THIS IS DEFINITELY A COUNTDOWN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know this is silly & i am a sook, but i am feeling very emotional today    and not quiet sure why?

 Wednesday May the 14th, we drop the car off in Jasper and head to the Railway Station to board "The Via Train" ( "Canadian Pacific") , which will take us from one side of Canada across to Toronto.  It will take 2 days & 8 hours (  Steve will be in his element, for sure)...we thought this would be a wonderful way to take in the ever changing scenery on this dramatic continent.

                                          

   We arrive in Toronto at 8pm on a very important day  Steve's birthday May the 16th....what could be more fitting.

Where the first fantastic moment will happen, meeting dear Jess.

Hopefully she has recovered by then.

Then 2 & 1/2 hours later,

"THE MOMENT OF ALL MOMENTS"  RECIEVING HUGS  in person from MARG. Like the photo from Lake Louise there are no words to describe what that moment will feel like.

That hug could last all night as i have so many hugs to deliver to Marg, from so many wonderful people.

The next 2 weeks will be ??????????????????????????????????????????? a mystery waiting to unfold on my return.

One of the great wonders that we do want to visit is "Niagara Falls"

 This would be magic to see Niagara Falls by night.

The last part  of our journey will be when we depart Toronto on friday the 30th May.....yeah  i know Marg, only "UNTIL LATER".  Have always wanted to go to Maui with Steve as i have been there twice before ( it is God's Country)...so we will spend  3 days there before arriving home on the  5th June after spending one night in Sydney.

We will be staying at the resort "Quest Maui Kaanapali Villas"

Where  hopefully, one morning Steve will be able to wake me about 4am so we can make the journey to "Haleakala Volcano" where the temperature is near  freezing.

 But to end our dream holiday watching the sunrise from "Haleakala"

Would be the perfect finale!

To all our wonderful friends, Steve & I send you all much love xxxxx

                                  

                                                                                                      

The next episode of "The days of our dreary lives", haa haa!!!!

We arrive in Banff late afternoon on Wednesday 7th May, where we are staying at the "Inns of Banff"looks real country, do hope so.

We spend the next day the 8th in Banff....where i hope that we meet up with Ally, who was among one of the first to welcome me to Minti....so looking forward to the meet, hope it will be alright with her boss and her new job. Hey Ally 11 days to go. yeah!!!!!! Can't wait, i am hurrying, sweetie!

We also pick up a car in Banff. Well my friends from the friday the 9th May , when we leave Banff til the wednesday the 14th May....we will be nomads travelling from Banff to Jasper, stopping where ever suits our fancy....so no pictures of where we will be staying til we return.

  This will be an adventure in it's self, taking in with,  every breathe spectacular views such as these.  Will be definitely going to "Lake Louise"  Maybe we can afford to have morning tea  there, that's about all, haha!

How could you not, visit "Lake Louise"  just take a look at this "NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE PHOTO"

This is a little map of where we will be travelling, hey on the wrong side of the road ( for us at least) watch out Canadians! We hope to spend a couple of days in and around Jasper before  the next leg of our journey .

Hey Marg & Jess, not that i'm counting but can you believe it, in just, just, just, just (incase you didn't see the JUST!)  19 days, we will be there. HOORAY,YIPEE, GOSH, GEE & my!!!!

Love to all Janice & Steve

 

120 Hours but hey who's counting ??????????????????

We stay one night in Vancouver at the "Sandman Hotel" on the 6th of May. Then the next leg of our trip begins.....Steve & I are very down to earth people and never do anything to spoil ourselves....but this part of our trip we decided to spend some of the childrens inheritance....haha !!!!

So this will be "The Piece De La Resistance" for us !

On the 7th of May we board "The Rocky Mountaineer Train" in Vancouver at 6.30am (gee meant to be on holidays )  For a 2 day / 1 night  odyssey through the rockies.

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The first day is from Vancouver to Kamloops, where we stop over in Kamloops in a hotel, which they failed to  mention the name of it....they might have had us camping beside the railway line for all we know....hehe !!!!!

The 2nd day, takes us from Kamloops to Banff, arriving late afternoon.

This is what dreams are made of !

 I like this, i'm doing my blogs before we actually get there, haaahaaaa !!!!!

Marg, Jess & Ally....only 21 days.....hey 21 days, if you didn't read it right, haha!

Love Janice & Steve xxxxx

 

Yippeeeeee, just 7 days to go, TODAY !

The next leg of our trip=  We leave Hawaii on the 2nd of May & change planes at Seattle Tacoma & arriving in Victoria ( We are on Canadian soil, hooray !!!!!!, getting closer!) early on the 3rd of May. We are staying at the Royal Scot Hotel.

Where we spend a day & a half exploring Victoria......then before boarding the ferry for the mainland of Vancouver, we get tp gaze on flora in all her glory....in the famous serene 50 acre country estate "Butchart Gardens"

Who needs to take camera's, with photo's like this, not excited, NOT ME !!!!!

Stay in tune for the next segment of "The days of our dreary  lives" haha!!!  Oh to dream & have a 40 year old dream come true.

