The cottages are for rent and they are fully equipped, very elegantly decorated and very comfortable.  The kids had a great time too.  In the morning they just hung around playing board games and on Saturday afternoon, the weather was perfect and the kids had a blast tobogganing and exploring.  Simone and Dan have a dog and Matthew really had a great time playing with her.  He declared that Saturday was his best day ever, the highest toboggan hill that he had ever been on and a dog to play with all day.  Andrew had a blast too, he couldn’t wait to go outside to play Sunday and spend about 3 hours outside tobogganing and playing in the snow.

We are looking forward to going back there, what a great place to be and so close to the city too.  Summer will be awesome when we can swim in the lake and explore the bush!

Hey if anyone is looking for a place to get away, this place is only about an hour and a half from Ottawa.  I highly recommend, check out their website for pictures and more information.  http://www.themoonshadowretreat.com/

It didn’t disappoint.  We went to the train station with all our 16 pieces of luggage, 8 to check in and 2 for each of us for the train, one with pillows and blankets and the other for their toys and stuff.  I of course had the 2 food bags….  Anyways, we get to the train station with my parents, Kyle’s mum, his brother and his wife.  It was nice to have people sending us off.  Matthew got a little emotional and was a little sad, the other 2 were so tired, they just wanted to get off their feet and get on the train. They had been so looking forward to traveling plus it was 10:30 at night.

Hauling our stuff to the train.

After saying goodbye to everyone, we head onto the platform where we had to take the long walk outdoors to our coach. Thank goodness for porters, they took my super heavy food bags for me all the way to our seats. I was so overwhelmed (I felt like a little kid), I forgot to tip him!

The train finally pulled out of the station at 12:15am, the kids were still wide eyed, and looking at all the city lights and figuring where they were in the city.  Finally when there are no more lights from the city, they are willing to pull down the blinds to go to sleep.

Natalie ready for bed.

Boys getting comfortable.

The next day they all woke up happy and we had our packaged breakfast at our seats and enjoyed the views from the large train windows. At one point, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere. I asked the conductor and he said that there are many cottages along the train and they often pick people up along the track. As there are mile markers along the track, they can request a specific pickup/drop off point. I thought that was cool. One other thing, we stopped at CN Collins and picked up some young people with backpacks, they went straight to the dinning car. 10-15 minutes later they got off the train. Someone said that that was their ride to school! Wonder how they got home. All these little facts that you wouldn’t have know…

Beautiful winter setting.

We spent the morning on the sky train, there we could see everything.  The front of the train and the back of the train.  It was cool to be able to see as the train goes around a bend or changing tracks.  Just like when you are playing with those toy trains on tracks…  The kids kept themselves busy with their toys and books while I started my newest knitting project.

Watching the train from the skytrain.

The train changing tracks.

For lunch, we decided to treat ourselves to a meal on the dinning car. The kids love being served and the dinning car was so bright and cheery. Great service and very reasonable prices. Another little fact, the prices on the menu include taxes. It is easier for the accounting department to figure our where in the country the meals are served and the provinces get their appropriate taxes than for the servers to charge the taxes. So the prices you see on the menu is what you pay, excluding tips of course. In the coaches, many people seem to sleep all day so the lighting in the cars are usually pretty dim, so unlike the dinning car.

Lunch in the dinning car.

In the afternoon, we decided to just relax. I tried to get them all to have a nap since we went to bed so late the night before but not a chance, so they just read. The kids felt so comfortable on they train, they moved from the coach train to the skytrain by themselves except for Natalie, as the doors were too heavy for her.

Relaxing and reading.

I promised them a movie in the afternoon after they rested, unfortunately when they were ready to watch, someone else was watching a movie on TV in the dinning car, so they ended up watching it on my computer. Good thing they have electrical points on the train.

kids watching a movie.

After dinner, they even had entertainment. Jared from Quebec, played some songs from some Canadian composers and some of his his own compositions. It was a nice addition to the day. It was so funny, only a handful of people came to listen even though it was announced over the PA. I think the music was good but Andrew on the other hand was so tired, he was lulled to sleep.

Jared our onboard entertainer.

Andrew couldn't quite stay awake.

Saturday we arrived in Toronto an hour early. We got a porter to take our luggage onto the train so we were free of bags for our 2 hour layover in Toronto.

The porter taking our 8 pieces of luggage onto the next train.

CN tower on a cloudy day.

Traveling with kids is the best. We never have to stand in line, we just wait in the waiting area and get priority boarding. I guess everyone prefers it when they don’t have to put up with whiny kids standing in line, plus the extra time is very important to settle the kids, make sure they are all comfortable before the train leaves.

On board the VIA train towards Ottawa.

Finally at 5pm, we arrive in Ottawa, 41 hours after leaving Winnipeg. The kids were so happy to see Daddy. I personally enjoyed the train ride, so did the kids, and I highly recommend it, as it was fun. For the older folk, I suggest getting a berth as the coach seat isn’t the most comfortable for the achy bones but it worked for the kids and myself.

Ottawa, 41 hours after leaving Winnipeg.

It has finally hit me, the place that we have called home for the last 3 years will become another place that we have lived in.  I am very excited and a little sad.  In the last 3 years, we have spend so much time with family and friends, but thanks to the internet, keeping in touch is going to be so much easier.  Plus they can come visit.

In a couple of hours, we will be set on our next adventure.  What better way to start it with a train ride across Canada to Ottawa.  Relaxing on the train, enjoying nature and the vast open spaces.  And traveling “green”!

