Absolutely Amazing

I have to say this was the best family trip we have taken in a while! It was relaxed yet action packed. We chopped wood, shot bee bee guns and adventured, relaxed and most of all laughed till we could not laugh anymore, which to be honest I don't think will never happen when we spend time with our favorites they are the best and we love them to pieces! We ate breakfast and lunch and lunch at dinner and dinner before bed.. There is never any sort of time or routine when we are having fun and are relaxed. People want to see us they can come to us, no offence but sorry we are on Vacay and we are not going travelling visiting a ton of people! It is one stop shop, nor should people have that expectation of others when they are on vacation. Not only are The Routledges my cousins they are my best friends, they feel more like my older brother and sister. It makes me soo sad when we leave them each and every time ( I will admit tears are shed often, drives are silent for a while and I do feel alittle lost), it is amazing at the bond that has formed together with them since my Nanny passed 8 years ago! She brought us together and it was like it was meant to be forever and it will be.

We took a day to relax and unwind or should I say eat and get fat ( The food this week was endless and we now how nice rumps in the trunk to prove it). Then the next day we were off to Halifax to go Whale Watching.. This was so much, fun, the kids were so excited and had glowing faces. My cousin had rented a Yukon that sits 8 so we an all be together which was fantastic and comfy, lots of laughs and singing at the top of our lungs in that bad boy, Belle sure does know how to carry a tune! I also have to add that Belle sure knows how to make a quiet room break out into laughter. Sarah was doing something that Mom did not approve of so as Becky went to tell her the proper way to do it, Belle chimes in with a look on her face and says "Awkward".... We all immediately bust a gutt!

When we were in the Yukon, we felt famous or like we belonged in an episode of Orange County Housewives. Becky and I were even followed by cops for a short while in New Glasgow, I wonder if they thought we were high profile people like Housewives of OC which we so totally could have pulled off that day or perhaps the Jersey Shore Cast in NS?? LOL JK

Whale Watching was a success we ended up seeing a Manky Whale which is basically a small whale, the kids loved it. We saw Sea lions bobbing up and down, took in the sights, fed the seagulls (Poop tanks as we call them) and had a great time. Isabelle gave the workers on board the vessel a long talk on the importance of not allowing Oil Tankers in the harbour to potentially harm the whales if there was leak telling them it is an environmental issue. She gave them little pep talks and thought she was just fantastic and I think so too! The girls met a new friend (Willy the Lobster & let it be known that it was a baby female) they held him and became quite friendly with each other, we touched a crab (the water ones, not the STI kind) LMAO before he jumped out of the ladies hand and hit the deck of the boat like a rock.  Once we finished there we grabbed some deep fried scallops & fries on the pear, checked out the hot Marines in Uniform on the Navy Ship and then we ventured to Peggy's Cove which is always so wonderful to see, the girls are fascinated with Lighthouses & in NS there are plenty! We had a not so hot meal in Peggy's cove which was rather disappointing but the company made it fun! It cooled off very fast there and the fog came rolling in, so we began our drive back home! Every time I go there and the fog rolls in I get chills, just knowing the just a few km off the shore the Swissair plane went down a few years back. And to be there you would see how small of a town it is and it is just so sad! We were all pretty pooped and ea gar to get to bed but had a fantastic day till our next big adventure.

All of us at Peggy's Cove

We took a day off from site seeing and decided to chill out till we made our way to PEI on the Sunday! PEI was absolutely beautiful. The Ferry ride was about an hour I did remarkably well, so I think I ready for a cruise boat. Once we arrived in PEI we say many potato fields and enjoyed the county side till we hit Cavendish! We drove by the Anne of Green Gables House & Road to Avon lea then headed to the beach to put our feet in the ocean for the first time. We saw the red sand beach in PEI was which gorgeous, we never made it to the White Sand beach as there were alot of pee emergency's that needed to take place! Unlike the boys and small children that could pee anywhere, us older women require a toilet.. We can't just squat anyplace without given a show of the lady business... LOL. Once we found the toilet we headed to do alittle more sightseeing then it was off to dinner!! Fisherman's Wharf here we come! LET ME TELL YOU a 60 different Salad bar Buffet and you pick your fish, lobster, steak or whatever.. OMG, can you say lard ass... LOL. Becky was the smart one out of us all and just stuck to the Salads.... Isabelle ate her very first lobster and loved it, she looked just like my grandmother sitting there chowing down! That's my girl, your GGma would be proud, they both ate lobster, scallops and muscles... On the way home we took the Confederation Bridge and enjoyed the Sunset over the Atlantic was a great drive home~

