Happy Christmas x

Love to all x

Xmas in Mexico

Happy Xmas from a 14,000 foot summit in Mexico!
A Merry Christmas was had by all Canadian Family Robinsons. Pip and Anneli were at Anneli's folks with Gibson, whilst Dara, Chip and Tim were in Mexico as we managed to pre-record the Dec 22 Travel Shows. Tim and Chip clambered up Nevado de Colima, Mexico's 6th highest mountain and neighbour to North America's most active volcano. It was 30C/80F every day...but now back to minus 10C and 15cm of snow in Toronto.
Happy New Year to all the clan, wherever you are!
Love Chip, Dara, Tim, Pip & Anneli

Christmas Deliveries

Attention all parents of Under Age Robinsons....... Christmas presents are on their way by various means. Those in countries serviced by Internet deliveries may receive them ridiculously early. Those in far flung places accessed via snail mail may receive them frustratingly late .... All are on their way to you with love from Dara, Chip, Pip and Tim.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

The perfect Thanksgiving weekend at the cottage with the boys, Anneli and our traditional Thanksgiving friend Jordan...Perfect weather: cold and bright. Perfect colours ranging from green to yellow to orange to red.  Lots of hiking, boating, laughing (Jordan is an accomplished stand-up comedian), drinking...and of course eating. Poppa Jim and Katie Nanna would be happy to know that their old oak table is still hosting family holiday meals!

A Boy No More...

Tim celebrated his 18th birthday at the cottage this weekend! His first month of university has been great and he's full of self-confidence and...well, grown-upedness! Gibson had missed him hugely and was inseparable from him all weekend. It's wonderful to see him grabbing everything that college life has to offer with both hands - he's going to have an amazing four years!

Happy Birthday, Tim!

Wish you'd stop pretending to be all grown up - how can you possibly be EIGHTEEN?!!!!
Have a great day - love you lots xxxx

Testing from my phone

Happy birthday x

Lovely party......

......and lovely friends (just wish I could remember what they were celebrating!)
Wish you all could have been there.xxx

4 years old today!

Happy Birthday, Maizie!

China

Just a few pics of voyage up the Yangtze - fabulous!

Moving In Day

Today we helped move Tim into his new digs as he starts his student life at Queen's University in the pretty city of Kingston, about three hours east of Toronto. So for the next four years he will be studying everything from ancient history to philosophy.  Exciting times for Tim... and he'll now have to become an independent Robinson family blogger.  It's only been a few hours and we're missing him already!

We were on a road trip in Illinois last week, getting our kicks on Route 66, preparatory for the Travel Shows with Tourism Illinois on Saturday. Great scenery, great history and great characters en route.  Chicago, Mississippi Valley, Abe Lincoln adulation in Springfield...and of course Route 66 fun. Jamie Fish will also approve of our short excursion into Wisconsin as our Tourism Illinois guide got lost and took us most of the way to Madison! Pip has passed his hellish financial planning exam, which was really good news, and Tim is leading a group of young teenagers on a camp/canoe trip into the wilds of Algonquin Park. Hope everyone is ejoying the Olympics - the opening show made us feel very proud expats!

Summer getaway!

Just got back from a fab weekend Dale Hollow Lake Ky tubing and cliff jumping for a day then Gatlinburg to white water raft, and a gondola ride up the Smokie mountains and alpine slide back down!

Happy Big 40 !!

