Siblings, unite!

This past weekend, Kirsten & I flew to Washington, D.C. to visit Glenn. In addition to ceaseless conversation and very little sleep, we took in as much of the surrounding area as possible, including an on-site visit to BCG. We toured around the city on bikes, stopping at a few of the monuments and memorials at the National Mall and Memorial Parks: Washington, World War II, Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Jefferson.

We ate lots of good food, both In-House and Out-of-House!

On Sunday, we attended church at Washington National Cathedral and toured the adjoining Bishop's Garden following the service.

We were privileged with an escorted tour of the U.S. Capitol, which was simply amazing! (Thank you, California Senator Dianne Feinstein) We rode the tram that escorts senators and staff between the Senate and Capitol buildings, toured a few behind-the-scenes caucus and hearing rooms, walked down the same hallway that led outside to the Inauguration Platform as Senator Obama did prior to his walking out as President Obama, and were given the opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime view of the National Mall from the Speaker of the House's private balcony! (Thank you, California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi)

Finally, what's a visit to Washington, D.C. if one doesn't acknowledge 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW? So, of course, we did!

We had a ton of fun! Glenn is THE Host with THE Most! Thanks for having us, Little Brother - we love you :o) And God Bless America!

Thanksgiving, Round 1

It just so happened that we were able to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving together at home this year. Mostly favorite, some new, recipes graced our table. Victor was the young, succulent turkey that roasted away for our benefit (tho no picture of just how roasty he got!) and was brined (a first!), prior to being rubbed-down in butter and spices, before entering the oven. The cranberry sauce involved pomegranate molasses and fresh thyme - delish! We have so much to give thanks for and are blessed.

Thanksgiving, Round 2 will come in November!

Silent Lake

We ventured out to Silent Lake Provincial Park last weekend, wanting to take advantage of at least one camping trip before summer was officially over. It is a beautiful park and we enjoyed perfect weather! Here is a snapshop of some of our activities at, shhhhhhhhhhh, Silent Lake.

We set up camp and did some reading.

We canoed around the lake, taking in the lush green scenery, smooth water, and peaceful surroundings.

We built campfires and roasted marshmallows. Yum!

Kelly whittled.

Until next time...

In Summary

These last few photos could not be omitted from our last moments with Curtis & Jill. First, Jill & I made cherry perogies the Czech way (known as Cherry Verenyky). And the boys stuffed themselves full!

Second, we mini-golfed. Despite spending some time in the bush, I believe Curtis came out on top! Taking golf in university has obviously paid off :o)

Finally, no visit to Ottawa is complete without a visit to The Works, Ottawa's custom burger joint, where there are, apparently, over 400 ways to make a burger "your way!" It was a treat!

Thanks for coming to visit, you two!

More Fun, Cont'd

What can we say? Perfect summer weather followed us wherever we went! We did a 5km hike (a good portion was quite steep!) up Chutes de Lusk in Quebec (Lusk Waterfalls). It was beautiful and the lookout at the top was well worth the effort!

Stopping to view the backside of Parliament across the Ottawa River came prior to making our last destination of the day: the Governor General's residence. Curtis & Jill make two comedial guards!

Le Parlement, si vous s'il vous plaît

Taking in Ottawa's downtown sights and sounds is always a special treat, especially on a beautiful, sunny summer day! The War Memorial was our first stop, followed by the locks of the Rideau Canal.

Our tour of Parliament included East Block, the House of Commons, the Senate, and riding the elevator to the top of the Peace Tower to take in a bird's-eye view of the city.

Finally, we finished our afternoon off with Beaver Tails in The Market before begining our stroll back down the canal towards our ride home.

Around the Town

We were privileged to have Kelly's brother, Curtis, and girlfriend, Jill, visit us this past week. We had a great time showing them around Ottawa and the surrounding area. First stop for any Trinity Western University graduate: the Laurentian Leadership Centre!

Next, we ventured into Ottawa's countryside for a tour of Canada's Cold War museum, the Diefenbunker. Here are a few pictures from inside -- better yet, underground -- that we had fun taking. A visit back in time, indeed!

Later that evening, we ventured down the river to the small village of Manotick to experience "A Taste of Manotick" which was put on by the town's local restaurants and businesses. What a great time! We tried homemade sweet potato fries from the local chip truck and deep friend Mars bars. Even our local Le Cordon Bleu came out to work their magic for the new butchery in town.

Finally, we finished off a full day with some farming via Carcasonne! This picture perfectly depicts Jill's victory and current reign as Queen of Carcasonne. It's okay Curtis...maybe next time :o)