Hampton Beach

The girls love going to Hampton Beach and so whenever we have an overcast afternoon, we head there for some Blink's Fry Doe, shopping and fun at the arcades.

The Best of Vacation 2018

We enjoyed all of our time on the beach and in the water. We took our morning and evening walks almost every day, meeting tons of dogs along the way.  The water was great - not too cold - and the waves were big every day.  It was a great week to be at the beach.

A Day with the Bouchers

This year, after a two year hiatus, my girlfriend Janet and her two boys were able to make the trip to the beach.  It's always a great day, as the kids get along so well and have such a good time playing with each other, which gives Janet, Lee and I time to chat and catch up.  We had a wonderful time, as always, and the day was over much too quickly.

Ethan and Elizabeth were in the water together almost the entire day (above); Emily and Owen bonded over soccer (below). 

Every year we are together, Janet and I always make sure to take a picture of the kids and a picture of just the two of us.  This year, we forgot to do both, so this was the best we got.

Brown's 2018

During vacation, we made our annual pilgrimage to Brown's Lobster Pound.  Kathleen and Peter, as well as my dad, were able to join us this year, making for a fun night.  Brown's had a huge fire last year and we were lucky that it was repaired and reopened by the time we were back in New Hampshire.  Lee, Elizabeth and I each put away a 2 pound lobster and steamers, while Emily enjoyed steamers, the best clam chowder around, and some delicious french fries.  We had a great time - forty-four years and counting.

Happy girl 

Seven Days of Ice Cream 2018

We took our annual family vacation the last week of July and, as usual, had ice cream every night.  None of us were actually able to go 7 straight nights - we all needed a break here and there.  I love keeping this yummy tradition alive!

The Ice House in Portsmouth 

The Puritan in Manchester 

The Beach Plum in North Hampton. 

Lago's in Rye. 

Izzy's in Portsmouth 

Memories in Kingston. 

Annabelle's in Portsmouth

USWNT

On Sunday night, the US Women's National Team played at Pratt & Whitney field in East Hartford and we were lucky enough to take in the game.  This was game two of the Tournament of Nations - they played game one in Kansas City last week and they play game three in Chicago tomorrow.  It was an exciting match, as Australia took an early lead and held on until the end.  Then, in stoppage time, Megan Rapinoe had her best corner kick of the night and Lindsay Horan scored - right in front of us - on a header, tying the game.  The stadium was electric and it was so neat to watch Emily and her friends watch the game so closely - tracking the players that play the same positions, watching their every move.  The game was well attended which is great because that means it is likely the USWNT will come back to Connecticut in the near future.

Magic/GVSA/Sporting girls 

Magic/GVSA/Sporting parents

Given the energy in the stadium, I thought that it was worth it video Rapinoe's corner kick - and hit the jackpot.  That's Emily and Abby at the end, jumping up and down with excitement.