Good Times: July 2008

I thought I'd better post these pics with out further delay even though I have yet to finish the massive post on our trip to Canada. This is so much more fun!

And for those of you who want a little clearer pic, here is the 4D image.

You guessed it! Baby Cashew will be joining us around February 3, 2009!

No, we are not crazy (or celebrities) and will not be naming the kid Cashew. One of my nicknames for Max is Buster Peanut and since we're all a bunch of nuts, I thought Cashew had a nice ring.

We have not told Max yet, although he knows somethings up since I am just as sick this time as I was with him. We are going to wait a few months, until I really start to show, since 6 months is just too long to make him wait for his longed for sibling.

So even though this was a little sooner than we had planned, we are absolutely ecstatic and could hardly wait this long to tell all of you!

Our flight left for Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 6/30 at the bright shiney time of 7:35am. Which meant that we needed to be at the airport at 5:30. Which also meant that I had to get a 3 yr old & a 34 yr old up & ready to go by 4:45. Guess which one was easier!

Max loved running in & out under the banner.

The North American Gathering for Clan MacLeod didn't start til 7/2 so we had a couple days to see some of the sights on our own. And what a city! We were staying at the University of Ottawa and it is perfectly situated for walking all over the city. Not to mention the fabulous weather! 75 degrees F & no humidity! If you've ever been in STL in the summer, you know why that is so amazing.

View of Rideau Canal from our room.

View of the clock tower on Parliment Hill from our other window.

July 1st is Canada Day so we walked to Parliment Hill in the morning to watch the parade & then we planned to continue on to Major's Hill Park where lots of kid's activities were being held. There were so many street performers out that we kept getting distracted & never made it that far.

Parade

Just 2 of the acts performing around the city

After watching the street performers we wandered into Byward Market which was wonderful! It is a farmer's market that goes on for blocks. Seriously, it is about 8 blocks long & at least 3 blocks wide. There were so many vendors selling so many wonderful things. You could smell the strawberries, blackberries, blueberries & raspberries. One of the vendors let me have a little taste & it was amazing. The raspberries actually tasted like raspberries. I wanted to buy some of everything but since the dorm we were in only had a communal kitchenette I settled for a blackberry smoothie instead. Delicious!

Notre Dame, one of the oldest churches in Ottawa

Outside the Museum of Civilization with Parliment Hill in the background

The Gladish Family + Max

Max & his buddy Aiden G. at the Museum of Nature

Why are boys so fascinated by poop?

Pilot Max at the Canadian War Museum (Google it! Amazing Museum!)

Changing of the Guard at Parliment Hill

Top of the Canadian War Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the War Memorial

The next few pics are of a really neat peice of public art called Strathcona's Folly located in Strathcona Park. It was made using pieces of architectural history from the area and has all sorts of nook & crannies with surprises for the kids. Max climbed all over it looking for the little bronze animals.