Where we were...

Like my good friend Talena, we too are recently back from holidaying afar. Our trip began strangely, I had a dental appointment the morning we were leaving, and not wanting to have to reschedule for months later, I opted to sit in his ill fitting chair for two hours to have them poke and prod, drill and fill. (The worst of it is, I have to go back to have more work done. ) I don't actually mind dental appointments, just the after effects of the freezing. Drinking an ice-cap with a straw proved to be quite a laugh for the rest of the Guteks as we continued on our journey. Ha ha ha.

Our first stop was at my uncle's house in Norquay. (He's like a dad to me, raised me as one of his own.) That's where we found that little bird up there. It was just sitting there on the back lawn. A young one learning to fly I'd assume. The kids thought it was great and wanted to keep it. (So did Michael I think.) But me being the big Meany I am, reminded them we'd a long way to go, Birdie could NOT come with.

After a short but really great visit with my "dad", we continued on our way to Childs Lake, Manitoba. The boys on my side of the family had planned a weekend fishing trip, exclusively men and boys. To get there it was as if we were driving thru miles of endless bush, lost without a destination. Then suddenly we were at a fishing resort. BEAUTIFUL! The log cabins were right on the glassy lake. The girls and I hardly wanted to leave. Not to stay for the company, but for the view...and fishing of course!

We said a quick goodbye to the boys and us girls (my cousin Crystal + her daughter Mackenzie joined Sarah, Becca and I there) were speedily lead back to the van by our husbands telling us to have fun and drive safe. They seemed a little eager to see us on our way. Wonder why. Bush, fishing, men. Enough said.

The trip to Winnipeg from there took us a gruelling 8 hours. No AC, three little girls and two very hot mommies (temperature, I mean) made for a very long trip. We met up with construction a few times, made a few pit stops to eat and bathroom and finally made it to the city nearing midnight. Crystal drove us through down town Winnipeg, which to me was an amazing sight, old buildings lining the Portage and Main, standing grandly all lit up in the night glow. Very impressive.

Following a short nights sleep, we headed out to my cousin Bev's house in Blumenort where the rest of the girls in my family were gathered for a fun weekend of visiting, food, and the Martha Stewart movie (which I do not recommend). We also took in the towns Fun and Fair Days which was like an old fashioned carnival with a dunk tank, petting zoo, rides and bouncing things for the kids. That's the other picture up there. It's always so good to visit with that gang, lots of laughs.

Our fishermen husbands and sons returned from their weekend on Sunday night and met us at Lilac Resort where we Guteks spent a lovely three days swimming, hot tubbing, paddle boating, hiking, golfing, and playing. Unfortunately, our camera got a little wet boating, and the rest of our trip will have to be memories only. A couple more nights in Winnipeg included not only fun sleep overs for the kids, but also a really neat visit to The Forks, The Winnipeg Childrens Museum, and the Zoo. I highly recommend all of the afore mentioned. If you've kids who love to learn or are naturally curious about the world around them, TAKE THEM THESE PLACES! Michael and I loved the learning too.

On our way toward home, we stopped for a few days in Foam Lake to visit Michael's family and spent some time playing and fishing. It was there at Pelican Lake that I truly saw a different side of my husband. A side that, shall I say, was almost primitive...like a cave man. Just kidding, but he was very determined to catch fish, so determined we didn't get home until almost 10:00pm one night. The last day of our holiday, he finally caught his limit of Walley. That desire being satisfied, we went home with a van full of dirty laundry, keepsakes from the gift shops, and a plethora of memories to enjoy. But that being said, it's good to be home. Cheers!
Dawn