HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!!!!

Making Soldiers out of Sailors

I'm now on day four of my pre-deployment training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. So far I have been issued uniforms for the desert and a pile of other gear. I have been medically screened to include more shots and new glasses. I was also issued the M9 pistol and M16 assault rifle. Everyone gets them, but only a few must qualify on both and take them into theater. I am one of those people. I have already trained and qualified on both. The days are long and tiring. The sun takes a lot out of me. Tomorrow we have to run the confidence course in full body armor and then we have to go back to the range. This next range will have us firing on targets in various locations while walking. It should be fun!

Second Visit for Two Rivers

What a beautiful day it was today! Too nice to be stuck inside, so we decided why not pack the van and head to Mira to visit the Two Rivers Wildlife Park. Today was Tyler's second visit to the park. We took him last year, but he was only 6 months old and at the time got around by me carrying him in the Bjork carrier. This time was so much more fun for him and for us!

Eventhough we entered into the park right when it opened, many of the animals were sleeping. We figured if we left early in the morning we would have a much better chance to see the wildlife out and about before their afternoon nap. Well, I guess they decided to take a morning nap today because of the heat.

There were lots of animals to view; bears, foxes, a coyote, skunk, bears, mink, eagles, emu, bobcat and of course the moose. We;ve been very lucky on both ocassions that the moose were out today and the last time we were here. Usually they are a rare sight because of their huge area they are allowed to roam in. Today we not only saw moose, but a baby moose.

Our very favourite animal for today were the reindeer! They came right up to us and we got to feed them treats! There was a father, mommy and baby reindeer. The baby reindeer was the best though. He was so friendly and loved getting his treats. I think we could have stayed there all day just feeding them. Unfortunately, my little boy, fell down here on the gravel and scraped his little nose and got pebbles in his mouth. The poor little guy! After a cleaning of the mouth and face, kiss on the nose, and a big hug he was back to normal and ready to visit the next animal.

Mom and Tyler had fun with the deer. Again the fawn was so used to people and loved the attention he was getting from us.

Once we were finished seeing the animals and on our way down the trail to the exit of the park, we passed by a few rabbit hopping along in the wooded area. I went right up to this one and got his photo. I wish I had some treats left so I could have fed him. Overall, we had a great time outdoors seeing the wildlife and learning all about them. Can't wait until next summer's visit!

Thank You Daddy!!!

I couldn't find my boots that Grammy bought me anywhere. I looked and looked and Mommy looked and looked and everyone looked and looked. Then Mommy told me that Daddy had found them in his car when he got back home after he visited us here. I was happy that they weren't lost anymore and we knew where they were. Then today Mommy gave me a box and inside the box were my boots!!! Daddy had mailed them all the way from back home to here just for me. I just wanted to tell you all how lucky I am to have the BESTEST DADDY IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WIDE WORLD!!!!! I LOVE YOU DADDY SOOOO MUCH AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!

Christine is Back Home!!!

I'm so excited that Christine is back home! Her and Gabriel live in Peace River, Alberta but she flew into Sydney late Sunday night to visit her parents for a week. Last night, she came over for a visit and to see how much Tyler has grown since last summer when she saw him last.

We had a great time together. She was so kind to give Tyler two books! She must have known for reading our blog that books are his very favourite! Anyway, she read one of the books to him last night and he really enjoyed it. He gave it to her a second time for her to read to him and then afterwards he gave her a big hug as a thank you.

Later on Tyler found her shoes and brought them over to us. He sat on the floor and took the insoles of them out and then we had a good laugh at him trying to smell them! For the record, they didn't smell..LOL It was so funny watching him play with the insoles and trying to put them back inside her shoes.

Then her mom came over to pick her up to take her home and to see Tyler. Mrs Boutilier had fun with Tyler as he explored the insides of her purse. We all had a real nice time and it is so wonderful seeing my best friend again and I look forward to seeing more of her during the week home! Friends really have a way of brightening up your day!

*Happy Birthday to my brother, Joe, who is celebrating his 39th birthday today!!!

Sunday Church & Picnic

This morning we went to church. I wasn't sure how Tyler would manage during the service since he is much older and much more mobile than the last time we took him to church. And to top things off, as we pulled into the church parking lot, I noticed that I forgot his pacificer. I was afraid he was going to be loud during prayers.

Thankfully once we entered in the church, one of the ladies passed us a bag for Tyler filled with some books, pages to colour, crayons and stickers! Hallelujah! Tyler now had lots to keep him busy. We looked through the books, coloured and played with stickers for the first time. Tyler was quiet for most of the service, except during the sermon when a little girl who looked about 10 months started to yell out and then Tyler would answer her. The members of the congregation got a big kick out of that and started to laugh. Then each time we would stand up to sing a hymn, Tyler would start putting crayons in peoples hands around us. Overall, he did a great job during the long service.

Afterwards, we came home changed out of our "Sunday best" into some casual clothes and got things ready for a picnic. I made crab sandwiches and mom had baked chicken the night before. We decided to go to Dalem Lake, which is one of my favourite provinicial parks.

