This is it! Today was the day of THE SENIOR PHOTOS. A day that I am sure Ashton has been looking forward to, a day that I have as well, but a day that I have also dreaded as her mom. It means that her senior year is starting to really get going, moving along, gathering momentum, hurtling even, towards the "last year she is home with me year". How far away the photos of her as a newborn in the hospital seem. This shouldn't be here this quickly!
Christina, Mark's sister, accompanied Ashton and I to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens http://mainegardens.org/ for the big day. She is a great photographer, I knew my little camera wouldn't give Ashton the shots she wanted, but I toted my camera along and took lots of photos as well from my spot in the background as Ashton's personal assistant. I got the job of lugging several changes of clothing for the model and her pink hairbrush. I was not allowed to carry her cellphone. We had a nice time looking for spots to take photos in and admired the beauty around us as well. The day was perfect with a pretty blue fall sky. I was sure my family membership in the Gardens would be permanently revoked when Ashton changed clothing along one of the trails! Kids these days...
I was hoping Ashton would want to wander through the Fairy Garden with me today but no. It made me long for the days when she and I would have spent hours there, I could see her in a little pink dress and her favorite black patent leather shoes in my mind, running here and there all excited about a new discovery. But today's outfit was her choosing, her style and her attitude!
Now we are anxiously awaiting Christina's photos. She had so many great shots, we will never be able to chose one for the yearbook. She will put them on a CD and make prints for us to ooh and aah over. Today is another milestone in Ashton's journey.
Monday morning I set off for a two day trip to New Brunswick, Canada with my aunt Jean and my mom. My aunt and I had planned this trip since July. I wanted to see where my grandparents were from again and to share the visit with my mom. I hadn't been to Burtts Corner since I was around 10. I have many memories of going to my great-grandparents potato farm. I remembered the Mactaquac Dam when we came to it, the first of many recollections to come. We arrived in Burtts Corner in the afternoon and then drove to Dorne Ridge where the family farm was. I was so pleased to see the little church at Dorne Ridge, to me it has always been one of the prettiest churches I have ever seen, simple and sturdy. It also meant we were almost to my great-grandparents home! 
Back onto the road again. I remember as a child the road seemed to go on for ever and it was so dusty. Some things never change, the road does go on for miles (about 7 or so) and it is still a dirt road! There are more houses there now, I believe there were only a handful when I last was there.
When we arrived at the farm I was a little disappointed. All that was left was the house (and how tiny it looked!) and a shed. I remember playing on the big screened in porch with my cousins and siblings and one time one of the hired hands was taking a nap on a day bed on the porch and a few of us rolled him off onto the porch! He was good-natured about it and I remember how we all laughed at our prank. We had fun playing in the barn, swimming in what must have been a frog pond and going to visit the various relatives. The photo below is the view from the old house now. When I was a child all you could see forever was potato fields, now long gone.
We visited with my mom's cousin Patricia in Burtts Corner for a while. I so enjoyed listening to mom, Aunt Jean and their cousin talking about the past. I learned alot more about my family and enjoyed looking at family photos. Then on to Aunt Violet's home, also in Burtts Corner. She cooked a feast for us and shared memories with us. On our way to our hotel near the Mactaquac Dam we visited with another cousin, Patricia. I was very pleased that her husband wore a Red Sox cap! We reluctantly left there with more memories and off to the hotel. 
I thought this water bowl station was great, it was located inside the entryway of the hotel. We had an adventure getting into our room, lets just say it involved alot of running back and forth to the front desk and lots of new key cards being issued! We shared a room and talked over our day and had many laughs. I remember one of the last times I shared a room with Aunt Jean I got in trouble! I believe she must have been home on a break from college and my sister and I were spending the night at Grammy's house. The bedroom had two beds and I remember my sister and I fighting over the covers and waking up Aunt Jean. Lets just say we had to re-make the bed pronto and never made another peep. 
Early Tuesday morning we set out for home. This trip was such a treat. We talked about anything and everything and concluded that yes, we had covered everything from A to Z! I enjoyed listening to my mom and aunt's memories. I learned alot more family history and lore. I am so glad that we could share this journey. Thanks Aunt Jean!
