Maple Country!

Our trip coincided with the last day of sugar season. Unfortunately, the place we stopped wasn't boiling. But they did have a replica of the state house and the best maple butter cookies ever!

And no trip to Vermont is complete without a trip to the Ben and Jerry's factory for a tour and free samples!

We love the Flavor Graveyard!

We topped off the day with dinner at Olive Garden!

Best Day Ever!

Joseph Smith's BIrth Site

This is our biggest draw to Vermont is definitely the Joseph Smith birth site. Sadly, we may never make it to Vermont to enjoy the many splendors without the draw of Sharon, VT.

It was fun to be there in the off season because we had the full attention of the missionaries. But, because it was still snowy in Vermont, we didn't get the amazing golf cart tour of all the family sites.

It has been warm in Massachusetts so we were surprised to see so much snow in Vermont. It was fun to see the monument in the snow!

The missionaries gave us some commemorative wooden coins that double as eye patches.

Ultimate Day of Adventure

I'm not sure what happened the first 4 days of April vacation week, but I can give you a detailed play-by-play of day 5! 

I had to stop by the HighRes factory in Beverly to program a few instruments on our new robot. And let's be honest, if you're going to go through the ordeal of crossing Boston, you might as well keep going and drive into Vermont.

Isn't she a beauty?

Then we were back on the road. We got a REALLY early start so the kids crashed hard once they had McDonald's hotcakes in their bellies. Except for Superkid, he could take it.

And we listened to Ranger's Apprentice book 2 and 3. Actually, this whole day may have been an elaborate set-up just to listen to Ranger's Apprentice all day.

We love a good road trip!

FHE

Family, isn't it about time?

Sometimes I usually want to throttle these stinkers during FHE.

But that's not what I remember when I see cute pics like this. I love these little stinkers!

Trampoline Time!

It's been a typically chilly New England Spring.

Imagine the excitement when both a warm day and the delivery of the new mats for the trampoline coincided!

A recipe for JOY!

The kids have jumped non-stop everyday since the mats arrived. 

Hooray for SPRING!

Dapper Gent

Little Chief will be 8 soon! It is time to outfit him for his baptism! 

This is Pops' wheelhouse. I just stand back and let the magic happen.

Little Chief invited Jaws to come along. He is a suit guru too. 

His opinion was definitely helpful! Everyone was handsomely rewarded with Panera's broccoli cheese soup.

Feats of Strength

Pops decided that it was time to relocate the rhododendron bush that was overtaking our front sidewalk to the back hill. This was a monster big task, but Pops ripped it out of the front yard with his bare hands and replanted it on the stony, root laden hill in our backyard. 

Pops is the strongest, most determined person that I know.

I can't believe he got it out mostly in one piece!

Little Chief rescued one of the little pieces that broke off in the transplant.

The gaping hole

And here's Pops preparing the new home.

LC dug a little hole next to the big bush for his little bush. 

Spring is in the air! The yard is starting to wake up.