We're Back!

We got back late Tuesday night from a little Road Trip to visit my family in Bend, Oregon.

We soaked in all the sunshine we could and enjoyed every minute!

We had such a good time, in fact, that we pretty much wish we didn't have to come home. It was the first time in a looong time we felt like we truly got a break, you know, a breather.

It was nice that Jacob brought his guitar along and busted it out several times...it is always relaxing to know he gets to take a break and strum away (one of his loves) and no one around him complains when he does (guess that means he's not half bad :)

Okay...plan is to post at least a bit about Independence Day (my fave holiday!) with a few pics to come...

Thanks again, Mom & Dad, for hosting us so well and sharing some summer with us!

One Magical Day

I am gonna take these vacay posts one at a time.

First off -

We spent one day at Disney's Magic Kingdom (thanks Mom & Dad!).

To be honest, I wasn't sure how much the kidlets would enjoy our day there, since they are so little, but, as it turns out, they quite enjoyed it. And so did we!

You know you're a grown up/parent when...

You honest to goodness get a thrill from watching your kids enjoy the "kiddie" rides

much much more

than going on any of the more exciting "big kid" rides yourself.

Some of my siblings were nice enough to do "fast passes" for us for some of the more "thrilling" rides at the park.

But honestly, I didn't enjoy those rides all that much. Don't get me wrong, they were fun and I appreciated going on a ride or two with Jacob beside me. BUT.

What I liked most, was letting Sawyer be our guide.

First stop: The Race Car Track!

Aunt Tia let him drive and I annoyed the other drivers by stopping ahead of them to snap a pic of my boy in the drivers' seat.

(too bad you could hardly see his head - he had the biggest smile!)

Daddy and Aspen waited and cheered as we passed by!

We also visited The Enchanted Tiki Room

Pirates of the Carribbean

Big Thunder Mountain

Winnie the Pooh

The Haunted Mansion

Space Mountain

The Mad Tea Party

It's a Small World

and

The Liberty Square Riverboat

The only attraction we didn't get to, but would've liked to, was Tom Sawyer's Island (we did see a lot of it from our ride on the riverboat, however). I wanted to take Sawyer there so he could run around and wrec havoc with a charming grin like his namesake ;-) But he does that most every day, anyway.

Everything got even more magical when it got dark outside.

Cinderella's castle was all lit up and changing colors, and the lights twinkled all around us.

Our favorite rides were these:

Sawyer - The Indy Speedway

Mommy - Pirates of the Carribbean

Daddy & Aspen - It's a Small World

and we all enjoyed the ride on the Steamboat.

I have to add that Aspen was ADORABLE during It's a Small World. She kept pointing at the dolls and saying "eh eh!" She looooved it.

We stayed to watch the fireworks go off over the Castle.

By the time we rode the tram back to our car, both kids were zonked out. Such a busy day for such little people. Who knows if they'll remember it years from now? Hopefully these few pics I snapped will help. I've got to admit, as cheesy sometimes as Disney can be - there really is something magical about that place. I'm not sure if it's really "The Happiest Place on Earth" - seemed to me there were a lot of kids who were overstimulated or intimidated by some of the rides. But it sure made for one fun day. Thanks again, Mom & Dad!

we're back!

We made it home Tuesday from a much-needed, much-appreciated (thanks Mom & Dad!) little vacay in sunny/warm Orlando, Florida. We spent time with my family - yes, everyone minus my youngest sister was there (we missed you Jamie!) FIFTEEN GRANDKIDS now, and counting! We also spent time on the beach, in a boat, and in the pool. Of course who goes to Orlando without also visiting for a day with Mickey Mouse & Co.? Of course, I took some pictures of our adventures! For the most part, I am rarely in pictures since I am generally the one taking them...but as I was uploading the loot to our computer, I found a handful that Jacob took of me and Aspen at Cocoa Beach. I thought I'd post one with me in it for a change. I love it: warm, sandy beach. adorably cute baby. lottsa love and lottsa good times happening right there. (and notice our swimsuits even coordinate -- I am such a dork, I tell ya, always trying to coordinate with my girly!)

Okay, so that's fair warning that you can expect a picture overload at some point in the near future. In between birthday parties, that is! We've got so much celebrating to do! January is going to be anything but glum in our house!

The Twins turn 30!

To celebrate our 30th year, Tia and I decided to take a special trip. Due to my wedding, we were unable to do the trip in January, so we decided to do it for our "half" birthday instead, when the weather is better anyway! We packed our bags and headed to the Northern land of...

Canada! We hopped aboard the Victoria Clipper, a catamaran that journeys through the San Juan Islands and lands in Victoria, British Columbia. Located on Vancouver Island, this little city boasts it's historic ties with England, which still run strong. Of course the Canadian outdoor culture also has a strong presence, as you can see me here with a Canadian Black Bear.

We stayed at the historic James Bay Inn. We enjoyed a huge room and antique furnishings.

Tia especially enjoyed some of the Victorian-era sofas, like this red velvet one in the lobby.

A very walkable city, we set out on foot to have some fun. We hiked around downtown and turned up a few streets until we found signs that led us to this: the Craigdarroch Castle. Over 30,000 square feet, this castle was a great representation of the lifestyles of the wealthy during the Victorian Age. It was filled with original furniture, stained glass, musical instruments, etc. We had a lot of fun exploring the four floors and enjoyed the view from the lookout tower. How fun it would have been to be invited to an "at home" - when the ladies of the house had social hour inclusive of ballroom dancing complete with a card filled out ahead of time letting you know which song and with whom your dance partner would be!

Later that evening, we happened upon a production of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet in a local park square. It was easy to get swept up in the passionate and tragic tale of one of the most famous stories of all time. You know it's great acting when the actors can pull you into the story without any fancy backdrops or props.

After the play, we headed to the Empress Hotel. There, we went to the Bengal Lounge to listen to some live jazz and have some drinks.

This Bengal, displayed above the fireplace mantle, is the namesake of the lounge. Kind of unsettling if you look at him for too long...

But the jazz and the virgin mojitos were awesome! Best of all was the company of my sister. We have soooooo many laughs together!

Also while in Victoria, we visited the Parliament building and had a tour. Did you know the Queen of England still visits and has her own entrance? It is quite a spectacular building and the architecture is quite astounding.

Of course to make our trip to Victoria complete we had to visit the Butchart Gardens, world-renowned flower gardens just outside of Victoria.

Here is Tia in front of the "sunken garden". Below are some of my favorite photos from out visit. It was super-fun for me to take these pictures and enjoy the relaxing and beautiful garden atmosphere...We had a lovely time celebrating the 30 years since we came into this world, together! I love my sister and am so proud of her. I would like to thank her for a wonderful trip to Victoria, and wish her luck and she heads off to graduate school in Boston!