Celebrating our Anniversary in Prince Edward Island

Last weekend, on the tenth of June, Nuno and I celebrated our twelfth wedding anniversary.  We planned a little getaway with the girls to commemorate the special occasion and went to Prince Edward Island; one of our favourite destinations in Canada.

We flew to Prince Edward Island on June 6th and stayed in a lovely cottage for the entire week.  If you are not familiar with PEI, it is the smallest, most romantic province in all of Canada (in my humble opinion).

PEI is also a photographer's dream come true!  I reveled in the beautiful scenery and took pictures to my heart's content.  Dare I say too many - over 400!  I had never visited PEI in the Spring, so there were new photo opportunities of things I hadn't seen or done before in the summer months. 

As difficult as it is to pick just a few, here are some of my favorite shots from our vacation.  I hope that the photos capture the essence of what Prince Edward Island means to me.

Sand dunes at Brackley Beach

Covehead Lighthouse

French River harbour

Nuno and I standing on teapot rock, Darnley Beach

We followed a private beach road and walked a very long way to reach these rocks.  Originally, this rock had a "handle" on it, hence, the name - teapot rock.  With time, the crashing waves eroded the handle and this is what's left.  One day, this rock will be non-existent.  Lucky for us, it was low tide and we were able to climb on the rock for a picture!

Malpeque harbour

Traditional lobster supper in New Glasgow

West Point Lighthouse

The beautiful scenery; as far as the eye can see

We toured the Cow's Creamery Ice cream Factory

Just look what I found inside our bag of PEI potatoes...a perfectly heart-shaped potato!

Morning at the beach (Dalvey beach)

Cavendish beach with my girls

The gorgeous lupins growing wild along highway roads and ditches - a sight that can only be seen in the Spring.  In the summer months, these will be long gone!

A proper tea at Mrs. Proffit's Tea Room at the Orient Hotel in Victoria-by-the-Sea.  We were able to pick our own teacups and hats to wear!  This was by far Annabel's favourite place!

The Confederation Bridge (from PEI to New Brunswick)

Nuno and I at Argyle Shore

Argyle Shore

We picked wild lupins and made a centerpiece for our kitchen table at the cottage

Meeting my friend, Denise, for the first time at Basin Head beach.  What a sweetheart she is!  I hope to see her visiting us in Ontario very soon!

One of my favourite things about the Island is the rich red soil, distinct to PEI.

I love the blue sky, the deep red earth, the bright green grass and the contrast of bold colours.

Our goodbye lobster supper...

...and sunset at Cavendish beach

Anita and Annabel saying goodbye

I can't tell you how difficult it was to choose only a few photos from the very large collection I have.  I will be printing most of the photos I took to put in a photo album, so we can look back on our trip for years to come. 

Of course, no matter where we go, however near or far, home is always home.  It is nice to be back, sleeping in my own bed with the wonderful memories of our anniversary trip lingering in my mind.  The Island has a special place in my heart and I know we will be back again some day. 

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a wonderful week filled with many blessings!  xoxo



Then and Now and Thank you!

This was me then...

This photo was taken the day I put my braces on, over two years ago, on February 10, 2010.  That was me, smiling.  Do you see the open gap in the front; between my top and bottom teeth?  I had an open bite and an over bite!  My teeth were crooked and my mouth was just a mess. 

I struggled with the thought of getting braces for years.  I wore braces once before when I was eleven for about a year.  My teeth were straight after the treatment, but when my wisdom teeth came out, I was afraid to remove them and they eventually squeezed in and forced all my other teeth into places they should never have gone. 

I had to pull out four teeth and do several periodontal treatments before the orthodontist would even think of putting braces on me.  It was a long hard road, but I focused on the end the result. 

And now, two years and three months later...

This is me now!

This photo was taken as I was arriving home from the orthodontist.  It was all worth it and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  It sure feels good!

The journey is not exactly over.  I will be picking up my retainer on Wednesday.  I will have to wear it full time (except to eat and brush) for the first few months, and eventually only at night.  But who cares, right??

I just want to take a moment to thank my biggest supporters:  my husband, my daughters and my Mom who are always there for me, no matter what.  And of course, my family and friends on facebook and twitter.  Thank you so much for all your support these past two years.  It's such a blessing to have so many dear ones around me.

I picked up a dozen assorted muffins for the staff at my Orthodontist's office

to say "Thank you".  Since it would be impossible to send a muffin to each one of you,

I hope you will accept a virtual muffin as a token of my thanks and appreciation!  

Happy Sunday!  Wishing you a fabulous week, filled with wonderful

things to smile about! xoxo