Family Feud

We rested and had dinner at a pizza place. Then we went to the shore to see the sunset and take some pictures. It was very pretty. Brody got to step in sand for the first time, but he didn’t care for it too much.

We will hit the road again tomorrow. It will be the last day of driving for us. Yay! Well, riding for me, driving for Chad. Thanks for doing all the driving, Chad!

Thursday, June 16th- Ottawa
This morning, we made the final drive to Ottawa. It took about 6 hours, I guess. It seemed like we stopped quite a bit but I don’t know. I got my second helping of poutine. It seems to be on the menu of every restaurant here. I’m just glad we’re done driving. We got to Chad’s uncle’s house, Gilles, where I met him and his wife Susie, their daughter Lisanne, their son, Alain, and his wife and daughter, Mel and Emma. We had a wonderful home cooked dinner and played outside with the kids. Emma is so cute. She speaks more French than English, so I didn’t know most of what she was saying. I got to ride in the back seat with her and she was teaching me words in French, but her mom said they weren’t right. Alain and Mel are letting us stay in their home. It’s very pretty. We took it easy tonight, but I think tomorrow will have more in store.

Friday, June 17th- Ottawa
This morning we went to Gilles and Susie’s for breakfast. It was quite a spread, complete with veal sausage. Then, we left for our day out. We first stopped to where we could look over the water to see Quebec.

View of Quebec

We then went to the market area. It had outdoor stands as well as a lot of shops. Ashley and Brock tried a beaver tail, which was a pastry kind of like a funnel cake. We walked around a lot and went to the Parliament. Susie told us they were getting ready for Canada Day. Prince William and Kate are supposed to attend.

Chad and Jennie in front of Parliament

Parliament

We stopped back at the house for some lunch and to drop Brody off for a nap. Then, we headed to the mall to do some more shopping. I got a couple things from Roots, a Canadian retail store.

Tonight, we came back to Alain and Mel’s for dinner. They had great food and dessert. We took a few pictures, but unfortunately not with our camera again. Emma danced for us and Brody joined in a little. They were so cute.

Saturday, June 18th- Ottawa/Home
This morning, we said our goodbyes to everyone and made the trip home. The airport provided my last Tim Horton’s treat for a while. I don’t know how many times we ate there during the week. We flew from Ottawa to Chicago, then to Nashville. The ride to Chicago was a little bumpy and did not feel well, but it didn’t last long.

I am glad to be home, but the trip was so fun. I am so glad I got to meet everyone. It is nice to now put the faces with the names. Everyone is so lovely and I am excited to get to visit again. THANK YOU to all of you who made me feel so welcomed and comfortable! And THANK YOU Jerry Webb for planning this whole trip!

On the way to Timmins from Sudbury

We checked in to the beautiful Cedar Meadows resort and spa. We won’t be taking advantage of the spa though.

Chad and Jennie at Cedar Meadows

We went to Chad’s uncle Paul’s house where he had dinner for us. A lot of family were there. I met Paul, his wife Lisanne, and kids Kelsey and Nick; uncle Peter and his wife Aline. Their son, Richard, his wife Abby, and their kids Reece and Elyxiana (that probably isn’t spelled correctly) came too. I also met uncle Ray, his wife Julie, and Chad’s Mamere (grandmother). They had so much wonderful food for us. We spent the evening outside and it was so nice. Some even went swimming. Chad and Brock also played video games with Nick and Kelsey. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. It was a really fun time with family.

Tuesday, June 14th- Timmins
We slept in this morning until about 9:15 and then Chad and I went for a run. It was nice (and needed because of all the food). The scenery and weather were great. We then went back to get ready and left to pick up Mamere for lunch. Paul met us all there too. After lunch, Mamere suggested taking Brody to the lake nearby to see the ducks. What a good idea! He loved them. He chased them and giggled. He would have gotten in the water if Ashley hadn’t stopped him.

