Life Is Moving On...

I'm still reeling from my accident. I'm having a hard time with the fact that it was a Peace Officer who hit me and the fact that my tax dollars go towards paying a person like this to keep our roads safe. I called the RCMP last week to see how the investigation was going but they hadn't assigned the file to an officer. I am hoping to hear from them this week but I'm sure I'll have to be the one to call and ask what's happening. I also mentioned that when the accident occured the RCMP didn't attend because we didn't need an ambulance. I said that I understand policy and proceedures but this was a HIGHWAY collision, I expected more out of my tax dollars. The Sergent I spoke with said he will look into it and see if something else was going on that day at that time and the Officers might have just been too busy to attend. I'm still waiting to hear back from him... But as with everything, life goes on.

It was becoming a chore with the Jeep. I love the Jeep. It looks cool, it's fun to drive and it has a backseat so I could put the kids carseats in it and I'm greatful for that. But it's not a family vehicle. We bought it as a second vehicle. Groceries with the kids was a chore, I had to be careful of how much stuff I bought because it might not all fit in the Jeep. I received a comment from a guy in the parking lot at Safeway saying "that looks like the clown mobile!". I was so close to saying "I had a perfectly good vehicle until a Peace Officer hit me on the highway". But instead I just smiled at him and squished into the Jeep with kids, groceries and coffee from Starbucks.

The insurance company has indeed written the Mitsubishi off. I'm not sure how much we'll get for it though, it's still in the analyzing process. It's kind of tricky because they only made that particular model in Canada for a year and ours actually came from the States. The process is taking longer than I would have expected. But we went ahead and bought another vehicle. We picked it up yesterday afternoon. It's ..... dun-dun-dunnnn..... A 2006 Cadillac Escalade!!!!

Who would have thought we'd ever own a Cadillac?? It kind of feels like when I purchased my Manolo Blahniks for Jocelyne's wedding, it's just not like me. But the Cadillac was in good condition and a fair price so we grabbed at it. A guy from Jeff's work was thinking about selling it and it just happened that we needed to buy something right away so it worked out. It's a 2006 with 75000Kms so it should last us for awhile and the best part is that I can fit extra kids in there and it will easily pull our trailer. I'm not crazy about the color, it's kind of a green/blue color. But whatever, that's minor. It's fully loaded with everything you could imagine and more. Greta loves it because it has the DVD screens built into the headrests. We still haven't figured out all the buttons and switches and I'm not sure we ever will but that's ok. When I get a chance I'll take a picture and post it!

They Are Supposed To Keep Our Roads Safe...

I spent some time in Edmonton earlier this week. It was a ME trip. Dedicated to doing things I wanted to do and not catering to anyone else. As a mom we sometimes need these little getaways to freshen our outlook on our parenting skills and to keep the motivation going when dealing with our children and household chores. It was awesome to get away, I recommend it to all the parents out there.

However, my awesome trip ended horribly in a vehicle collision with a Peace Officer. What's a Peace Officer?? Well, a Peace officer is a person who works to uphold and enforce certain laws and regulations in Alberta. A Peace Officer is given limited powers and authority under the current Alberta Peace Officer’s Act. They are not to be confused with Police Officers who have a wider range of authority. This guy’s official title is Alberta Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Peace Officer. He’s kind of a bylaw officer for semi's and transport trucks. He pulls semi's over to inspect them to make sure they are safe for our roadways and makes sure truck drivers have valid paperwork on them and that their rigs are maintained well.

Wednesday afternoon I was driving from Edmonton to Fort McMurray on HWY 2. About 40Kms from Athabasca a Peace Officer was parked on the shoulder with his red and blue lights flashing. There was a semi and a minivan in front of me. We all slowed down. They pass by the Peace Officer with no problems. I'm going about 60km/h and was veering to the opposite lane and about to go around him. He all of a sudden throws the truck in reverse, turns the wheel and hammers on the gas. He was trying to turn around to go the opposite direction. The back of his truck hit the passenger side of the Mitsubishi. I immediately slammed on the breaks, I can feel glass hitting the back of my head and feel my duffle bag and shopping bags pressing against the back of my seat. I end up finally stopping in the opposite lane and realize oncoming traffic is going to be coming soon. So I move over to the lane I'm supposed to be in. Then realize I can't really stay there so I pull off to the shoulder. I notice the time is 2:43 p.m.

