Christmas in Canada 2014

First time meeting my new little nephew!  Jesse is one month older than Henry (on the right)!

At Nana and Grandpa's house for presents.  Nana sewed a doll dress for Juliet's doll.

                                                 Making snowflakes with Aunty Ange.

                                               What's a trip to Canada without Timmies?

                                   

What is more fun than hide and go seek with a bunch of cousins?  Hide and go seek using walky talkies!!!

                                    Four new grandkids for my parents this year (all boys!)

                                                             Mike with the babies...

           Can't have Christmas without Josh and Ange's famous eggnog made from scratch...

                         Games, games, and games.  Every year a new one gets pulled out...

Another tradition is going to the Windmill for coffee and pastries...  YUM!  (Check out the sign above Dan's head!)

                                                                This is for Nana D.

                         Jules and Annika checking out the merchandise at the Windmill...

                            Who's cuter?  That's one way of transporting a baby in the cold!

         Leave kids alone long enough in the basement, and this is what happens.  Dress-up!

                                           Icecream with Mom's canned peaches.  Delish!

                        So the kids wanted to do a craft and made one up themselves.  Hurray!

                                                           Now that's a scary lion...

      On Monday we went to the Royal Botanical Gardens where they had an indoor train display.

                         The whole display was made of natural materials.  It was pretty neat!

                                                   Recognize the parliament building?

                                                             Henry (a.k.a "Pudd")

                               You can't have a trip to Canada without iceskating, can you?

                                                                        Game night!

                                   Time for goodbye's in the early morning.  Sniff!  Jules had such a great time with all of her cousins!

                                               A sunrise on the QEW as we left for home.

Cuddle Time!

Every night before Jules goes to sleep, it's cuddle time with Henry.  I love how they both seem to enjoy spending time with each other!  

Trip to Lancaster, PA!

In May we visited Lancaster, PA, for two nights.  We had such a great time visiting with my Mom and Dad, Irene, Scott and Lora and kids!  The weather was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed shopping, playing mini-golf, and visiting the various sites.  Here are a few pictures:

                              The inside of our room at the Best Western, in Intercourse, PA.

 On the night we arrived at the hotel, we took over the outdoor patio and celebrated various birthdays.  What's a trip without our coffee time and a good excuse to eat cake and other yummy sweets?  Mike always laughs at how our vacations revolve around coffee and sweets...

                   Outside of the hotel.  We really enjoyed staying here and would do it again!

                                                              Jules and I at breakfast.

                                                         Lora and Scott and the gang....

                                                                 Mom, Dad and Irene.

                                     Jules ready to take Annika shopping at the local stores.

                                                              Yep, that's a real cow!

 One night a bunch of us spent three hours visiting some local Amish farms and businesses (part of something called "The Amish Experience").  Here is Irene and Jules at a dairy farm.

                                         At the dairy farm we saw this garden.  Cute idea!  

                        Waiting for Mike to finish buying my mother's day gift at the quilt shop.

 Group shot outside of the hotel's restaurant.  I confess to looking forward to breakfast every morning and ordering my oatmeal...

 Waiting for our buggy ride.  You can't go to Amish country without taking a buggy ride, right?

                                                                 Inside the buggy.

 Taylor, Jules and Jeremy squished in the front with the driver.  Even Pammy, Juliet's beloved penguin, is wearing a bonnet!

                                                Icecream at Lapp's Farm.  Delicious!

Jules and Jeremy riding the pony at the train restaurant we ate at.  

Juliet's 6th Birthday Party!

In May we celebrated Juliet's 6th birthday!  We are so grateful to God for giving us our little girl who constantly keeps us on our toes!  What started off as a small celebration at home with me, Mike and Jules slowly morphed over the days into an extended family party and finally a party with the girls in her class at school!  So, is this the American way of going over-board?  Nah!  After all, birthdays come only once in a year, right?
                                                  Jule's Birthday Celebration at Home (with Mom and Dad)

                                        Checking out the presents on the living room floor...

                                                        Fairy wings for dress-up...

                                              Trying out the new sleeping bag she got...

                                                            Well, what do you think?

        Mike putting up her new tent.  This was the number one item she wanted for her birthday.

Ready for a night out in her tent!!!  (I don't actually think that will happen for quite awhile yet).

                                                        Juliet's Family Birthday Party

  On the day of Juliet's family birthday party Jules got to go out and pick out a balloon from Party City with Dad.  This years was pink with a bunch of princesses on it.  A rather ridiculous looking thing, but the kind of balloon a 6 year old picks, I think.

Mike lighting the candles...  The weather was cooperating at this point, but I've realized that birthdays in May are always tricky, weather-wise.

                                  With her two birthday cakes.  Pink frosting was a MUST!

                                                                   The girl cousins...

                                                Looking for candy during the candy hunt...
                                      Juliet's Birthday Party with her Friends from School

 And finally, Juliet's class party.  Juliet wanted to have a "Princess Party" so here she is in what she considered her most beautiful princess dress.  Along with a blue blanket to use as a cape, she was set!  Here she is eagerly watching the clock on the stove waiting for the time to change to 10:00 - the time we expected her guests to arrive!

                                                          It's a heart cake this time!

                 With the girls sitting around the dining room table eating cake and drinking lemonade...

                                                 That's enough parties to last till next year....