Us in PEI with our feet in the Atlantic

Isabelle and her Lobster

We took in a pool day at Becky's brothers house which was a fantastic day, they are such wonderful people that feel just like family, the girls just ate up all the attention, they fooled yet again more people! LOL We later went home and I made up some yummy goat cheese chilly and lime corn on the cob, the boys BBQ'd up some Capicola Steaks (HOLY MOLY, best thing ever) & we made some Ribs. The ribs by the way ended up being eatten the next day for lunch as were too stuffed to eat them at dinner. The food this week  has been crazy and anyone that was dieting is no longer dieting! Between, the homemade feasts of Lescho and Butter Chicken, Steaks, Corn, Pipers and Lobster and snacks the food was so sinful.
Our last big too do was make our ways up to Frog Lake were my Nanny, Grampy and 2 uncles are resting. This lake is where my grandfather use to fish. It is a quiet lake in the middle of no where and you require a boat to get to the island and a 4x4 to get the lake. The lake is infested with leaches which met as as we arrived.. We got in on Neils 4 wheeler pulling the trailer, boat and all of us.  It was a gloomy sort of day which was nice cause the bugs would be bad if it was hot. I made it over to the island with the kids but had to come back as they were scared shit less of being in an aluminum boat with paddles ( I was kind of freaked out too, but mommy's need to appear strong).. Everyone took a turn to go over, we fished up some "Seaweed" then made our way back to the truck. As were pulling away the sun peaked out over the island and we all blew kisses to them. They knew we were there and it made me happy! I miss them so very much each and everyday and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of them. I wish they had to a chance to meet my little bundles. xoxox

As our trip began to wined down we all became alittle more quite, we spent a few hours with Becky's mom which was great, it was a nice morning such a wonderful lady, love her just like she is our Nan!  Then we topped it off with a meal out at Pipers landing... Only the best restaurant ever!! There was not a stitch of food left on any ones plate,  we eve licked the plates, were fattened up yet again, stuffed to the max and tired.  Leaving to come home was an emotional day, I think I cried pretty much till we got the Nova Scotia boarder and was quite quiet the rest of the way. We went down through Maine and spent the night. Did alittle shopping there but could not get into it, I did end up with my first Coach bag that was regular 289.99 and I scored it for 91 bucks.... But that was all,  I miss them so very much I must be love sick and just can't get into spending!  At this point I just wanted to get home, so we drove till we got to our front door with a few potty breaks in between! We arrived at home about 10:30pm Friday night and got tucked into bed quickly!

After each and every visit with my besties, it makes me miss them more and more! This is what family is all about. We pick up just like we saw each other yesterday even thought we are 2100 miles apart. We laugh till we cry and we enjoy each others company. We joke that we should build a house with wings and live together cause we get along that well. My girls just light up as do I & I think it is pretty great that my girls have been given the most amazing set of Godparents ever! I always say that everyday should be the way it is when we are together. I know that Becky is someone that I can turn too like a big sister & Neil like a big brother. They are fantastic people and so are their kids, I don't think there isn't a thing we could not do for each other. I look forward to each and every visit which is now become a yearly thing, phone calls and pictures & messages on FB. They make me smile, they light up my day.  That is what family is all about & making memories is the best part of it all.