I’m shaking and feel like I’m going to throw up, all the while thinking: “Thank God I’m by myself, Thank God the kids aren’t with me”. I get out and see the Peace Officer parked on the shoulder in the south bound lane facing south. I go around to the side of my car that was hit and check out the damage. The window is blown out, the tail light had exploded and what was left of it was hanging by the wires. The entire rear side wheel well is crushed inward and the door that we usually get Greta in and out of is dented. I proceed to the rear of the car and stand by the hatch to wait for the Peace Officer to come see if I’m OK. At this point he is still in his truck. After a few seconds he gets out and goes immediately to the back of his truck to check out his damage. I’m still standing on the side of the road waiting for him to make his way over to me and when he finally does he’s older than I expect. He looks like he’s close 60. I was expecting some young know it all, not a guy who looked well experienced and should have known better. He picks up the broken pieces of my Mitsubishi lying on the road as he crosses it because, I guess, it’s not that important to see if I’m OK. Unbelievable.

He finally makes his way over and says “I turned my lights on but I guess you didn’t see them”. I was blown away. I said “Yes I saw them, that’s why I slowed down to 60km/h like you are supposed to when passing a parked vehicle on the highway. What were you doing?” He said he was trying to turn around and I mentioned that there are safer ways to turn around on a highway. We were on a bit of a decline, not really a hill but sort of down slope in the road. He says he’s going to pull his truck around to come behind my vehicle so people will see me and more accidents will not occur. Me being me, I said “Fine, do it safely this time”.

He pulled his truck around, parked on the shoulder behind the Mitsubishi and sat in the drivers seat talking on his phone. I’m still outside in 30 degree heat while he’s inside his truck with the engine running and the AC going. Nice. I grab my cell phone and call Jeff. I’m shaken up still and as soon as he answers I break down and tell him I’ve been in an accident. He’s worried that I’m hurt but I assure him I’m fine but the car is destroyed. I ask him what I should do, the car is still drivable but with the missing tail light he’s worried I’ll get a ticket or something. Plus with no window and all that glass flying around back there it would suck. We discuss getting it towed but where do we tow it?? To Athabasca (30 minutes up the highway) or to Fort McMurray (3.5 hours away)? While I’m on the phone with Jeff the Peace Officer decides to finally get out of his truck and come talk to me.

The Peace Officer says that he’s been on the phone with his boss and the boss is putting a call into the RCMP. But the RCMP don’t usually respond to a collision unless an ambulance is needed. Since it was an Alberta Government vehicle that hit me the boss was really trying to get them to come. I let him know that I have two kids waiting for me at home, my daughter starts Kindergarten tomorrow. I need to get home. He said he’ll call his boss again and goes to his truck. I have a sinking feeling that he’s not going to help me get home. We wait and I call my dad who was in Edmonton at the time. I leave a message on his cell phone but he calls me back right away and says he’ll be on his way. At this point I’m think if Dad can get me back to Edmonton I can take a bus or something to make it home in time for Greta’s first day of school.

