Let’s Go Blue Jays!

Last Saturday Dad, Hannah and I headed into the city to attend 2nd annual Toronto Blue Jays game.  Last year was the first time we did this and we declared that day that this would become an annual tradition!

We had a blast again this year!  On the way to the Rogers Centre we grabbed the traditional hot dog from a street vendor.  Mmm!

We choose to go on a Saturday as each Saturday is a Jr Jays game with lots of free activities and give-aways for the kiddos.  I’ve heard a baseball game is made up of 9 innings but so far in the 2 years we’ve gone I’ve only seen about 5 innings each year.   I know that going in though and Hannah enjoys the break during the game to enjoy things like face painting,

a ball toss and,

balloon animals.

As ‘we’ were waiting in line for the balloon I had to giggle as Hannah stood enjoying the game while mommy watched it on the indoor monitors from the line. 

Jr Jays are a great opportunity to introduce children to baseball with activities set up inside and outside the stadium and running throughout the game to entertain the restless kiddos. 

Hannah enjoyed what we saw of the game although it was pretty toasty when we first arrived as we were in the sun for the first few innings.  Why sit in your seat when you can use it for shade while you snack?

Our view from the cheap seats.

I was playing with the zoom on my point-n-shoot camera and was impressed with the clarity!  You can see in the pic above that we were well up in the nose-bleeds but I was still able to snap this pic below.  Cool!   The camera I had last year bit the dust but Canon replaced is for free with this great camera!  (Canon G9-X)  I still need to learn more about how to use it but I’m slowly working on that and really impressed at all the features this little pocket camera has!

This isn’t the greatest pic but the only one I have that has the 3 of us in it together.

The game was a nail biter but in the end the Jays pulled it out beating Minnesota 8-7!  Way to go Jays!!!  I see another post-season in our future!  Woot!!!

PS – Hannah says we really must do something about Grandpa’s red shirt at a Toronto BLUE Jays game!  I think she’s absolutely right!!

Cottage Time 2016–Part 2

Summer and time at the cottage offers us time to relax and enjoy things our day to day life just doesn’t normally offer.  Hannah enjoyed feeding the ducks when they would come by for a visit (and snack!) each day.

Snack time for Hannah too.  Seriously, can you beat that view looking out the cottage windows??

Enjoying a ride in ‘Bampa’s Boat.’

Thanks for driving Uncle Dave – aka ‘Captain!’

Any good ride in the boat has only one destination in mind….ice cream!!

Enjoying a refreshing swim after our boat ride.

We also tried something new called Goose Chase which is a glorified scavenger hunt using our phones and posting pics to win points.  We had so much fun!  Love all the time our family was able to spend together!!

It was also a treat to have family who live a distance from us visit for a day!  Uncle Tim and Aunt Chris.

Their son, my cousin Sean and his kiddos.

Another great year at MBC!

We’ll be back…..

Cottage Time 2016–Part 1

Mom and Dad rented a cottage at the beginning of the summer which along with school ending signifies summer has officially begun!  My brother and SIL rented a trailer in the same location so there was lots and lots of family time!  (We laughed when we arrived at Kid’s Ministry to see that the girls were wearing matching outfits – especially since Trish and I hadn’t even bought these together!)

Later in the day we began playing Goose Chase and the girls enjoyed doing this to meet one of the challenges.

Campfires are always a special part of cottage time.  Sometimes we enjoy Campfire Cones

and other times Smores!

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying time with their grandkids.

Vacation Bible School 2016

One of the highlights of the summer comes the very first week after school ends when Hannah and many of her friends attend Vacation Bible School! 

This year’s theme was Deep Sea Discovery and as always the church went all out decorating for this great week for the kids!

There were over 500 kids in attendance and almost 200 volunteers!  I love this pic as it’s some of the Grades 6-8 kids who attended.  Such an important age group to still have involved!

The kids raised money all week by bringing in coins to help support and orphanage.  They met one of the goals so one of the leaders spent Friday sporting this blonde wig which the kids loved!

Friday morning parents were invited to attend a performance by their kiddos.   I love seeing my little girl praising the Lord!!

What a perfect way for Hannah to start her summer!

Strawberry Picking

Hannah and I always enjoy strawberry picking and this year we were able to go the very first evening that the fields opened!  We went with friends Payton and Gage which made it extra special!

The section we started in had us working hard for each and every tiny berry. 

That didn’t stop us from tasting them though!

Hannah’s version of ‘Where’s Waldo’

On Hannah’s travels she found a new patch with HUGE berries in it!  Way to go Hannah!!

After working hard to fill our small containers, we filled her princess bucket in short order when the new berries were found!

This picture makes me giggle!  Where people weren’t picking the fields were full of seagulls.  Sometimes they’d take to flight and you had to be careful they didn’t drop ‘something’ on you!  In this movie the gulls had a little encouragement to take off but it’s a good representation of what would take place every few minutes and we could hear drop, drop, drop around us!

It was a successful evening of strawberry picking with friends!  Tammy and I work in the same building and met last year when her family won a trip to Disney and someone put us in contact to help with planning.  A great friendship was formed between us and now our kids are wonderful friends too!

Another year of strawberry picking is in the books!    Love our annual traditions!!