy," "I'm going on a trip...," "I'm thinking of an animal..." Those worked well at night time when he couldn't see to color or play with toys! And let me tell you, my mom truly was a trooper and was such a great help, I couldn't have done it without her! (She and my younger brother, Andrew came out with us). My mom helped me drive with the kids and Chris and Andrew drove the Budget truck. Chris was a trooper too- he drove the whole way (Budget doesn't allow drivers under 25- argh!)
Day 1: The first day we drove through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio where stopped for the night at:
My two little babies slept on the floor for 4 nights!!! What little troopers they were too!DAY 2: The next day we traveled through the rest of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and halfway through Iowa.
I was so glad to pay the last of my toll money as we left Illinois! NO MORE TOLLS! Literally HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!! We'd intended to get across the border into Nebraska but we hit several snowstorms and had to quit for the night. A combination of bad roads, bitter cold and after seeing the 25th car off the road we hit the nearest exit and pulled into:
I cringed at the $110 room ($124.18 with tax) but was grateful for the warmth, comfort and safety! It didn't hurt that we had a great continental breakfast in the morning either!
Day 3: We counted another 50 cars off the road as we continued across Iowa. The roads were clear as we entered Nebraska and it took us all day to drive across that desolate land! We made it into Laramie, Wyoming for the 3rd night. Another night at AmericInn but this time we got a "steal" with a room price of $89 ($98.90 with tax) and another good nights rest and warm breakfast to seal the deal.
There were HUNDREDS of the awesome windmills all across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho (between Twin Falls and Boise). I'm glad to see us finally harnessing some natural resources!! Just amazing!
I also saw this cute little chapel somewhere in the middle of nowhere:
Day 4: a blustery, bitter cold day across another desolate landscape. I pity anyone who lives in these parts of the country- it almost made me cry seeing town after town surrounded by nothing but brown dirt. I mean literally, these homes are on solid dirt! What a shame, if they only knew that there was so much more....
There was ONE cool thing in Wyoming:
As I said, Wyoming was WINDY!!! I stopped to gas up at a mom and pop gas station and I almost blew away as I opened the car door. It almost turned my door away from it's hinges! I was holding on for dear life to the gas hose and this is exactly what I looked like when I got back in the car!!!! (It was much funnier in person, I guess you had to be there...)
These were in Wyoming too...
As we came into the canyon in Utah we began to see some pretty cool rock formations. I had missed seeing these geological wonders. It was a gloomy day so the colors didn't show up as vivid on camera, which is shame because the reds, greens and browns were truly beautiful (in that western kind of way! LOL):
Rolling along into Idaho we were greeted by wispy and fluffy clouds and a grogeous sunset:
To IDAHO or BUST!!!!
We did it! We arrived at Chris' parents house in Burley at around 6pm and were so excited to see everyone. Dad Graf didn't get off work until 7:30 so we anxiously awaited his arrival. Brady actually plaed infront of their picture window for about a half hour so he could stand there and wave when he pulled into the driveway! We were also suprised to learn that Great-Grandma Jones hadn't been "notified" of our move and that she was making dinner for the family that evening! Dad and Chris went over to pick her up at her house and played a trick on her! Dad went to the door and then Chris snuck up behind her (and almost gave the poor woman a heart attack!) Grandma survived and was very excited to see us again!
We left for Boise the next morning after delicious breakfast made for us by Mom Graf. There's pretty much nothing in between Twin Falls and Boise, I was getting a little nervous! But Boise is a great city with a lot to offer and after I got over the initial "shock" that this was all real I've been having fun seeing what this place is all about!
We got right to unloading the truck and I got right to unpacking! I'm proud to say that after the first week almost everything was done! All that is left now are some small details here and there, some pictures and Olivia's room, which needs a crib and some fabric for some curtains etc. I'll be excited to post those pictures SOON!
We have two happy kids to be out of the car and into a nice big apartment! Brady loves playing in his room (thank goodness!!!) and Olivia is sleeping through the night! YAY!!!
So, these are our apartments: The Landing at lakeharbor in Boise. They are situated on Silver Lake, which looks pretty glamorous in these pictures. It's a nice little "pond" but it will be fun to fish in and take the canoe out on every once in a while. We also live right along the Boise Greenbelt which is the 25 mile biking/walking path that extends along the Boise River. We'll definately be taking advantage of that when the weather warms up!!! I have great plans for myself, two kids and bike trailer and/or my double jogging stroller! Cost of Moving Truck: $1685
Cost of Tolls: $110
Cost of Gas: $860
Cost of food: $150
Cost of Hotels: $270
Knowing you made the right decision: Priceless!!!
(many of the pics I have on this post from Maine are by a Maine photographer named Brent Dayley)