A little while later the Peace Officer says that his boss said the RCMP will not be attending. I ask him how am I supposed to get home? What happens to my vehicle? He said he can’t answer those questions, he doesn’t know. I say “you’re a Peace Officer and you caused me these problems, I think you should be working harder at helping me get out of this situation.” He says nothing and goes back to his truck. He comes out a few minutes later and tells me that like any other collision that happens it is the owners of the vehicles responsibility to take care of themselves and their vehicle. Nice. The Peace Officer hit me, wrecked my vehicle and was now going to leave me stranded on the highway three and a half hours away from home. What happened to the Good Samaritan Act!?!?! I was furious. He also said that the boss is on his way to take pictures. I tell him again that my daughter starts kindergarten tomorrow and I need to get home. I ask him if I drive my vehicle damaged like this will I get a ticket. He says something about the axle being damaged and I tell him the car is already fucked, I’m not worried about the axle. He says nothing and goes back to his truck.

A little while later the Peace Officer gets out of his nice air conditioned truck and starts trying to talk to me. He tells me that he’s doing his best to make sure he follows the correct procedures in this situation. I guess because he’s already REALLY messed up he’s making sure he doesn’t screw anything else up. At one point he tells me he’s “going to be 100% honest in his report to the RCMP”. I tell him that he’s not doing me any favors by telling the truth, if he isn’t 100% honest it will be 10 times worse for him. I think he was scared of me or something because every time he tried to talk to me I’d have some snooty remark for him. I was just so furious I couldn’t help it. I mean, a man of law dangerously and illegally turned around on the highway and hit me and was now not helping me get home.

He hands me a clip board and a piece of paper and says we need to exchange information. As I’m writing out my stuff Jeff calls my cell phone and says he’s called Jean our insurance lady and she said to make sure I get his insurance company’s name and policy number. He said she also said to get to towed to Athabasca. Jeff then tells me that he’ll pack up the kids in the Jeep and come get me. I didn’t like that idea. It was really hot out and the Jeep doesn’t have air conditioning or a roof, it only has the soft top on it and I’m worried about the kids being on the highway like that. He said he’s been trying to get a hold of my mom at work so she can come babysit the kids while he comes to get me but she wasn’t answering her phones. He left messages for her though so I was hoping she’d call him back soon so I would know if someone was coming for me.

I go over to the Peace Officer’s truck to give him my information and ask for his. I look at it and realize he didn’t write down an insurance company or a policy number. I ask him for it. He looks through a binder of papers he had and finds a little slip that says his insurer is Alberta Government Risk Management Insurance Investigation Division and a phone number. He says I can call and ask if they have a policy number. I tell him he should call. So he calls someone who tells him that the Alberta Government doesn’t have policy numbers. Fine. I call Jeff back to give him the info so he can call Jean, our insurance lady, so she can open a claim up right away. As I’m talking with him my sister just happens to drive by. She was in Edmonton for the day and was on her way home to Fort McMurray. Thank God!! Of course she will give me a ride. I tell Jeff that Nicole is here and she’ll wait for me to give me a ride home. I get off the phone with Jeff and load some of my stuff into her car and send her and her boyfriend Steve on to Athabasca to wait for me. I knew Dad was on his way and I didn’t feel the need to have them sitting on the side of the road too. It was getting busy and traffic was getting backed up a little as they were trying to get around us so I sent them along.

Turned out the Peace Officer’s boss was not on his way to the accident scene but some other Peace Officer was. He looked younger than me. He took a crap load of pictures of the Mitsubishi, the highway and of the Peace Officer’s truck. He didn’t say a word to me, didn’t ask if I was ok, didn’t ask if I needed any water or anything (since it was plus 30 out and scorching sun), didn’t ask if I wanted to sit in his nice air conditioned vehicle to cool off since I was obviously over heated. Nothing. Neither “Peace Officer” helped me in any way.

I tell the Peace Officer that I’m tired of waiting and to give me a phone number for a towing company. He hums and has and then finally calls someone to look up a number for me. In the mean time my sister calls me to let me know of a company and gives me the number. I call and ask for a tow truck.

