Road Trip - The 'Choke
So this is about a week late but it just haven't had the time or the desire to sit and post.
Last weekend Cheryl took my girls and I to Atikokan to pick up her son from his father and to visit her family. It was a winter festival in Atikokan that weekend (SnoHo I think). Our journey started right after picking up the girls from school, packing the truck, and we headed out on the highway as soon as was possible. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the roads were clear. We arrived in Atikokan just in time for supper at her parent's house. The girls were awesome and well behaved as usual. It was a quiet evening of relaxing with this new family we find ourselves in. We introduced her parents to the Wii.
The next morning we found the weather had changed. The temperatures had dropped dramatically. Our original intention of taking the girls sliding and out to enjoy the winter weather was quickly dashed. It was too cold to head out and do anything so our plans were quickly changed. We hung out around the house for the morning, were treated to a great pancake breakfast. The girls had pancakes in the shapes of their initials! The coffee flowed freely that morning and it was a good thing because I was pretty tired. I helped her father with his new computer while Cheryl made a new plan that day to take the girls shopping at the Saan store. We also needed to stop by the LCBO to meet one of her mother's employees. The wind and the cold were tremendous when we walked out and across the park to our destinations. After a short visit at the LCBO we went to the Saan and let the girls pick out a new outfit each. We also let them pick out something to play with and they decided on these large wooden painting projects to hang on their walls when they are completed. We went back to Cheryl's parents (after a quick stop for chocolate at Macs) and the girls started their painting. We needed (quite quickly) to get some more black paint because these projects never come with enough in the package. SO Cheryl took me out in search of more flat black paint. This time we took the truck. Cheryl took me on a quick tour of the perimeter of the town after we found a can of paint. My mind is racing from the tour, thinking about the possibility of following up my own work of photographically chronicling the history of Thunder Bay with a photo history of Atikokan. Who knows? I should focus on my first project perhaps? Haha. Anyways - we returned to finish painting with the girls and then cleaned up for dinner. Dinner was steak on the BBQ and butter fried shrimp with baked potatoes. Another excellent meal. After dinner Cheryl took Dylan to visit his father and I played some video games with her father, letting him try out some other games on the Wii (like Excite Truck). When Cheryl returned it was bedtime for the kids. Afterwards she decided that it was time to learn how to play Guitar Hero. Yay! That's my girl. She was a natural, of course.
Sunday morning found us back at the kitchen table enjoy another great meal, this time of eggs and bacon. Then I started to pack up the girl's things and getting ready to head home by packing the truck. The temperatures hadn't really improved. The drive home was mostly quiet and uneventful. When we returned to Thunder Bay we did some grocery shopping, unpacked the truck, and joined my family for our first meal as a full family with our newest family member Chase in attendance. It was a great weekend and I am actually looking forward to going back when it's a little warmer, with my camera firmly in hand.
Last weekend Cheryl took my girls and I to Atikokan to pick up her son from his father and to visit her family. It was a winter festival in Atikokan that weekend (SnoHo I think). Our journey started right after picking up the girls from school, packing the truck, and we headed out on the highway as soon as was possible. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the roads were clear. We arrived in Atikokan just in time for supper at her parent's house. The girls were awesome and well behaved as usual. It was a quiet evening of relaxing with this new family we find ourselves in. We introduced her parents to the Wii.
The next morning we found the weather had changed. The temperatures had dropped dramatically. Our original intention of taking the girls sliding and out to enjoy the winter weather was quickly dashed. It was too cold to head out and do anything so our plans were quickly changed. We hung out around the house for the morning, were treated to a great pancake breakfast. The girls had pancakes in the shapes of their initials! The coffee flowed freely that morning and it was a good thing because I was pretty tired. I helped her father with his new computer while Cheryl made a new plan that day to take the girls shopping at the Saan store. We also needed to stop by the LCBO to meet one of her mother's employees. The wind and the cold were tremendous when we walked out and across the park to our destinations. After a short visit at the LCBO we went to the Saan and let the girls pick out a new outfit each. We also let them pick out something to play with and they decided on these large wooden painting projects to hang on their walls when they are completed. We went back to Cheryl's parents (after a quick stop for chocolate at Macs) and the girls started their painting. We needed (quite quickly) to get some more black paint because these projects never come with enough in the package. SO Cheryl took me out in search of more flat black paint. This time we took the truck. Cheryl took me on a quick tour of the perimeter of the town after we found a can of paint. My mind is racing from the tour, thinking about the possibility of following up my own work of photographically chronicling the history of Thunder Bay with a photo history of Atikokan. Who knows? I should focus on my first project perhaps? Haha. Anyways - we returned to finish painting with the girls and then cleaned up for dinner. Dinner was steak on the BBQ and butter fried shrimp with baked potatoes. Another excellent meal. After dinner Cheryl took Dylan to visit his father and I played some video games with her father, letting him try out some other games on the Wii (like Excite Truck). When Cheryl returned it was bedtime for the kids. Afterwards she decided that it was time to learn how to play Guitar Hero. Yay! That's my girl. She was a natural, of course.
Sunday morning found us back at the kitchen table enjoy another great meal, this time of eggs and bacon. Then I started to pack up the girl's things and getting ready to head home by packing the truck. The temperatures hadn't really improved. The drive home was mostly quiet and uneventful. When we returned to Thunder Bay we did some grocery shopping, unpacked the truck, and joined my family for our first meal as a full family with our newest family member Chase in attendance. It was a great weekend and I am actually looking forward to going back when it's a little warmer, with my camera firmly in hand.