Thursday, August 28, 2008
Supper
Nikki and Julie cooked supper for us tonight - without any help from the grown-ups! Pizza (with homemade crust), fettucine, ceasar salad, and oreo cheesecake for dessert. Lucky us!
Creation calls
How could I say there is no God
When all around creation calls
A singing bird, a mighty tree
The vast expanse of open sea
- Brian Doerksen
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sisters
One of them has long flowing hair that she brushes a dozen times a day.
The other one got a buzz cut at the beginning of the summer because she doesn’t want to be bothered to comb it.
One of them bought hot pink gladiator sandals for the first day of school and dreams of the day when she can have a closet full of stiletto pumps.
The other one bought funky orange plaid runners that she’ll probably forget to tie most of the time. She dreams of being able to afford multi-colour DCs.
One of them doesn’t do much reading, unless she gets ahold of a People magazine or an interesting biography.
The other one devours fantasy novels faster than we can bring them into the house.
One of them hoarded her travel money until the last day of the trip when she could finally visit her favourite clothing store and buy two pairs of skinny jeans – one purple and one white.
The other one bought candy and ice cream whenever she had the opportunity, and saved only a bit for a couple of pairs of baggy shorts.
One of them wants to be a model or fashion designer when she grows up.
The other one wants to be a veterinarian.
One of them prefers things that are safe and familiar.
The other one lives for adventure and dreams of jumping out of a plane and getting a tattoo.
One of them has a favourite shirt that says "Party like a rock star"
The other one has a favourite shirt that says "Peace. No war. Save the earth."
I delight in them both. I am their mother.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
More than you ever wanted to know about our vacation
1. Watch the video
2. View the pictures - LOTS of them!
3. Read the travelogue
Day 1 – Woke up at a ridiculous hour meant only for dreaming. Pulled out of our driveway at 5:01 a.m. Drove, drove, and then drove some more. Fourteen hours later, we arrived in Calgary in time for supper with my brother (known on this blog as bbb).
Day 2 – Drove to Lacombe for some work-related stuff. Had lunch with some lovely long-time supporters, and then visited a corn maze that created this year’s design in honour of CFGB’s 25th anniversary. Back in Calgary for the evening. Went to a movie (Mamma Mia) with bbb.
Day 3 – Left Calgary, and drove through the mountains. Arrived at the home of our friends J&S in Surrey, B.C. Holey moley, these people take hosting to a whole new level! Not only did we have our own private space (with a separate entrance AND a big screen TV that Marcel enjoyed) for the three nights we were there, but we were fed amazing food, there were treats and fresh flowers awaiting us in our “suite”, and our laundry was all clean and folded when we came home from a day of sightseeing!
Day 4 – Spent the day in Vancouver. Visited the Vancouver Aquarium and drove around Stanley Park. Went for a mini-cruise in the harbour, wandered around Granville Island, and had supper in a lovely (though somewhat pricey) seafood restaurant overlooking the water.
Day 5 – The girls and I went shopping in the morning (IKEA!), and then spent the afternoon at the beach at White Rock. Marcel relaxed at J&S’s and then mowed their lawn (small payment for all of the things they did for us). Had a lovely barbecue supper in the backyard (not only are they amazing hosts, but MAN can they cook!) with J&S and their two girls, played a little badminton, and relaxed.
Day 6 – Left early for the ferry to Victoria. Wandered the Victoria harbour for awhile, had lunch at another seaside seafood restaurant (and spent even more money), and then drove to French Beach on the west coast of the island. Set up camp for the night and had s’mores over the campfire.
Day 7 – Spent the day at French Beach. I got up early to wander the shore and left the rest of the family in bed. It was a bit of a grey day, drizzling off and on all day – the only rain we had in two and a half weeks. We still managed to do a fair bit of wandering and playing on the beach, none-the-less. Drove into Sooke for a few things we’d forgotten to bring. Had some very tasty slow-cooked (over the campfire) burgers for supper.
Day 8 – I got up early again, but this time Julie came along. It was an amazing morning. We watched the fog roll in over the ocean, listened to ships’ fog horns, saw a seal frolicking in the waves, took lots of pictures, watched a huge flock of seagulls on the shore, collected seashells, and then watched as the sun peaked over the trees and started to burn away the fog. Packed up our tent, and headed for Chemainus. Grabbed a quick fish and chips lunch that we ate on the ferry on the way to Thetis Island. Arrived at Capernwray Harbour and checked in for “Family Bible Week”. Had supper and waited for B&S&A&B to arrive.
Day 9 – Had tonnes of fun at Capernwray Harbour for the next 5 days. We did various watersports (tubing, kneeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, etc.), the kids did some really cool stuff like wall climbing, ropes courses, riding a zodiac, etc.; the grown-ups listened to some interesting speakers, and we all had an amazing amount of fun in one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever been in.
Day 10 – One of the highlights for the week was a bistro night for the adults (a breathtakingly delicious seven course meal that was so beautiful I took pictures of every course), while the kids got to play on a giant slip-and-slide (massive tarps lined up on a hill and a bunch of kids covered in soap – just picture it!), and then a movie under the stars.
