Toronto

Once we had enough of the falls, we decided to go on a field trip to Toronto.  None of us had ever been so we figured we would check it out.  Toronto is home to the CN tower, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.  At 1,815 feet tall, it is the tallest tower in the world. 

Before exploring the tower, we went on a walk through the city.  We were cracking up at the DANGER signs.  Fill in the blank style.

John and Adam in front of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Since Adam is a goalie we thought it would be cute for him to stand in front of this statue, much like he does in real games.  As you can tell, he was thrilled.

John was a good sport though

We had lunch at a French cafe on the corner of King and John

After waiting for a LONG time we finally made it to the top of the CN tower.  View of the stadium from one of the observation decks.  I'm sure it is really cool when the roof is open.  

It was super cloudy so it was hard to get any good pictures

These people are doing the edge walk.  They are attached overhead and are encouraged to stand on the edge and lean back.  You can see on of the people trying it out. 

Glass floor - I was kind of scared to stand on it

Just as the lights came on John and Adam were outside taking pictures.  He looks super scary!

They lights must have been changing because John was only a little pink

Looking up to where we had just been

Niagara Falls

Last month, John and I met my family in Niagara Falls for family vacation.  My family went on a trip to the falls the summer before my dad passed away in 2000.  This was the last vacation we all went on together so it fun to reminisce, but sad at the same time.  Last time, we drove the RV across the country with the entire family.  Adam was only 2 so it was quite an adventure.  We were all singing Veggie Tales by the end of the trip, even my dad.  This time we stayed in a beautiful suite overlooking the falls.   

View from our room.  I wish there was not a giant hotel in the middle of the view, but I cannot complain. 

View of Horseshoe Falls from our room

View of the American Falls from our room

Right before we were completely drenched from the mist on the sidewalk

Our first adventure was Journey Behind the Falls

Finally!  A poncho!  About to journey behind the falls.

This is pretty much what you see behind the falls.  Not super exciting, but you could definitely feel the force of the falls.

I was a little disappointed until.....

...we stepped out onto a deck right next to the falls.  I could have stood there all day!

Johnny

I pretty much gave up on the poncho.  It was not worth the trouble and I was already wet. 

We did not go on Maid of the Mist this time.  We went last time we were there and I remember it being super crowded and really misty (duh).

One last look before it was time to go.  Like I said, I could have stoop there all day.

Beautiful!

John and I enjoyed going to the falls late at night.  There was never anyone there and it was so peaceful.

I was nervous our camera was going to be a daredevil and try to go over the falls

This is my favorite place to stand.  Amazing!

Priscilla of Boston

Today, I was sad to learn Priscilla of Boston is closing.  In 7 months (and 6 days, but who is counting) I will be wearing a beautiful Priscilla gown for my own wedding.  If you recall from this post, I got extremely lucky with my dress when the salon had it in stock because it came in in the incorrect color for another bride.  Not only did it me fit like a glove, but I was able to take it home with me that day.  The day I bought my dress I knew it was meant to be (cheesy, i know), but today I realize I was even more lucky.  If I had ordered a dress that day it would still be on order.  They say they will fulfill all orders, but I cannot imagine the stress I would be under right now if I did not have my dress hanging at my house. 

For a little history lesson, Priscilla of Boston started in 1945.  In 1956 she designed Grace Kelly's wedding dress.  Since then, she had dressed countless fabulous brides.  In 2003, at the age of 86, Priscilla passed away.

The news of the close was shocking to me, but I am thankful to be one of the last Priscilla brides. 

Soul Surfer

This weekend Fellowship Church had special guest, Bethany Hamilton.  Bethany grew up in Hawaii in a family of surfers.  Her parents had her on a surf board before she could even walk.  At the age of 13, with a promising future as a professional surfer, she was attacked by a shark.  In the attack, she lost her left arm.  Bethany's faith in God and determination helped her through the traumatic experience.  Less than one month after the attack she was back in the water on a surf board.  Bethany never gave up and achieved her dream of becoming a pro surfer.  The recent movie, Soul Surfer, tells her story. 

After seeing Bethany's appearance and Fellowship Church, and watching the movie, there are two things I found incredible.  The first is her strong faith and how she never gave up on God or questioned God's intention.  She knew God had a plan for her and she has used her experience to inspire others.  The second thing is her determination and how she never gave up.  Bethany's surfing career could have been over after the attack, but she was determined to get back on the board and compete on a professional level again. 

It was amazing to see how many people showed up to Fellowship Church this weekend.  You would have thought it was Christmas or Easter.  There were a ton of screaming teenage girls and it was amazing to see how excited they were.  Bethany is such an amazing role model.  Tomorrow is the first day of school in TX and I hope they all go back to school and share Bethany's story with their friends. 

