isabelle of the ball

Sunday, August 12, 2012

A Roarin' Good Family Picnic

An August tradition that we totally love and would never miss is the family picnic in Bradford. It is always a great time, partially due to the many fun activities for kids (and competitors) of all ages, but mostly because of the hosts and the other attendees. Auntie Catherine, along with Jason and Kayla work tirelessly to make this event special for everyone, especially the kids, who are growing in number every. Seems like only yesterday we were bringing Isabelle to her first picnic at the age of 11 months, with only a few other little ones hanging around. Over the course of the last 5 years, those numbers have grown by leaps and bounds. Although the day started off with rain, it subsided to allow us all to enjoy the outdoors, eat some great food and compete in the traditional shoe kick, hammering contest, water balloon throw and a new entrant this year, Beer Pong! To see all the little ones enjoying themselves and playing happily as a group just warms your heart; this picnic will change every year as we see them grow up before our eyes, much like their parents also did many year ago. After a great night back at Catherine's farm, it was time to head back to Toronto for bedtime. The kids were asleep minutes after hitting the road, exhausted from all the hyperactivity. Can't wait until next year already!

Lion on the prowl

Princess Picnic Participant

Kayla and her adoring fan

Shoe kick 2012! Oliver won!

Hammerin' away

Bangay bringing home the hardware (again)

Marvelous Matthew

Doing the chores with Uncle Jay

Twilight ride to cap off an awesome day

Saturday, August 04, 2012

Celebrating Kayla Zoe!

Although we had the chance to see Kayla on her official birthday a couple of weeks ago, today we had the chance to participate in a much grander recognition of the special occasion. With all the hectic activity surrounding her Uncle Blue's wedding over, everyone could turn their undivided attention to the special girl on her big day. Family and friends gathered at Auntie Shelley's house for an afternoon event, complete with games and a BBQ feast. The kids had an awesome time splashing around in the kiddie pool, which developed somehow into a full-fledged hose battle with water flying across the backyard, even while Shelley was BBQ-ing right in the middle of it all! Fun times for all! Kayla is crawling up a storm and sure to be walking soon, then we'll see how Logan does when his little sister can actually follow him around! It was a perfect summer day for a party and we couldn't have been happier to be invited. Little Kayla is always going to be a big part of our lives and we have been so excited to see her grow over the past year. Many fun adventures are ahead for this quartet of cuties! Happy birthday Kayla (again)!

Crafting corner

Kayla looks back as Oliver gives the stink-eye

Goofing off with Kathy

Paparazzi in full force

Auntie Nee and her #1 girl

Let me get in on this action!

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!