Halifax Part 1

In September, Paul and I got away on a trip to Halifax.  This is our first time away from the kids since Marshall was 17 months, so nearly 4 years.  We had initially planned to bring Baylor with us on this trip but when it came time to planning it out more, the details of what we were actually wanting to do there and Baylor began walking, climbing and getting out of his stroller, we decided that he could stay at home with the other kids too.  We were so grateful for my parents for taking the kids and giving us 6 days of amazing fun together!

Us on the airplane, excited to get started on our journey!

We decided on Halifax because we had always wanted to spend some time in the Maritimes.  Also the Canadian dollar is so bad going south becomes a more expensive endeavor.  It was perfect!  it was a real highlight trip.  We picked our top things to do and see, cut out many extras and fit in all of the top things.  We had so much fun and enjoyed our taste of the Maritimes.  We spent time in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick.  Here are some parts of this wonderful trip!

It was great fun to stay in a couple Historic buildings.  This Halliburton House Inn was beautiful, right downtown and 2 blocks from the Harbour and our building was built in 1831!  So fun!

Of course one of the most fun and amazing things about traveling together and to the ocean is to eat good food, and we did plenty of that!!  We had a great time trying seafood chowder at each meal to compare and enjoy, then we also shared some appetizers and an entree.  Sharing was great as we got to try more but didn't stuff ourselves, double benefit!  This beautiful view of the Halifax Harbor from this restaurant.

In Halifax we went on a tour on the Harbour Hopper.  It is an amphibious vehicle, like a duck boat, that took us on a city and harbour tour.  It was so fun!  We were sitting right in the front row and would have gotten completely soaked, had a nice man not stood up and let Paul and I take his seat behind the driver (Paul with me on his lap) when we went splashing into the water.  It was very fun!

Paul was able to meet with a client while there also.  While he was in that meeting I had a fun time roaming around downtown.  These were some of my favorite sights of Halifax.  I love to explore the history that we just don't have out west.  This graveyard was really quite powerful to see.  The last graves here were buried 170 years ago.  Crazy!!

Most of the grave stones said at the top "Sacred to the Memory of".  This was a really powerful thought to me as there would be very few actual memories about a lot of these people but that they were still loved and remembered and connected to families.  They still are connected to families, having posterity possibly still.  It made me grateful for my family and the sacred memories that we are creating together!

We made our way next to Peggy's Cove.  It was a totally different world with all of the mixture of green, rocks and water everywhere.  It was very unique and fun to see.

I thought that this sign on the Lighthouse was interesting.

Being a part of this Canadian Iconic image!

It was windy but a beautiful view of the sun heading down, and a great place to climb around on the rocks and enjoy the ocean.  I love seeing the waves coming in and out onto the rocks.  It was beautiful!

 After Peggy's Cove we proceeded onto the UNESCO heritage site town of Lunenberg.  It was a beautiful fun little town and we had one of our best meals there, at the Old Fish Market.  We had just missed seeing the Bluenose 2 which is usually docked there.  And we just barely missed a horse drawn tour of the town.  

So we wandered the harbour and enjoyed the setting sun and a delicious meal and then headed back to Halifax.

We visited the amazing Citadel in Halifax.  It is so interesting the city built around this huge structure.  Even the things that have been more recently built upon the bottoms of its hill.  It definitely is made for a time gone by but was not so long ago built.  Very interesting.

We got to be there for it noon cannon fire.  It was loud and the boom travelled right through you.  I tried to get in on a video for the kids to see but missed it. I guess we'll just have to bring them next tiem!

We found a way inside the pit between the outside wall and the fort.

This was the first church built in Halifax, St. Paul's I believe.  And we were told that it had a remnant left from the Halifax explosion of 1916.  So this piece of window frame shrapnel came flying into the church and was left as a reminder of the explosion.