    On a sad note, my dear son fly out of Sydney yesterday and today it has hit home that it will be a long time before i see him again.  

Love you all.....Janice & Steve xxxxx

 

ECSTATIC NOT ME ! It is just a figment of my imagination, Oh NO it's not.

Launchs start at 10, i missed by one day, that's fine as it only leaves 9 to go, HOORAY, YIIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Marg has been in shorts for a few days, Yah, for warmer weather! Marg & Jess ( hope Ally also )  can you believe it,  the time is drawing so near. As the days disappear i will annoy you all with a break down of what we  will be doing, until that amazing day (night) happens.

We fly out of  Coffs wednesday the 30th april for Sydney, where we have a night flight to Hawaii, arriving there the same day the 30th of april, wow to go back in time! Spending 2 days recouping, for the rest of our journey to Canada.

I wish the bank manager would allow us to stay at this place, but alas he won't, but i loved the picture ( snuck in on the other computer so i could this, don't tell Steve, haha!)

I could recoup here for sure!

Can i take you all along with us, as i am going to miss you all so very much....what are the withdrawal symptoms for being off minti for 5 weeks???

Love & hugs Janice xxxx

 

 On tuesday Steve &  I  put  Jamie  & Julya on the plane for Sydney....after spending 6 precious days with him..... and had been feeling a bit low knowing it will be along time before i see him again....unless the hands of fate, step in and get me to the UK. Yeah I know Marg, there is no goodbyes, just "Until Later".....trying hard to imprint those words into my head for another time that will come soon enough.

Well my blue cloud was lifted  yesterday when I got to talk to Marg.....I felt better straight away, just listening to her beautiful voice, which is so full of love & sounds so calming and reassuring, one couldn't help but feel good. We talked about many things, how our men folk will put up with  us chatting away, about the nature walks we will take together, but in all how excited we both are, that it is very hard to contain. Wow the excitement, oh so SOON !!!!!!!!!!!!!

JUST 29 DAYS TILL THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK WILL BE NO MORE.....YIIPPPPPEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!

AND JUST 13 MORE SLEEPS TILL WE TAKE OFF.........SIMPLY AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Dare to dream my friends"....for this holiday was only in my dreams and now in just 13 days my dream will become a reality. 

Just want to let Jess know that the vegemite and Freddo Frog's are on there way....not sure what state the Freddo Frog's will arrive, but they are on their way. Plus big hugs from a dear friend Fi, which i will deliver in person. Just 29 days my friend.

Love & Hugs Janice & Steve

 

I hope everyone out there in "Minti Land" has one fantastic week.

Well my son Jamie arrives on the 5pm plane from Sydney tomorrow to spend a week with us before he departs Sydney on the 22nd of April to live & work in the UK. And his fiancee Juyla will arrive on friday night, to spend the weekend, after spending a week with her family, for her goodbyes.

I'm sure all you Mum's out there will understand when i say, i'm in two minds with his visit. One I will  be  so grateful and happy to spend quality time with my son but I also know the time will come to say goodbye  and knowing it will be a couple of years before I see him again.

I will miss him dearly.

Well for those who have not heard me nag them about our count clock, haha!.....it  seems to be clicking away nicely. It is only 22 Days til we board the plane for our dream holiday, wow only 22 days! It was back in september 2007, when Marg & i first started to talk about the trip & back then it felt like forever til April, 2008.

And dear Marg just 17 days after (39 days), i will be recieving those warm & loving hugs in person....the butterflies are surely doing flip, flops i can assure you.

This is surely a dream coming true, Steve & I loved the 4 weeks we spent travelling around New Zealand, it is a country that holds much beauty and gives you such a feeling of calm. ......and in my mind's eye I

imagine Canada to be on a grander scale  than New Zealand.

And if these  pictures around Jasper & Lake Lousie

  is anything to go by, i wont be disappointed.

So i'm more then ready for the grandure of Canada and it's spectacular scenery and everything this country has to offer & especially the 16th of May, oh boy i've forgotten what is happening on that date, except it is Steve's birthday the day we arrive in Toronto....hehe!

Love Janice

                "GONNA BE A BEAR'

 In this life i'm a woman.  In the next life, I'd like to come back as a bear.

When you're  a bear, you get  to hibernate. You do nothing  but sleep for six months.

I   COULD DEAL WITH THAT.

Before you hibernate,  you're  supposed to eat yourself stupid.

I COULD DEAL WITH THAT TOO.

When you're  a girl bear, you   birth your  children  ( who are the size of walnuts)  while you're sleeping and wake to partially  grown,   cute,  cuddly  cubs.

I COULD DEFINITELY DEAL  WITH THAT.

If you're mama  bear,  everyone knows  you mean business.  You swat anyone who bothers  your cubs.  If your  cuns get out of line, you swat them too.

I COULD DEAL WITH THAT.

If you're a  bear,  your mate EXPECTS  you to  wake up growling.  He  EXPECTS  that you will have  hairy legs and excess body fat.

YUP, GONNA BE A BEAR!