How I spent my Summer Vacation

I had mentioned in August I'd update on how our Summer vacation went. Well now I've got some time to sit here and just ramble away. There will be pics too.

This summer we wanted to take the boys somewhere other than just to the island. I sometimes call it "home" but it's home because well I grew up there. I spent 22yrs there before leaving with a Husband for a new to me life.  This year we left on a Tuesday morning, with our middle son in a team sport this year for his summer activity we wanted him to miss less of it than if it was just something to fill in the summer. He really enjoyed fast pitch this year. He plans to go again next year and we may enroll #3 son too.

So we left NB on Tuesday and got on the Ferry to Digby, NS from Saint John. It was a great ride. The water was nice and calm, the boat was a smooth ride. I was nervous. I'm not sure if I mentioned it here in the last 7yrs but I'm not a "good" swimmer. I avoid the deep end of pools unless I'm doing laps and coming exactly right back.  We loaded on the ferry at about 11am on the 7th of August. 

This is the view from Saint John Harbour pre-boarding. We took more pics but well everyone had sunglasses or ball caps on or as one child does a lot squinting at the sun. LOL



Princess of Acadia returning from Digby(sorry blurry)



Calm waters... this was about 2/3rds across the Bay of Fundy to NS. We hate lunch on board and then settled in to watch a movie that was playing on the main level. There were also video Games in a mini arcade, a gift shop, 2 different tour guides to discuss different topics and lots of places to sit and read if you just wanted to do that. The cafeteria was playing a children's movie. The main level was playing Mirror Mirror and the upper deck/lounge was playing the Olympics. If you needed liquid courage to make it across you could even get yourself a drink. There was satellite Internet service, laptops for public use and wifi-ish, (that kind of was hit and miss depending how far from shore you were). I'd totally take this trip again. As the boys said we weren't just stuck in a car looking at trees.

The two tours on board were different. They had employees form Tourism NS on board (since you are headed in that direction) talking about whale watching  and all the wildlife in the Bay of Fundy and the second Guide was talking about the History of NS and First Peoples and tribes of the Main Land of NS. I didn't stick around for these as I was busy watching the movie and keeping Mr 7 from walking too close to the rail. "look Mom (crawling on the deck) there's a hole" and me saying "why don't we go sit on the bench that holds the life jackets." The Older boys were all kinds of enthralled with watching Dad beat a 1980's Arcade game. Dad's goal was to get the Highest Score. 

Once we got into Digby we headed for Annapolis Royal. Hubby is a bit of a obsessive planner, so he had an itinerary, we are seeing this at this time and that that time, but you know when it's planned like that? You can move things around or let go of a few things if you in one place longer and it just works. You aren't wondering if you have extra time to fill and no bored kids. 



Mad Scientists or Future Engineers investigating Model



On the way to Annapolis Royal we stopped at the NS Power Tidal Electric Generating Station... The boys were too young for the tour of the Turbine but hubby went down for a look. The boys and I took the time to take pics, and nose around. There is also a NS Tourism office there on the ground level so you can pick up some pamphlets and talk to the locals. Oh and Restrooms.

Our next step was to find our Inn where we had reservations, The Garrison Inn in Annapolis Royal. What do you think kids do when they find a room with a view? yep....



Vacation Mom! This is the Life!



Once we checked in we went for a walk, a drive to find somewhere to eat. The Majority of the downtown strip of Annapolis Royal closed at 5pm. Our Inn had a nice Restaurant but we went to find pizza.  In the words of Mr 10 "I've had Better". I would totally agree Mr. 10.  Then in helping me keep up with my summer weight loss plans and goals we walked the strip again.







Mr13 looking for elbow room



Monkey See, Monkey Do and Monkey 3!

So on Wednesday Morning we packed up and headed out for more adventure. I'll post more for tomorrow....

Random Tuesday Thoughts Sept 11th

There is very little Random about this Tuesday. There will be no Random Thoughts, all my thoughts will be a video in my head off the morning news as I started my day in New Hampshire. I lived in NH for 5yrs. I loved it there most of the time but after 2001 it didn't feel like home anymore.  It was at that point that America started to question everyone living in America nad their reasons for  being there. It was when the economy started to spiral into the darkness of doom.  Jobs were lost and questioned.  We were questioned, if not directly indirectly so in August of 2003 almost 2yrs later we left. We were no longer "home". 

Thinking of all those Americans that were left without family 11yrs ago today. To the EMT's the Firefighters, the healthcare staff that worked so hard to save who they could and lost their own lives trying.

Today I think of those of NYC. I remember waiting for a friend to email while waiting for her husband to call and say he was safe. He had left for work that day late. He was late! and it was the best day ever to be late to work.

I'm thinking of my friend who was stuck on a plane in Newfoundland. She was made to feel welcome in Canada while all planes were grounded coming into America. Newfoundland, Thank you for keeping them safe.

And so today it's just a ramble of memories, tears and prayers.

And 11yrs today I was going to see my OBGYN because my almost 11yrold son was about 31wks gestation. I did question what I was doing adding another person to a world that could do this much damage. I'm so very glad he's here, he and his brothers are the smiles that tells me YES the world will be better with him in it.


Linking up for Random Rebel over at Stacy's...

Lunches are on my Mind

So last week or maybe it was the week before I was reading away over at Carmen's blog MomtothesScreamingMasses and she was talking back to school lunches.  Lunches here are crazy making time because I do all the prep and work. I picked up some great ideas from Carmen's posts. I also posted about making tea biscuits. I love these as lunch options for the boys here because I've got one child that doesn't like sandwiches and I can easily change the biscuits up to add in either cheese, and meat chunks, or peppers and onions and tomatos for a pizza ish feel. I also sometimes use the biscuit recipe as the crust for pizza and send that in for lunch. Sometimes it's all about that thinking out of the box.  I went back to see if anyone else posted ideas and got another from Mary from A Simple Twist of Faith.
I'll post up the recipe I usually use for these lunches.. .

From Company's Coming Muffins & More by Jean Pare

All purpose Flour 2cups(ish)
Granulated sugar 2TBSP
Salt 1tsp
Baking powder 4tsp
Cream of Tartar 1/2 tsp
Butter or hard Margerine cold 1/2 cup
and 1/2-3/4 cup of milk (depending on what else you're putting in there)


roll out for pizza crust and top as usual pizza... cut into curcles (glass pressed into rolled out doughab out an inch thick) .

baking for biscuits is usually 12-15 minutes(17 in m y stove) on 450F   you can brush the biscuits with milk  (i don't usually)