July 14

Before one makes a life changing trip there are some memory lanes to drive down first… more about the trip later but first the trip down memory lane…

Cousin Veronika has moved back to a town that is dear to both of our hearts… her parents live there and it is also where the house my grandparents owned is. So of course we had to walk over there to see it. It was NOT fenced when Grandma and Grandpa lived there.  I remember rolling down the hill almost into traffic at times… hollyhocks in the front in front of the large window (now gone)… but the bushes by the stairs were there when we were! That garage was Grandpa’s shop for wood working and the back yard housed apple trees and a deck we used to sit on… I remember the pop and beer fridge in the garage, the basement with its GIANT freezer… 

I played in that backyard

Note the bushes

On the walk to the house we stopped where there USED to be a park I would play at with my cousins. Now all that is left is the climbing gym. 

I remember climbing that

At the outdoor pool there is a splash park and these gym equipment. So of course our monkeys had to try them out!

Hmm not exactly how they were intended to be used?

Past the house was the small park so of course we spent some time there playing before heading off on the final leg of our adventure…

Bouncing

Sliding

Ice cream at the dollar store! 

So yummy

Sharing

Oh and during all of this… exciting news… Veronika and Adam have chosen a wedding date and yours truly is the maid of honour! So we had to start thinking plans… In fact I am to spend a month in town with her before the June date helping out with girls in tow! Something that will be more of an adventure than you would think!! Check back in a few more entries to find out why!!!

We got back in time for lunch – Aunty Lorraine had a lovely spread with hot dogs and hamburgers. Adam did the bbqing and we all ate our fill with watermelon to top us off.  After lunch and saying hi to Veronika’s grandma it was time to enjoy the splash park. Seriously every town that has one that we have been to we have splashed!!!

A little overcast

Lots of water

With puppies too

And the guys… napped while the kids had play time with the horse toys Veronika saved from her childhood.

So funny

After our visit with family and hugs and good-byes it was time to head to the city for the final leg of our journey. Esther was sweet enough to not only put us up overnight to shorten our trip to the zoo first thing the next morning but also made us dinner! Butter chicken and everything!!! YUM!!! 

Esther in the kitchen

At the table

Of course there had to be some late night fun… accelerated Monopoly with Aunty Esther (it was plastic wrapped and everything so it was Esther’s first time to play as well!). Then bedtime for all late, well fed and played out. 

MONOPOLY

I got to spend time with my cousin turned sister and a friend who means so much to our whole family. The day was a definite success!!

Cousins! No, SISTERS… note the last chance to have my make up done by a pro too

July 12/13

Back to the Bleau family with boys in tow. So how do we start our time together as a family??? You got it – repeat performance at the splash park! Seriously whoever came up with these deserves a medal. We could LIVE at one! 

Back to the splash park

Cups, boys and daddy and all… lots of splash and run and play and smiles… what a great way to celebrate being together again. 

With Daddy

Mr. Emanuel

With Mommy

Oh and stopping to smell the flowers…

Pretty

Then back to our home base and the chance to hang out with another family we have missed who are up temporarily visiting from California. The Davey family. It is the first time in years that we have all been together… 11 kids in total! Catherine and Trinity were instant buddies. 

Catherine and Trinity

Although at first it was just the Davey 3 and our 5. After all, the Bleau 3 had their program at the swimming pool. 

Some of the kids

The next day it was the Reinsch-Johnsons and the Daveys at the splash park. With the wildfires in other areas of Alberta there was some smoke coverage but nothing too horrible. That did mean the splash park was empty of all but us though. Definitely a nice situation! 

Splish

Splash

Catherine and Trinity

Jeff and Zack

Amanda and Chris

And then Sharon joined us after her lane swim.

Sharon and Echo

Which meant that she and Ken banded together and drug me into the park and soaked me good. All in good fun of course. 

SOAKED

And then for lunch… McDonald’s thanks to Jeff. And for the afternoon/evening… we got to watch the guys fix a kitchen faucet. It really DOES take 3 programmers to do so! From the dismantling, trip to the store and then to the final installation. But what a lovely faucet indeed!

Under the sink

Work in progress

Success

Don’t forget supper around the table… 11 kids at one meal! It was so much fun!!! Our last chance to have all 3 families together for possibly years and years!

BBQing

Full table

And then the evening free of men as they went to Spiderman. The night before as well, just us girls watching movies and hanging out. It was so much fun!

Hanging out

We even had the guys hamming it up for us after their showers and our girls in their first sleepover party!

Emma, Trinity and Catherine

It was so nice to be with old friends. I hope that one day we can do it again. But it will be quite a long time…

Our big boys

July 11

I have some of the best friends and family… seriously! And again, they surprise us! This time with Holly (my sister in law of course) up and planning a mini birthday party for our Echo (August 13). Since we are not going to be local for her actual day she decided this was one birthday that she, James and Jimmie we NOT going to miss out on! 

Just for Echo!

The boys’ comfy bed

The showing off of the fish

Add to the fun Jimmie’s Gammie (Holly’s mom) up from Texas and some presents for all of us and it was AMAZING. But first there was hellos. catching up, hugs, cuddles and play time.

Gammie braiding hair

Then a walk to 7-11 for their special free 7.11 oz slurpee day – JULY 11, 7 11… Of course I had to get a bigger one but still… slurpees for ALL!

Free slurpees?

Of course we want those!

Gotta hold hands on the walk back

Yum!

And THEN it was time for the party fun. CUPCAKES… made by aunty, with purple icing and a candle and singing and everything. Of course we stripped the birthday girl down to her skivvies and she had to have her own cupcake. It was so much fun!!! Thank you Holly SO MUCH! It meant the world to have a birthday party for our baby with you as well!

Happy EARLY birthday Echo!

We received some lovely gifts from our family, and I even got some wonderful hugs from my not so baby brother. 

I got a hug too!

It was hard to say good bye to them once again. We HAD TO get a group shot of course.

Hugs

Cousins

And just like that our family was reunited! What a crowd we are!!! It is just too bad that it was ROASTING out and we couldn’t really go and play in the park with Jimmie. BUT we could stop at Victoria’s on the way home to have dinner with her, Karyn and Lauralee! With the kitties too!

Hello Kitty

We love you

Supper!

And after supper… well the splash park of course! Where else does the Reinsch-Johnson family go to beat the heat??? And with friends it is ALWAYS better…

Splish

Splash

Spray

Fun!

The girls

Though there was a shoe break…

Shoes!

Drying off

And then another good bye before the drive back to Sharon’s and the knowledge that there was still almost half a week to go before the weekend and MORE activity… SERIOUSLY!!

And Magnus the kitty as well!