CANADA's WONDERLAND!!!

We have really strived to take advantage of the only summer Mike has off. This means weekend trips!!! We decided it was the best value to get a season's pass to Cedar Point. Little did we know that it included all these other parks and Canada's Wonderland being one of them. After realizing that our good friends Mike and Katie Ryan live in Ancaster, we knew we wanted to try and fit it in.
Mike and Katie were so great to put us up for a long weekend and we had a blast. It was great to be back in Canada, although Ontario is quite different from Calgary it was still home.
Jack just turned 2 and boy is he a boy. Vienna loved having someone to play with as usual. She loved Zan so much (Mike's dog)


OH CANADA!!! There are so many things I love about Canada, here are a few...its so clean, the roads are well maintained, the chocolate and 5 cent candies can't be beat, Superstore, the accent I can now notice, the yummy cereal selection, more "green" in general etc. Those are just some!


Vienna and her Daddy. They are such good buddies, she is going to miss him on Mondays when he goes back to school.

Mike and his son Jack-a-loo
Katie and I
Me with my little V


I was surprised at how well Vienna did on some of the little kiddy rides. She loved them. She did so well, especially for a NO-nap day!

Vienna in her car, honking and driving even.
All buckled in on the car/train ride. She LOVED it! We had her saying "CHOO CHOO" after we'd say chugga, chugga, chugga... It was adorable. (Look at those curls!!!)
Mike, Katie and Jack in the train behind us.
On the train doing
Itsy, Bitsy Spider, her absolute favorite action song.
On the carousel, which she also loved! She was petting it's mane and saying neigh over and over. Oh I loved it.
The mess Vienna and Jack made a hundred times over throughout the weekend.

Mike also got to try his very first Canadian Slurpee. He did notice a difference, but we are not big slurpee drinkers so it was tough to do a good comparison.
We had a great trip!!!

Newest to Oldest...Our Garden, 4th of July in Louisville and Lanae's visit and Grandpa Ace's Funeral.

First of all I know I am a blog slacker and thats ok cause at least I am doing a bit of catch-up. I thought I was posted the pictures chronologically, but low and behold it was backwards. Hey at least I am keeping up with our lives for family history purposes right??? Either way, it has been a wonderful summer and I am sad to see it coming to an end, I say that mostly for Mike's benefit as he goes back to school on Aug 1st, at least he is now a sophomore right. I know it technically goes until the end of August but not for our little family. I definately feel like we have made the most of the ONLY summer Mike has off of school until he graduates :(

Vienna in her $3 garage sale purchase (dont worry it was washed first)
Our first garden is proving to be a success for the most part, that fact that we have 20 million trees in our backyard, thus blocking out every ounce of sun has been a major problem, but we are reaping many benefits...lettuce, beans, peas and herbs, so far :)
Our 4th of July was spent visiting our friends Suzy in Nate in Louisville. Boo (Suzy) and I go way back to Jr. High and boy is she a blast!!! We had a great time chatting, catching up on old times and shopping. We went to a families house to do some fireworks and these were some of the kids snackys.
what are they....get it....it took me a while, don't worry.
Vienna decided her travel toothbrush sucked and well, here is the evidence.
We went to Boo and Nate's favorite Southern BBQ restaurant and it was delish! Outside the door are these pigs? Who knows why??? Vienna has her dog bark face on.
Vienna and Parker cuddling in his baby recliner. So cute!
My dear sister, who loves us the MOST!!! (JK) came to visit us for 11 days. It went by way too fast (for me at least) I think she was ready to get back to her single, free life! But we did lots of fun things! Cedar Point, trip to Louisville, a Yankees vs. Indians game and we won!!! It was a good game! Chagrin Falls, Family photos (we've got to take advantage of her talent while she feels bad for us poor students) and many other local sight seeing things. It was a blast!!!
Vienna loves her Auntie Nae
US at the game!
Progressive Field (Mike loves living in a city with REAL sports)


A very special man, Grandpa Afton Ace Davis, passed away on the same day he arrived into this world, 97 years ago. He lived a full and very healthy life. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor just before his 96 birthday and being told it was too deep to do any radiation on, he decided with a sound mind that he wasn't going to do any treatment. As it continued to affect major bodily functions, one of which was swallowing, he again decided to not have a feeding tube placed and stayed with loved ones for the last month of his life. He was aware of his birthday in the very near future and held out until the morning of his birthday on June 9, 2011. Mike and I had a great relationship with him and really enjoyed his stories. His mind was so sound and intune with his life events. He is also one of the most adorable men around. We are glad he was able to meet, hold and even give some life advice to Vienna last summer before we moved out here. He will be missed, but that is the best aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we know we will see him again and we also know that he is able to reunite with his wife who passed away 30 years ago and his daughter who passed in 2003. Funerals in the Mormon faith really are happy events. It was so special to be there for his services and to visit with family and friends.

We went to a splash park with Steve, Tiki, Vedder, Don, Terry and Grandma + Grandpa. Vienna enjoyed wearing Don's cool shades
Vienna with her uncle Steve (Mike's brother)
Vienna with Grandma
Bree, my bestest buddy in Tri-Cities with our kids (good 'ol windy tri-C)
OUr 2 families, my how things have evolved since 2005, when we were visiting teaching companions. I love you Bree!
Bree, a natural with 2. (if you look that natural maybe you should have 3 more. hahaha)
Vienna just loves her Mama (maybe too much sometimes...I must admit it is so flattering)
Oh no, she is a natural model???
Bryson trying to kiss Vienna
Awww...young love

Eating/playing with sticks

We decided just a few days ago to venture up to Toronto for one last Ha rah before Mike starts school. Our good friends Mike and Katie Ryan are our motivation and Canada's Wonderland!!! Booyah!!!

Memorial Day Long Weekend!!!

In a nearby city, Chagrin Falls they have an annual festival called "the blossom Festival" As part of this they launch 22 air balloons, but the neatest part about it is that they do them all at the same time in a big field. Unfortunately this year, there were thunderstorm warnings and the field was too wet so only 4 of them inflated and then had to deflate, but it was amazing because we were only a few meters away. Vienna thought it was pretty cool!

Our friends, The Fitzners joined us!
That same morning we went garage saling and got some great buys, we spent only $18.00. Here is a lawn chair before it is stained, I will do an after shot too!
Our garden is doing so well and I am loving watching it grow. So far we have eaten lettuce, chives and parsely. Besides the baby bunnies and the baby ground-hog devouring it we are having great success. Don't worry we are going to fence it.


We gave Vienna a doll for the first time and she was so cute and gentle with it!
Vienna got a very belated, but perfect Birthday package from her Auntie Bree!!! Such adorable stuff! Even the flower in her hair!
We went to Cedar Point on Monday, the waterpark (Soak City) was a blast!!!
Hanging out pool-side
The theme park has a petting zoo. Vienna is learning her animal noises so she was barking and meowing for every animal
This is one of the cute outfits from Bree, which fit her perfectly!
Our crazy sunburns from the waterpark (sorry if this is too much skin...Mike is patchy...hilarious!



All in all we had a very memorable Memorial Day Long weekend and considering in the US, there is only like 2 long weekends they are such a BIG deal.