Now that we have that out there in the open, I need to recap the last three months. My last post was about our beach trip to SC back in June...yes, June...and it's September. So, I have quite a bit to cover. I think I'll break it into sections so this week will probably be a full week of blogging and then I'll start the weekly updates next week. Some will be more eventful than others, but since we're half a world away it will help make us feel a bit closer.
Once Matthew and I returned home to Little Rock from our beach trip in SC, things settled down a little for us. Ryan's Navigator training schedule remained very busy and he either had very early morning report times or he worked very late into the night. He began flying pretty soon after we got home, and had an intense flying schedule up until his graduation. He completed his training and made the highest evaluation score he could get on his final flight. I am such a proud Air Force wife!!
We celebrated by making the drive from Little Rock, AR to Nashville, TN and caught a flight from Nashville to Toronto for almost two weeks to see Ryan's family. This was also the monumental "move" to Canada for our precious dog, Waddles, who will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa (AKA: Ryan's parents, Candy and Mark) while we're in Japan. Mark met us in Nashville to pick up Waddles, and he made the drive from Nashville to Stouffville, Ontario in one day! It was a 16 hour drive and thankfully he had no trouble crossing the border with Waddles. In fact, he had her "sitting pretty" in the front seat all ready for the customs questions and the guy was more concerned with where Mark had gotten his coffee! I guess Waddles already looked Canadian! I still don't know how Mark made the drive with her in one day -- I hated making the 5 hour drive with her from GA to SC! The crazy part was that Mark and Waddles made it to Stouffville in time to drop off their luggage and turn around and head to the Toronto airport to pick us up that evening! Wow - now that's love!
We were so sad to leave Waddles behind, but two months later, it sounds like she might actually like living in Canada better than she does living with us! It probably doesn't help that Grandma and Grandpa spoil her rotten! I miss Waddles dearly, but it makes my heart smile knowing she is so loved by them both. Here is a picture of the "official" changing of the collar from Ryan to Mark.
Our trip to Canada was so wonderful. It was just what we needed after 6 crazy months in Little Rock. Plus, it was so special for Matthew to spend time with his Grandma and Grandpa. They even babysat over the weekend and let Ryan and I go downtown Toronto for a few nights on our own. It was our first "vacation" away from Matthew since he was born (sadly, it took us 19 months!). We enjoyed walking around downtown, going to the top of the famous CN Tower, having the most delicious "street dog" I've ever eaten, and we decided at the last minute to get tickets to the Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay baseball game. Here are a few photos of our weekend getaway.
My first "street dog"!
Ryan at the top of the CN Tower...I didn't know I was afraid of heights until that day!
Outside on the observation deck of the CN Tower.
At the Blue Jay's game!
They had the stadium dome open and we had the perfect view of the CN Tower.
On our last night in downtown Toronto, we stopped at "Habeebe's Shawarma" to experience an authentic Shawarma. I'm pretty picky when it comes to trying new foods, but I have to say that it was excellent! It was a huge pita that wrapped up chicken and veggies and was topped with some kind of (very tastey) sauce. If you ever encounter "Habeebe's" I would recommend trying his Shawarma!
I think I'll finish my recap of our Canada trip in another blog post so it's not picture/information overload. Part II will detail our time with our Canadian family. It was a very special time for everyone, so stay tuned!