Brody watching the ducks

This afternoon, back at the resort, we went on a wilderness tour, which was a tractor ride around the property. It was a lot of fun to see the animals, but it was really fun to see Brody’s reaction. He was very interested but not quite brave enough to get too close or touch any animals. He acted like he wanted to, but he wouldn’t. We saw a reindeer, swans, elk, moose, and bison. We even got the elk to eat right out of our hands. It was neat.

Ashley with Brody looking at a moose

Chad with bison

Chad and Jennie with a moose

Jennie feeding an elk

This evening, we went to Paul’s again and ordered pizza from Don’s. Abby had suggested it last night and everyone raved about it. They told us that it was Shania Twain’s favorite pizza place. It was really good! Then, we went to Mamere’s home for a while and visited Ray and Julie’s house as well. We went back to Paul’s for a bit and said our goodbyes until next time. I can’t get over how sweet everyone was and how comfortable they made me feel.

Jennie, Chad, Mamere, Ashley, and Brock

Friday, June 10th-Nashville/Toronto
We finally got in to Toronto tonight. Our flight was scheduled for 10:45 this morning. So we loaded up and left from Bowling Green with Ashley, Brock, and Brody at 7:30. After checking in and going through security, we waited at the gate. We heard on the loud speaker that the flight was overbooked and they needed 3 volunteers to get on a later flight. The offer: $800 cash each. We took the deal. We could only get it for the 3 of us, but we all got on the later flight and we will split it equally. They also gave us lunch vouchers, so we ate and spent 6 hours in the Nashville airport. It wasn’t too bad. I took my iPad and downloaded some games. Brody was really good. He didn’t fuss hardly at all, even on the plane.
This is mine and Brody’s first time in Canada. It will be nice to meet all the family that I’ve heard about and be in a country I’ve never been to before. We are staying in a hotel in Toronto tonight and then we will hit the road tomorrow morning. Jerry and Peggy drove up early with our bags and rented a car for us. Basically, all I am seeing in Toronto is the airport and the back of my eyelids.

Saturday, June 11th- Sudbury
This morning we got on the road and I got to experience 2 Canadian treats- Tim Hortons and poutine! We got breakfast at Tim Hortons and I only got a bagel, but I did try Chad’s breakfast sandwich. Later, I got a taste of the doughnuts by trying a timbit (like a donut hole) or 2. I’m a fan. I can see why they are everywhere here. I’m sure we’ll go a few more times before we leave. On the road trip from Toronto to Sudbury, we stopped at a fishing shop and grabbed a snack. Chad and I shared some poutine. I had heard of it, but this was my first time trying this interesting dish. It is French fries with gravy and cheese. It was good!

Poutine

In Sudbury, I met Paavo and Monique at their home and I also got to meet Matti, Gillian, Leah, Brendan, and Richard. We ate (a lot) and visited. They were all so nice and it was a lot of fun. Leah loved playing with Brody, and I think he loved the attention and energy. We are staying in a hotel here for the next 2 nights. The first room they gave already had someone in it. I’m glad that’s never happened to me! It’s a nice hotel, which is good because we all need to get some rest.

Sunday, June 12th- Sudbury 59 degrees (rainy in the morning)
Today, Monique and Paavo took us to see the Big Nickel. I’ve heard about it from Chad, Ashley, and Brock. It was exactly what it sounds like… A big nickel. It was very chilly- high of 59 degrees and rainy. Later we went to a farmers market and the mall. We didn’t get anything but some food. We must have been tired because we then went back and Chad and I took a nap for a couple hours.
For dinner, we went out with Paavo, Monique, Gillian, Richard, Leah, and Brendan. Then we went to their house for yummy cake and ice cream. We visited and watched Leah and Brendan play with Brody. Leah even sang to us. She has a beautiful voice! We took some pictures (just not with our camera) and said our goodbyes. It was a great visit!

