Exciting post! Come with us on our trip to my homeland!
It was a packed 8 days with two looong days of travel. I'm very glad Matthew was with me, he is a great traveling companion and uncle! You'll see :)
We did carry-ons and backpacks, but I had so much room that I brought my pillow! And on the way back, two things of molasses, NL honey, and two jars of mustard pickles!
We left Atascadero Thursday evening driving to a hotel near the airport in LA. We got settled a bit before mid-night. With a few hours of sleep, we got up in time to catch the shuttle to the airport and fly out by 7:something. We got some breakfast right before leaving and ate it on the plane, then slept an hour or two.
In Montreal we had 3 hours, which was perfect for getting through long lines at customs and security. We had time for a nice meal and then boarded our plane to Newfoundland. 
Flying into St. John's was strange. You know when you get home from a trip and are almost back in familiar territory and routines and things? That feeling when you're almost back home? That is the feeling I was used to having then, but instead it was excitement of going somewhere, visiting people and places away from home, new experiences waiting. Not a weird feeling, just having it at that time was backwards! Lloyd and Linda and boys and ?, Caleb and Amy and Adalyn, Momma and Daddy and Jude and Sonja and Ian were there to welcome us. All the kids were holding up this sign:
Saturday morning after a late breakfast and doing a few things around Momma and Daddy's, Matthew and I headed out for a little walk.
I love blueberry blooms! I'm positive the fairies use them for skirts or bonnets or something!
Looking back to West Point where Caleb and Amy, Daddy and Momma, and Lloyd and Linda live. The road we walked out on is called North Point.
Matthew climbed up the hill a ways while I sat on the rock in the left/middle of this picture.
So greeeeennn!Saturday evening all the family came over for dinner. This is the sun going down (well, yes, technically not DOWN, but whatever).
Sunset and the ferry.
Titus enjoying Grandmomma's homemade chocolate pudding!
Renae is very shy, especially around men. By the time dinner and dessert were over, she was pretty normal and finally chatted with Matthew, and then could NOT leave him! She talked his ear off! It was really special and she continued to be his friend, each time taking a few minutes to warm up. After a long time, she finally got down and said something about playing with the kids now. But in less than 5 minutes she was back, "I do etch-a-sketch with you again!"
Adalyn having a snack to fortify her through the trying process of getting family pictures taken! Seriously, I think this was one of the last smiles of the day! She wasn't naughty or unhappy, she just would NOT smile the rest of the day.
Titus is such a cutie and so sweet. Linda and Lloyd say he is a grump for awhile when he wakes up, but it is hard to imagine!
Sunrise! Taken around 5.
Momma and Daddy gave us the master suite. Sitting area to the right, bed to the left.
Pardon the mess, please, I didn't know that Matthew was taking pictures!
Monday Matthew and I took Patrick, Orrin, and Titus to a park. We played on the playground equipment for awhile, had a picnic, feed the ducks, and then surprise!!! (Ice-cream!)
Caleb gave his old barn to Patrick for his birthday. The 5 'boys' had fun playing with it before Lloyd's birthday dinner, which Tom Turpin enjoyed with us.
Trying on Uncle Matthew's glasses. After dessert, Tom had to go home to get some things inline for his travels to Tx. We visited for awhile, Lloyd opened gifts, and then the boys went to bed. We stayed late visiting and then took a very brisk walk to Momma and Daddy's. Tuesday morning I made some muffins to take to Sunrise, my old work place. It was fun to see some familiar faces there and catch up with a few co-workers. Not everyone was in that I was hoping to see, so we stopped in again on Thursday morning. Here I am trying find things in Momma's huge kitchen!
After visiting Sunrise, we grabbed some lunch to eat on our way to our 2:00 appointments at LasikMD. I had my eye checkup first. 3 years post-surgery and still better than 20/20! Then Matthew went in for his assessment. He has keratoconus. (Definition from Wikipedia : "is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than the more normal gradual curve.") After some research several months ago, we had found that there is a procedure they have been doing in Canada for 4 years, but is not yet approved in the U.S. Assessment is free so we made the appointment with lots of hope and anticipation.
While Matthew was getting that done, I went to meet Linda at a Spa to get pedicures. It was fun to get some one on one time and relax together. I felt like I got to know my niece/nephew a little better as she/he kept sticking its foot into Linda's side and she would tickle it to get it to move! After that, I picked up Matthew and heard all about his appointment. He is definitely a candidate and they would recommend getting the procedure done ASAP! Still praying about it and need to look into the logistics and timing some more, but are planning that direction! That evening we went to David and Becca's for a delicious dinner of hamburgers. Matthew jumped on the trampoline with the girls while I talked to Becca until David came home. After dinner, we played Uno and ate dessert. Sierra made me this:
I was hoping she would make me one, but I didn't even realize she was working on it!
Wednesday, July 1st, Canada Day, we went for a hike from Outer Cove to Red Cliff. It was a new hike for all of us and super pretty! I hope I haven't included too many pictures! But the grandeur just can't be captured.
Matthew is in this photo.
And here's one of me watching him scramble over rocks trying to get close enough to the water to stick his GoPro under!
Hard to get the perspective of how far down this is, but it is a LONG ways!
Partridge berry blooms. They are kind of like a small cranberry.
Hiking through Newfoundland 'forest'.
View from where we ate lunch.
This is at the end of the hike at RedCliff. I took this picture for Vanessa:) I was definitely sitting down!
Our tour guides!
All of us at the end of the hike, all sticky and sweaty from the humidity!
That evening we went to Boss and Mary's to partake of Hailey's delicious Canada Day cooking! Uncle Eric and Aunt Lenora were there as well.
That evening after meeting, some went to see the fireworks at Quidi Vidi. We wanted to go, but figured sleep was more important at the time!To be continued!
It was so nice to see you again Margaret. We definitely miss your presence around the clinic. That purple flower you snapped a picture of is called a beach pea (I learned that on a hike a few weeks ago!) I hope your trip back to California was pleasant and I look forward to reading about your adventures. Thanks for brightening my day!
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