Once we finished eating, we went for a short stroll down the trail and then we took Tyler near the lake where there were some people swimming. Tyler had a great time watching the people splash about and have fun. It was a great day, but it would have been a lot better if Steve was here too! I miss you so much, Steve!!! Today Steve checked into boot camp, which is approximately 3 weeks long, before going on deployment.

*Christine and Gabriel are celebrating their 1st year wedding anniversary today!!! We wish you many many more years of happiness!!!! :) :) :)

Tyler does Yoga

We are so blessed that...

he is such a good boy!

A New Friend for Tyler

A few days ago I received a phone call from Mrs Boudreau, my best friend Tanya's mom. She said that her son Chad and his wife Shelley were up visiting from Regina and that she would have their son, Breton (yes, he is named after our beautiful island of Cape Breton), on Wednesday to babysit and she was wondering if perhaps we would like to get Tyler and Breton together. Of course, I thought it was a great idea and we made plans to have a little picnic at Peter's Field.

I was really curious to see how Tyler would get along with Breton as he doesn't have any kids his age where we live back home and so he really doesn't have much experience in sharing and playing with other children, but the boys got along great! They played ball and sticks together and then when it was time to eat, Tyler even shared his food with Breton!

Breton and Tyler were really adorable together. Tyler sat by himself for the first time at the picnic table as they both ate their crackers that Mrs Boudreau provided for them.

Breton will be turning 2 yrs old on September 2nd! It's incredible how fast time flies by. I remember like it was yesterday when Tanya e-mailed me his birth pictures.

After their picnic, Breton went for a little walk and discovered some fun.

It wasn't too long before Tyler was right beside him and they both had a great time splashing in a puddle they found near the water spout.

By the time they were finished, they were pretty much covered in water, grass, and even some mud. I guess it's true what they say 'Boys will be boys'.

It was then time to head back home and get them cleaned up. It was absolutely wonderful seeing Mrs Boudreau again. She is so much like Tanya :) and Breton was such a sweetheart! I hope they we can get the boys together again! Thank you Mrs Boudreau for a fun morning!

Uncle Joey's Bulldozer

When Grammy first introduced the wind-up bulldozer that once belonged to Uncle Joey when he was much much younger, Tyler was afraid of it. The bulldozer makes a sound when it is wound up and put on the floor and it drives around and spins in a circle. But Tyler was still curious about it so he would watch it and soon asked for us to make it go. Over and over again we would have to wind it up and he would watch it from a safe distance. However this was until yesterday when all of a sudden we noticed Tyler trying to touch it and then a few hours later he was brave enough to actually pick it up on his own! This morning we even saw him trying to wind it up himself! I guess after almost 40 years this toy still hasn't lost its' touch! We may even have to take it back with us, providing it's alright with Uncle Joey.

On another note, it's Tyler's 18 month birthday!!!

Heather & Rhonda go to Iona

Today's adventure was a caching road trip to Iona! Rhonda and I had taken a road trip here several years ago, so we thought why not come back and grab some caches this time. Rhonda is actually the person who got us hooked on geocaching a couple of years ago, but it had been awhile since she had been out to get some.

One of the caches took us to Plaster Cove where the white hills of gypsum are located. There was a path on top of the biggest hill, which we never knew existed before finding the cache. It was really neat walking up the hill and the view from it was nice as well. After finding most of the caches, we went to the Highland Village where we ate at the restaurant. It had been a strange day to say the least, as far as weather was concerned. One moment it was raining, the next it was bright and sunny. This seems to be typical of a Heather and Rhonda day spent together for some reason.

After we finished eating, the sun came back out and we went down to the Barra Straight Marina to get a cache. It was here that we saw a boat come through which was really neat because they had to open both the train bridge and the vehicle bridge. I had never seen that before!

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side

Just as I was packing the van up this morning for our venture to the Northstar In for brunch that Mom had made reservations for, I mentioned to my dad that before Tyler and I leave to go back home to the USA that we need to go across the field to see the horses at the nearby farm. I could see the field from where the van was parked in our driveway. I then made another trip to the house to get more things that I needed to bring for Tyler and upon my return happened to look across the field again, only this time saw that there was a horse loose! My dad and I went to the backyard to get a closer look and there we met Mr Baillie in his backyard. We couldn't see where the horse escaped, whether it was through the fence or from inside his stall in the barn. So Mr Baillie decided to go over to see if anyone was home at the farm. Mrs Robertson was home and soon she came out with a bucket of oats to lure the horse back.

Once we knew the horse was in good hands, we piled in the van and headed over to the Northstar Inn for brunch. We've been over here several times before and they reserved a nice table with a view of the ocean and the Newfoundland ferries. We had a nice meal and Tyler had a great time making everyone smile that was nearby. Thank you Dad for treating us!

Sweetest Hairdresser Ever

Tyler found Mommy's brush, so Grammy asked him if he wanted to go brush Mommy's hair. Away he went to get Mommy and he started to brush my hair as I sat on the floor! How sweet of him!

Then after my new "hairdresser" was finished, he gave me a big hug! If only all hairdressers were so kind and ended their service in the same manner.

