We're back!

We made it home to VA in exactly 13hrs and 2 mins. This including all stops and some hefty traffic in the DC area, and also some serious rain in PA and VA. The trip said it should take 11hrs35mins, so really, I think we did really really well! We actually did not stop often or for long, it was really the traffic that was our biggest hurdle. The kids were rock stars in the van, they played, coloured, sang to the ipod, and watched movies on the portable DVD player. I don't know how long trips were accomplished before the invention of that device! It is a life saver, really!

I have lots and lots of pictures to post. So look out for posting overload coming over the course of a few days!

I'll start you off with some big news. I dyed my hair. And I LOVE the colour!! It's actually the exact same colour that my sister Lauryn uses in her hair and is a few shades darker brown than my natural colour. (It's O'real Preference "Brasilia" #3)

awkward bathroom mirror selfie - matching hair!

It's darker than it was, but still brown

I surprised Brian (by not telling him I had dyed it), and he didn't notice! I assured him it was definitely darker than it had been, but it suits me well, so it doesn't seem "dyed", as in an unnatural colour. He's a fan. Well. He doesn't hate it, so we'll put that in the "fan" category. Definitely not the "avid fan" category...he generally disapproves of changing ones hair colour:-)

I am sooo not good at the selfie thing! But this is me, with no makeup on except for a bit of mascara & under eye cream. I can't tell if it's scary, or "ok", haha!!

Faces

Mattea's party was a family one - all the Kennedy side of the family is no longer in the Toronto area, Lauryn is the lone sibling still remaining in the place we all grew up. Her husband Mark's family is all here local though, so it was a party for that side of the fam (technically not related to me in any way, however, use of terms Aunt & Uncle etc will be used to show their relation to Mark)

Getting party-ready! Big girl Kenna is painting Tea's nails

Kayla's turn!

 Cousins, Kayla & Grey are buddies

It's Auntie Miriam, Uncle John, Canaan, Mark's mom, Mary, & Mattea

The newly 4 year old Mattea Leigh!

Brooks and Cousin Bella (Mark's sisters daughter)

Good kick Brooks! Little cousin Chase (Mark's brothers son)

Peekaboo with Daddy! It's Kayla & Canaan with Mark

Bella was drooling over the cake

Grey loves random toys that make obnoxious sounds!

Mattea opening gifts, with help from Kayla

It's my little "messy bessy", Kayla. She is just 2, but has personality to spare

It's Tea! Love her hair

Lauryn, Mark and their 3 kids for a quick family pic (Mattea, Kayla & Canaan)

Rainbow Party

My sister is seriously a rock star. Talk about party planning on a dime...the things she can do with a pack of tissue paper and streamers is almost unheard of!! She was making creations out of tissue paper all week!

My little niece, Mattea, turned 4 on Wednesday, and we had a family party on Saturday. The theme of the day was officially My Little Ponies, but it took on a rainbow feel (one of her fave characters is Rainbow Dash).

A few pics of decor...

notice the pink instead of orange?...couldn't find orange at the Dollar Store, so we got creative:-)

And now a few pics of food...

The take home gift for all the cousins!

We're Here! & Toronto Zoo

So sorry for my lack of posting. We've been having fun! We left Grandpa & Grandma in NY (pics to come) and we arrived in Canada last Tuesday...but not after a reeeeeally long border wait. Niagara Falls is obviously a very popular summertime vacation destination:-)

It will be our turn...soon...ish...we hope...:-)

We are staying with my sister, Lauryn. FUN times ahead! The kids are getting along famously!

They are having lots of playtime! Auntie gave my kids sets of toys that her kids also have, so they all play together

The boys (& my niece Kayla:-) have the superhero set and play mats - the big girls have My Little Ponies:-)

On Thursday we went to the Toronto Zoo, which is a HUGE and spectacular zoo...it was awesome even when I was a kid, and its even better now! Everyone had fun! We were joined at the zoo, by our Auntie Caralyn and 3 of their 4 kids.

Cousins Kenna, Mattea & Brooks, mixed with first cousins once removed (they are my first cousins), Tatum & Holden

My cousin, Holden is eight years old. He and Brooks are fast friends. He is also very very strong, as you can see

A little help, maybe

Here we have Holden, Tatum & Keeley (my 1st cousins), and then  Mattea & Kayla...with my kids of course. We're missing baby Canaan from this family/cousins shot.

Flag Cake

A little US patriotism...very fun to make!!

I used a red velvet cake, and then just a white cake, some of which dyed blue

stack it up, and cut out the center, and then cut white and red rounds too and fill the hole with the red & white smaller circles

And when you cut it open...voila! It's a flag!

Yummy!

Other festivities...

Red, white & blue drink - apparently this "works" because of the varied sugar content in each drink. Cranberry juice, then Sobe pina colada juice, then blue Gatorade. Sounds weird with the flavours, but tastes really good. Add lots of ice, and pour slowly/carefully to achieve the 3 distinct colours in your cup

Sugar cookies!

Too much food in general, but yummy!

Watching fireworks

This was Grey's FIRST year to see fireworks - His first year, they were rained out, his second year, we were in Canada recovering from Davis' wedding on Canada Day, and obviously no one celebrates the 4th there...and so this year was his first chance, and he loved them! In other news, Brooks is still scared of them:-)

Watching with a friend - notice Brooks covering his ears:-)

Preparations

It seems we've had a little more going on behind the scenes here than would be typical for us. Pray that we would make good decisions, generally, and spend money wisely also. Some day, I think they should make a movie about us. I don't know if it would be a rom com, or a tragic drama - but it would be unbelievable, for sure. - hah!

I have 100% packed up the kitchen - some open boxes for the cups, bowls, etc we're still using. Lots of commotion in that regard - from tomorrow onward it will be stove top or grilling for us only, until we leave.

I need to start packing to go to Canada - which means I need to do all the laundry first I guess. Always something to do around here, whether spectacular or mundane. I do not have a computer anymore (laptop died, and then older laptop died too, so I use Brian's work computer in the evenings) - so while I am away, I will be able to post, but am unsure if I will able to do the pictures - it will be my sisters decision, since I'd have to borrow her computer to upload pics from my camera (no pressure Lauryn, haha!!), but hopefully I will be able to post-as-we-go while away.

Better go do something productive...

Food Fun

We attempted several patriotic foods this year -

Pancakes - but Kenna pointed out they were more pink than red - true, but I ran out of red dye

pancakes on a bed of whipped cream:-) haha!!

Fruit skewers tonight for dessert. Kenna pointed out that cherries were more black than red - true, but 3 different stores were all out of strawberries, so we're rocking the cherry look

I am making a patriotic themed cake that I hope will turn out well! Pics of course, when I've finished it!