Our Whirlwind Trip Part Deux: And Yes, I'm Still Basking

Our Long Weekend away was only half finished when I last left you hanging here.... Just to recap, after one night and day in Big City number one, we were finished being fed and were tired of watching for contractions.  (Baby came two and half days later... Congratulations ~A~ Family!)

So... we drove to Big City number two on Saturday night. 

It was time to hang out and be fed by my sisters. 

After a good nights sleep, we attended my sister's Cool Big City Catholic Church.

With a drum set and electric guitar, we always have a great time.

After the "Apres service" cookies and juice, the kids had lots of energy to hightail it home for Brunch;

but not before climbing a few trees.

Brunch is a very important part of our Sundays.  

It always has been. Look at my Martha-esque sister, who decided to make her bouquet last a little longer.  

I would have never thought of floating them in water? 

But I will now, and likely blog about it too.

We were being fed once again.  This was turning out to be an amazing trip.

She cut and diced and flipped and poured and a great feast was set before us.

Uncle poured the coffee and life was as it should be.

Sister number two joined us with her two boys and we had a nice afternoon. 

Sister number three lives across the country so we were having a 3/4 reunion.

We celebrated our niece/Godchild's belated birthday with a makeshift brunch cinnamon roll cake.

And her brother was a happy man.

The younger cousins played together and then we all went to see Big Cousin play Volleyball.

Auntie and Uncle let The Agronomist and I stay to watch to our hearts content.

And then they fed us again. Are you seeing the recurring theme here?

By Monday, the kids had, had their fill of Volleyball, so The Agronomist and Uncle took them to a local Amusment park only five minutes from their home.

And I got to hang out with my Chic Little Sister and watch my eldest play more Volleyball.

note: they are all my little sisters

...I'm the eldest, but you wouldn't know it by looking at us....its very, very hard to tell.

It was exciting to watch.  Teams from all across Canada were competing.

My sister and I have never felt so short in all of our lives.  

It was a huge convention of mutant Volleyball Giants.  

The girls played well and lost in the final to get silver in their division and tier.  

It was a really, really, close game... could have gone either way.  

Just thought you should know.. ahem. And I am not biased in any way, shape, or form, but it could have gone either way.

I might have mentioned that going either way thing twice, my apologies. (but really..it could have... either way.)

To celebrate, Uncle shared a local secret with us.

We were introduced to a famous city drive in that has not changed in 48 years.  

Thousands flock to it nightly. (no exaggeration)

We feasted on onion rings, sloppy hamburgers, and hot dogs for the kids. 

 

And once again, nephew was a happy man.

It was a blast from the past.

Next time we will go to experience the milkshakes. 

They have thirty flavours that you can have in any combination. 

We will be back! 

While we would have to agree with our Niece's Tee, my only complaint is that, because this country is so darn big, we don't see my family very often.  

But this weekend packed in enough good times to last for the next few months until we see each other again, at a meet in the middle camping trip in July!

In order to experience Peter's Drive In, we had decided we would only drive half way home.

So into the truck we piled for a three hour drive to Big City #1. 

The girls would be missingTuesday morning at school, but we figured it was worth it.

Who needed to rush home and drive late into the night?... not us.  

We would get up at a reasonable time and be home by noon the next day. 

The sky was beautiful. 

It was the perfect end to a wonderful long weekend.  

Now normally this would have been the end to my post.  A nice ending, I might add... 

But life does not always allow you to drive off peacefully into the sunset.

Especially when from the back seat one hears.... Oh no, OH NO! I forgot, I FORGOT!  

The flood gates opened and the tears started pouring.

We frantically tried to understand between our middle child's sobs what she had forgotten.

The t.. t.. tr... track meet... the track meet is tomorrow.  I forgot, I forgot.  I'm going to miss all my events.

Waaaahhhhh.....

After a phone call to a friend we found out she needed to be at the field by 10:15 the next morning.

Guess who was going to be getting up at 5am for an early morning  "five hour" drive?

We were.  

Track meets are highly anticipated school events.  They only happen once a year.  

It was important.

 And she has the ribbons to prove it.

    xo

And there you have it...as promised, the 906 pictures, over four days, edited down over three posts to 52 photos.
I showed restraint because I like you that much.

(unfortunately a picture is unavailable, of me holding out my arms, as wide as I can, to show you my bloggy love. I think maybe, my memory card might be full?)