Also in the same church he showed us one old stained glass window that wasn't broken in the explosion.  This could be the only window for many miles that wasn't broken and seems a bit of a miracle to have lasted since this is quite close to the explosion site and glass was broken a very long distance away.  It was beautiful and this picture does not do it justice, the wide metal and the colorful glass, it was from the mid 1700's.  Very interesting.

Having fun with my handsome man.  We are getting aboard the ferry on our way to PEI.

Our first view of PEI.  I love the very red border between the blue water and the blue sky.  You could see this separator from a long ways away.

I lvoe to be on a boat!  I love the ocean and the opportunity to get out on it makes me very happy, even if just on a ferry.  So I spend most of the whole ride outside taking in the view and the ocean.  

It was quite windy and cold and my long hair all over my face, so this was a good solution.

Paul did enjoy driving a fancy vehicle for a few days, though it did take a little while to "familiarize himself with the vehicle."

Our evening wandering the harbor of Charlottetown, PEI.  It was really fun and beautiful.

Paul had been waiting to get a lobster for this one in PEI.  This picture was sent to the kids.  They had fun seeing Daddy in a bib and with his lobster.  We forgot to get the picture before the tail was already enjoyed.  We stayed in Charlottetown in another heritage building.  I believe it was built in the early 1800's.  I thought it was older than the last place but I can't remember for sure.

Part 2 will include more of our time in PEI and the rest of our trip!

O Canada

I saw this O Canada quilt made by one of my favorite quilt authors and I knew immediately that I needed to make it for Sharan.  We miss her being so far from home and I wanted this to be a big hug from home.  That is what I think that a quilt really is, a warm hug, that helps us to feel of the love and effort from its maker.

I only managed to finish the top to give to Sharan when she got here this summer.  But I think that it worked out perfect as then I gave it to her on Canada Day and she got to have input into how it was completed.

I am super happy with how it turned out.  It is nearly all scrappy with a couple of solid blocks thrown in there for some personality.  I love the solid red one in the middle.

These pictures were actually before I managed to get a binding on it.  It had a red scrappy binding that was great to finish it off.

There is something so appealing to my kids about a quilt on the ground, whether it is still blocks or a top or finished, they have to climb all over it.  I have learned to work more quickly when I have just blocks out of the ground because it can be frustrating to play around with the layout and have the kids come through and pull it all apart.  So I have learned other methods, like layout after bedtime and never leaving it laying out, just make decisions and pin in in rows.  It is all good to have it climbed on at this point, all good and together.  I love my cute naked baby model!

I was debating the backing until Paul came up with this brilliant idea of a whole Canada flag on the back.  I love it just as much as the front!  He has such great suggestions, I love it!

 This is a quilt that I finished a year ago for my dear friend Lindsay!  It is more muted colors than I usually work with but these pictures don't really do it justice, it is more vibrant than these pictures show.  They are really washed out!  So despite that, I know it took me a year to get these pictures, this may be the best that I manage to get.

 I wanted the lights and darks to stand out a little more so I quilted them more obviously with dark brown thread and pale beige thread.  I am happy with this helping to emphasize the pattern that was more subtle.

 This is beautiful Fig Tree and Co. fabric that I knew would suit Lindsay very well.  It is a tonne of half square triangles. I am happy with how it turned out!

 One more finish!  This is a quilt top that Sharan had made and she did such a lovely job that she wanted me to finish it for her.  I knew that this lovely sunny yellow quilt had to go to Sharan's great niece Mary after seeing her beautiful yellow nursery.  I think that it is a perfect fit!

 I tried to do a simple orange peel quilting on this.  I have learned that I need to slow down and take my time a little bit more if I want more precise results.  I tend to want to sew really fast but would greatly benefit with a slight reduction in speed to help with my sloppy quilting.  Anyways, it is good to figure things out about yourself.

I felt very grateful to be able to be a part of finishing this beautiful quilt and to have it stay cherished in the family!  I'm sure that little Mary will have many years cuddled in this lovely quilt!