Ashley, Monique, and Chad at the Big Nickel

Jennie and Chad at the Big Nickel

On Sunday, Jill, my mom, and I drove to Edinburg, Indiana to do some outlet shopping. Although it was a little windy, it was a beautiful day. We were there for hours and got a lot of good deals. We also ate at the Snappy Tomato for lunch, which was super good.

I ate breakfast with my dad on Monday at a newer place called Wild Eggs. It was really good. I had scrambled eggs and Jill had recommended an everything muffin. It was yummy. I thought it tasted kind of like a hush puppy. That would have been enough to satisfy me, but I couldn’t help getting one of “The King Would Eat These” pancakes. It was a pancake with banana and topped with peanut butter syrup. I didn’t get the chocolate chips, but it was so good! Next time, I will have to try the CoCo’s Chocolate Concoction. Check out this description: chocolate waffle, chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows, house-made marshmallow cream, toasted almonds, and powdered sugar. It sounds more like a dessert, but if I go for breakfast again, I’m definitely trying it.

The rest of the week, I’ve been home, cleaning, being lazy, and working on my Take One paper. Chad hasn’t been especially busy with work, so we’ve been able to hang out a lot. It’s been relaxing and nice. When I go back to school next week, it will be the beginning of a mad dash to get all content covered, so I’m happy to spend some time not doing a whole lot.

At school, I got more presents than ever from my students.  The most popular gift to get Mrs. Webb this year?  A mug!  Whether filled with candy or part of a hot chocolate set, you apparently couldn’t go wrong with a mug.  I suppose that’s why I got 6 of them this year.  My favorite gift from a student was a chocolate pizza with chocolate, peanuts, marshmallows, cherries, and more.  It was fantastic, and I got the recipe too.  They were all very kind, but the most precious gift was lotion from a student whom the other teachers and I purchased clothes for.  One of the other teachers gave her a pack of 4 different kinds of lotions, and she gave each one of us a bottle.  It was so sweet because she didn’t know that we had given her the stuff, and she just wanted to be able to give us a gift.

Our first family Christmas function was the Sunday before at the Webbs’ in Hendersonville.  We got together to eat and play games.  We decided not to get each other gifts, but we got Brody something because he didn’t tell us not to.  Chad picked out a little outfit with little baby Jordans, a jersey, and a cap.   We also, along with Ashley and Brock, got Brad, Peggy, and Laura a calendar of Hawaii pictures of Brad.  It had kind of become a joke when we were on our cruise that Brad was posing for a calendar, so there were a lot of really good pictures for it.  Something fun was getting Chad’s baby book.  It was neat to look through and see all the details of when he was really little.  His mom did a good job of keeping up with all of that stuff.  I thought it was really funny that she had a baby shower on February 13th, the day before Chad was born.  Nothing like the last minute!

One of the greatest gifts to me was that Chad took the entire week of Christmas off so that we could spend it together.  He usually likes to work around that time because there aren’t a lot of other people working and there isn’t much going on.  So, I thought it was very nice that he took the time off while I was off work.  It was great sleeping in together and doing some last minute shopping.

On Monday, we had our small group over for a Christmas party.  We had lots of really good food and Jenny Borders even made a hot chocolate buffet with all kinds of fixings.  We played “dirty Santa,” where each couple brought a board game.  We brought Last Word.  We already have it, but we think it is pretty fun.  The funny thing is 2 other couples brought it too.  We ended up with Bop It.  I think Chad opened it and started playing with it before the “dirty Santa” was even over.