Day 11 – B&S and family went on the island boat tour in the afternoon, while our family hung out on the island.
Day 12 – Bbb and I got up at 5:30 for the morning kayaking trip (yes, for those of you who know him, he really DID get up that early!), which was one of my favourite moments of the trip. We got to see seals up close and personal, hunted for sea dollars and sea stars, and watched the sun come up over the island. In the afternoon, Marcel and I tried to go canoeing, but weren’t very successful – we tipped the canoe after only about 15 minutes on it. In the evening, we had “Stillwater Café” where the staff treat the guests to all measure of delicious drinks (steamers, cappuccinos, lattes) and equally delicious appetizers (yum!) under the stars overlooking the ocean.
Day 13 – We enjoyed our last morning at Capernwray Harbour and then packed to leave. Took the ferry back to Chemainus and drove to our campsite at Goldstream Provincial Park. Maddie and her cousin B made a fort among the massive trees. Drove into Victoria to meet B&S&A for supper at The Old Spaghetti Factory.
Day 14 – I got up early once again, and took a short hike to the Goldstream waterfall. (I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the park without seeing the waterfall.) We packed up early and drove to downtown Victoria to catch the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. Drove to the Puget Sound and took another ferry into Seattle. We were going to have supper at Ivar’s with B&S, but bad traffic and no parking (due to a Seahawks game) made us have second thoughts. Instead, we hung out at the pool in our hotel.
Day 15 – Had breakfast with B&S&A&B and then said good-bye. We started the long trek home. Drove to Missoula, Montana where we stopped for supper. We were going to go further, but we discovered our rear lights weren’t working, so we found a hotel instead.
Day 16 – Drove to Butte, got the car fixed, and carried on. Found a campground in Miles City, Montana. Went out for supper at a lovely local family restaurant. Had a bit of a rough night in the tent, with too much heat and restlessness, and a near emergency when the tent nearly caught fire.
Day 17 – Got up early and packed up our tent. Drove to Fargo where we had a hotel reserved. Nikki and Julie and I went shopping while Marcel and Maddie went to the pool. Went out for supper, and then relaxed in the hotel room.
Day 18 – I took Maddie to the pool for awhile before checking out of the hotel, then we went to Perkin’s for brunch. Did a bit more shopping (new running shoes for Marcel, Nikki, and Julie) and headed for home. Stopped at Grand Forks for a little more shopping and some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. Back on the road again. Arrived home around 9:30 p.m.
2. View the pictures - LOTS of them!
3. Read the travelogue
Day 1 – Woke up at a ridiculous hour meant only for dreaming. Pulled out of our driveway at 5:01 a.m. Drove, drove, and then drove some more. Fourteen hours later, we arrived in Calgary in time for supper with my brother (known on this blog as bbb).
Day 2 – Drove to Lacombe for some work-related stuff. Had lunch with some lovely long-time supporters, and then visited a corn maze that created this year’s design in honour of CFGB’s 25th anniversary. Back in Calgary for the evening. Went to a movie (Mamma Mia) with bbb.
Day 3 – Left Calgary, and drove through the mountains. Arrived at the home of our friends J&S in Surrey, B.C. Holey moley, these people take hosting to a whole new level! Not only did we have our own private space (with a separate entrance AND a big screen TV that Marcel enjoyed) for the three nights we were there, but we were fed amazing food, there were treats and fresh flowers awaiting us in our “suite”, and our laundry was all clean and folded when we came home from a day of sightseeing!
Day 4 – Spent the day in Vancouver. Visited the Vancouver Aquarium and drove around Stanley Park. Went for a mini-cruise in the harbour, wandered around Granville Island, and had supper in a lovely (though somewhat pricey) seafood restaurant overlooking the water.
Day 5 – The girls and I went shopping in the morning (IKEA!), and then spent the afternoon at the beach at White Rock. Marcel relaxed at J&S’s and then mowed their lawn (small payment for all of the things they did for us). Had a lovely barbecue supper in the backyard (not only are they amazing hosts, but MAN can they cook!) with J&S and their two girls, played a little badminton, and relaxed.
Day 6 – Left early for the ferry to Victoria. Wandered the Victoria harbour for awhile, had lunch at another seaside seafood restaurant (and spent even more money), and then drove to French Beach on the west coast of the island. Set up camp for the night and had s’mores over the campfire.
Day 7 – Spent the day at French Beach. I got up early to wander the shore and left the rest of the family in bed. It was a bit of a grey day, drizzling off and on all day – the only rain we had in two and a half weeks. We still managed to do a fair bit of wandering and playing on the beach, none-the-less. Drove into Sooke for a few things we’d forgotten to bring. Had some very tasty slow-cooked (over the campfire) burgers for supper.
Day 8 – I got up early again, but this time Julie came along. It was an amazing morning. We watched the fog roll in over the ocean, listened to ships’ fog horns, saw a seal frolicking in the waves, took lots of pictures, watched a huge flock of seagulls on the shore, collected seashells, and then watched as the sun peaked over the trees and started to burn away the fog. Packed up our tent, and headed for Chemainus. Grabbed a quick fish and chips lunch that we ate on the ferry on the way to Thetis Island. Arrived at Capernwray Harbour and checked in for “Family Bible Week”. Had supper and waited for B&S&A&B to arrive.
