Scatarie Island Day Trip

Erika and I had a lifetime opportunity today. We took part in a caching event that involved going to a remote place called Scatarie Island. The island is the largest island in Nova Scotia that is not connected to the mainland. This was the first trip to the island for many of the cachers today and it was definitely a wonderful experience! To get to the island, we hired a fisherman to take us by boat. Just the boat ride alone was a blast. He drove slow enough to get some great photos of the coastline. The boat left Main-A-Dieu and took an estimated 30 minutes to reach the island. Once we were close enough, a plank was put in place and we landed on a beautiful sandy beach. The last inhabitants on the island was in the 70's. Today there are still many remnants of the early settlers. We came across a school that was completely torn down as well as several houses that remain abandoned. However there are some small summer houses that are still in use. The main area of interest was the lighthouse. We walked a total of 10 kilometers today, completing several caches placed on the island for the event. It was a lot of walking and at the end of the day, our feet were starting to get sore. However no one complained because everyone had such a fantastic time enjoying the amazing scenery and each other's company. The caches brought us to several parts of the island giving us a chance to really experience life on the remote island. Before too long, we were waiting for the boat to pick us up and we were saying farewell to this awesome island that will forever hold memories in our hearts. We really lucked out today because the weather couldn't have been more perfect which was a definite blessing after 2 weeks of rain. The only thing missing that could have made the day an even more enjoyable trip was the companionship of my wonderful husband. Steve would have been in heaven exploring such a beautiful place. There is already talk of having another event next year on the island, so who knows, perhaps I will be able to share this place with my Steve. Steve Update: Finally after 4 weeks of training in New Jersey, Steve has departed Fort Dix and is on his way to Kuwait. He'll arrive tomorrow where he'll train for another week and then start his 6 month deployment in Iraq. His thoughts right now is to just get this deployment started, so he can come home to us soon.

Erika is Here!!!

My best friend, Erika, arrived late last night. After picking her up at the bus terminal, we came home and caught up on things going on in each other's lives before hitting the hay. We told Tyler that he would see her in the morning since it was late when she got in. First thing this morning he was camped out in front of her door ready for her to come out. He couldn't wait to see his buddy! After breakfast, we ran a few errands with mom and went to Timmies for coffee and treats. We came home and soon after it down poured. However it wasn't long before the sun came out and we hit the road again. It was a great day for some caching. It had been awhile since she had been on the trails and it had been awhile since I hiked. Overall, we had a fun day and I'm sooo excited that she is here!!!

Lordy Lordy, Look Who's 40...

MY BROTHER JOE!!!! This photo was taken when he was still young and innocent. He is holding 'yours truly'. Hope you have an awesome birthday!!! We miss you bunches!!!

Get-Well Prayers

Our stepmother, Wanda, just underwent surgery. The surgery went well, however she is to remain at home on rest for 3 months until she is completely recovered. We are asking for our friends and family to please keep this wonderful stepmother and grandmother in their prayers. We love you very much, Wanda, and you are in our daily thoughts.

Two for Two

This is the second wedding anniversary for two wonderful friends of ours! Christine and Gabriel was married two years ago today, though it is quite hard to believe how fast the time went by. If you go under 'Archives' to the right of this page and click on 'August 2006' you can see some of the beautiful wedding photos. To date, I've never attended a more beautiful wedding. This photo was taken last night. We had a lovely dinner together. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHRISTINE & GABRIEL!!!!

Hair Goes...

Tyler is looking very spiffy since getting a haircut this morning. We took up to Wal-Mart to get it done and the hairdresser that did it told us to just roll the cart in since he was sitting in it. She cut his hair while he sat in the cart! I really wished I had my camera because it was the cutest thing! He always looks so grown up after getting his haircut. Wedding blessings are extended to Julie and Paul. The two became one on August 19th. May you both share happy times together and forever be in love.