As the young Peace Officer was taking pictures, my Dad arrived at around 4:30 p.m.. I felt a little better once he got there, not so alone or stranded on the side of the highway. I told him that a tow truck was on its way and should be here soon. It was coming from Athabasca so it would take at least 60 minutes, probably longer, as the drivers were busy. So we wait. Eventually the tow truck gets there and the Peace Officer immediately walks over to the tow truck driver and asks if he will tow Government vehicles. He was having trouble finding a company that will tow him (he had a broken tail light and was advised to not drive it due to safety reasons. Now he’s worried about being safe.). The tow truck driver says they will tow his truck and they start chatting about it. Again blown away buy this guys manners I butt in and say “now you’re stealing my tow truck!?!?!” He started to back peddle and says “oh no, do what you need to do for her first, I can wait.” By this time I’d been on the side of the highway in 30 degree heat with scorching sun for over 3 hours. I wanted to go home. The tow truck driver said their was another tow truck on the way and would be here shortly. He starts hooking up my vehicle. My Dad and I wait around for a little while but eventually tell the tow truck driver that we’ll meet him in Athabasca at his office. My cell phone is a pay as you go phone and I was running out of minutes. I wanted to get more before I got on the highway with Nicole and Steve so I could call Jeff and let him know what was happening.

We head into Athabasca and stop at the store so I can get a phone card. We proceed to the towing company’s office to meet the tow truck driver. I wasn’t sure if and how much I had to pay him. Once we met up though he said since it’s going through insurance I didn’t have to pay. He gave me their business card with their info so I could get the insurance company to call them. My Dad and I make our way to the RCMP detachment to meet up with Nicole and so I can submit my report. By the time we got there though it was 7:00 p.m. and they were closed. I’d have to wait until the next day and do it in Fort McMurray. We said good bye to my Dad and headed out on the highway. Nicole and Steve dropped me off at home around 10pm that night. It felt like such a long day. My back was sore and I had a headache but I was so glad to be home. The kids were already in bed but I snuck into their rooms and watched them sleep for a little while. Again the gratefulness of them not being with me earlier overwhelmed me. I can’t help but think about how much worse it could have been.

I’m annoyed that this accident happened in the first place but the fact that it was a Peace Officer who was the cause infuriates me. These people are supposed to be setting an example for the rest of society. The sad thing is that they all do it. RCMP, By-law, Peace Officers… They all try to be cool and do dangerous and illegal driving procedures all the time. Many times I’ve seen them flash their red and blues at intersections because they feel they don’t have to wait for the light to turn green like the rest of us on the road. In my report to the RCMP I’ve asked for an investigation into the accident and for subsequent charges to be laid. I probably won’t hear anything until next week though. I’m also curious as to what’s going to happen to the Mitsubishi. I figured it’s be a write off, no questions. It’s now at an autobody shop here in McMurray waiting for an insurance adjuster to have a look at it. Jeff went up there to have a look at it and ended up talking with one of the employees there. They said it might not be written off, it depends on how much they figure the vehicle to be worth. It can be fixed, they’ll cut out the bad side and weld a new side on. And then replace the door and window. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the insurance company says.

Camping

I love camping. I love that my family loves camping. Something about being away from the T.V. and computer and pretty much all communication from everyone except who you want to be in communication with that envigorates me. It revives me. The fresh air is amazing for my mental health, I just feel good while I'm camping. I love the special camping snacks we have and the meals cooked over the fire in our dutch oven.

Jeff and I used to camp alot when we were dating. He used to work in Hinton, AB so I used to meet him there (from Edmonton) and we'd head on to camp in the mountains in Jasper National Park. One summer we did a tour of the mountains. We took a week and started in Banff and made our way to Jasper. Our little orange tent served us well.

Then we had Greta. Our little orange tent wasn't big enough for the three of us, so the summer she turned one we bought the big red tent. Tenting with a baby wasn't as easy as tenting with just the two of us. We needed a lot more gear. So we only went once a summer until this year.