Day 9 – Had tonnes of fun at Capernwray Harbour for the next 5 days. We did various watersports (tubing, kneeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, etc.), the kids did some really cool stuff like wall climbing, ropes courses, riding a zodiac, etc.; the grown-ups listened to some interesting speakers, and we all had an amazing amount of fun in one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever been in.
Day 10 – One of the highlights for the week was a bistro night for the adults (a breathtakingly delicious seven course meal that was so beautiful I took pictures of every course), while the kids got to play on a giant slip-and-slide (massive tarps lined up on a hill and a bunch of kids covered in soap – just picture it!), and then a movie under the stars.
Day 11 – B&S and family went on the island boat tour in the afternoon, while our family hung out on the island.
Day 12 – Bbb and I got up at 5:30 for the morning kayaking trip (yes, for those of you who know him, he really DID get up that early!), which was one of my favourite moments of the trip. We got to see seals up close and personal, hunted for sea dollars and sea stars, and watched the sun come up over the island. In the afternoon, Marcel and I tried to go canoeing, but weren’t very successful – we tipped the canoe after only about 15 minutes on it. In the evening, we had “Stillwater Café” where the staff treat the guests to all measure of delicious drinks (steamers, cappuccinos, lattes) and equally delicious appetizers (yum!) under the stars overlooking the ocean.
Day 13 – We enjoyed our last morning at Capernwray Harbour and then packed to leave. Took the ferry back to Chemainus and drove to our campsite at Goldstream Provincial Park. Maddie and her cousin B made a fort among the massive trees. Drove into Victoria to meet B&S&A for supper at The Old Spaghetti Factory.
Day 14 – I got up early once again, and took a short hike to the Goldstream waterfall. (I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the park without seeing the waterfall.) We packed up early and drove to downtown Victoria to catch the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. Drove to the Puget Sound and took another ferry into Seattle. We were going to have supper at Ivar’s with B&S, but bad traffic and no parking (due to a Seahawks game) made us have second thoughts. Instead, we hung out at the pool in our hotel.
Day 15 – Had breakfast with B&S&A&B and then said good-bye. We started the long trek home. Drove to Missoula, Montana where we stopped for supper. We were going to go further, but we discovered our rear lights weren’t working, so we found a hotel instead.
Day 16 – Drove to Butte, got the car fixed, and carried on. Found a campground in Miles City, Montana. Went out for supper at a lovely local family restaurant. Had a bit of a rough night in the tent, with too much heat and restlessness, and a near emergency when the tent nearly caught fire.
Day 17 – Got up early and packed up our tent. Drove to Fargo where we had a hotel reserved. Nikki and Julie and I went shopping while Marcel and Maddie went to the pool. Went out for supper, and then relaxed in the hotel room.
Day 18 – I took Maddie to the pool for awhile before checking out of the hotel, then we went to Perkin’s for brunch. Did a bit more shopping (new running shoes for Marcel, Nikki, and Julie) and headed for home. Stopped at Grand Forks for a little more shopping and some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. Back on the road again. Arrived home around 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Home
6400 kilometres later, and we are home. A little bedraggled and road weary, but at least we made it. The girls are eating Kraft dinner for supper (at 10:30 at night), because that's about all we could muster. There is a mountain of laundry to tackle, but that can wait for the morning.
For the first time in two weeks, I'll get to spend the night in the same bed as my husband WITH NO CHILDREN IN THE ROOM. :-) I love hotel rooms and tents, and even the bunkbeds we had at the camp, but my bed sure will feel good tonight!
For the first time in two weeks, I'll get to spend the night in the same bed as my husband WITH NO CHILDREN IN THE ROOM. :-) I love hotel rooms and tents, and even the bunkbeds we had at the camp, but my bed sure will feel good tonight!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Re-entry
Tomorrow (barring any more delays involving trailer lights that prevent us from driving in the dark) we will be home. Tonight I'm still fighting for computer time in a hotel room with my computer-deprived family.
For a little preview of part of our vacation, you can check out the lovely slideshow on my sister-in-law's blog. They shared half of our vacation with us (on the west coast, if you haven't figured that out by now), and I contributed a few of the pictures to the show. (Between my brother and I, we have every interesting moment digitally documented.)
I'll try to write more soon, when my index finger heals. (We nearly burned down the tent last night, with our children - and us - inside. In the end, the only casualties were my most-used finger and an air mattress we hoped to spend the rest of the night on. Oh - and the cord connecting the battery to my husband's CPAP machine. It was a little scary.)
I just realized I mentioned the only 2 negatives on this vacation. Trust me, I'd have a hard time coming up with anything else negative.
More soon.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Still wandering... home soon
It has been amazing. We're on our way home.
(Photo taken by budding photographer - and my early morning wandering companion - Julie.)
(Photo taken by budding photographer - and my early morning wandering companion - Julie.)
Thursday, August 07, 2008
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