Good-Bye March Break 2013

March Break is over - Back to School - Back to Work . . . oh how we miss March Break!!!

We ended our March Break heading down to Niagara Falls, Ontario!  The kids have never been there and we thought what better place to go for just a few days - so that's what we did.  We found a place for Izzy to hang out - which she seemed to love.  It was a cage-free kennel, where she got to play with 14 other dogs.  I sure couldn't do it, but I'm glad that she was able to have fun while we were gone.

Izzy at the Dog Kennel playing with her friends

Braden took a couple days off of work so we were able to leave on Thursday by 8:30am - and if you know us that is amazing!!!  We decided to take the American route down to avoid a bit of traffic and made it there by 3pm!  Even with all the stops that we took!

We checked into Sheraton on the Falls - with a great view of the American Falls - and right away Brade took the kids to the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark while I waited for our room and them we all went swimming until supper time.

Navia looking out our bedroom balcony.

In the middle of the chaos is Braden, Emma, Kaleb and Navia.

Now you can see them!

Too many kids!!!

Navia and Daddy after the huge bucket of water rained down on them.

We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a late supper and then we all went to bed exhausted, just to wake up in the morning to head back to the pool and spend until 3:00 pm swimming.  The kids loved the wave-pool and water-slides although Daddy did get a pretty nice bump on his nose when Navia's head said hello to his nose.  Can't believe that it split open, gave him a bit of a bruise and it kept bleeding as long as it was wet (which was the entire time swimming!)

Once swimming was over we changed hotels to the Hilton and were upgraded to a great room that had a hallway with the kids' room on the left (with 2 queen beds, tv, etc) and on the right our bedroom with a King size bed.  It was so perfect!  We headed out to supper, walked around the Falls and then back to the room for the kids to enjoy.  We put a movie on for them and while Emma babysat her brother and sister Braden and I were able to go on a date.  We kinda love this stage of life!!!

Our date view from the 33rd floor lounge.

The next day we went to the Journey Behind the Falls, which the kids loved, even if a couple of the openings to the Falls were frozen over.  

a frozen opening to the Falls 

Cheesy green screen photo - but at least it shows that all 5 of us were there :)

We then headed to St. Catherine's to visit with Grampa and Gramma Ralph at their new place.  We spent the afternoon visiting with family - which our kids thought was so cool.  Uncle Phil, Aunt Janny, Uncle Dan, Jon, Hollie and the kids had fun playing with Mason and Liam.  We haven't seen anyone for about 3 years so it was great catching up with everyone.  

We came back to swim at the hotel in the evening and pack so that we could leave bright and early in the morning.  We planned on heading back to Ottawa through New York again so that we could do a bit of shopping at the Waterloo Premium Outlet - which was definitely worth it!  I wish that we had outlet shopping closer to us!  Oh well . . . 

On the drive home the kids kept talking about how they had so much fun and they can't wait to go back and do it all over again - everything they did they want the exact same - hotels, activities and visiting with family.  So, looks like we just might be repeating this again!  A great March Break - and only 2 weeks until the next 4 day weekend - which the kids are already on countdown!!!

Road Trip!!!

Mother, Son and kidlets . . .

This weekend Braden took Friday off of work and we headed down to Stoney Creek, Ontario. We got to cut the trip up a little bit by stopping in Belleville to pick up a keyboard for my studio that I had found on www.kijiji.ca (awesome site!!!).

Grampa Ralph has been in the hospital with a broken hip and Gramma Ralph is still recovering from a broken leg so we were planning on getting down there to see them and then we got an email from Mom (Brade's mom) that she was going to be down there for a Ralph Family Reunion. With Mom only being a few hours away we couldn't pass this up so we decided this was the wknd for a road trip!

We got down there on Friday night and got in too late to see Grampa at the hospital, so we just went out to McDonald's for supper (because the kids say that we always do that with Gramma and Grampa Bailey) and then had a quick stop at Dollarama (because Emma says that this is the tradition - hehehe!). When we got back to Gramma's apartment Uncle Phil was there so we had a visit and the kids got to stay up later than usual - which they LOVED!

Main Street Unionville, OntarioThe pond that was behind the house we were at -
Emma and a newly met cousin dragged Uncle Dan around the entire thing - exploring each little cove.

On Saturday morning we got up bright and early and Uncle Dan met us at the apartment and we took off to the Reunion in Unionville. If you've never been there you absolutely have to!!! It is so cute and the shops - well - let's just say that I'd love to spend a wknd at a B&B there!!!

There was a tree swing in the backyard that occupied the kids for a LONG time!

We were kinda nervous that there weren't going to be any kids for our kids but to our surprize there were!!! There were 2 11 year old girls that Emma had a blast playing with and a 4 year old boy, Zac, that could have been another Kaleb. And then there was even a little boy younger than Navia, Sage, that Navia had so much fun playing stickers and monsters with.

Navia and Sage

It was great for Mom and Braden to reconnect with people that they haven't seen in years - and neat to hear all the old stories of when they were younger. I even found out a secret that I didn't know about my husband. . . When Brade and I were dating and singing with Higher Calling we had sung at the Stoney Creek church where Doug, Beth and Lois and Aunt Madeline came to hear us. I guess he took Beth and Lois aside and told them that I was the girl! Yep - I had him hooked from the beginning!!! Hee Hee!!!

Mom and Beth

Aunt Madeline, Mom, Winna & Brade

We got back from the reunion around supper time and stopped in at the hospital to see Grampa and the kids loved the fact that Uncle Dan brought them chips and pop for supper there - he won their hearts before, but now it was a forever thing!

Great-Grampa and Great-Gramma Ralph with Braden and the kids

On Sunday we visited with Uncle Phil and Aunt Janey at the apartment and then went for lunch with Gramma Margaret at Wimpy's - which the kids loved! We then got back to the apartment, picked up Gramma Ralph and went to the hospital to give Grampa the pictures that the kids had drawn for him and say good-bye.

Grampa, Mom & Gramma

Great-Gramma Margaret, Mom, Braden and the kidlets

We got back late on Sunday night and the kids were yawning like crazy this morning as they were going to school - but it was a really good trip and definitely worth the few yawns of today!

Each child took turns telling Gramma a story - it was really cute!

yep - even Braden got into it - hehehe!

(no stories for me - b said it looked to cheezy - spoil-sport!)