Just the Two of Us

Today is a very important day for Steve and I, it is our 5th wedding anniversary! Sadly though, Steve had to leave early this morning to head back home :( We weren't even suppose to be together at all today because we were going to celebrate when he came up here in September by taking a trip to Newfoundland together. We are very blessed to be able to spend some time together today.

Steve booked a room at the Sea Parrot in North Shore on Tuesday. We never even heard of the place before booking it, so we were quite amazed when we arrived. Each room had a theme. Ours was the Far East room. The property was just beautiful, over looking the water and the hospitality of the owners was even more special. Steve and I will definitely make it a point to go back some day. It was so peaceful and quiet that we had a hard time leaving the next day. The stay there actually inspired us to maybe someday open our own little bed and breakfast on the Cabot Trail.

While in North Shore, we decided to drive around and get some caches and then when the clouds gathered over and it started to rain, we decided to go for a drive. We went as far as Neil's Harbour and turned around.

The next day we woke up early and headed for home to get Tyler and Mom. We wanted Tyler with us to do our 1000th cache find! We missed Tyler so much! This was the first time we left Tyler over night with anyone and he really has never been without us for more than a few hours. According to my mom though, he was such a good boy and never cried at all for us which doesn't surprise us.

The next day my mom told us to go out and spend some more time together while she was more than happy to look after Tyler. She knew how important it was for us to spend as much time together before Steve's deployment. Mom, I really appreciate your kindness! Of course, she was just more than thrilled at the chance to look after her grandson.

Steve and I just wanted a nice and relaxing day together so we drove around Dominion, New Waterford and Glace Bay. It is a really pretty drive along the coast. We stopped at the Dominion Schoolhouse Museum. They have quite the collection of history artifacts there of the town.

Then Steve and I enjoyed a nice stroll along the Dominion Boardwalk. The day couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and warm with a nice breeze. It was just what we needed to clear our thoughts and just relax and enjoy each other's company.

Since we were in the area, we then decided to head along the coast of Glace Bay. Ever since we watched the movie New Waterford Girl, which is one of our all time favourite movies, we have been on a quest to find Mooney and Lou's houses. Each time we come home, we drive around New Waterford looking for them. This time we decided to try Glace Bay because we heard that the houses were actually there instead. We're pretty sure we made the find, but when Steve goes back home he is going to verify by watching the movie.




The houses that we suspect that were in the movie were located in a picturesque area with an amazing view of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We stayed for a while just taking in the beauty and the fresh air. Steve and I had a really nice relaxing couple of days together. This morning it was extremely difficult saying good-bye to him.

Steve, I'm going to miss you so much and I will be counting the days until we are in each other's arms again.

Father/Daughter Birthday

Dad's birthday was July 25th, a few days before Tyler and I arrived here and my birthday is today. My mom decided to wait until we got home to celebrate my dad's birthday since it was just the two of them. Then we decided since my birthday was just around the corner that we celebrate the two birthdays together. So we all went out to dinner tonight to celebrate. My mom secretly told the waitress about our birthdays and after we finished dinner she came with two cupcakes for Dad and I.

Then we came home and had our birthday cake. What really made my birthday special was having Steve here! We never planned for him to be here for my birthday, but because of the unexpected recent events, he was here to be with me and I couldn't be more happy! Thank you to everyone who called and sent cards. I really am blessed to have the nicest people in my life!

Together Again

Yay!!! Our family is reunited again! Steve arrived at 2 am this morning after a long drive from Rhode Island. We are so very happy to be together again! This week we are going to make the most of our time together before his deployment.

Ever since I arrived here in Cape Breton, Steve has been asking every night whether or not I have been going to the Tasty Treat, so today we satisfied our cravings for the delicious ice cream and went there for lunch.

I'M SOOO HAPPY THAT STEVE IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may have to kidnap him so he doesn't have to go to Iraq.

*Today is Chellee & Peter's wedding anniversary! They have been married 7 years. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GUYS!

Getting Ready for Steve

While we are getting ready for Steve's arrival, we moved Tyler's bath tub to another room. It wasn't long before he discovered where it was and brought all his new bath toys to play in the tub!

Steve is expected either late tonight or early tomorrow morning. He is coming up here to spend time with us before his deployment to Iraq. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers and I please ask you to continue praying until his safe return home.

We have decided to delay Nana's visit until later on. It was important to us, as you can imagine, that we spend some quality time before his deployment.

Cabbage Patch Kid

Getting Ready for Nana

This morning we started getting ready for Nana's arrival. Mom showed me how to make cabbage rolls. She prepared the meat and I did the rolling in the cabbage part. The whole process reminded me of making lumpias with my friend Maria when I was stationed in Italy. We just took them out of the oven and sampled them; they turned out pretty good! Tonight we are going to have some for dinner, but the rest will be for when Nana is here. We wanted to get some things ready now so we could spend more time with her instead of in the kitchen.



Dad did his part in helping out by keeping Tyler occupied. They went for a little stroll around the block and up the street. Tyler really enjoyed getting outside with Grampy. I asked Tyler if he had fun when they returned and his reply was "yeah!".

Nana is coming to visit this weekend and will be staying with us for a week. We are quite excited to see her again. It has been almost two years since the last time I had seen her.