Summer Vacation to Canada

You may remember last year when I posted about our annual vacation to Canada. It was really fun for me to go back and revisit that post and see how much both Addison and I have changed. You might enjoy it, too! If nothing else, you can read about the history of why we go to Manitoulin Island in the Ontario Province of Canada each year.

My parents joined us in 2007 BA (Before Addison). It was the year I was diagnosed and the trip in which I started losing my hair from the chemo, which is why I started vacation looking like this

and ended it looking like this. (I don't think I've ever posted my freshly shaved head pictures.)

I was also 14 weeks pregnant and way too skinny, thanks to a first trimester of unimaginable nausea and my first dose of chemo. This year, I looked and felt much healthier. I also had to chuckle when I looked back at my pictures and realized that Wrigley was the main subject in more than half of them.

He only made 2 of over 200 pictures this year, as the camera revolved around our human child. Poor guy. My how things have changed!

My parents enjoyed themselves so much in 2007 that they decided to return with us this year.

Things turned out to be a little different this year.

For starters, the ride there. In 2007, we drove the 12 hour drive through the night and took turns sleeping, all of us feeling relatively refreshed upon arrival. Even last year when it was just Dustin, Addison, Wrigley, and I, Dustin and I were able to get a good amount of sleep each as our 7 month old daughter slept the ENTIRE 12 hours.

We thought it would be a good idea to drive through the night again this year so our now 20 month old could sleep most, if not all, of the way. Our sweetie had different plans. She ended up sleeping 3 whole hours and the adults slept about that amount combined. We were exhausted!

None of us were really able to catch up on our missed night of sleep, as Addison woke us earlier than usual each morning. The pitter patter of feet that no longer know how to just walk running throughout the loft was hard to sleep through so for the most part, once she was up, we were all up. The lack of sleep resulted in me getting sick first, then Dustin, then my mom. Not what we wished for on vacation, but we made do.

The weather is usually milder than it is back in the states (though in 2007 we were in the 80's every day). This year in Ohio, we've had an unusually cool summer, which meant it was especially cool in Canada. We reached the 70's most days and only had rain a couple days, but it was just a little cool to do anything in the lake (though our little adventurist did insist on taking a dip, which you will soon see!) and made boating/fishing a little chilly. Back in 2007, the lake was actually warm and I don't think I wore long sleeves any day. This year, there wasn't a day when I didn't wear them.

Don't get me wrong. Regardless of less sleep, summer colds, and cooler weather, 2009 proved to be just as much fun as the years past! And now I will show you why!