Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

On Sunday night, Emma and Sierra with the help of Grandma Char created these nature napkin holders - leaves and small fall flowers attached to white ringlets wrapped our dinner napkins. The pumpkin is from Sara and John's garden - Thank you for such a beautiful centre-piece. It was a large group for dinner - plus family friends Mike and Megan with their son Logan joined us too. There was plenty of food for leftovers and lunch meals for work tomorrow. Of course we had our selection of pies!! - Garron made a delicious pumpkin pie, plus Poor man's pecan pie; and Shoofly pie.

Definitely have much to be thankful for - the health and safety of my family as well as my friends. I am quite blessed having them all in my life. I look forward to more special times shared together - the laughs, the sharing, the support and encouragement, and the celebrations.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Family Thanksgiving Football Game

Great toss Grandpa Andy!!! - says Emma

Another touchdown made from Grandpa Andy's team - here Solomon is following his Uncle Jon back to their side of the field to start another game.

The last pow-wow before heading back to the house for Thanksgiving dinner - Emma's Uncle Jon giving her some last minute advise as Grandpa Andy and Ren listen it too. Actually Emma had the first touchdown of the game - congratulations Emma!!! I believe it was Grandpa Andy's team that won this year's Thanksgiving Football game (side note - it was a great way for the kids to burn off some energy just before dinner too!!)

Emma, Ethan, Josiah, Garron, Andy and Ren

Garron, Jon J, Journey, Bradley, Ethan, Emma, Ren and Josiah

Ethan, Journey, Josiah, Emma, Ren, Garron, and Bradley

Josiah, Garron, Andy, Ren, Journey, Jon, Ocean, Emma and Ethan

Grandpa Andy's Team!! - Grandpa Andy, Emma, Ren and Jon (Ocean and Solomon joined in later)

Garron's Team - Bradley, Josiah, Ethan, Garron and Journey

Ethan with his cousins Solomon and Journey by the soccer net.

Ocean became the human football - she is being carried by her Uncle Jon down the field

Garron with his children Journey and Solomon - warming them up for the football game

Emma holding her Grandpa Andy's hand, Josiah and Ren (international student staying with Garron and Amy's family) - going to the middle of the field to begin the football game

Time in the backyard

The sun was out, so Char, Emma, Sierra and Sara went down to the field to get their horses Sgt Pepper and Cabarello (sp?) and rode them back to Sara's place in the backyard. The top photo is Bradley, Ocean, Grandma Char and Emma with Sgt Pepper (this is Sierra's pony)

Here is our horsewoman Sierra with her pony Sgt Pepper - riding him bareback too!!

Amanda getting in some cuddle time with Casendra

Solomon taking a break in his car watching all the action around him

Continuing the Family Tradition

When Amanda and I arrived Saturday night, her brother Jon greeted us at the airport and drove us back up to Three Hills. Thanks for the Crispy Crunch bar and my d-d tea Jon - it hit the spot after all that flying Saturday. I stayed at John and Sara's for the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend. Since we left for Florida, our little Casendra has perfecting her crawling - so she was showing me some of her moves Sunday morning. One of the things she found on her crawling adventures was this empty Tim Horton's coffee cup - as you can tell she enjoyed it immensely. Great to gum on as we think she is beginning to teeth too. Welcome to the Tim Horton's gang Casendra!!

Thanks Amanda

Thanks Amanda for a great week in Florida. It was fun and relaxing. We definitely had some great laughs that brought us to tears - like my prouncations of words - great sharing too which was awesome too. I think we made great traveling companions - going with the flow, making sure I took my breaks with driving, and having our toll coins ready to go when we eventually hit the Florida Turnpikes. By having the Florida travel book, it gave us ideas of attractions we would like to do or to stay away from. It was fun to enjoy a few firsts together too - coming to Florida, going on an airboat over the Everglades to name a couple. With all that rain we encountered - that saying you saw - "Turn Around - Don't Drown!!" - couldn't have been truer.

It is funny how on either of our lists of "Places to See" - you would not have found Florida. Well, we now can say we have been, we have seen, and now let's explore somewhere else. Now isn't that an open ended question for us seasoned travellers. That list can be pretty much be endless too.

I look forward to our next travels together - whereever it might lead us too - maybe we can have Ocean join us for a beach trip or your sisters Amy and Sara for a gals only trip!!! The wheels are just a-going of all the possibilities we can take advantage of.

Thank you again Amanda for a great trip and great memories. Love ya!

