Niagara Falls Adventure

Going home is always fun, but this trip may have been the best yet! It was a true vacation in that I didn't work out once during the entire trip. Relaxation was the theme for this trip, and of course fun filled days for the kids. Carmen really did not remember the last trip home which was for my cousin's wedding. She was not quite 4 then so being almost 6 years old now (yikes that sounds scary) she was able to do more things and hopefully will remember more. These pictures may look familiar in that the setting is the same. The kids love to go to some of the same traditional spots, but it is cool to compare pictures from previous trips to see how much they have grown. Our first stop was Brown's Berry Patch. Pick a few and eat a few is what the kids like to do. Shhhhh...don't tell.

This is my favorite Carmen smile of the summer!

 

 After picking it was time to play on the slides, bikes, and big air pillow. I think Abel and I had more fun jumping on that thing then the kids did.

That evening we surprised Gianni with a special dinner at the golf club. Unfortunately he was unable to hit balls because of the cast on his hand. Uncle Mike and Aunt Julie joined us and we had yet another birthday celebration since my parents were not in Arizona for his birthday.

 So if you have been to my parents condo you know that it is tiny. The kids sleep on air mattresses in the dining room. Getting these two to fall asleep in the same room without talking to one another is difficult. One morning I heard whispers and someone invited someone else to snuggle. Too cute!

 We were hit with a little rain so we decided to hit the road and went to Rochester to check out the Strong Museum of Play. The kids loved exploring this huge museum. Check out the butterflies that landed on everyone but me. Look close and you can see them.

 

 Fishing was on the agenda twice while we were in town. Finally, we got lucky and caught our first fish. We are definitely not a fishing family, but it was fun to try.

 Old Fort Niagara is fun to explore on a normal night, but this was not a normal night. We got fancy at the fort! The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was playing and my parents got us tickets. We started to sense that we were in trouble when the clouds started to slowly creep in on us. We continued to explore and crossed our fingers in hope that we would not be sitting in our lawn chairs listening to an orchestra in a storm.

 And it happened...we got under the blanket and just waited as we got soaked in the rain! The music was beautiful and it was a unique experience for the kids.

 

Our vacation would not be complete unless swimming was involved. The pool is indoors so we took many dips in the pool in between activities or when the weather was not cooperating.

 A new experience for us was the Lockport Locks on the Erie Canal. For those of you that don't know, this is like an elevator for boats. The boat goes in, doors close around the boat, water floods in and the boat rises. At least that is how I explained it to the kids.

 

This is my favorite Gianni smile of the summer!

 Our next stop, NIAGARA FALLS!!! How many times can we go there?? Well, Carmen did not remember this at all so we had to refresh her a little.

 "Mom, I want to ride the boat!" That is all she talked about so down we went to the Maid of the Mist.

 Marineland in Canada was also a new adventure on this trip. Lots of animals, rides, and walking. The kids fed the deer, I went with my dad on the 4 loop roller coaster, and the kids got to feed and pet Beluga whales.

 Carmen is my daredevil child. Gianni plays it safe, but not the little one. She wants thrill and up in the air and fast and then wants to do it all over again. This was one of her favorites.

During our trip we were able to catch up with friends when my mom hosted a party down at the pool to watch fireworks being set off in Canada. Just on the other side of the river you can see Canada. The party was so much fun and my parents did an amazing job as usual hosting the event.

Our plane tickets were so cheap but it meant flying on the never ending long flight from Newark to Phoenix. Of course, 20 minutes before we touch down she falls asleep. Isn't that how it always works! Thanks for a great vacation Nonna and Papa. See you soon out in Arizona.

Happy Birthday Gianni

Today is my baby boy's birthday. Although, he isn't really a baby anymore. Tonight I was saving pictures on my hard drive and I clicked through files such as 6.16.12 and 6.16.11 and I was amazed at how much smaller he looked last year. He certainly has grown up fast. Wow....8...how did that happen?? His birthday landed on Father's Day this year so we celebrated with presents and a big birthday party on Saturday. Abel's entire family came in for the occasion. We had 10 adults and 8 children in our house so we were cozy to say the least. Gianni woke up and immediately opened his present from mom and dad; a pool, air hockey, and basketball toss table. It actually has 10 games all in one table. He said it was the best present ever!

 His party was at our new gym (Lifetime Fitness) and consisted of games in the gym for an hour before we headed out to the pool for 2 more hours of fun. The kids played kickball, soccer, and had a race on scooters. They had lots of fun and it was nice to have them be inside in the air conditioning as guests arrived.

 Our little cousin Jayda, who I swear is the most photo friendly kid I know.

Finally it was time to go outside to the pool area. The kids did some swimming for about 45 minutes and then stopped for pizza, cake, and presents. After presents it was back into the pool until 6pm when it was time to pack up and go home. Although it was hot, and windy, we still had a great time.

 Darth Vader fell over and wiped out part of the "8" on the cake. This cake was delicious and we blew through 1/2 a sheet cake. Vanilla cake with pudding and fresh strawberries. Yumm-O.

 

 Gianni loved his presents. His friends know him so well. He got a table top Foosball  table, baseball glove and bag, two Lego star wars kits, multiple Skylanders Giants, star wars guys and games, gift cards, water guns, superman lunch box, and a remote control car. He had so much fun with his friends and just as he did last year thanked me for the best party ever! I guess they keep getting better and better. I just love the happy look on his face as he plays with friends, eats pizza and opens the perfect presents. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

 

 On Sunday morning, we let dad enjoy his day as well. Abel opened up his gifts which consisted of multiple crafts from the kids, two pairs of shorts and three shirts. We made daddy Madie's French Toast Casserole (which he loves), and an egg and sausage bake, and cheesy breakfast potatoes. We also had strawberries, grapes, and honeydew to try and lighten things up. Breakfast was a hit with Abel's family and all the food disappeared.

 After breakfast it was back outside for some water gun action. The kids ganged up against Aunt Paloma who surprised us with her visit from Mexicali, Mexico.

Girls can shoot too! These three cousins played for two days straight and each tried on every dress in Carmen's dress up collection.

 
 

 The final birthday celebration was to hit the pinata of course, which we saved for his actual birthday. My kids are learning the song that they sing in Spanish when you hit the pinata, in fact Gianni was singing it tonight before bed. They really are becoming experts at pinata hitting and have some strategy. Gianni did great for being one handed!

 The birthday was a success and my kids are happy, wiped out, and asleep. Next we prepare for our summer visit to Nonna and Papa. Happy Birthday Buggaboo!