Allan Gardens with Ryan and Deanna

Yesterday I posted the first half of our time this weekend with Ryan and Deanna. Today I wanted to post some photos of Allan Gardens, which you should absolutely visit if you're in Toronto. It's free, and there are tons of awesome plants. Also, if it's winter, it feels like summer in the greenhouses. That's sweet.

A Sunny Saturday in Toronto with Siblings

Saturday was a beaaauuutiful day! My brother Ryan and sister-in-law Deanna came to visit us, and we didn't even wear coats! We went to Allan Gardens first, then through to Nic's lab, and Kensington Market. A plethora of pictures from Allan Gardens will come out soon.

Nic gave Ryan and Deanna a tour of his lab at UofT, which was cool for them. I'm still only getting an understanding of his Master's, and he's almost done!

We walked through to Kensington Market and looked in a bunch of stores. These pillows are at the Blue Banana Market.

We stopped for drinks at Trinity Common, and my ceasar was perfect.

Dinner at Pho Hung in Chinatown.

Family time at the ROM!

For Family Day weekend, my parents drove down. My brother and sister-in-law drove in for the day, and we decided to go to the ROM (instead of skating in the -30* weather) and it was a lot of fun!

I love the dinosaur room!

The ROM's Instagram was full of #ROMance for Valentine's Day, and I had Nic and Deanna take pictures of me attempting to kiss the dinosaurs. People were definitely confused.

The ROM also had some activities and presentations for the Chinese New Year, so we got to try some oolong tea. It was delicious!

Nic relaxing in Egypt 

Manitoba trip for Grandpa's funeral

I got Nic "The Last Kingdom" to read on the trip, and I'm looking forward to reading it after.

My Dad's dad, Leonard, passed away on Sunday, November 8th. The funeral was in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 14th. Mom managed to get Ryan, Deanna, Nic, and me flights on her points, so the four of us were able to get out there. It was Nic's first time in Manitoba!

Friday morning the four of us drove out to my aunt and uncle's farm for a family lunch. Since moving to Toronto, I've definitely missed seeing wide open spaces all teh time.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Ruth's dog, Casey

Grandpa's funeral was on Saturday morning. All four of the children shared different aspects of Grandpa's life. It was really cool to find out so many things about him that we hadn't known. It's also always a shock to realize somehow those four kids survived all their shenanigans growing up on the farm!

The Mann cousins

We had the same flight back to Toronto!

Tuesday blues

This past Sunday my Grandpa passed away. Nic and I are flying out to Manitoba on Dad's Aero points Thursday-Sunday. It's too bad that this is the reason I'm bringing Nic to Manitoba for the first time. I am thankful though that Dad was able to fly out in time to say goodbye to his dad, and that Grandpa was able to come to my wedding.
Because of the schedule, I've been home alone a lot. Until something happens, I always forget how emotional I am, so I'm focusing on happy things, like learning to crochet (I made that snowflake!) and embroidering/x-stitching an ornament (it'll be an "Our First Christmas" ornament).

The Manns at my wedding in June

Yes, I probably cut my bangs myself. And we're so thankful that Mom and Dad repainted the living room and upgraded furniture! 

My baptism in grade 9

The beautiful thing Mom said when her father passed away (Opa is beside her), was that now he was with Jesus in Heaven, so we should be happy for him. I'm not ready to think that about Grandpa, but I am ready to pray for peace for the family.

Thanksgiving Sunday: Hosting our Family!

For Sunday lunch we had cauliflower lentil stew, fruit, and fresh cheese from the market! 

Cheese plate

I made this cheese board for Nic and me last year (I made a matching one for Ryan and Deanna's wedding). The knives are from Monica for my bridal shower, and say "to have" and "to hold," which is absolutely adorable. 

Dad, Mom, Deanna, Ryan, me, and Nic, on our Sunday walk through Cedarvale Park

Yum

I love to bake pies, so I made apple tarts for each of us to eat as a snack Sunday afternoon. Thanks to Martha's guidance I got the perfect pastry for tarts this time around, wonderfully flaky. I was pretty happy with my performance. 

The food

Nic pointed out a couple days later that we should have closed the bedroom door for this. Yup, since Mom and Dad's stuff is in there, including the air mattresses, and some of the stuff from our living room.

The Menu:

Roasted butternut squash, lentil, cranberry, and brussel sprout salad

Turkey

Cranberry sauce

Delicious stuffing using my mother-in-law's recipe

Vegetarian gravy (stock + corn starch essentially)

Mashed potatoes

Spinach, pear, and goat cheese salad

The dining table

Gold Autumn Scroll table cloth from Bed Bath and Beyond
Gold flecked napkins from Bed Bath and Beyond last Christmas
Tea lights, white pumpkins, and a beautiful arrangement from Tidy's Flowers

Cheers!

So thankful for my wonderful family! Nic and I were very happy to host my parents for the weekend, and Ryan and Deanna for the day. It was a cool experience to show off our neighbourhood, Nic's lab, my gym, and some other parts of Toronto we've been loving.