The next morning we were able to make it to te reception of Matthew's Baptism, April and Darryl's sweet little boy! And since our last visit to Canada over Christmas, Matthew had made his entrance into the world, which meant that this was my and Andee's first oppourtunity to meet him! What a sweet and happy baby boy! A wonderful morning visiting friends!
We were able to visit lots of friends and family during our 2 week stay! My favourite part of the trip was our 4-day excursion to my parent's newly renovated cottage! New windows, walls, flooring, and lots more was waiting for us when we arrived! It looked awesome! The whole fam had some time off to enjoy my favourite place to be! We played frisbee, washer toss, played at the beach and in the lake, had a bonfire, ate lots of Kawartha Dairy ice cream by the Falls, and just had a wonderful time! So thankful for the family time, summer, and the cottage!!
Another occasion to celebrate was Mary-Kate's graduation from college! She worked very hard at school and her internship these past few years, and we are so proud of her accomplishments! Congratulations Mary-Kate!
We tried very hard to fit in a trip to another gem that I just can't get enough of - Jungle Cat World! A small zoo with all different kinds of big and small cats, and a few other animals too! Obviously, I love this place! Cassie and I made the trip on a beautiful sunny morning to visit all our favourite big cats, monkeys, llamas, and much more! The best!
On my 'Canada list', as usual, was to have a Timmy's date! We were able to try the new chocolate chill and oreo iced capp drinks, as well as the oreo and maple donuts, and standard chocolate chip muffin. Everything was SO delicious, and having just one will have to tide us over to the next Canada vacation!
We were also able to spend a little bit of time with some friends! We missed them! We were gifted with a fantastic sunny day to spend some time outside just chatting and enjoying each others company! We love you!
We really had a wonderful time in Canada visiting so many more people than these pictures suggest! I always struggle with the changes involved with a somewhat shared loyalty to two different worlds, but the struggle at this point has come very much to be expected. And so I will quote one of my favourite people, "To nobody's surprise, I like things to stay the same" - Auntie Anne. Couldn't have said it better myself! However, these shared loyalties have opened us up to so many people that we love so much that have been or currently are a wonderful part of our lives. We are happy to be back home in Iowa, but always miss our Canada friends and family while we are here!
And as per usual, here are some adorable 'Canada Cat' pictures for your enjoyment!