Wisdom Teeth

I know this is not my most exciting post, but I have been laying around the house for 24 hours and decided I would share my experience getting my wisdom teeth out.  Luckily, I only had 2 wisdom teeth!!!  Here are a few things I learned through the experience, for anyone anyone who still has theirs. 

• When your dentist tells you to get your wisdom teeth out, DO IT!  I waited way too long and one of mine started to poke through about 3 weeks ago.  The pain I went through leading up to the surgery was worse than the pain I have felt since surgery.  The worst part was that I was on a family vacation the week before surgery, experiencing extreme pain.  
• Find a great oral surgeon.  I went to Dr. Stamboulieh at Legacy Oral Surgery.  I was in and out of their office in less than an hour for the surgery.  They were ready for me the minute I walked in the door so there was no waiting.  When they brought me back to the room the doctor was already waiting for me so they got straight to work.  I was probably in the office, awake for less than 10 minutes.  I really appreciated now having to wait before or after.  
• Follow instructions!  I have probably over followed instructions and the recovery has gone pretty smooth, so far.  
• ICE ICE ICE - I have had ice on my face since the minute I was home.  So far, I have had very little swelling.  Corn is my favorite thing to use as ice.  I have always heard that, but thought it was silly.  I tried it yesterday when neither of my ice packs were cold anymore and it was AMAZING.  It stays cold for much longer than an ice pack.  Brussel Sprouts have worked well too.  Don't ask why we had them in our freezer, I did not buy them.  Using them as an ice pack is probably the only good use for them.  Can you tell I am not a fan of the veggie? 
• Try to schedule surgery for a Friday morning.  Mine was at 7am so I have 3 whole days to recover before I have to go back to work.  Early morning surgery will also help with the fasting.  If I had to wait until afternoon I may have been starving. 
• Make sure you have someone wonderful to take care of you.  John has treated me like a queen!  It probably helps that he had a horrible recovery when he had his surgery so he does not want me to go through the same thing.  He has made me the most delicious smoothies so I don't starve to death.  He even went to KFC to buy me mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner.  Their mashed potatoes are PERFECT when you cannot chew.  They are pretty much like soup.  
• It is funny how animals can sense when something is wrong.  Chlöe is definitely a daddy's girl and acts like I do not exist most of the time (unless she is hungry).  She knew something was wrong when I got home and sat on the coffee table watching me with concern.  When John left for the pharmacy, she even cuddled with me!  She cuddles with John ALL THE TIME and even sleeps in his arms, but she usually wants nothing to do with me.  I love the rare times when my sweet kitty loves me. 

I hope this was helpful for anyone who may have to go through this in the near future.  

Comfort Food

Since it was a cool 89 degrees in Dallas today, I decided to make "fall food" for lunch.  This summer has been brutal with 40 consecutive days over 100 degrees - 1 day short of tying the record.  This morning, we even woke up to rain!  It has not rained in MONTHS here.  I celebrated the "cool," cloudy day by making chicken and dumplings.  I found the recipe here.  I was a little worried that this recipe would lack taste, but it had good reviews.  I figured I would make it once and then doctor up if it deemed worthy of making twice (I am the queen of not following recipes and making them my own.  The only problem with that is when I don't write down what I did).  This recipe was delish!!!  I will probably add veggies next time, nothing too drastic.  Bon Appetit! 

Officially a Texan

I have lived in Texas for almost 9 years so I have been considering taking the plunge and buying a pair of cowgirl boots.  We go to quite a few concerts at Billy Bob's in the Fort Worth Stockyards and I would probably fit in with the crowd better in boots rather than my usual heels or wedges.  There is also less risk of falling on the cobblestone streets in boots.  When Sophia, my high school bestie, was in town we decided to do a little boot shopping.  We found an adorable western store at Northpark Mall and I fell in love with a beautiful pair of embroidered boots.  I sent a picture to John and asked if I could buy them - he said no:(  Even though I did not bring home the boots that day, I still obsessed over them for weeks.  I came up with a whole list of events and activities that could involve the boots.  Tonight, when I got home from work, John handed me a bag with the boots inside!  He had to do some investigative work to find out the mall, store, brand, size, etc, but he managed to keep it a complete surprise.  I love unexpected surprises.  I am not a fan of flowers on our anniversary or chocolates on Valentine's Day.  I love when people show their love and appreciation when you least expect it, and that is exactly what John did today.  I cannot wait to wear my boots.  I think I am officially a Texan!