Family and Quebec

Family and Quebec

• 10.01.2010

The incredible Cathedral Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre

We had family come to visit! Bron’s brother, Tyrel, flew all the way out to the East Coast with his wife, DeAnn, and their baby boy, Brogan. Brogan is just six weeks younger than Jed. We were all excited to get the two boys together. We hope they’ll be great buddies someday. Tyrel’s family arrived at our house late Saturday evening. On Sunday morning we all went to church where DeAnn graciously offered to help with a special musical number: Aramie sang, I played a violin obbligato, and DeAnn played the piano. It was amazing! We practiced briefly and had it all put together in less than ten minutes. It was so much fun for me. Just to toot our own horn, I think it was the most talented musical number the branch has seen in a very, very long time.

Cousins Jed and Brogan

We had a chunk parade Sunday afternoon.  I didn't know babies could be so different!  Jed is a solid block and Brogan has a cute round tummy!

Monday morning we packed up the car and headed for Quebec City. We hadn’t been in the car ten minutes when we approached the U.S./Canada border and both babies were wailing in the back seat. Yes, that’s right, four adults and two screaming babies crammed into one Impala with hours of driving ahead. Brogan has a deep cry that sounds like a “roar”. He’s an animal. Jed’s voice is higher and a little whiny, but that kid sure knows how to throw a fit. Needless to say, our interrogation at the border was brief, but we were admitted into Canada nonetheless. So we pulled over, did a little Chinese fire drill, rearranged, and got the boys calmed down. Well, mostly. Whew!

A few hours later it was time for lunch and Tyrel was hungry! I think he’s always hungry. So we pulled into an A&W for Tyrel’s first French-Canadian experience. As Bron and I expected, no one spoke very much English, but we were able to order our food smoothly anyhow. Tyrel’s bill, however, omitted his root beer. Being the extremely honest person that he is, Tyrel insisted that he had to pay for his soda and approached the counter to try to communicate the mix-up. A few moments of confusion later, the cashier finally said in broken English, “It is gift of the day.” We all had a good laugh about that.

DeAnn with her baby outside Sainte-Anne

Bron and Jed at Montmorency Falls

We made it to Quebec City in the early afternoon. Many of the trees there had already morphed into their brilliant Fall colors of red, orange, yellow, and purple. It was beautiful! Our first stop was at the Sainte-Anne Cathedral and then Montmorency Falls. Bron and Tyrel purposely got soaked. Then it was on to Old Town and the Fortified City, the Citadel, and my favorite flower garden on the Plains of Abraham. I love Quebec City. It has a uniquely relaxed European architecture and feel. A visit to Quebec City is an experience.

Just outside the fortified city

 We didn't have room for strollers in the car, so we packed the babies around like this.  They were a novelty!  And Jed was the happiest baby.  I think he liked all the attention he was getting from his daddy.  Precious.

Outside the entrance to the Citadel.  The soldiers were off duty so I had to fill in.

Brogan giving his mom a sweet smile

As evening approached, it was time to eat again. We chose an overpriced Italian restaurant with a hushed ambiance in the heart of Old Town. Somebody must have been doing something right that day because both babies were calm, quiet, and happy the entire time! It was a delicious meal! DeAnn and I chose the “apple crispy” (as the waitress described it) for dessert while the men ordered the chocolate cake. Should’ve ordered the cake; it was more like a creamy smooth chocolate mousse. Decadent. It was a great evening out on the town.

As Bron and I walked back to the car hand in hand, we both agreed that we will look back on these trips and this time in our lives and think, “That was a lot of fun. Those were some really good days.” We really are beginning our life’s adventure together and having the time of our lives right now.

Old Town Quebec City

We spent the night at a motel. At breakfast the next morning, a couple commented on how much Jed looks like his daddy. Perfect strangers aren’t biased. It’s official: Jed is a mini Bron. We packed ourselves back into the car and drove south to Montreal. We ate lunch at the underground mall and then headed out to see the sights. Mark Twain once said, "this is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window". Indeed, there seems to be a Catholic church on almost every corner. That’s what I love about Montreal; churches mingle with high rise buildings. It’s an awesome sight. After a long day of cathedral gawking, browsing through Old Town, and walking crowded city blocks, we were all exhausted and ready to head home …but not before both babies screamed like banshees at the border again. DeAnn and I just laughed. It was pretty comical.

A few peaks at churches in Montreal

Proof that Jed was at Notre Dame.  Those fingers are really yummy!

The cobblestone streets and Autumn leaves in Montreal

This is for my brother, Joe.  If I had $30 extra dollars, I'd buy this for him.  It is sooo you, Joe! haha

Wednesday was our last day together. We crammed ourselves into the car one last time and drove to Vermont. We made a pit stop at the University of Vermont where Bron is going to school and—of course—took a tour of the Ben and Jerry’s Creamery and ate huge servings of mouth-watering ice cream. We dropped our three guests off at the airport late in the afternoon. It was sad to see them go. It felt so good to have family around! I liked having some female companionship, and even though Bron thinks Tyrel is obnoxious, he loves him. They’re brothers and they have a special bond. Thanks for coming to visit! We had a fabulous break from the hum-drum of our everyday lives. We miss family so much.