Kyle is currently in Ottawa working with Jazz Solar, working with some guys that he used to work for over 7 years ago at Ceyba.  He has been there for almost a month and really enjoys it.  Like all start ups, he is working long hours so it is a good thing we are not there yet.  We are moving in the New Year and planning to live the Carlingwood area, close to the library, grocery store, church, the Y and Chinese school.  All within walking distances, less greenhouse gases…

We are all looking forward to the move, seeing friends again after many years.  It will be lots of fun, we are off for another adventure.

Working on our vision boards

For those of you who do not know what a vision board is, it is a simple yet powerful visualization tool that activates the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality. A vision board is simply a visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. It consists of a poster or foam board (books in our case) with cut-out pictures, drawings and/or writing on it of the things that you want in your life or the things that you want to become. The purpose of a vision board is to activate the law of attraction to begin to pull things from your external environment that will enable you to realize your dream. By selecting pictures and writing that charges your emotions with feelings of passion, you will begin to manifest those things into your life.

I made sure the kids understood what a vision board was and everyone went to work…  They had tons of fun cutting and pasting.  It is never too early to start.  We have it by our school books so we go through at it every morning before school.  The law of attraction states that we attract into our lives anything that we give attention to, regardless whether it be positive or negative so that is why we look at it everyday.  As the kids do not have a specific desk or wall, a book works really well for our situation.

Start your vision board today, it is super easy and you’d be surprised on what happens…

Our cheering leaders at the end of the race

Today, I participated in my 3rd mini Triathlon with my friend Nicola.  Unfortunately, it didn’t feel right from the start.  I had trouble with my breathing in the pool (It was a little upsetting as my swim has always been my strongest points) and then it was cold and windy on my mountain bike. (I really need a road bike, didn’t I say that before?)  I wore my rain coat on which acted like a parachute,  I finally took it off for my run but that wasn’t too late for the bike ride.  I am very happy to say though that initially the run was tough as I was figuring out my breathing but once I got it, the run felt really good.  Perhaps it was because of the new shoes I won on at my “mothers day run” .

It didn’t help that I didn’t sleep well the night before either.  I was up half the night moving stuff off the basement floor.  A few of the neighbours has sewer backup so we just wanted protect our stuff just in case.  With the dust and my allergies, I had to take an antihistamine as my eye swelled up.

I am the one with the red swim cap

Me on my mountain bike

Almost done...

So now that I have gone through all my excuses, I am more determined to keep in shape and keep active.   I have made up my mind to continue doing at least 15 minutes of exercise per day (which has slacked in the last couple of months) and perhaps add a run once a week or more.  My experience of completing this triathlon was less than ideal for me, but it has given me more stronger desire to keep in shape and stay healthy.  I like my “girly” figure!  he he he…  Perhaps I will do a sprint triathlon soon…

For your information:

Try-a-Tri distance 300m swim, 15km bike, 3km run

Sprint distance 750km swim, 20km bike, 5 km run

Yesterday, Natalie and Andrew built a fort in the basement and decided to sleep in it.  They asked our permission and we thought, why not?  They were so excited, they brought that clothes, stuff animals, pillows and blankets down there and set up for the night.  We were not sure how long it would last and what time they would finally fall asleep, and whether they would stay there all night.  This is something different for them.

We put them to bed at 7pm.  I went to the basement to get something at around 7:30ish and it was suddenly quiet with a little whispering.

They finally fell asleep about 8ish which wasn’t too bad.  I checked on them and as you can see in the last picture,  they had changed places.

Finally asleep

In the middle of the night, Andrew and Natalie came upstairs as they were cold.  I guess they had used their blankets for the fort so they didn’t have one to sleep with.  So Natalie headed back to her bed with another blanket while Andrew who was determined to sleep downstairs went back to bed in his fort.  He plans on sleeping down there again tonight, wonder whether Natalie will.  She said that she was scared and we reminded her that she was downstairs with Andrew.  Perhaps she won’t wake up tonight if they have a blanket each.

Sprint to the finish line.

I had a full day this mother’s day. It started for me with breakfast with Natalie at 6:30am. I needed to have enough time for my breakfast to settle before my 8km run at 9am at St Vital Park.  When I decided to do a longer run this year, I wasn’t sure that I would have been able run the 8km.  I guess when you make up your mind to do something, the rest is easy.  Here is a picture of myself and my friend Audrey, my inspiration, sprinting towards the finish line.

The run was at St Vital park about 2km away.  I rode my bike there and it was a great warm up for a very cool day.  It  was about 0C when I left the house.  As a bonus for myself, after the run, they had a draw and I won a pair of Ascis runners.  It was so exciting as Kyle and I had discussed that I should get a new pair of runners the week before.

After a nice soak in the tub, we went to my aunt’s place for a great lunch.  We had to rush home for Kyle to prepare lunch for us and his parents.  As he was doing all the cooking, I laid low for a little rest.  I heard a little voice looking for mummy and then Andrew appeared with a little bouquet of Dandelions. Talk about melting your heart!

Andrew with his bouquet

We had a great visit with his parent while Kyle prepared dinner and we all watch him slave over the hot stove.  He was experimenting with new vegetarian recipes.  The favourite is the Gumbo.

I am have a great family and what a wonderful Mother’s Day…

All across our nation, supporters of life will be marching. Let us be a people who march for life and become a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
For more information visit www.lifevision.ca
email: L4L@mts.net
tel #: 233-8047
t-shirts for the walk will be available for $10 donation.