Family Trip Part 2

The morning started at 8am, with a great Breakfast in Bed via Room service. The girls thought this was fantastic because they got to eat in bed while watching TV and I did not care if they dropped an egg! Belle had Bacon and Eggs and Laila had Fruit Loops with warm milk.  We slowly started to get ready I showered first and realized that I forgot my body wash and my shaving cream (Mothers always forget their stuff because we are busy packing everyone else up). SO I had to shower with Tom's Adidas body wash and shave my legs with his male smelling shaving cream, so today I probably smell like a man. LMAO  I had to make 2 stops to see if I could find the girls their snow globes but no such luck, guess we are coming back forsure! Today's drive will be an 8 hours trek. As I continue to write this we are 4.5 hours in our last leg which is Edmundston New Brunswick and doing really good. We have stopped to grab a quick bite to eat and knew we were officially in the east coast when we went to the local Mc Donalds and they are now serving "The McLobster" last visit we made down east Tom and I tried it and it is not all it is cracked up to be. We thought it would be friggin amazing as we are both seafood lovers but it is basically a cold lobster sandwich.. We ate our "10 year Anniversary lunch with Big Mac's and Nuggets & toasted with Ice Tea & Apple Juice and off we went, we have come across some beautiful country side, the view is amazing it looks just like a picture scene. The Moose signs are crazy, they have barricaded off with these little squared off gates so you can enter the forest but you can't get out, the sides of the roads are barrier ed as much as they can but I am sure these massive beasts can still get through by lifting a leg!!! They apparently only come out at night which is great, but it would be be pretty cool to see one on the side of road just not on my car. I keep trying to see if I can spot one in the fields but no such luck. The kids are doing great, we have heard 3 "Are we there yets" these in which have all come Isabelle... The sun is shining which is sooo great to see, it has been a really gloomy drive with rain and fog! The temp at one point dipped to 14 which made me very sad!!! But it is now up to 21 which is great! The drive so far has been wonderful, kids amazing! While we are on our adventure our wonderful friend & photographer posted on this Facebook ( yes I can still access FB on the road through Tom's BB) that he is looking for a picture who can "Get their Sink on" which means that he wants to see who can get creative with taking a picture of themselves in front of a sink, so now Tom and I are on a mission to find a New Brunswick Bathroom to get " Our Family Sink on" just to add some more fun to our little adventure! We are grooving down the highway with the music pumped to Z103 (CD of course) & having a great time, we lost the Z signal in Port Hope which sucked because we just getting ready for Way Back lunch! This is not your average "National Lampoons Adventure" we are doing it modern style so no dogs tied to the bumper or Aunt Edna's on the roof!! I am going to call Tom "Sparky" the remainder of the trip!!
At this time we are going to Hartland to drive over the covered bridge which should be pretty cool, the kids will love it, there we will get some gas and do a pee break. We drove 2 times over the Covered bridge and it was alot of fun, then we stopped off the "Salmon Pool" Restaurant to grab our dinner (Subway) to go! Before heading out we snuck into the Men's Public Washroom which was empty of course to take our "Get your sink on picture'.... It turned out great and we thought the photo was great, but after we sent it realized that we forgot to include the main element of the picture which was the friggin sink!! OH well, it was alot of fun and adventurous! We wanted to get the heck out of there, Men's washroom's friggin smell so bad. I thought womens' were bad, they have nothing on a mans!! I now know why my girls prefer to go with Mommy to the washroom as oppose to Daddy!!

"Get your sink on" Minus the sink

It is about 6pm now and the kids are starting get squirrly! Laila is not sure what she wants which tells us she has had enough and is getting ready to jump out of her seat! So we now require some serious intervention on my part!!  Belle has gotten her DS taken away because she has turned into a 6year old video game junkie, I swear she could play that thing from the time she gets up till the time she goes to bed. So it is taken away till we venture home! Just pulled a trick out of my dollar store grab bag... A Whoopie Cushion, let's see how much entertainment this provides? Estimated Time of Arrival 9:30pm in Nova Scotia.. We arrived at 9:35pm (Due to downpour just as we entered)... We made it