IncrEDIBLE Picnic

Delightful local food and produce were the highlight of the "Incredible Picnic" today at Petersfield Park. Tyler and I joined Charmaine, Kelley, & Cameron along with some of their other friends for a little sampling of what our local vendors had to offer. It was not a disappointment to say the least. I chose a lunch plate consisting of a panino with grilled local vegetables dressed with a pesto mayonnaise and locally made feta cheese. A delectable potato salad was the side dish. Of course, preferred something more familiar; Tyler chose cheese and crackers. There wasn't as many children's activities as I thought there were going to be though they did have a table set up with farm pictures to colour. Tyler had fun colouring two of the pictures. However he spent most of his time playing ball in the huge field. Along with music, the picnic also had yoga and tai chi demon- strations. It was wonderful to watch some people trying it for the first time. Overall, the picnic was a good time. Excellent food, good friends, combined with awesome weather; we couldn't have asked for anything better this afternoon. I was speaking with our district's councillor at the picnic and she said they are planning for another one on Labour Day at the wildlife park. We might have to look into attending that one too!

Boisdale, Cape Breton

On our way home from finding a cache that was recently published this morning, we passed by this little piece of heaven. It's an old train bridge in Boisdale. I've passed by it several times in the past years, but this time Mom made sure I stopped to take a photo. Birthday wishes are being sent today to our wonderful brother-in-law, Wyatt. Hope you enjoy your day!!!

Get your Cookies & Apples Here!!!

Betcha didn't know that Tyler had his own Corner Store? He operates it out of the local playground up the street whenever we go to play. Tyler usually carries cookies and apples in his store. However prices can be a little steep at times. An average cookie usually costs between 5 and 10 rocks. I'm guessing they must be gourmet. Apples generally are two rocks each. Today was the first day that he wanted Mommy to run the store while he acted out as the customer. It was fun! Of course, Tyler kept buying cookies. Good thing there were lots in stock!

Tyler the Builder

Tyler was transformed into 'Tyler the Builder' this morning! My brother's friend, Robb, asked us a few days ago if we were interested in purchasing his son's Bob the Builder battery operated tractor (known as Scoop) that he had grown out of. I asked Steve about it and he thought it was a great idea, so this morning Robb brought over Scoop to meet his new owner. After Robb left, it didn't take Tyler long at all to hop on board. We took Scoop for a test drive in Nanny's yard and driveway. Despite, Tyler driving into a few of Nanny's bushes he did a great job! Shortly afterwards, we took a drive down to the store to buy a helmet for Tyler. A helmet is a must if he is going to be working in construction with Scoop. "Safety first", says Bob. Before we left we packed up the car, including our new buddy, Scoop, so that on the way home Tyler could practice his driving skills in a large open area. Nanny showed him how to steer to get where he wanted to go. Scoop is really cool! He is battery operated and comes with a charger. He has an ignition that when you start it, it makes an engine noise and plays the theme song to the show. And Scoop not only has a front scoop, but a back one as well for those tough jobs. It's not difficult to see that Tyler and Scoop will remain buddies for a long time. The entire time Tyler was riding on him, he had this complete look of joy on his face. There will be many miles Tyler and Scoop will share together, as well as many construction jobs that have to be done. After all, can we build it? Tyler says "Yes we can!". Birthday wishes are extended to a good friend of mine, Charmaine, today. All the best to you on your special day!

Cutest Little Baby in Town

Christine and Maia arrived safe and sound early yesterday morning. Christine is originally from here, but now she lives with her husband in Alberta. They just recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. This afternoon Mom, Tyler, and I went over to see Christine and to meet Maia for the first time at Christine's parents home. Both Mom and I got to hold Maia in our arms. We couldn't believe how happy and content she was. Christine said that when Maia was born, she actually came out of the womb smiling! She smiled a lot today too. During our visit, Christine's mom presented Tyler with a special gift she handmade for him. It was a crocheted Ratatouille! Tyler loves that movie! We have it at home. Christine and Maia will be home visiting her parents for a month. I couldn't be happier!!! We are already making plans to go out for strolls together. Maia is just sooo sweet and I can't wait to hold her again!

Road Trip to Antigonish!

The other day Rhonda asked if I was interested in going on a road trip with her to Antigonish. Mom offered to look after Tyler, so Rhonda and I had the whole day to explore. It had been awhile since Rhonda and I did one of our road trips, so it was nice to get out. Of course, with any kind of road trip there is always caching involved too. We stopped to do a few quick and easy caches along our route. One of the places we choose was at a church trail called Tepeyac. The trail was in rough shape, however it was really neat because they had photos all along the trail depicting the story of Jesus. Did you know that the largest candy and chocolate shop in Canada is in Cape Breton? I just found this out today! I heard people talking about the Candy Shop that opened last year and Rhonda and I checked it out today for the first time. The Candy Shop even had a chocolate bar! After our visit to the Candy Shop, it was back in the car to our destination of Antigonish where we visited the mall. We walked around for a bit and then decided to head back to Port Hawkesbury where we stopped for a brief break there to check out the stores there. It was a great day and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. Rhonda and I are planning on doing another road trip soon.

