October - Vacation! (Part 3 of 4)

With the two week tour in the USA complete we made our way back to Toronto exhausted and in need of a vacation. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long. Grandpa and Grandma Kaasa arrived in town just a couple of days after we did and were admitted to Henry's Boot Camp. It only took 24 hours for them to become immersed in everything Henry. From diced avocado and cubed tofu to a snotty nose and a stinky diaper, they jumped right in and took over. After 4 days of Boot Camp they had mastered everything and were ready for the solo run. Mark and I left them with a condensed instruction manual (yes, I'm a tad compulsive about his schedule....just spend one day with him off-routine and you'll see why) and a GPS loaded with Henry friendly places around town and we jumped on a plane for Grand Cayman. Here are a few pictures from Henry's time with "Gaga" (no, not as in Lady, but as in Grandma OR Grandpa Kaasa...it's interchangeable).

Showing off his cutlery skills.

This means I'm done eating....

Grandma and Grandpa took Henry out to eat at Rainforest Cafe, one of his favourite places to dine.

They also went to the Ontario Science Centre which has a fantastic play area for children. Henry played in the mini-market and fell in love with a deer.

As for our trip to Grand Cayman, we'll share just a couple of photos....

.....that pretty much sums up the week! We snorkeled, swam with stingrays, relaxed a ton and had an amazing week, more photos if you click here. BIG BIG Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for taking such great care of Henry and Jake!

October (Part 2 of 4)

After our wonderful trip to Atlanta it was time to say our goodbye's and head back to Michigan. Mark celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct 10) alone as he rode the train from Windsor to Toronto; Henry and I rounded up Jake and settled in for a week in The Great Lake state. We drove out to St. Joseph (3 hours West) and stayed with the Hurdle's for a couple of days. Thanks to Auntie Aimee for a super-fun visit complete with warm chocolate chip cookies, homemade pizzas and our favourite...egg salad! Henry and Courtney played nonstop and danced their little behinds off(watch the video)while the big boys were at school.

Back in Detroit we made a quick trip to the market and Henry had his first ride in a grocery 'car', which he thoroughly enjoyed.

We had celebrating to do as Auntie Kristin's wedding was on the horizon. Henry had a great time at the rehearsal dinner playing with all of the kids and running around in the wooded backyard.

Another jam-packed week in Michigan was capped off with Kristin & Kevin's wedding AND a very important MSU victory over UofM!

We're home! (Part 1 of 4)

This post is WAY over-due so let me start by apologizing to all of Henry's fans who have been needing a "fix" for the past 6 weeks. October was a whirlwind of travel meaning lots of pictures and stories to share. We'll start with the first week of October and catch up from there... The 4 of us drove to Michigan in early October and checked Jake into 'Hotel Nana' for the week. The very next morning, sans our trusty body guard, we flew South to Atlanta, GA for the week. Grandma and Grandpa treated Henry like the little king that he is moving around furniture, installing special black-out curtains, and equipping his nursery with all of the comforts of home. Every morning Grandpa took Henry for a walk through their beautiful backyard (something in our home in Toronto lacks) and they chattted about acorns, golden leaves and that pesky woodpecker. Mark spent most of the week in meetings which left Henry and I to take in the city with Grandma Kaasa. First stop....Atlanta Botanical Gardens! Although I lived in Atlanta for two years prior to moving to Toronto I had never visited the gardens so it was a special treat for me too. Grandma found out there was a special Scarecrow Exhibit on display which Henry loved.

Next on the list of top attractions was the Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the world. Henry was mesmerized the moment we set foot in the door. Grandpa and Henry really enjoyed the massive Ocean Voyager saltwater tank which is home to four giant manta rays, four whale sharks and thousands of other fish. If you ever have the opportunity, it's definitely worth visiting.

The aquarium tuckered Henry out, he needed a little snack and a cuddle from Dada to make it through.

The Taylor's (Mark's sister, Kathy, her husband, Bill, and their four children...Zach, John, Owen and Caitlin) visited and we had time for a crazy family photo shoot. Mark and I made it to a Georgia Tech football game, caught up with friends and had a couple of very nice evenings out on the town. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for taking such great care of Henry (and US!) during our visit. We had a wonderful week!

Jake had his own fun hanging out with Max at Uncle Nate's pad.

Swings, Slides, Farms and Football!

