Newfoundland

The last stop in Madeleine's journey was Newfoundland, home to Mom's side of the family and the world's greatest French fries, more on that later.

Here are baby M with Anna's father's parents; that would be great Nan and Pop Leggo. Nan thinks I'm pompous. Imagine that!


Wake up Madeleine, there are two more great-grandparents who are super excited to meet you!

Nan and Pop Verge; Anna's mother's parents.



During a quiet moment, Pop was kind enough to share some wisdom with Madeleine.
A very special thanks to great uncle Doug and great aunt Lynn for all of their hospitality during our sejour in Corner Brook.




Whew, that was a lot of people to meet. Madeleine just needed a few second alone to catch her breath.

Next stop, the Captain Cook National Historic Site, with its amazing vista views.


There are a few things which everybody must accomplish in their life if it can be said that they have really lived. Seeing the Eiffel Tower, attending a U2 live show, becoming a parent, giving a basset a rub behind the ears, and having the fries and onion rings at the C&E in Mount Moriah (just ask anyone in Corner Brook for directions). Accomplishing this last thing on the list can be particularly challenging as, according to their marquee, the hours of operation are 11 am to 12 pm daily. But well worth it! Cousin Nancy joined along for one of the trips there.


Well Baby, is there anything else left to do before we head back to BC?


Of course, a visit to the famous Lynch's Lane.


Wow. What a trip. Thanks to everyone who made it so enjoyable and so incredibly easy.

The Great Adventure, Episode III

I never thought in a millions years that there would be something in this world that has bigger ears than a basset hound, but baby Madeleine managed to find just such a thing. Imagine that!

It can see why they say that these creatures are long lost relatives of Dad's. Look how lazy they are, just like Dad!

Look out baby Madeleine, that rhinoceros is going to charge. 

This was baby Madeleine's favourite part of her visit to the Toronto Zoo; she got to see what was on her shirt for real! I usually am game for chasing cats and running after them like a mad dog...

But on closer inspection, this one seems to be sleeping, so I'll cut it a break. Just this once. 

After a long day at the zoo, there was still some time to hang out with grandma.

The visit to Toronto was tons of fun and went by way too quickly. The next and last stop on the epic trek was to Newfoundland. Here's Madeleine super keen on meeting another four great-grandparents.

Cross-Canada Trek, part deux

Dad, channeling the spirit of Bud the Spud, ripped the tar off the 401 and made it into Ottawa in record time (with the obligatory stop at Tim Horton's). Aunt Siobhan (and Malarkey my canine cousin) were kind enough to host a family get together. Here are Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandad with Madeleine, and Dad.


Next up is the Reithmeier clan, Grandad, Uroma with Madeleine, Dad and Mom.
Four generations of Devlins.


Shaun Casey, Mom and Baby M.

The whole family gathers for a quick group shot.

Following that special event in Ottawa, we all packed into the Mazda 5 and headed back west. We made it as far as a place called Kingston; home of Sir John A., Don Cherry and the Tragically Hip. 800 plus kilometres in one day and just about everyone was pooped, as one might expect. Like father, like daughter.

After a little nap and a wee bit of room service, there was some quiet family time.

The following morning, we had about 60 seconds to do some sightseeing before the skies opened up for one of those famous Ontario deluges.

Kingston City Hall, mere moments before Dad was soaked.
So concludes this part of our adventure. What happens next you ask? Well of course you'll simply have to tune in to find out, but I can tell you there will be orangutans!

Baby Madeleine's Excellent Adventure.

So we are back from an exceptionally successful cross-Canada trek. It was so monumental that its documentation will take multiple blog entries. Lesser canines might not be up for the task, but for Mr Burns, no problemo!

As we get set to leave from YVR, Madeleine is nonplussed, unsure what to expect from plane travel. My parents await with bated breath, wondering what she will think of altitude pressure...



But soon after takeoff, she settles into her regular routine. She has clearly learned a thing or two from me. After the flight a complete stranger approached and proclaimed that they had heard of the legend of the baby who never cried on an airplane, but that they never thought they would ever actually see it. True story.



First stop was Toronto. Is that a gigantic bone in the background?


Here is baby Madeleine with aunt Liesa.


It was hot like you would not believe in Toronto, but that didn't faze Madeleine, she simply took the chance to stretch out and relax.



Next day was off to Skydome to catch a Jays' game. There was a pretty big group of us with some pretty sweet seats.



But good seats don't change the fact that baseball can be pretty boring at times and if you're not careful, it can knock you right out.



But at the end of the day the good guys came up with a come-from-behind win and everyone left happy.



That night, there was time for a little girl bonding.



And the following day it was time to saddle up and head out to the Nation's Capital.



Coming soon to my blog: the next thrilling installment of Madeleine's trip where she meets with her great-grandparents!

Preparing for the big trip.

Mom and Dad are getting set for their whirlwind tour of Canada. Madeleine quietly contemplates what her first airplane flight might be like.


She is really looking forward to the prospect of an excellent in flight movie.


But also, she is extremely excited about meeting all her great-grandparents for the first time.


The big question is, what will she be wearing? Be sure tune into my dog blog for the answer!