We have had our summer holiday and now it's back to the cold in Canada! We set off for Calgary airport after work on Friday 24th September, as we were staying in a hotel the night before flying, which turned out to be a good job we did, as our day went anything but smoothly! We woke at 3.00am and got to the airport for 4am. Everything was fine (apart from Calgary airport is rubbish and has no good shops or breakfast places - Jack did however manage to get a pint in at 4.55am, a new record) and we boarded the plane about 6.30am. We sat on the plane for 2 hours before they told us to get off due to mechanical difficulties. so, by this time we had no flight down to Houston Texas (for a connecting flight) and had already missed the connection! We got booked on to another flight with a different airline, then given a new connection. Of course, it took so long for everyone to get on the plane that this one was also late and we missed the new connection!! So we spent 2 hours at Houston and eventually got a flight to Orlando and landed at 11pm (should've been there at 4.30!) Unfortunately, our bags didn't make it (surprise surprise!) so we made our way by taxi to the villa and finally got to bed about 1am.

The next day we stocked up on supplies for the villa and planned out our week. Our bags got to us about 4pm the next day so that wasn't too bad. During the holiday we went to Islands of Adventure where they have the 'hulk' roller coaster, amazing as always! Spiderman and Dudley Doowrite Rip Saw Falls. We also went to the new Harry Potter land which is amazing, they have actually built Hogsmeade, and you walk through Hogwarts to get to the new ride. The new ride was awesome and we managed to get on it twice.

We also went to Universal Studios which was good - Jack managed to get a new pose for the pictures on the mummy roller coaster! He took a book on with him, and when the photo was taken and everyone is screaming because it is so amazing, he was reading his book with an expressionless face the picture was hilarious, but we didn't buy it because the rip off merchants wanted $20 for one picture!!!

One day we also went to Discovery Cove as Kev and Laura were going to swim with dolphins, and had a spot to swim with them at 3.30pm. It was a really nice setting, and all the food and drinks were all inclusive so we took advantage of that. We went round the lazy river, ate, drank and lazed around. then, the weather took a turn for the worse and we were stuck in the middle of a tropical storm! A bolt of lightning actually hit the lightning rod which was on the other side of the park, and I have never heard a sound like it in my life! Poor Harry (who is only one) was very brave wrapped up in his blankets! So unfortunately Kev and Laura couldn't do the swim but re-booked for Saturday morning.

We went to sea world too, and saw the dolphins and aquariums. We missed the Shamu show though. They highlight of seaworld was definately their new roller coaster 'Manta' it tips you forward so that you are actually lying face down while you go round - we went on a lot, it was soo good!!

In the evenings we stayed in and had bbq's and also went out a few times to get a nice steak or ribs. Jack has become the new bbq man! One night we went to downtown disney to the T-Rex restaurant which is like the rainforest cafe but prehistoric, it was really cool and Harry absolutely loved it there. We did a lot of shopping and we got some much needed winter things for a lot cheaper than we would get in Canada.

My friend Claire was in Florida at the same time, and although we didn't know it we discovered that we were only 3 houses away from her!! So we went round a couple of times for a chat in the evening.

All too soon the second week was over and we prepared for our flight back. Another early one, up at 3am. We got back to Calgary about 1.30 and headed for Lethbridge so that we could spend Thanksgiving with Jonny and Sarah. Jonny's family was there and some of their friends too. Unfortunately I had gotten so ill that I couldn't smell the turkey or taste the dinner and was so exhausted that I went for a lie down at 7.00pm and woke at 9.00am.... Jack had a really nice thanksgiving though and i hear the food was good!! We headed back to Fernie on Sunday and I was back to work on Monday still feeling very under the weather. On Monday Jack got a call from Crystal Glass to say that they have a full time position for him for the whole winter if he wants it! So he started there yesterday and is really enjoying it. There are people his age there and it's a nice working environment, so he's very happy!

It wasnt as cold as we thought it would be when we got home, but the temperature has really dropped this week, so we are glad of our winter purchases!

Probably not going to be too much going on in the coming months, but i'll check in as often as possible! Got halloween to look forward to, as it's a lot bigger out here than it is at home.

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