Toronto is a city jam-packed with high-rise buildings and glass skyscrapers, but there are also beautiful parks and green spaces carved out in every neighbourhood including downtown. The past couple of weeks we have explored High Park, Kew Park, Tommy Thompson Park and Riverdale Farm, all of which are within walking or biking distance to our house. (Also very green.) Mark and I are loving the toddler stage...watching Henry run around the playgrounds, laugh and play with other children and discover new things is so amazing. The smallest things we take for granted, such as a pretty golden leaf or a colourful bird, he finds so interesting. It makes us stop and appreciate things more when you see them through his eyes.

View of downtown Toronto from Tommy Thompson Park.

Henry and Mark meeting the sheep at Riverdale Farm.

Click here to watch Henry and his friend, Alex, swinging at Kew Park.

Going down the slide with Mom after a day hike in High Park.

Click here to listen to Henry quacking at the ducks at High Park Zoo.

High Park has a beautiful 'off leash' area for dogs. Jake was thrilled to run around and took a quick dip in the river.

Henry sporting his Calvin Johnson jersey watching the Lions victory over Tampa Bay.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

As we continue to explore Canada and its beautiful landscapes, we ventured to Nova Scotia at the end of August. We flew to Halifax and met up with Nana Myra, Nate & Mae and then drove 4 hours North to the pristine, hidden gem of Cape Breton Island. When my brother and I were kids we went to Cape Breton several times. It's the birthplace of our maternal grandfather and we have lots of relatives scattered around. It's been about 8 years since my last trip and this was by far the best one yet. As kids visiting the island we didn't fully appreciate the beauty of the rolling hills, the sandy beaches, the small town hospitality and the heritage of our family. This time we took nothing for granted. We explored our grandfather's old farm house and felt humbled by what life must have been like there 100 years ago. We spent time with our cousins and got to know them and their families. We played on the beautiful beaches and took deep breaths of the clean, fresh air. We drove along the world famous Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park...and saw a moose. We sat on the balcony every night and watched the sunset over the ocean. We turned our cell phones off. It was an amazing week and I hope to return before another 8 years passes by. A few highlights from the trip are below, for the full photo gallery click here. And another gallery here courtesy of Nate. (This one has the moose!)

Henry playing at Port Hood Public Beach...happy boy!

A better view of the ocean atop Uncle Nate's shoulders.

Birthday party for Mom hosted by Donalda and Ken (cousins)...a HUGE thank you for a wonderful party!

Playing with Dada on the tractor at grandpa's farmhouse.

Gearing up for our day hike along the Ceilidh Trail.

Lauren & Theresa's Run

This post is a bit late due to our recent vacation, however I wanted to share a story with you that I hope you will find as touching and inspiring as we did. Diane Frechette is my best friend from childhood, we grew up next door to each other in Michigan. Ten years ago she and her husband, Darren, experienced what no parents should ever to have to go through...they lost a child. Last weekend Diane and Darren organized a run to both honor Theresa and help raise money so that other parents will not have to experience what they did.

Excerpt from Diane's story: "As we approached the girls' tenth birthdays, we wanted a way to celebrate and honor them. A plan for the run began to formulate and we are now preparing for what we hope becomes an annual event. We have found that we are on another journey. As we share our experiences, we discover so many others who have their own similar, heartbreaking story. We are so touched by the many people working behind the scenes in helping us prepare for this special event. The love, support, and generosity we have received is overwhelming. We hope that our story will reach out and touch the hearts of many. Our hope in raising the money from this event is that we will be able to assist another family in helping their baby to survive. We hope to keep one more family from having "a story" like ours.

The Frechette's have since had three beautiful children (Mel, Ty and Emilie) and live in Northern Michigan, close to where Mark and I were married. If you would like to read their story and help their cause please click on the link below.
Lauren & Theresa's Story.

15 Months!

Henry is 15 months and has definitely moved into the toddler stage. He is walking (almost running!) all over, climbing on everything and chatting up a storm. He is keeping us very busy with play dates, swim class, StrollerFit class and regular visits to the neighbourhood splash pads and parks. He already has a "chore" to earn his keep...feeding Jake breakfast and dinner. Click here to see the video.

Click here to see Henry climbing on the couch...just in time for college football season!

Water park during a visit with Nana in Michigan.

Top of the slide at Kew Gardens playground in Toronto.