In May we bought a tent trailer. I had wanted one since before Greta was born and after last year's trip Jeff said he wasn't keen on sleeping on an air matress on the ground any more. FINALLY!!! So we purchased a 10 foot tent trailer. The top pops up and the bed slide out. It has a king bed on one side and a double bed on the other. It has a table, a sink, a fridge, a two burner stove, a furnace and a hot water heater with an outdoor showerhead. I am in love with it! It's perfect for us.

I look forward to so many more camping adventures with the kids. I can't wait!

Depressing Recession

Thinking back on our vacation to Ontario and Quebec I realize how lucky we are to be living in Alberta. Especially Northern Alberta. I know I've always been a little sheltered growing up and living in Fort McMurray (the Fort McMurray Bubble as Jeff calls it) but it really was kind of depressing touring around Ottawa and the Laurentiens. My Aunt was surprised when we didn't have to wait for a table at the resturant in Mont Tremblant and kept mentioning how non busy it was there. I guess usually they have line ups for everything but when we were there it was nice not to have to wait for anything. I quiet liked it while I was there, but thinking back it was quiet depressing. Such beautiful scenary, and activities for kids but not too many people enjoying it. I guess I'd rather live a five hour drive away from "civilization" (as my relatives seem to think) than have so much to do around me but no money to do it.

Ottawa/Quebec Vacation

We spent 5 nights in Ottawa for my Grandpa's 80th birthday party and then another 5 nights in Quebec at my grandparents home and touring around the Laurentiens a little. The kids were great! It was our first real vacation as a family and the kids first time on an airplane (such sheltered children, I know.) I was actually surprised how well they did. We had some pretty late nights and not a lot of rest between activities but they handled it well. I think it helped that in Ottawa we stayed at a hotel with a 1 bedroom suite and had a chance to grab little rests when we could. We stayed at the Minto Suite Hotel in downtown Ottawa and had an amazing view of the Ottawa River. I was really impressed with the room we got. It had a full kitchen and two bathrooms. Along with living room/dinning room, bedroom AND a washer and dryer in the suite. We were pretty comfortable there.

The day of my Grandpa's party we had a family photo shoot before the party began. Trying to get 25 people to cooperate for a family photo was not as impossible as I thought it was going to be. The hard part was doing the individual family's photo's. Like my Dad and his family, then his siblings and their families... And because I have the only great grandchildren it was a little confusing as to who was in what picture. Luckily my Aunt Mary had a gigantic list of who was to be in which shot so once she arrived to "organize" us it went a whole lot smoother. The photographer was still shooting away with his camera as the guests started to arrive for the party. He got some wonderful shots of my grandpa and his friends. Apparently we are all getting the pictures on a cd so I can't wait to see them.

11 Grandchildren and 2 Great Grandchildren

The party itself was a good time had by all. It was held at my Aunt Jane's house and we probably had about 40 people there including the 25 of us. She had rented an outdoor tent, some tables and chairs and had it catered with dishes and cutlery included. The weather cooperated for the most part. We did have a little rain but it cleared up before dinner was served. My Grandpa is really into geneology, he's researched our family history back to the 1600's. So to honor him, my cousin Heather made a fabulous card for him. It was a family tree with all of our pictures inside and we all signed under our picture. I think he really appreciated that. He gave a small speech about how thankful he was everyone could make it and that he was a little overwhelmed by the attention. Well Grandpa, you've come a long way in life and you deserve it! Happy Birthday!!!

The card my cousin Heather made

After all the guests left and it was just family again my Aunt Charolette organized a game of "Ross Trivia". She asked questions such as what is Grandpa's real name... where was Grandpa born... The winner was to take Grandpa to Tim Horton's and treat him to coffee and his favourite donut (which was one of the questions in Ross Trivia). It was a good laugh and I think Grandpa liked it. Charolette didn't have the answers so we were relying on Grandpa to tell us if we were right or not. I didn't win but the next morning we stopped for a coffee at Tim's on our way to meet everyone for Brunch so we picked him up a Maple Cream donut (we discovered it was his favourite during the trivia). Extra brownie points for me!

