Ontario trip, 2010

We made a trek back to Ontario to visit with family and friends. It was a great trip, although seemed to fly by quickly. Everything fell into place fairly well and we made it there in 3.5 days. The first day across NL, the second day on the ferry (5.5 hours...it was a beautiful crossing...smooth and the sun was even shining all the way.) We got off the ferry around 2:30 and then drove to Moncton, NB. The third day took us to Cornwall, Ontario...which only left a few hours to our destination.

Here are some pics...click to enlarge them

Before we left....a boat on the ocean.....




Driving across Newfoundland,



The ferry we took and what it looks like at six in the morning



Boarding the ferry....here we go!



Larry's driving advisor...or has someone in the back seat played a trick on Larry?? ;)



Finally we arrived....first stop dinner:)

My ('little') brother and Jake



My little brother and Tyler



Tyler showing Grandpa and Marilyn (my step mom) his latest cartoon work



Us with Aunt Edna (in the pink) and Aunt Helen




Another day...another restaurant. Brittney and Jake with Uncle Bill.



Jake and Uncle Bill



Jake and Marnum (Marilyn's name in our family coined by Tyler ohhh so many years ago when he could not pronounce "Marilyn". It came out Marnum....and has continued on to this day)



Brittney and Marnum



Brittney getting ready to hit the pool at Uncle Bill's...



Swimming at Uncle Bill and Aunt Angela's house. Beautiful...it was so hot!





We went into Toronto for a day to get chocolate supplies. The traffic...oh my...how soon we'd forgotten...


Contrast that to Newfoundland traffic...


Back at Grandpa and Marnum's apartment. My dad is a Buckley's Man...and seriously...they should put him on the payroll. He tries to convert everyone....and when one of his friends in Florida happened to see this blowup bottle of Buckley's, she had to get it for my Dad. Last Christmas at their Christmas party...she made him sit at the front...where she brought in this big box and had him open it LOL LOL.



Some serious crazy eight card playin'




The next few are at the Mandarin restaurant. We told Tyler we'd take him and a friend out to celebrate his graduation. He opted to wait until we went back to Ontario so he could go the Mandarin (there are none here). He asked his friend Christopher to join us (our families have been friends since the children were very little)













More swimming, at our neighbour's pool (a neighbour where we used to live). Even I went in for a few minutes....Did I mention it was hot??



On to our friend's house for a few days (same friend Tyler took out for lunch).

Brittney, Natasha and Tamara



Colleen and Todd. Thanks, guys for putting up with us for a couple of days!




Christopher, Tyler and Larry playing a little basketball.



Are you watchin' ?


Can't be outdone by those youngins .... don't ya know...
Yahoo, Larry!! ...hole in one!! err...wrong sport...but you get the drift ;)



More swimming...



More basketball...Jake's turn


Campfire time...mmm..marshmallows... JJ (Christopher's older brother) tending the fire.



Don't come any closer....It's mine...grrr...



More visiting...

with Claire and Winnie...Delicious dinner...thanks so much!



and Kathie and Larry, Jacob and Joey..another delicious dinner (or so I heard...it was too late for me to eat, but it sure looked and smelled good ;))





Back to Uncle Bill's and Aunt Angela's.


Grandpa up to no good...waiting for the right moment to sling a cup of ice cold water on the un suspecting swimmers...


One of the things Larry misses is the pizza...so we had a pizza party in the park. We invited some of our cousins...and all enjoyed catching up and eating pizza...

Jake and Lucille (my dad's 1st cousin)



Here..there is our crew, my dad and Marilyn, Lucille and her children...Muriel and Bill and his wife Peggy. Jake rounded up some random person to take a group shot.



On to see Larry's sister, Elaine...



Then...the trying to take a good picture got interesting. I'd get everyone posed and lined up...make sure everyone's face was visible etc., then with a smile on everyone's face ....I'd push the button to snap the picture...and in those two seconds....Jake would make a face...





My CFS and Fibro was really acting up this day...I guess that's one good thing about Jake making the faces...it takes away from how terrible I look



Every.single.time....a face



Finally...a good one...



We stayed mostly at the Holiday Inn Express. My life-long friend Tammie works there...and it was great to catch up with her.
Here she is 'trying' to avoid a picture. Surely...she knows me better than that...I do not give up so easily...


I kept on until she finally posed for one...
She made our stay at the Holiday Inn Express very enjoyable...thanks so much Tammie!



Time to head back already. Going through Montreal...that traffic is worse than Toronto traffic! And....the signs are all in French...Help!!



Brittney's hair do creation on Larry...



We stopped at our friends, Ben and Jodie's house in NB. We stayed here for a night as well. Thanks guys for having us...and putting up with us!

Here our Jake and their Jake are playing the Wii...


Their other son, Jordan, along with a family friend of theirs, Rachel and Tyler Brittney settled into a good game of clue...


Rachel and Jordan were gearing up for VBS and needed a poster made. They got Tyler to draw the characters. These posters were fairly large (I'm guessing about 5' X 3')...he's never done anything so big...great job Tyler!





Ben brought out his guitar...much to Brittney's delight. She is all about the guitar lately...mostly self-taught. She'd been missing hers...so when Ben brought his out...she was beside herself. Jordan joined in.



Larry...showing his age and complaining about the volume of it all ;)



Ben and Jodie, Jordan, Rachel and our crew --- Jake is up to his usal antics...










Their Jake, playing his guitar..




Next, on to Nova Scotia where we stopped at Shirley and Rick's. We met these folks on our very first camping trip to the east...back when Jake was about three.

Rick and Shirley's son, Sandy and his girlfriend Sam


Rick and Shirley along with our crew. I didn't get a pic of Jenna..



After leaving Rick and Shirley's, we headed for the ferry and then home. It was another good crossing and we managed to drive all the way back home, once getting off the ferry. It was a bit unsettling after dark as the moose are a real problem here. Everyone was on moose patrol....and thankfully we made it home without seeing one.

It was a great holiday. Good to see everyone and thanks to all for making it so great.

The only problem with holidays...they come to an end and then it's back to the grind....sigh