Tuesday 11 April 2017

Spring Break Family Visit

Our daughter and family decided to visit the last week in March for Spring Break. Five months had passed since their last visit in October. I was super excited and looking forward to seeing everybody again. 

We borrowed my husband's parents' van for the usual pick up at Detroit airport. Our grandson gave us big hugs while our granddaughter scooted down in the stroller to hide. Although a bit shy at first, it didn't take long before she was hugging and chatting happily.
On the drive home, we stopped for dinner at Tio Gordos Cocina a Mexican restaurant in Port Huron. We sat at the bar rather than wait for a table. 
Dinner was delicious. We gobbled it up then headed for home. Everybody was tired after a long day of travel and looking forward to resting.
This trip was all about 'visiting'. The kids spent quality time visiting with us and their grandparents doing fun things close to home. They even stopped by my husband's office where they toured the Ministry of Environment laboratory ... so many interesting dead bugs and microbes.

We enjoyed some favourite family meals. My Dad's lasagna recipe was delicious as always served with Caesar salad.
Our grandchildren decorated my parents' Easter tree ...  so pretty.
The kids played all sorts of games - badminton and soccer were fun outdoor activities. Peg board pictures and lego were fun to do inside.
Our hot tub was popular with the kids. They went in almost every day.
The kids also loved reading. I had picked up extra books at the library, so there were lots of good stories available.
On Sunday, the day before their departure, we hosted an early family Easter dinner. We called it "Feaster" for fun. Our Feaster day started with a chocolate egg hunt for the kids. The kids loved it so much, they took turns hiding and hunting for eggs all day.

Our Feaster dinner included all our favourite Easter foods - spiral cut ham, scalloped potatoes, baked broccoli with cheese, sweet kale salad, dinner rolls and two kinds of cake. It was tight, but we managed to fit all sixeen of us around two tables in the dining room.
Before dessert, we played 'crack the egg'. Everybody selects a decorated hard-boiled egg then challenges their neighbour to a friendly egg 'tap'. The last egg left intact with no cracks wins the contest. Our sister-in-law introduced this game to our family years ago - so much fun.
This year, our niece's husband won the contest. Way to go James!
My Mother-In-Law brought dessert (chocolate mousse cake and lemon layer cake) ... both delicious.
After dinner, our grandson took the eggs outside to finish them off.
Our granddaughter loved her new bunny ears and other Feaster treats.
Is it an Easter Bunny? No, it's "Ajax Rabbit". Our son's service pup-in-training, Ajax dressed for a fun Feaster photo too. 
The very next day, it was time to pack up, say final good-byes and head back to the airport. For a change of pace, we took the Bluewater Ferry across the river at Sombra. Luckily it was a hit with the kids. 
One more meal before dropping them off at the airport - we dined at bd's Mongolian Grill in Royal Oak near the Detroit Zoo. This restaurant was also a hit with the kids. The fellow with the beard in the photo below was very energetic and entertaining.
It was great to see the kids again. Our daughter is expecting another baby in August. We plan to drive to Boulder in September ... five months from now. Thank goodness for social media. We love to see photos and videos documenting their activities and growth. I am always amazed at how much they grow and change in between our visits. 

In the meantime, I am busy making things for the new baby. So far, I have finished one blanket and started another. I promise to share photos soon.

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3 comments:

  1. It was a lovely visit and we enjoyed being able to see them.

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  2. Thanks for posting so many pictures. It looks like a grand time. Natalie looks wonderful.

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  3. Looks like a fun and memorable visit!! Exciting to have another baby on the way in the family. Congrats!!

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