Breakfast in bed rocks

Heartland Covered Bridge

Anniversary lunch at Mc Donalds

Family Road Trip

As I am blogging we are heading out of Quebec City for the last leg of the drive estimated time of arrival according the "Cyb er Bitch" as I call her is 8:45pm! I must also make note that today July 27th 10 years ago I married my love, the father of my 2 beautiful children the man I will grow old with.. Happy Anniversary Honey, you really must love me to spend 8 long hours in a small confined car.. LOL We can have an anniversary lunch over Mc Donalds!
We headed out for our first big family road trip destination Nova Scotia. We have done a few road trips with the kids but this one was by far the longest total drive time 20 hours! We have adventured to Pennsylvania & Ottawa, Montreal when the kids were alittle smaller. They did quite well considering their age which was great and it gives us the confidence to go alittle longer! I love taking the girls on these little adventures it teaches them so much about this great beautiful country we live in.
I had began packing about a week before, it just gives me time to get stuff ready and make sure I have everything (not sure why because it is not like we are travelling to a foreign county, must be that damn OCD again)  LMAO

We had planned to leave on the 26th around 10am which would be perfect to miss the morning rush hour traffic in Toronto, & evening rush hour traffic in Montreal. I had made a trip to the dollar store and packed up about $30 worth of basically "Junk" to keep the kids entertained as they began to melt, loaded it all up and off we went. I had packed a cooler full of sandwiches and snacks, drinks, sushi to eat along the way so we did not have to stop for lunch which worked out really well.
By the time we had reached Scarborough Laila has already asked if we were there yet 4 times and uttered the "I am bored" which was clearly just to get a rouse out of us. It was too sunny so the DVD players were not a total hit right at that moment, so she decided to nap! Bonus. Belle played her DS the whole time and did not nap for even a second. When we entered in to Cornwall it was tank up time and our first pee break, about 6:30then off we went again. We hit some really wicked rain arund there and when we got to Montreal there was wicked construction, but I am not complaining about that, cause we always use to say how brutal their roads were so now they are fixing them, just sucks that it is when we driving through! The weather was rather grey the whole drive from Cornwall to Quebec City, I was really hoping the we would get some of the rain, just the rain at our place to give our grass a drink, but could totally deal without the cold front!
We arrived in Quebec City about 6:30pm checked into our Four Seasons hotel which was a lovely place brand new might I add (sO hopefully no bed bugs), got dressed then headed to the Ferry to to go the Island, it is friggin cold & damp here that I hope it really warms up along the way because I did not packed for "Fall". This cold weather required us to bust out the pants and sweaters that I had packed which was barried at the bottom of the suitcase and it was the only pair that I packed! Isabelle made friends with some Diplomats who thought they were both the greatest things ever. She carried on at how beautiful Quebec was and that it was even better that everyone spoke "Spanish".. She told these diplomats it was okay she could speak English so it was all good..
The 5 minute boat ride was really pretty and made me nauseated, I kept asking the girls if I Was green and Belle so sweetly said "No mommy you are still peach", I  think Whale Watching might require booze or Gravol!! I am hoping the cruise ship in October does not make feel sick! LOL
Quebec City is such a pretty place, wish we could have spent alittle more time there shopping, but I guess we can go back. The girls needed to eat so we found a little restaurant called "Le Couchon". The menus for the kids were all in french which made order so much fun! Tom busted out his Blackberry to do some translating but the even best part was that the "french" he was googling was not translating it to the right words, so So a Shirley Temple was translated as a Jack Rose?? LMAO! I managed to translate a few of them thanks to my very small glass of liquid courage! LOL Ang would totally not like the glasses of wine here, nothing compared to the Glasses we drink at home! The glass was the size of a kiddie cup! Tom then accidentally spilt a whole glass of water on Isabelle so she was soaked, the food finally arrived and was nothing to rave home about, we totally should have gone to the little Italian Restaurant that was tucked away in the village! Oh well. All the little boutiques were closed when we left dinner so we headed back to the room and called it a night! Tom and I had a drink in the dark while the kids slept & the only light in the room was the glow from our laptops so they could get some sleep! Tom worked (yes on our vacation) while I fell fast asleep!

Grand Total for first leg of trip 12 "Are we there yets" , 1 "I am bored" all were said by Laila.