We're Back....

We drove over 3450 miles total and lived to tell about it! Actually the trip back home went really well too. It was a long drive and I am glad its behind us but we did have a blast. The weather was perfect on the way home - sunny and blue skies the entire way - definitely makes for a much nicer drive than driving through blinding rain and severe thunderstorms in the middle of nowhere like we had on the way up.

It was such a great vacation - we were sad to leave everyone behind again. The weather couldn't have been better if we asked for it - the highs never went above 75 the entire time we were there and the week that Andy & Andrew were there it was 75 and sunny, blue skies every day. Absolutely perfect. Now we are back in hibernation mode in Houston....lol. Heat index today is supposed to be 108 degrees - oh how I didn't miss this weather!

The last few weeks of the trip were jam packed full of things going on. Got to visit with old friends (Dione, Farah & Daniel) who I haven't seen in about 17 years - where did the time go?? It was a blast getting in touch with them again after all this time and catching up and meeting their own families now - it was really neat. Gotta love Facebook....

The 3 girls (me, Dione & Farah)...I'm not going

to get into any of our nicknames from back then....lol

I can't believe we are all grown ups now....

when did that happen??

(l-r: Daniel with son Wesley, me with Brooklynn,

Dione and Farah with Anissa & Khalil)

The last week of our trip we planned so much for us to do - including being tourists in Toronto - it was tons of fun. Everyday we had something planned so it was non-stop. Andy & Andrew flew in on Friday night.

Saturday we went to the zoo for a bit so Andrew could stop and visit with the stingrays...he really enjoyed that. Then since it was finally warmer that day, the kids got to play in the splash park there and they had a BLAST. I got totally drenched (note to self - next time wear your bathing suit) trying to keep up with Brooklynn. That girl is FEARLESS. She was going on all the big waterslides by herself. Andrew would help her at the top and I would be at the bottom ready to catch her - she loved it. Saturday evening we got together with all my close friends for one last get together before we left. We had a bbq at one of their houses and had a blast - it was nice to have everyone together like that.

Sunday we went up to my oldest brother, Ray's house for a bbq. It was another fun day - the kids ran wild outside all day and wore themselves out. They had so much fun playing all together - the go-cart riding was the most fun for them - they would fly down the hill in the back yard so fast and would run back up and do it all over again. Even Brooklynn got in on the action with her Daddy....so cute! The faces in these pics pretty much sum up how much they loved this new ride....

Nathaniel's turn...


Brookie's turn with Daddy...

Andrew's turn...

I'll leave the tourist pics for next post - we did so many things - tons of pics to come.