Our time in Florida

Amanda took this photo of me while going through one of those canals on our boat tour of Winter Park. Hard to believe that tomorrow we will be flying back home to Calgary. What a week it has been. Once you know your north-south-east-west you are pretty much ready to go in the way of driving on the US interstates. We had to do some U-turns, or take the next exit just to turn around to take the proper one - the driving experience for me has been good. Of course, those huge downpours of rain I could have done without (was grateful for those overpasses for cover). No hurricanes hit us while we visited Florida, October is still a part of their "rainy season" so for visiting, November is probably the best time to come exploring. If you come before the US Thanksgiving, it would be quieter and would have more sunny and humid days.

Amanda and I both agree, Orlando is for the kids really - the theme parks, the rides, Disney parks, SeaWorld. Fort Lauderdale was great starting point for things - is about 30-40 minutes from Miami. It takes about 4 hours in each directions to just drive the Keys - so maybe overnight somewhere so you don't feel rushed. Naples would be a nice day trip too - about 2-3 hours west of Ft Lauderdale - the ride is nice especially on I-75 which is easily compariable to the drive from the Manitoba border to Winnipeg - 2 lane divided highway with trees on either side of it. The locals call this stretch Alligator Alley as you drive through the Everglades so the wired fences are quite high to make sure you don't have a gator crossed the highway.

I must see when you stay in Orlando and you are not into rides (like Amanda and I) is the JFK Space Centre. It is definitely worth your $$$. For the two of us, it cost us $121 US for our entry fee, and luncheon with an astronaunt. Even if you are not into space - we found it interesting hearing the background of our astronaunt - Jerry Carr. You can tell he enjoyed what he did and has done throughout his career. The ticket actually serves as a two-day pass. Due to the downpour of rain we couldn't do much of the outdoor things, but we made do. They have a 2-3 hour bus tour to take you further into the Space Centre grounds which we didn't go due to the rain.

Winter Park Boat Tour

Our Confident Captain - seems very knowledgable of the surrounding area. Told us little tidbits along the way.

Spanish Moss - airborne plant - you see this stuff hanging everyway in Florida. It is a harmless plant. Sure would look creepy come Hallowe'en time - no need for the cotton stuff we hang on our trees in Canada. It is a little green in colour and actually mixed in with the darker green leaves - it is a nice contrast of the two colours.

This masion was one of the first houses to be built on Winter Park Lake - it is now a historic building so the owners cannot make any changes to the exterior of the building. Obviously you can't tell by the photo, but on the second floor there is a ballroom - it was quite the social hub in the early days of all the people coming down from the north to get away from the cold snowy weather. The building in the forefront is the boathouse - it looks like you could actually live in the boathouse too!!

This is a privately run College - Rollins College - for a year it would cost you $45,000 US for tuition and boarding!!! If I remember correctly, our driver said that the Girls Rollins Golf Team has been 1st in the state 6 years in a row!!! Fred Rogers and his sister went to this school (you know Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood).

The boat tour (only cost us $10), was a relaxing tour as well as seeing the different architecture of the homes - one home was originally built for NBA Basketball player Horce Grant (played first for the Chicago Bulls then Orlando Magic). His home has a full size basketball court!!! He has since moved and he sold it for a cool $10 millions. Can you imagine having a basketball court inside your house???

Houses in Winter Park

I guess it's wings are nice and dry. This bird seen throughout Florida, and they sit on dock posts like this with their wings spread wide open so they can dry. Who knew that birds like to suntan like us humans!!

I believe this is called Purple Glory. The photo doesn't really do it justice - it was a rich purple colour.

Winter Park Lake is connected with 6 canals - we went up and down 2 of them. With the large amount of rain they have received in the past couple of days, the water levels had risen. So when we had to go under a couple of bridges we literally had to duck or lean sideways in the boat so we wouldn't be decapitated. The breeze sure was nice during the one-hour tour of the Lake.

Last Day in Florida

This is what greeted us each time we headed to the pool. Actually just in front of this mini waterfall was a nice little area where Amanda and I ate our lunch. It was quite cooler and less noise compared to inside the Sports Bar that serviced our lunch buffet.

Well, we were shocked to find this strange car beside ours - It is this gigantic lobster!!! I would definitely find it hard to drive that car - all those blind spots were have we scared that I would crash into someone on the interstate highway.

So if you ever find yourself in Orlando with a craving for lobster - call up this number and you can have all-you-can-eat lobster. Sorry - for me I would have to find something that serves chicken or meat.