Caitlin is Walking!

MVI_2763 a video by todd warnell on Flickr.

Our latest edition to the Warnell Clan decided it was time to become upright to stand up to her two older siblings...alas she started walking today! Check out the small vid.

MAGICAL! First Day at Magic Kingdom

Here's our 10 word summary of Disney World Adventure, Day Two:
Princess Princess Princess Princess Princess WOW Peter-Pan Electric Parade FIREWORKS!

We kicked off day two of our Disney adventure with a bright and early character breakfast with Disney Princesses inside the Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom.  With the early breakfast we had the ability to enter Magic Kingdom in advance of the regular opening time so it was really neat to be walking down Main Street and seeing the park for the very first time essentially by ourselves.

We made our way to Cinderella's Castle and we were quickly whisked into the magical setting for our breakfast feast.  As we ate our breakfast various Princess characters rotated from table to table to talk with and take photos with all the little dreamers.  Although our munchkins eventually warmed up to the characters we learned that doing the character breakfast as literally the first thing on our trip was not the best idea.  As with all new experiences they needed a little time to adjust and get used to the characters--but once they did it was 100% excitement anytime a character was in sight in any of the parks.

After breakfast we headed off into Magic Kingdom to take in a few of the classic rides like Dumbo, Small World, Peter Pan, Mickey's PhilharMagic.

As the temp was starting to rise we headed up towards Frontierland to cool off on Splash Mountain--which was a BIG hit with Braden.  Sarah was a little two small for Splash Mountain so we set off to find a ride just her size and found it in Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride which she loved--especially the spitting camels!

With our munchkins getting a little tired and hungry we decided to head back to the resort for lunch and nap time so that they would have LOTS of energy when we headed back to Magic Kingdom that night for the Electric Parade and of course the nightly fireworks.  On our way out we bumped into a Mickey & Minnie show spectacular.

After a great rest and swim back at the resort the munchkins were all charged up to head back to Magic Kingdom.  We had a little time before the closing festivities so we ventured into Tomorrowland to explore a few of the attractions.  The brilliance of the Monsters Inc Laugh Factory wowed us as the ability to make the animated characters truly interactive in real time was awesome.  Spilling out of the Laugh Factory we bumped into the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger ride which was among Braden's favourite of the whole trip.

With it now sufficiently dark it was time to take in the Electric Parade and the closing Fireworks--both of which were awe inspiring.
The fireworks still blow my mind as it was hands-down the best fireworks display we have ever seend--and they do this EVERY NIGHT!

Disney World: We're Here!

Let's start off this series of posts about our Disney World trip with the single biggest lesson learned on our trip:  I TAKE TOO MANY PHOTOS!  

However, the best thing about taking too many photos is that reviewing and editing those photos down to a more precise set is an awesome way to re-experience the trip again.

Here's our 10 word summary of our Disney World Day One Adventure:

Monorail Plane Mickey Express Gorgeous Resort Pool Waterslide Downtown Lego

Day one of our trip was mainly a travel day in which our munchkins were amazing throughout the long process of checking in (we couldn't use online check-in because of travelling with an infant), clearing US Customs, clearing security and then finally making it onto our actual flight en route to Orlando.  Upon arriving in Orlando we literally walked from the plane directly to the Disney Magical Express bus which whisked us quickly to our destination of Disney's Old Key West Resort.  The best part is that we didn't have to wait to pickup our luggage as the magical Disney elves picked up our bags from the airport and delivered them direct to the Grand Villa 2.5 hours after we arrived--now that is Customer Service!

We settled into our beautiful accommodations with Eli, Bill, Richard and Kristin but quickly made our way to the resort pool (we were given the tip to pack our swim gear in our carry-on bags) to cool down and enjoy the waterslide.  

After cooling down and enjoying the pool we headed back to the condo for a bite to eat to fuel up for our quick evening jaunt to Downtown Disney.

Take a peek at the photos and quick video clips from Day One

Shannon & Mark Get Hitched!

We had the wonderful opportunity to take in another brilliant wedding this past weekend with Shannon & Mark exchanging their vows and wowing family and friends with their fairytale wedding.  Take a peek at the photos as they tell it best...

...I apparently have been getting lazy with keeping the blog and our photos up to date as I've only been posting immediately after attending weddings.  I'll be catching up soon on our summer vacation and tons of great photos from other summer adventures.

Irish Dancers + Talented Musicians = One Helluva Wedding!

What happens when a Irish Dancer / Teacher marries a Drum-playing Engineer?  You get this...

My words will not be enough to convey the joy and genuine love of the day so take a peek at the full album as the photos really do tell the story the best.

Highlights of the day...

1.  Irish Dancing...lots and lots of really really GOOD Irish Dancing

2.  Multi-talented musicians that can effortlessly perform as if they have been playing together for years

3.  A closing acoustic set complete with a bodhran and Irish tin whistle

4.  Beef Tenderloin AND Turkey for dinner = WIN!

5.  A gorgeous and serene countryside reception venue

A parting comment from the reception festivities...always remember that "it takes a village to make a baby"

Our First Foray into the Evergreen Brick Works

We ventured to the Evergreen Brick Works on Sunday to take part in the Bullfrog Power Summer Scavenger Hunt. Monica and I have been seeing and hearing a lot of chatter (both in person and online) about the recently revitalized Don Valley Brick Works and the Evergreen transformation of the formerly derelict industrial buildings on the site--so we were excited to take advantage of this customer outreach event to finally visit and explore the Brick Works.

Matthew, our group tour guide, kicked off the event with an elegant and passionate recap of the history of the Evergreen Brick Works project and then proceeded to lead us through a number of the main buildings and point out the environmental and sustainability features that have come to life during this transformation.

After the tour we kicked into the scavenger hunt portion of the afternoon which challenged us to scour the Brick Works to find and photograph specific and impressive works of art created to highlight and embrace the nature and history of the surrounding lands. The munchkins really enjoyed bumping into various wildlife and exploring the evolving Chimney Court along the way.

We wrapped up the scavenger hunt with a quick snack and refreshing lemonade before heading off onto the pond boardwalk and meadows to search for more wildlife. We topped of our afternoon of exploration with a scoop of organic ice cream to satisfy our munchkins' sweet-tooth cravings (which was unavoidable as every second person we bumped into had an ice cream cone in their hands).

Thanks again to Bullfrog Power for hosting a great family event and getting us out to finally explore the wonderful Evergreen Brick Works.

So Long...Acronyms! Onwards to Numbers!

Our not-so-little-anymore Braden completed his first rite of academic passage after graduating on Friday from KINDERGARTEN!  Onwards and upwards to the next stage of his confusing academic path as his class names now switch from confusing acronyms to that of the ascending numerical order.

Of course, here are a few photos and videos of him and his class singing for your enjoyment