Summer memories

What a great summer we have had. Our goal this year was to try and make as many family memories as we could that were different and fun.  Some of those memories we had to go away to do but others we could do right here at home.  Our adventures started in Vernon B.C. where we go every year to visit with Prince Charming's dad and step mom.  They own a cabin on Lake Okanagan and they spoil us over the week we are there with them.  We always have a wonderful time.  This year we decided to continue on to Vancouver after our stay in Vernon.

The drive was beautiful and we didn't have too many  issues with whiney children because with snacks, activities and movies along the way, getting there is half the fun.  While in Vancouver we saw the new Vancouver temple, which is gorgeous, and we visited Stanley Park and the Capilano suspension bridge.

I had been wanting the kids to have an opportunity to see the ocean for a couple of years so I was excited to see their faces when we stopped at a beach that overlooked the harbour and they could see where the land ended and where the ocean went on forever.  Needless to say that we went home with pockets full of sea shells.  I learned that boiling them takes away the dead fish smell.

After a couple of days in Vancouver we drove on to Seattle Washington - what a place.  I had always wanted to go and I loved what I saw.  It is a very pretty city, with a great vibe to it and very friendly people.  I also liked the no sales tax for visitors north of  the border.  We visited Pike Place Market where everyone one of us was able to find a neat souvenir from our trip.  It is a very busy place with many interesting shops.  Our favourite was the fish shop where they put on a show while selling their catch.  They literally throw the fish and catch it on the other side of the shop delighting everyone  with their quick hands and strong grip.  At one point people were so enthralled with their show that everyone was standing there watching and no one was buying so they had to remind us that they were open for business.  We also went to a Mariners game at Safeco  base ball field while we were there. It was a very fun experience, a beautiful field and a great view of the Seattle sky line.
I was sad to leave Seattle but we were excited to visit our Peterson cousins in Seattle Washington.  They are so much fun to visit and made us feel very welcome.  Our kids had lots of cousins to play with and Matthew and I became quite tempted to move to Washington in the near future.

 Another fun memory maker was our camping trip to Jasper with our good friends the Malletts. We stayed for three nights at the Whistler camp ground and enjoyed hiking, swimming at  the hot springs, eating over a fire and telling funny stories into the night.  Ghost stories were not aloud. We have had a lot of fun this summer and we are sad it is coming to an end although mom is tired of all the laundry from our travels.  It will be a summer we will all remember and look back on and we hope to build on these memories in summers to come.

Valentines Day

When did valentines day become for the kids. I thought it was a day to focus on the one you love so that you can remember to show them what they mean to you. Well, I spent my whole weekend baking cup cakes and making valentines cards for 4 classrooms full of kids.  Not to mention all the pink paper hearts and cupid arrows and prizes and other treats that needed to be donated to the class' for valentines parties.  I barely had time to stop at the card aisle to grab a loving message for my husband.  I was so busy running seventy cupcakes to the school and distributing them to the class I  almost forgot to wish Prince Charming a Happy Valentines day.  PC is pretty good with the romantic stuff though.  One year he stayed up the night before Valentines day filling an ipad he had bought me with some really great love songs.  I cried all the morning listening to them.  One of my favourite things is reading what he writes in his cards.  I love it when he tells me how he feels and since both of us aren't great at saying it out loud what he writes in his cards really lets me know how he feels.  I am grateful for my Valentine and how he takes care of me. I hope you all have some one to treat you like a queen on Valentines day.

Time Flies.

So it's been a while since I posted apparently.  Time sure flies. Christmas was a blast but a blur.  You spend so much time preparing and working up to Christmas and then trying to fit in every fun activity possible that you look back and wonder what exactly you did and hope that it all went well. Now January has come and gone and so did my New Years resolutions.  January is the worst time to  get motivated to improve yourself.  It is so dark and cold out side that your just trying to survive cabin fever let alone lose ten pounds and watch less t.v. When February comes we have turned a corner. It is hopefully a good two months till spring (if we're lucky).  Spring flowers start to go on sale.  I bought by first bouquet of tulips today - spring is not far away. As I get older the years really do fly by and the seasons pass so quickly I really have to conscientiously put the effort into doing the things that I would like to do to enjoy the season.  I have been trying to take my kids skiing.  It is a sport I would like our family to get into. Between our constant basketball games and the yo yo weather forecast  it has been hard to settle on a time. I am trying my best not to grumble about the winter weather, but to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.  Keep warm.