Grandpa and his Maple Cream Donut

While in Ottawa we took the kids to this neat little place called Saunder's Farm. It was a kids paradise I tell ya! Tons of stuff to do. It sort of reminded me of The Little People's Roloff Farm. They had giant tree houses to climb and other wooden play structures to play on. The had a wagon ride pulled by a tractor through a "spooky town". They had a small sprinkler park and a bunch of different mazes to explore through. It was fun. The kids kind of lost steam by the time we got to the mazes so we only did three out of the eleven mazes they had. But it was still cool.

One of the mazes at Saunder's Farm

We also made it to to Tubes and Jujubes which was across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec. It was like the ball pits and slides part of Galaxy Land in West Edmonton Mall, except WAAYY better. Greta and I had looked at their website for a couple of months before we left so their was no way we could get out of going. They had a YMCA daycamp there that day so it was a little busy. Greta was fine with all the kids but Carmen got pushed around a little climbing up some of the structures to the slides. The toddler area was really more for babies so she didn't last long there, so off to the big kid slides we went. She was fine for the most part and Greta was a great big sister by helping to ensure no over eager kids trampled over her little sister. Over all they had fun. On the way back to the hotel we stoped at McDonald's and I placed my order with an employee who assured he could understand english. We did pretty well communitcating with each other but in the end we ended up with an extra Happy Meal. Oh well, the extra toy kept the kids busy.

After the festivites of the family functions and the big birthday parties we headed to my Grandparents house on Lac Sir John in Lachute, Quebec. One of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed. I just love it there. My Grandpa started building that house in 1965 and it took him four years to complete. He did everything. Inside and out. The detail in this house is amazing. he even made the toilet paper holders! The view of the lake is so peaceful and the water is crystal clear. It's a fairly small lake and the association doesn't allow big motor boats or speed boats. The biggest boat we saw on the lake was a row boat with an electric motor on it. But that's a good thing, it keeps the water clean. It's probably cleaner that Fort McMurray tap water LOL.

My Grandparents home

Although we didn't have the greatest weather while we were there it was still a nice visit. Gramma and Grandpa babysat for us while we went into town to the weekly farmer's market. We browsed around and some unique antiques and furniture but quickly realised how depressing that was since we couldn't bring anything home. We hit the fruit and vegetable stand on our way out and picked up some strawberries, raspberries, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans. AND it only cost $12. In Fort McMurray that probably would have cost at least $40!!


Jeff and I took the kids to Village du Pere Noel (for my english only readers... Santa's Village!) They had a blast. It's about an hour's drive from my Grandparents house and well worth it. They had all sorts of climbing structures and rides. They had little mini paddle boats in a pool, they had a zip line set up and mini go cart tracks. A petting zoo and pony ride were a must to do and also meeting the big guy himself, Santa Clause. The kids were so tired by the end of that outing they both slept the entire time back to Lachute.

In Santa's Sleigh at Village du Pere Noel

While in Quebec we also took a day trip to Mont Tremblant. It's only an hour and a half away from my grandparents house so we took the opportunity to go. It's such a neat place. Very touristy though. But, again, well worth the drive (even though Carmen threw up in the car on our way there and we had to scury to buy her some clothes once we arrived, but that's another story!). The village of Tremblant is based on Whistler, B.C. It's like a mini Whistler actually. The same people built both villages. They had a mini gondola that went through the village so you could get a birds eye view and then a bigger gondola that went up Mont Tremblant. Once up on the mountain you could climb up a look out tower and the view was really cool. Not quiet the rocky mountains but still pretty amazing. It was a nice outing.

Village of Mont Tremblant

Our last day at my Grandparents was spent relaxing around the house. We made a short trip into the town of Lachute to hit the Dollor Store for some treasures for the plane ride home the next day. We had some spare time so we decided to take the kids on their first fishing excrusion in the row boat which turned out to be not a great idea. The boat didn't have an anchor so we kept drifting into shore and would have to row out again, the kids fishing rods were kind of in the way of the ores so that was short lived. We ended up fishing off the dock and everyone was much more pleasant about that. No one caught any fish but Carmen did have her bait stolen and she was super excited about that. Aside from we worrying about the kids falling off the dock into deep, deep water everyone had a good time.

