Summer of experiences

This summer has probably been the best summer I've had in years. As a family, we were able to take some trips and do really neat things, especially now that the kids are a bit older. We spent a week at the beach in Rhode Island, we went to the town carnival, attended the Fourth of July parade, went sailing off the coast of Connecticut, visited friends in Montreal, and dined "al fresco" on our deck.

We are very big on having our kids experience as many of life's joys as possible and Montreal was something we looked forward to all summer long. It was a long trip, and we waited for two hours at the border, before actually crossing into Canada. After that, it was a short 40 minute drive to our friends' home.

The first day, we went down to "Vieux Montreal" (Old Montreal) and got to see a lot of interesting characters. There was a man who breathed fire, jugglers, an accordion player, and lots of brides. Place Jacques Cartier seems to be a local favorite for having wedding photographs created. The clerks in the shops are all bilingual and it's great when they greet you with, "Bonjour, Hi" It's amazing how easily they are able to switch from English to French and back again with very little difficulty.

Montreal is special to my husband and me because that is where we took our honeymoon eleven years ago. We've been back a few times on our own, but we really wanted our children to experience the older architecture and culture. I think one of the most exciting things for them was hearing people speak a different language. We even taught them a few French words including how to ask for ice cream, "Creme glacée, s'il vous plait".

My wish is that our children will always remember the summer of 2008. I know I will.