Niagara

The realization that the new year is upon us didn't really hit me until I was downloading pictures and after placing them in my over-crowded 2012 folder I realized that I needed to create a new folder. 2013 baby!

Joe and I planned to go to bed around 10:30 on New Year's Eve and really start the New Year off right with a decent night's sleep (boring, I know!) but Jack had other ideas. He made sure that we all stayed awake so that I could at least get a New Year's kiss from one cute husband. My, how my children have changed me. There was a time, not long ago, when I would have mercilessly ridiculed anyone who didn't think it was worth staying up to welcome the New Year. Secretly I was happy that Jack sabotaged our non-plans. I didn't really want to go to sleep before the new year began.

We decided to make up for our less than stellar New Year's Eve and start the year right with a family vacay to Niagara Falls followed by a little visit to the National Museum of Play.

Sometime ago I saw a picture of Niagara Falls shrouded in snow and ice and I have wanted to see if for myself ever since. IT WAS AMAZINGly cold. Seriously, the coldest place I have ever been in my life. The whole time I was gazing at the falls for the 30 seconds that I could stand it I was wondering where my flock of emperor penguins was (do penguins flock?).

The night of our arrival, I walked out to see if we should take the kids out to see the falls illuminated (definitely no!). EVERYTHING was covered with ice. The sidewalks, the railings, the trees, even the snow on the ground, had a serious layer of ice. The mist from the falls was like freezing rain and the roar of the falls was so deafening that without a person to be seen in any direction, I felt like I was on another planet. Maybe Superman's planet.

The next day we did bring the kids out and they hated it! The mist from the falls was turning into snow. The wind was biting. BITING! My hands were stinging in literally seconds. Jack screamed and Maggie cried. We didn't last long. But, it was B-E-A-UTIFUL! I have never seen anything like it, that is for sure. We are definitely going to make a trip back when it is a bit warmer and we can appreciate the falls in a different way.

Jack is in there somewhere. He is facing me in his carrier. I didn't actually hang a jacket over his face, although he probably would have preferred it.

Did you notice the stairs on the lower left corner? Not very open to tourists this time of year.

Also, I love staying at hotels! Such a rare treat. I don't think there is anything quite as restful (at least when two kids are involved) as staying at a hotel. Jack sort of enjoyed his first ever dip in a swimming pool. I loved it.