Holidays Are Here Again!!

Well, it's that time on the calendar that I both look forward too and dread each year! 

HOLIDAY TIME!

To me, it means both a break from work to spend with family AND busy days that leave me longing for a holiday from my holidays!

This year, along with my parents, we were going cottaging.  It took me a week to pack and shop for the trip.  On Friday, I loaded up the van, packed to the brim, for our 4 day trip to a cottage located just 5 minutes down the road!

Yup, seemed like a lot of stuff for that much time, but with 2 kids, you have to plan. PLUS, we still made a couple trips home for stuff we forgot!

The cottage is one I went to every summer as a child and have wonderful memories of it.  When we moved here from Brampton about 20 years ago, we stopped going to the cottage, because we lost sight of what the cottage gave us.  A chance to re-connect and view a bit of different scenery!

Truthfully, I'm a wimp!  I really do hate travelling with my kids.  It's an ordeal to pack everyone and everything up and at home, I know they can't get into much trouble and things are "ABBY PROOF", but somewhere else?  I can't be sure!

It really was great though!  The cottage has been upgraded since my time.  And the bonus...HOT TUB!!

The cottage belongs to my Great Uncle Jeff's family and he lives right next door, so it was nice to also visit with him and he took us on a nice boat trip!

Here are a few pics from the cottage adventure!

The introduction to the water started with the hot tub.  Hayden was a bit scared of the river and Abby wanted nothing to do with it.  She loved the hot tub though and had NO fear of it at all!  She jumped right in and could care less if she went under and got water in her face.  Hayden was not so brave!

He did eventually migrate to the river.  He could touch bottom in a few places and hung out there.  Liked chilling in the tube with Dad and Grampa and even got to jumping in.  When I was his age, I was the same...no fear of swimming in the river...but as I got older, I got wiser and realized what also swam in those same waters....Frogs, Snakes, Fish, Turtles and who knows what else!  Let's just say, I didn't even stick in a toe!

Kids now a day's, this is how they enjoy a boat ride!

On Saturday afternoon, Uncle Jeff took us for a ride on his pontoon boat while Gramma stayed back at the cottage and had a quiet rest.  It was nice and peaceful.  The kids enjoyed it, but a 4 year old being a 4 year old, was ready to go back after about 10 minutes.  Sorry Buddy!  Hitch yourself up for a bit of a trip.  He did get to help Uncle Jeff drive the boat and took his job VERY seriously!  We convinced him that Uncle Jeff got lost and it was only because of his good driving skills that we made it home at all!  Abby loved it too and liked to look over the front of the boat at the water.

This is just one of the many beautiful homes on the Otonabee River...if you look real close, you will see a banner on the side of the house?  What does it say you ask? 

Here's the close up!

It's not real clear but it says "Will You Marry Me?"  I couldn't make out the name in the heart, but someone was going to have a memorable boat ride....perhaps not as memorable as my first boat ride with my hubby..but that is a story for another time!

The rest are just a few random pics from the rest of the weekend.  I can't wait to do it again.  It was fun and the kids had a blast!