Florida Trip Day One

On December 27th, we got up early in the morning and loaded the van. All of our bags were packed and ready to go along with snacks and the Florida bag of goodies that I'd packed to keep the boys busy. We took Meeko to the Vets where he would be staying for the next 15 days. As soon as he saw the suitcases going into the van and his pillow and toys going into my car, he knew that he would be having a lengthy stay. He did cooperate and get into the car easily but when Dwight dropped him off, he was stubborn and dug in his heels when the woman went to take him. Dogs are smart.

After Dwight dropped Meeko, we got into the van and picked up the boys. It was snowing a little and we were hoping that the storm would hold off until we had crossed the border at Detroit. It did, but here is what we saw in Chatham, Ontario. Jordan thought it was so pretty and asked me to take photos. Here is a peek at what we saw:

Jordan was right. It was very pretty and I'm glad that he asked me to take the photos. The trees were coated with ice, but the road was perfectly clear.

We reached Windsor at 12pm and stopped at the bank to get the boys' Canadian money that their Dad had given them that morning exchanged for US currency. Then we headed to the Ambassador Bridge. It was time for lunch but the boys wanted to wait to eat until they were in the US. That turned out to be a mistake as the wait at the border was 2.5 hours. We didn't think we'd ever get across and the boys were bored waiting.

We crossed into the US without passports, but the Canadian Custom Official was very thorough. She wanted to see a note from the boys' mother, which fortunately we had. We showed our ID and was across in about 10 minutes after she first started questioning us. That is most thorough they have ever been, but it's good to know that they won't just let anyone cross with kids that aren't theirs. We had all the documentation, but didn't need Passports.

We headed down I75, headed for the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky. Dwight and I had been there before and had always wanted to take the boys. We got to Newport about 8pm, booked into the Travel Lodge across from the Aquarium so we would be close at hand the next day.

Tomorrow I will post some photos of the Aquarium for your enjoyment.

In other news I've spent the day unpacking. We gave the boys only the bare essentials last night such as suitcases and then took them their souvenirs this afternoon. They were having fun with Mom and Dad.

Dwight went for a few groceries while I sorted through everything and put it away. I took a couple of breaks to visit some of my blogging friends. If I haven't got to you yet, please be patient. I have lots of catching up to do and am anxious to visit each and every one of you.

I talked to Mom last night and caught up on all the family news. My niece phoned this morning to welcome me home and Griffyn is doing great. He took his first tumble off the bed this morning. Somehow he got over the pillow that was protecting him. He is only 6 months old, but getting around quite a bit. It was so nice to hear his coos and giggles while Melissa was talking to me.

Melissa is expecting another baby. We're not sure of the date but she figures sometime in July. This is mixed news. She wasn't ever to have any children. Now she is pregnant with another baby. Griffyn won't be one until June 28th, so this will be hard on her. She will have two children about a year apart. Not easy and this is another high risk pregnancy. Please pray for Melissa and the baby.

My niece Sherry is expecting a baby in February. She is working on a factory assembly line and emailed me to let me know that she is feeling great and working a lot of overtime because she will soon be going on maternity leave. She is 40 years old and this is her first. She had given up on having children, so it was a wonderful surprise. Please pray for a safe delivery for her and the baby. We don't know what sex it is, as she wanted it to be a surprise. We are hoping for a girl because our family has more boys. We really don't care as long as mother and baby are safe and healthy.

I hope you are all well and that each of you had a great New Year. We enjoyed freezing temperatures in Florida. LOL It was 48 degrees and we stayed in as the crowds were atrocious.

I look forward to visiting with everyone and catching up on all the news. ~Blessings, Mary~