On the road

We were up at 3:00 a.m.  Last minute house cleaning was needed. Ralph vacuumed the bedrooms and bathroom while I cleaned both rooms to get ready for Sandra to move in.  We would have done it the day before, but it was a late night.  After going to Dad's memorial service, we were both required to finish off last minute things from work.  Ralph went to bed at 11:30 and I followed at 12:30. I was too wound up so I watched a bit of tv while enjoying a small glass of wine.

At 3:00 Ralph woke me up to get things ready for 4:00 as this is the time that John and Grace were coming .  We were all packed and on the road by 4:20ish and made good progress towards our final goal of Deltona, Florida.

The weather wasn't the greatest and we experienced bands of snow which reduced visibility to almost nothing.  Then things cleared up and it was smooth sailing.  An hour later, we had the bands of snow again.  We arrived in Statesville, North Carolina at around 4:30 and enjoyed a relaxing evening at Risto which was a really nice local restaurant.  It was a really nice beginning to our vacation.  We kept in contact with Teresa along the way and look forward to seeing them on Saturday.

A visit with the family

The girls wearing a new sweater that they received from our neighbours for Christmas.

Hailey is our glitter queen.  If it sparkles - she loves it!

Getting ready for the new arrival.

Whose belly is larger?

Papa looks over Jordan's homework.  Oui, ces tres bien!

We spent an enjoyable day today with Laura and Jay and the girls.  It was fun being with them and spending some time together.  It's been almost a month since we have seen each other.  Laura is blossoming as the baby grows within her.  The girls are so excited to have a new baby coming into their lives.  All around it was a nice day.  Laura is managing her gestational diabetes quite well.  She is now on insulin and is learning about the challenges associated with controlling her sugar levels. 

La Belle Province

I have been spending the last couple of days in Dorval, Quebec. Like Toronto, they have been having some pretty cold weather. This morning it was -26c. When you stepped outside, your inside of your nose froze and your footsteps squeaked. I love that sound. You could feel the air going into your lungs. Your breathing was shallower because you just couldn't bring the air in deeply. It was amazing and exilerating. I love winter. My colleague took these pictures on his way to work and shared them with me. The river is right behind our building (about 1 klm) and you could see the mist rise off of it all day. It's very beautiful.

Such beauty

See how beautiful the flower is. Thankfully Ralph sent me a picture so that I can enjoy it here in Montreal. The weather here is very cold...-20c. You can feel your nose freeze the minute you step outside. It's kind of exilerating. I haven't felt this in a long time. I really do enjoy winter - especially when the air is so crisp like it is today.

Amaryllis

It's always this way! As soon as I leave for a period of time, my flowers start to bloom and I miss the best part. Ralph has promised to take pictures and send them to me this week as he enjoys our Amaryllis that we have been patiently waiting to bloom since November. It's going to be beautiful.

A visit with Dad

It's Sunday afternoon and our day for visiting with Ralph's Dad. He was in good spirits when we got there and we enjoyed our coffee and cake while sharinng news of what happened through the week. It's always nice to see Dad in this mood. He talked about his visit yesterday with Fred and Anna and how much he enjoys the time that we all spend together.

Way to go Erik!

On Saturday Ralph and I had an opportunity to see Erik swim. He did really well placing 2nd in the 200 IM. It was really nice to see him swim. We always enjoy going to these meets and look forward to seeing him swim again soon.

Amazing Winter Weather

It's January 13 and the temperature hit 61F or 16C. You didn't need a jacket today at all. The morning started off with rain but as the day progressed the weather got nicer and nice. As we looked out at the back yard we saw our fish swimming at the surface of the pond. At one point I thought the fish we dead, but when I walked up to the pond they scurried away. They were simply floating at the top enjoying the beautiful weather. I'm sure this weather won't last, but it sure was a nice day.

The challenge

On Saturday evening, we enjoyed a nice dinner all together. The purpose was the talk about our upcoming trip and find closure for any issues that might still be outstanding. In anticipation of the drive down and knowing that we would be limited for space, John provide Ralph and I both with boxes that we were able to fill for our clothing. It was very funny. My box is the smaller one. What a challenge! Can I fit my clothes into this box?

So, I took the box and looked at my clothes. It meant I needed to take a different approach to what I would wear. I was up to the challenge. I packed 3 skirts, 2 capris, 1 pair of pants (I will wear the 2nd pair), 3 golf shells, 1 sweater, 1 dress, 1 bathing suit, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, 1 sweater and dressy tank top set and 3 tee shirts. They are all mix and match and I should be able to get enough wear out of them for the vacation. I assume that I will most like buy 1 or 2 tee shirts while down in Florida. I knew I could do it!!