Forever & Always

HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY, STEVE!!! You make me so very happy. Thank you for 6 wonderful years together. Each day with you, is truly a gift from God. I feel so blessed to have you as my husband and "bestest" friend. Even though we cannot be together on this very special day, we are always with each other in spirit and in our hearts. Lovingly Yours~ Heather XOXOXO

Absolutely Beautiful Falls!

Yet again, geocaching has taken me to a little gem that I never knew existed. This evening I got an e-mail that a cache was just published and I debated going because I was already comfy for the night, however a quick talk with Steve persuaded me to go. And boy, am I ever glad that I went. This place was incredible! The picture that I took really doesn't give it justice. There were stone walls surrounding it that I didn't get in the photo. This is definitely my favourite cache this summer! Another bonus was Tyler fell asleep on the way. He has been having a difficult time going to bed this past week. Just keep your fingers crossed that he won't wake up until the morning. Happy Birthday to a wonderful nephew! Hope your day is full of birthday surprises, Nick!

Cape Breton Exhibition

The Cape Breton Exhibition is always a huge draw for the locals. Being a horse lover, I wouldn't dare miss the "Ex" when I was growing up. I had several friends that competed in the horse classes and in my later years, I even was a competitor myself. So when Charmaine phoned yesterday and asked if Tyler and I wanted to go with her and Kelly and Cameron, I was not about to say no. I couldn't wait to go!!! After we watched barrel racing, which was sooo much fun, even Tyler was clapping his hands, stomping his feet, and squealing with excitement, we headed on over to see the booths. Tyler really liked seeing the chickens and he even tried to copy the cocadoodledo of the rooster. It was great to see the 4-H displays. They brought back fond memories of my 4-H days. I was a proud member of 4-H for about 8 years and we always participated in the "Ex"with our many projects including cake decorating, crafts, and photography. The "Ex" even has games for the children to play. Tyler went fishing at the pond and won an inflatable hammer. The Bill Lynch Shows were also there with carnival rides. Tyler laughed so much when we first drove up because he could see the people on them. Unfortunately the line to purchase the coupons for the rides was way too long. Finally it was time to go in the barns and view the remaining animals. We saw more horses, including miniature horses, as well as cows. Then we went back to the main arena and caught another light horse class in progress. Before long it was time to get back on the road. It was absolutely wonderful going back to the "Ex" and reliving my childhood again with my son.

My 35th Birthday

My day started by seeing the beautiful post that my wonderful husband did for me (see below). I was so touched by his loving message. Then our son came and wished me a Happy Birthday and immediately wanted me to open my presents that he and Nanny picked out. Since the sun had made its' appearance for the first time in over a week, we decided that we definitely had to get out of the house for the day. We decided to drive to Baddeck but go a different route, choosing to across the Grand Narrows ferry. It had been years since I last was across that ferry. It was a wonderful drive in the countryside. I even grabbed a few caches along the way. Once in Baddeck, we walked around for awhile. The sun, by this time, was very bright and it was getting hot. Soon we were getting hungry and so Mom treated Tyler and I to a nice birthday lunch at the Cedar House. I decided to have the fried haddock dinner which was sooo good!!! Then the waitress asked if we wanted dessert and since we didn't get a birthday cake, I decided to go for the chocolate lava cake. It was divine!!! It had a warm chocolate sauce in the middle. Mom is cooking me my favourite, ham dinner for my birthday dinner this weekend. She makes the best ham ever!!! I wanted today for us to enjoy and not have to worry about staying close to home preparing a meal. It was so nice getting out. We really had a wonderful time. Just when I thought my day couldn't be more special, I was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Steve :) :) :) And enclosed was a sweet note. Even though he couldn't be here, he sure did make up for it. Steve, I love you so very much!!! You always know how to make me happy. Today, just when I thought all the celebration was over, Rhonda gave me a batch of Yummy Squares that she made and delicious bread rolls that her mom made. Thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes. I was quite overwhelmed by them all. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such caring people in my life. After all this, I decided that turning 35 isn't so bad after all.

