isabelle of the ball: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Florida 2012: Rollin' Down the River

What better way to spend a sunny afternoon in Florida than cruising down the St. John's River? We dare you to find one, a perfect day of fun for everyone.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Florida 2012: Connecting with Cousins

One of the best parts of this year's Disney trip was that Lesley, Liam and Sarah were also going to be there! Once we knew this, we made plans months in advance to meet up after the day for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Luckily for us, we also got to meet up for lunch and spend some time together in the park, in fact our expedition on the Everest coaster was with them. Mommy went for her ride with Liam and Isabelle, then Daddy went with Lesley and Sarah, so everyone got the chance to experience the coolest ride in the park, except for Oliver, who had just as much fun following a duck around for 20 minutes! After a nice walk around the park with them, Lesley and her gang went off to the safari while we went to check out Finding Nemo. A few hours later we got together for a nice dinner to chat about our day and just enjoy each other's company. It was a nice treat to get to spend some extra time with them before they headed back to New Jersey. What a day at Disney: wild animals, death-defying drops, big smiles and time with family. We couldn't have asked for more!

Dinnertime destination

The signature Tree of Life

Reunited!

One happy Disney-goer

Not sure exactly what is going on here

Extended family dinner

Farewell, Animal Kingdom, we had so much fun!

Disney 2012 is in the books!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Florida 2012: On Safari

Everyone told us that the must-see attraction at Animal Kingdom was the safari, so it was the first place we went when we walked through the doors. It certainly did not disappoint. An open jeep trip through the African Savannah, seeing animals roaming about in their natural habitat. The jeeps even have to stop for animal crossings every once in a while! The kids had no idea what to expect but one we were off, they were completely thrilled to see such legendary animals up close. It was a perfect way to start our day here, something that we will always remember. If the line wasn't so long and the park wasn't so big, we would have hopped right back on again!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Florida 2012: Animal Kingdom Awaits!

For this year's day trip to Disney, we chose to go to Animal Kingdom for a change of pace from our past two years at Magic Kingdom. It turned out to be a great choice because it offered not only the traditional Disney experience of meeting characters and checking out rides, but it also gave us the chance to see some spectacular animals in a more natural setting. We also learned some great lessons about other cultures, while giving us a touch of environmental awareness and just being more in touch with nature. The place is really quite amazing for all those reasons, a good mix of the two different worlds. Disney is nothing if not thorough, leaving no stone unturned in how authentic they make the experience. The kids had an awesome time and Isabelle even found a princess to meet, along with many other characters. They absolutely loved the safari ride through the African Savannah, clearly Oliver's favourite. Isabelle would have told you at the end of the day that her least favourite thing was her first big-kid rollercoaster, Expedition Everest, but the next morning it was all she would talk about! Mom and Dad rode this too and it was pretty cool to say the least. Needless to say, the so-called happiest place on Earth was awesome for the 3rd year in a row. A great family atmosphere that put smiles on all of our faces. Such a great time. Disney magic strikes again!

We were front row for The Lion King show!

We found Nemo!

Daddy and Isabelle wait for the Nemo musical to start

Oliver meets up with Winnie for the 2nd year in a row

T-I-double G-RRRRR!

Timon meets and greets during the parade

Never met an ice cream he disagreed with

The First Lady of Disney!

The ominous Expedition Everest

View from the top of the roller coaster

Oh no, the track is broken!

Meeting the magical Mickey

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Wedding Bells!

It's been a while since we've been lucky enough to attend a wedding, lot of fancy events and parties but weddings are extra special. This past weekend we were lucky enough to hoist a glass and celebrate the wedding of our friend Renee's little brother Blue to his beautiful bride Kathy. The wedding was in Franklin, Quebec so a little road trip complete with movies and snacks was the focus of the morning. Thanks to construction we ran late, which was OK because although we were late for what we thought was a 2:00 wedding, we double-checked the invite and it was at 3:00. We were actually early! Everyone got changed into their fancy attire and we arrived at the beautiful apple orchard on a picture-perfect sunny day for a wedding. The ceremony went well and we got to cheer on Logan and his Dad, key members of the wedding party. Turns out an orchard is a great place for a wedding, lots of room for the kids to roam and have fun whil awaiting the reception activities. They all had a blast, especially since there were many other kids there to play with. The buffet style dinner was also tailor made for kids, who altermated between playing and eating. The sun eventually made its way down and with two kid that have been on the go since 9 am, it was time to put on some PJs for the 2+ hour drive back to Ottawa. They were sad to go and squeezed a few dances with the bride and groom before they settled into their car seats. It didn't take long for them both to be out cold and Mom and Dad could chat about what a great day it was and how nice it is to see a happy couple starting their journey. Was ours really over 6 years ago? Hectic times but fun times ever since! All the best, Blue and Kathy, enjoy years and years of wedded bliss!

Fashionable family arrives