Just a quickie to say a big happy 40 to my 'young'!!! BRO, hope all the celebrating left you feeling 21 again!! - Lots of love and special hugs and kisses for your special day - H J TJ and M xxxx

Madison 8 Today:-)

Madison spent a girlie day turning 8 today, shopping with me and her 'BFF', they bought matching outfits, had their nails painted, did lunch and squeezed in a trip to the movies, then on to meet up with Daddy and Tyler for cake and presents, way to celebrate Maddie:-)  This whole kid thing is great except the years keep rolling by way too quickly and they grow up right under your nose, right when you are not expecting or ready for it!! Happy Birthday to our gorgeous girl:-) 

Be it resolved that the Planning Consultant for the 2013/2014 Family Convocation is in session...
Here are some initial thoughts:
1. Portugal - Algarve villas. I know the weather likely wouldn't be great, but it would be easy access for most, good value and we have resident experts to guide us.
2. A Landmark Trust property for all of us in the UK. Not exotic, but they have some very cool places if we plan sufficiently in advance. Check out their website.
3. Mont Tremblant ski village in Quebec. Good for kids learning to ski and we have a good contact for a group of large, luxury chalets.
4. Cruise. We've done the Caribbean and Pacific Mexico, so how about Hawaii?
5. Costa Rica. There's a good selection on all inclusive resorts or we could source a smaller accommodation to take over entirely. Lots to do for all.
6. Vietnam. Some good smaller and good value accommodations on the beach with day trip interests.
7. Bali. More expensive and exotic but again lots of accommodation options and K&K could guide us.
8. African safari. Prob the most expensive but worth a moment's consideration as there are now several excellent kid-friendly safari companies and the whole vacation style works well with kids.
So...let me know which ones you'd like me to follow up with more detail and I will get cracking!

The Clan

At a meeting today convened at the Brampton Halt and attended by a quorum of said Clan it was voted unanimously that CCR (Jnr) be charged with the challenge of finding a suitable holiday destination for said Clan at Christmas 2013 ('im being in the 'oliday business an' all). Good subject for a holiday programme on the radio, we thought!

Tim Has Graduated!

Tim graduated today from Greenwood College. He played and sang a Blue Rodeo number at the end of the grad ceremony to wild applause and I think it was only then that it finally got through to us that our baby has finished school. Forever.  Woooah!  Next weekend he's off to a job as Camp Counsellor for the whole summer - his first paying job. Then he's straight off to university at Queens in Kingston. So we'll only see him for few days this side of Christmas...He's ready....we're not!

96

Thinking of you today...

96 Today!

Happy Birthday, Pop - love you. Xxx

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.........P & P TRIP TO KENTUCKY IN APRIL /MAY.  THREE WEEKS WITH HEIDI AND CO.  AND A SLOW BOAT HOME.  STUNNING WEATHER IN USA  AND LOVELY TO CATCH UP WITH THE NEW HOUSE....WHICH IS JUST BREATHTAKING ...AND ALL THE GOINGS ON KENTUCKY STYLE.     FEW PIX  WITH .... COSMO AND KIDS IN THE WOODS IN THE CREEK BEHIND THE HOUSE...ON THE BANKS OF THE OHIO RIVER...THE LEWIS CLARK STATUE.....LONG DRIVE FOR THE SCHOOL BUS....AZORES BOTANICAL GARDENS...... X  2........AND FINALLY CAPTAIN SEGWAY IN CORUNNA NORTHERN SPAIN ROUNDING UP THE TOURISTS.. ......HOPE YOUR ALL WELL.....WE HAVE HEIDI AND KIDS COMING HOME NEXT SATURDAY FOR ABOUT A MONTH.....WE WILL BE TAKING IN PORTUGAL AS WELL.....AND THE SINGAPORE SLINGERS CANNOT BE FAR BEHIND HUH ?  SO LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER....LOVE TO ALL    THE BOUGHTON BINGERS....

Graduation Prom Night

High School Prom night is a big rite of passage in North America....... here is Tim with his date Ali,  ready to head off to the Ball. Oh to be 17 again :)
Tim has to decide in the next week or so which University he is going to accept ... he'll be leaving home end June to work all summer as a Camp Counsellor (first real paying job with a contract and all...!). Then in September it is off to McGill in Montreal .... or Queens in Kingston ... or McGill..... or Queens ......watch this space!

Love to all from Canada