Canada

Western Canada is just plain wonderful. I love the scenery and the people, and I’ve enjoyed every day I’ve spent there.

My family’s yearly reunion was in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island earlier this summer. We all stayed in a big cabin and played in the creek in the back, met the friendly neighbors and their friendly animals, and let the cousins run wild. There are 11 of them now, ages 7 and under, and they get along really well. We also went hiking, watched the salmon run in the local river, and found a fabulous bakery whose whole grain bread we devoured daily.

My dad made a great video, which shows me making a fool of myself on the slip-n-slide we rigged up in the backyard. It also showcases how well my middle child heeds The Rules when it comes to safety. You can watch it here.

Some of the little girls made flower crowns from the field out back and had a photoshoot out back with my sister-in-law.

Mackenzie is crazy about her Grandpa Mac. 🙂

Time with “the cousins” is important since we are the only ones who live far away.

Here’s the whole family being crazy, because, well, that’s what we are.

We took an extra couple of days in Victoria before catching the ferry back to Seattle. We were lucky enough to be there for Canada Day so the whole town was partying, but we also spent a lot of time just exploring Beacon Hill Park. We bought a big clamshell of blueberries, some bananas, and tapped into our stash of awesome bread to make a tasty picnic.

The girls were delighted to find the children’s zoo had an open door policy with their peacocks, so we found them elsewhere in the park.

At the zoo, the girls were more interested in playing like goats than actually petting the goats.

Check out that girl’s forehead. It had a permanent date with hard things, it seems. Occasionally corners or edges, but especially the ground. Poor Caitlyn!

That last sweet snuggly goat reminds me of Daniel, except Daniel is chubby so snuggling him is even better.

Ok, this picture wasn’t taken in Canada. I just like it.

We had Mackenzie’s portrait taken down by the water, because I fondly remember having my own taken in the same spot when I was 16.

Here’s my middle child again, flirting with danger. There were enough fountains in Victoria to keep my kiddos delighted for hours.

That same little one got horribly sea sick on the ferry ride and threw up all over the place. Scott was holding a sleeping Daniel (a legitimate excuse on previously napless day) so I was on cleanup duty. Unfortunately, I also have a queasy stomach but I managed to hold it together and mop us up enough to survive the crossing.

As it turns out, we have nothing but good memories of our time in Canada, since I’ve pretty much blocked the return ferry from my mind. 🙂