Our Little Fisher Girl

The flight home was uneventful and we even made it into Fort McMurray a half hour ahead of schedule. A perfect ending to a great trip!

Anniversary!!!

So today is Jeff and I's 6th wedding anniversary. Can't believe it's been six years. Happy Anniversary!!

Been Awhile

Ok, so it been almost a year since I last blogged. It's been hard to find the time to sit down and type out my thoughts and the happenings of our lives. I also went throught a self concious period where I thought "I'm a horrible writter, why would anyone read what I write??" But I guess it's time to get over it. A lot of our family used to read my blog and I get comments once in awhile about how haven't posted any stories about the kids or the regular day to day stuff we do.



So here goes... a fresh start...



Greta will be five years old at the end of August, FIVE YEARS OLD!!! Can you belive it?? I can't. I'm still having trouble with the thought of a kindergartener. She'll be attending French Immersion Kindergarten at Ecole Dickensfield in the fall. In April we went to the open house to see the classroom and meet the teachers. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the classroom. Her preschool classroom was literally triple the size of this one and had windows. But its only one school year in that room and then she moves on to other classrooms. AND the teachers were really nice. It was a tough decision to put her into french immersion but in the end we decided that it can't hurt, we can always switch her for grade one if we feel it isn't for her or us. Deep down though, I'm hoping the challenge will be good for all of us.



Recently Greta and my mom went on a road trip to Edmonton for two nights. Greta LOVED it and has not stopped talking about her trip. They went to Chuck E Cheese and Toys R US. They went to West Edmonton Mall and ate cinnamon buns. They had a blast and I'm so greatfull Greta was comfortable enough to spend that time with Gramma Lucy. THANKS GRAMMA LUCY!!! Next time it's Carmen's turn, she's been talking about it since Greta got back LOL.



Carmen is two and a half, she'll be three in December. Hard to believe that as well. She is such a character. She loves to do everything her big sister does but also has a mind of her own and knows when she's being bullied into something. I love watching the two of them play. Carmen is no where near being potty trained and it seems like she is following in her big sister's footsteps with that issue altogether. Carmen has no interest in peeing on the potty, she fights it when you suggest it. And she'll always bring you a fresh diaper when she needs to be changed. I'm not pushing the matter until after our summer vacation though. We'll leave it for a few more weeks and tackle that matter when we get home from Ottawa and Lachute.



Speaking of summer vacation... next week we are headed to Ottawa for my Grandpa's 80th Birthday party! We'll spend about 5 days in Ottawa and then head to Lachute, Quebec for another 5 days. I'm excited to see family I haven't seen since our wedding in 2003 and I'm excited to show off my girls! I can't wait for everyone to meet them. We have lots planned while we are away. I want to do some activities we wouldn't normally get the chance to do here in McMurray. Jeff and I plan to take the kids to Tubes and Jujubes (a gigantic indoor playground with a CANDY STORE attached) and to Saunders Farm where they have a bunch of mazes and some other kid friendly activities. Once we get to Lachute where my grandparents live I can't wait to head to Santa's Village where it's Christmas all year round and to take those momentous photo's of my kids around the area where I spent some of my summers as a kid. My Grandparents live on this beautiful lake in the Laurentiens where the sun always seems to shine but it's never too hot. The rain only happens at night when we're sleeping and the water on the lake is always calm. I love it at my grandparents house, and I hope my girls will too.



We leave on Wednesday and I'm so anxious to "just get there". I'm not sure how the kids will handle and airports and the traveling. This is really our first family vacation. It'll be good that my sister and her boyfriend and my parents will all be there as well. At least they will have some familiar faces around them.