Passed by for almost a year on my monthly grocery shopping trips to Presque Isle, Aroostook State Park holds the distinction of being Maine’s first state park.  Home to Echo Lake and Quaggy Jo mountain, it’s been on my Places to Go list since last April. Can you believe we’re just a few days shy of our first anniversary since we moved across the country?  I can’t either.

With any big move there’s sure to be big changes.  Most are good: slower pace, gorgeous colonial home where everyone gets there own bedroom (well except me, I have to share….. thankfully I like him.  Wink wink. Nudge. Nudge.)  Making new friends. And so many more things that I can’t even list.  Well I could but you’d eventually just skip all of my blah blah blah and just scroll on down to the pictures (if you haven’t already.)  In short, a lot of good things have come from moving here.

There’s two sides of the coin though and with the good you get the bad.  You know it.  I know it.  That’s just life. We had to say some teary goodbyes and one year later, our eyes are still suspiciously wet when we think of them. Like tacos. Oh and more importantly, and hardest of all – saying good-bye to old friends and working up the courage to make new ones.

Not only have I been blessed with new friends, but my youngest has found a few too, including the youngest of the Steven’s Trio.  And that’s why this post is only one of three that will be posted this week from this past weekend’s photo session.

Practically a halfway point between us, the park was the perfect place to meet up with our newfound friends.  When I asked my youngest if she’d like to go with me and see her friend I had to dive out of the way as she practically flew into the car.  I didn’t even have my boots on yet. Yes, boots, because it might be Spring everywhere else in the U.S, but we’re in a whole other world up here and Winter up here is like that party guest who stays just a tad bit longer than everyone else….. (That’s usually me by the way- I’m that guest.)

Among the many moments captured were a few candids of a fantastic duo and I can’t help but smile when I look at these.

I think you will too.

Join me as we walk through the woods and get a glimpse of the joy of youth and new beginnings.