Happy New Year!

I keep forgetting to add things to this blog. The time has flown by recently!

In the middle of December, Wendy and I headed to New York City to check off a bucket list item (Wendy's list). We went specifically to see Andrea Bocelli in concert at Madison Square Garden. Spectacular concert!

On the GO train heading to the Island Airport

Times Square, a block from our hotel

At the concert - we had bar stool seats

Bocelli did mostly classical and opera for the first half, then Christmas for the rest.
He sang with his son Matteo and 10-year old daughter Virginia.

Rockefeller Center

Random spot near Rockefeller Centre (next to a glass waterfall)

At the top of the Summit One Vanderbilt Tower

In the ballroom at Summit One Vanderbilt

In the ballroom at Summit One Vanderbilt

After New York and all the rain, we travelled to Orlando to meet Parker and his girlfriend Jaclyn, plus Wendy's best friend Mel and her husband Murray, and their friend Ivan.  They did Animal Kingdom before Wendy and I arrived, but we all headed to EPCOT the next morning.

At EPCOT

Lots of 4D rides and goofy glasses

Dinner inside an Aztec temple

We also went to the Disney Hollywood Studios park. Lots of great Star Wars rides.

Intergalactic Coca Cola stand

At Oga's Cantina

The Magic Kingdom was our final park. Remind us not to go to Disney the week before Christmas... it was very crowded!

Shopping at Disney Springs for our day off. I had a frozen Kirin beer. I also came down with a cough and chest congestion. Not unexpected.

Universal Studios was our next destination. The weather was cool, but the crowds kept us warm. It was even busier here, compared to Disney. 

Ready to get on the Hogwarts Express train to the other Universal Park.

The Dr. Seuss area was a hit. 

The big storm of 2022 started to hit the continent, so 3 of our companions had to cut and run to make it home before the flights all got cancelled. We stayed and waited for our flight to be cancelled (it was). I was feeling so rough and we were all exhausted that we decided not to go for the second day of Universal.  We were able to rebook on another airline for the 24th of December and got a hotel near the airport - expecting to be cancelled again. We were not!

While we were at the hotel, Adam informed us that the storm pushed down our neighbour's tree onto our house. Here is a clip ( https://photos.app.goo.gl/f9zuogUb6cVfqkNG8 ) of it coming down.

It damaged our gutters, so insurance is looking at repairing it. 

Maddy received a beautiful hand made Christmas gift from Tanya - a new bed. She loves it. 

Our family picture on Christmas Day 2022.

This is our extended family photo with Anton and Tanya. They moved to their own apartment on January 1st after staying with us after their arrival from Ukraine on Easter Sunday. 

We had a late Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day and it turned out perfectly!

Puzzles happened many times over the holidays!

Disney picture time!

Here are a few pictures from Wendy's cell phone taken during the Disney World trip that Wendy and Parker went on with Mel and Murray. They also took in Universal Studios while they were in Orlando. They stayed just outside of Disney itself at the Bonnet Creek Resort.

Since I wasn't there, I won't be able to explain any of the details of the photo locations, but it sure looked like they had a good time.

Here they are:

At dinner the first night

At Disney Quest

Parker doing some virtual reality game

Mel and Parker (with a smile!)

Temperatures pushed over 40C with the humidex

Still smiling

Mel and Wendy

Wendy in a tail costume

Parker's with Berti Bott's Every Flavour Beans (Universal Studios)

Parker's must see location - Diagon Alley. He is still very into Harry Potter.

Parker trying Harry Potter "Butter Beer"

Interesting...

...seems OK....

...I think I like it.

More please...!

More smiles!

Mel being a little Goofy with Woody

Cooling off at Universal

Soooo tired...

Mel and Murray having fun on the Dumbo ride

Halloween celebrations start in September at Disney - Murray and Mel flank Parker and Pluto (it was raining)

Murray with his best grin ("reason my wife drinks")

Just for fun, here is a quick video of Mel and Parker on the Teacups ride.