Happy Birthday Heather!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! I hope you have a great day! I miss you soooo much! I love you with all my heart! Have a great Birthday! Love you, Steve

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

We have had continuous rain now for the past week and a half. It's been tough having to stay indoors everyday while trying to keep a 2 and a half year old entertained; it is quite a challenge. Like most kids his age, Tyler loves the outdoors. His energy level is easier to work off running around the yard than being stuck inside day after day. I know the rain is good for the plants and all, but let's hope that we see the sun soon. We could really use a nice sunshiny day to go out to play. Best wishes go out to a very special couple on their 8th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Chellee & Peter!!!

Messrs Sandboy

Mondays usually means playgroup. Since last Monday it was canceled, we were more than happy to get the opportunity to go again. This time we were ever so glad to see Tyler's buddy, Andrew, and his Mom. It was great having a couple of familiar faces there today. Actually it has been awhile since the two boys have had the chance to see each other. The weather has been terrible lately. The boys are shown here playing in the new sandbox at the centre. The old sandbox was smaller, however it was filled with cornmeal, which I thought was a grand idea. I guess they decided to get a bigger one since it is quite popular with the kids. Instead of cornmeal, they are using sand. Maybe they couldn't buy enough boxes of cornmeal to fill the new bigger box. LOL Happy 4th Birthday to beautiful Sofia!!! I see from the photos your mom sent that you had a great time at your party. Kisses and hugs to you!!!

A Visit from Mo

Tonight we were delighted to get a visit from our friend, Mo. Mo came by to catch up and to see her buddy, Tyler. Tyler loves Mo and Mo adores Tyler. After we talked for awhile, Mo asked us if we wanted to go for a little walk. Mom decided to stay home, so it was just Mo, Tyler, and I. We walked to her house and she invited us in for a little visit. Mo treated Tyler and I to a couple of tasty cookies. Soon we were back on our little walking adventure and headed back home. It is always wonderful seeing Mo and we hope that she'll drop by again soon! Happy 6th wedding anniversary to our best friends back home in Maryland, Richey and Barbie!!

Attention Wal-Mart customers!

God Bless You, Robyn!!!

You may recall from a previous post that my friend, Robyn underwent a bone marrow transplant last month. This afternoon I had the pleasure of talking to her on the phone. She sounded great and said that things were going reasonably well. Her skin has very much improved, she described it to be similar to a newborns' skin. She still has daily medical visits and is currently staying in an apartment 5 minutes away from the hospital. Also she is blessed to have a wonderful caregiver looking after her. Robyn will remain in her apartment for a few months so they can monitor her closely. Thank you everyone who kept Robyn in their prayers and we please ask you to continue to pray for her well being so she can return to her beautiful daughter, Leila, who is waiting for her at home.

Maybe his pockets were full.

Due Today

It's always sad to return the library books that we cherished during the past couple of weeks, but then there is that excitement of finding and checking out new books to read. For the past week, Tyler has been asking for chicken books. All I had here in relation to chickens was his 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' book. So today I made sure we came home with plenty of books about chickens. Gotta keep my little chickadee happy with his book selection!

Tyler the Baker

Our playgroup was canceled due to it being Civic Holiday, so we had to find our own fun today. However because of the heavy rain, we were quite limited to our activities. We eventually decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies. Tyler was the baker while Mommy assisted, though the assistant did most of the work.

We ended up baking several batches of cookies. Each batch turned out perfect and the cookie connoisseur definitely approved his work. When I asked Tyler how he liked the finished product, his reply was "Delicious, Mommy!".

Very special birthday wishes with hugs and kisses too are being sent to Florida Grandma today. We love you very much and we hope this birthday is the best ever! XOXOXOXO

Beary Cute!

Nanny felt like going for a drive today. Yesterday she mentioned that it had been years since she last visited Mira Gut, so with this being said we decided to venture out to that area this afternoon. However before we headed out, I downloaded some caches to find on the drive along the way.
One of the caches brought us near Wadden's Cove, just past Port Morien. On the way to the cache, we spotted a yard that had been invaded by teddy bears! They were participates of The Summer People Festival. We couldn't resist stopping and getting out to show Tyler the bears. Tyler, of course, he got a great kick out of the display. It was a great find!