On Wednesday, Chad and I headed to Louisville to spend Christmas with my family.  On Christmas eve, my mom and dad had over my aunt and uncle and my grandma and uncle.  We ate all kinds of wonderful food and opened gifts.  For Christmas, our family decided to get my grandmother a new kitchen floor.  Obviously we couldn’t physically do that, so the plan was to give her a tile of flooring and a gift card to Home Depot.  Well, before Christmas, she decided to go purchase some flooring for her kitchen herself.  So, the plan changed and we decided that we should pay for the labor to have the flooring installed.  On Christmas eve, my sisters and I came up with a cute little poem to recite to her as she opened the tile.  She loved it!  She thought was so cute and sweet.  I don’t think an actual gift was needed at all.  It actually turns out that she had already had her new floor put in anyway, so she really just got a check that she can do whatever she wants with.

On Christmas day, we woke up at my parents’ house and opened presents with the family.  We had a lot of fun.  Chad and I got NFL snuggies for my dad and my sisters’ boyfriends (Brendan and Travis): Raiders for Dad and Bengals for Brendan and Travis.  By the way, don’t ever mention you like a particular sports team or our family will assume you want every type of paraphernalia for that team that was ever made.  Brendan got the family a game called Wits and Wagers, and we played that after eating lunch.  It was pretty fun.  Chad won both times.

Later that evening, my mom, Chad, and I went to see the movie “The Blindside.”  It was really good.  I have found that I get bored during a lot of movies, but I thought this was entertaining.  After the movie, we went over to Jill’s where the guys watched a football game and the girls played dominoes.   Nobody had eaten dinner, and we were getting a little hungry.  With our options few being it was Christmas day, my parents went home, and the rest of us went to Waffle House.  They seemed a little busy, but more so the people working there seemed to be at each others’ throats.  Everybody was really mean to our server.   I felt bad for him.

The next day, Chad and I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond because he wanted to get a travel cup and we wanted this candle that was on sale.  It smells like peppermint patties.  Yum!  We also headed to the mall so I could make an exchange, and then we met Mom, Dad, Jessie, and Brendan at Olive Garden for lunch.  It had been a while since we had been there, and it was good!  After heading back to the house to get our things, Dad sewed a button on my coat for me and we left to go back to Bowling Green.  I later found a needle in the lining of my coat- my last little Christmas present from Dad.  Thanks again!

When we got home, Chad and I had our own little Christmas celebration.  We started the fire and opened our gifts from each other.  He got me some very nice earrings, but my favorite gift is a photo book he made of our first year of marriage.  We had talked about doing this on our anniversary, but we never got around to doing it.  It is so sweet.  I hope we can keep it up so that each year we will have kind of a memory book of our years of marriage. Chad was happy to receive from me clothes that actually fit him.  He has been giving away clothes that are too big, and his closet was getting very bare.  He was also excited about some new shorts for biking, swimming, and running.  Look forward to upcoming posts about tri-athlete Chad.

I’m still so amazed at how blessed I am to have such a great husband and a wonderful family.  Thank you to everyone for making this another special Christmas.

This morning, my grandfather, Nick Nicholson, passed away.  He was 92 and his health had been failing for a while now.  I praise God that he was able to live as long as he did.  I’m grateful that I was able to have him in my life for so long and that he got to meet Chad and be in our wedding.  I also praise the Lord that he is no longer suffering.  He was a great man who was so kind.  Even though he was in his nineties, he was still very sharp and liked to talk about WW II (in which he served) and current events.  He was a mall walker up until just months ago.  Pappaw was also a great guitar player and would play every chance he got.  I loved him, and he will be greatly missed.

My grandfather served in WWII, and was recently offered a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the WWII memorial.  He went yesterday with his friend from church, Elmer, who also served in the war, my dad, and many other veterans.  This was a free trip that was offered to veterans of WWII.  It is amazing that he got to go on this trip.  He is 92 years old and hasn’t been in the greatest health lately.  He was scheduled to go on the last trip in August, but then he ended up having to have to have surgery.  Thankfully, he is doing better and was able to make the trip.  From what I heard, he had a really great time.

Here is the story in the Washington Post.  My grandpa is the 3rd man mentioned, James “Nick” Nicholson. He is the man farther back in the picture.