Last Couple Weeks in Maine

With only a couple weeks left in Maine, and with the beautiful Summer weather finally arriving after almost five months, Andee and I had a lot of Maine to take in before we made the move to Canada!  And just like everything else ever, Maine was made even more wonderful with Summer weather!  Everyone came out of hibernation to join us in our last couple weeks of Maine!  Enjoy!

On one of the first nice days of this summer stretch, Brigett, Esther, Jimmy and I went to the park with their kiddos for some American entertainment!  We also ended up at a dog show at Brigett's place, where we found a funny vehicle reading "Sit Means Sit.  Sorry, we don't train Husbands, Wives, or Kids!"  Awesome.

The following day, the ladies from The Rock Church hosted a Going Away Party for myself!  It was filled with typical Maine themes, including a giant Lobster stuffed animal and whoopie pies, and the weather was perfect!  I also received a gift of an Old Orchard Beach sweater, which was picked out with care due to the fact that I am always cold!  They know me so well!!  I will miss all of these ladies so much now that we are leaving, and we hope to see them again in the future!!  

The next day I attended a Bridal Shower for my good friend Erin, who will be married to her fiance Trevor in under a month!  So exciting!  I was able to meet some of Erin's family and friends, and was able to enjoy a delicious lunch!  Unfortunately, we won't be in Maine for their wedding, but are wishing them a loving and happy marriage!

These last couple of weeks have been so nice, that a few of the days were spent at the beach relaxing/studying!  Our Summer wardrobe sits at home still hibernating, but we managed to find a few beach items to enjoy the sunshine!  It will be a little strange not living directly beside the Atlantic Ocean, as we have been for almost two whole years!  Looks like it is back to Ontario lakes for us!

This last week we were also able to reunite the Tropical Trio for some Maine adventures!  We spent a couple days in Freeport checking out Naomi's place, and exploring all the many shops and tourist attractions in Freeport!  The weather seemed to cooperate for us too!  I also got to meet Naomi's kitties, which I almost stole and adopted.  They are so friendly and just sit on your lap and let you pet them forever!  I love them!  I am going to miss these two families so much, and am really hoping and praying the our paths will cross again with Clinical Rotations, Residencies, or anything else!  

Andee and I were also able to enjoy some Palace Playland for the first time since moving to Old Orchard Beach!  After living beside an amusement park for almost five months, this was the first weekend that it was actually open, and we were able to enjoy it with the Avance family!  It was lots of fun for families, and also for the adults!  We enjoyed rides, arcade games, and lunch, and enjoyed the 28°C (83°F) weather!  A great day!

This week we also had our last church service at The Rock.  It was really amazing, because I was able to sing that week, and we played one of my current favorite songs "How He Loves", but it was also really sad because we have no idea if/when we will get to see these amazing people again.  We are praying that we will soon, if just for a few months for a Clinical Rotation!  The Rock Church is so amazing, and we really don't want to leave this amazing church!!

After the church service, we attended a Sea Dogs Baseball game with Buddy and Olivia!!  It was so much fun!!  Every seat was great, and the Sea Dogs ended up winning the very exciting and high scoring game!  Andee and I also enjoyed Ball Park Hot Dogs, as well as Sea Dog Biscuits, which are giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches!  They were amazing!!  Andee stuck with his Blue Jays hat, and I tried to show some team spirit with a Boston tank top!  What a fun experience!  It was also absolutely perfect baseball weather, with sunny skies, a light breeze, and the perfect temperature!  Definitely a must-do attraction in Maine!!

When we arrived home from the game, we made a quick stop at the arcade to check the Skee Ball Jackpots.  Seeing that both machines were low, Andee quickly won 3, yes 3 Skee Ball jackpots in a row, spending a mere $1.25 for his efforts, and totaling over 2000 tickets!!  This combined with his two wins from the night before on just two quarters, put him at 5 Jackpots totaling over 3500 tickets for $1.75, or 7 games of Skee Ball.  WINNING!!  Having an arcade next door is one of the most entertaining things ever!  Yay America!  We also cashed in our 7500+ tickets for a few Palace Playland and Maine themed goodies!  What a great day!!

The last couple days are going to be a scramble of seeing friends, saying goodbyes, running errands, cleaning, and packing, which we are used to by now after living in three different countries, countless apartments, condos, crackhouses, beds, etc., and with many more moves to come, we should be experts by now!!  Be prepared for a sappy conclusion blog coming up!!

Countdown:  We will be in Canada in just 3 days!  Woohoo!!  We will officially be living in our "Home and Native Land" for almost three whole months!!  Canadian Summer here we come!!