So, here’s my week at the beach in one blog post.

We weren’t aware that we would be at the beach only 24 hours before we were there. I got a phone call first thing in the morning on Wednesday inviting us to Osoyoos for a week. Less than 24 hours later we were in BC, unloading our van and running into the lake. There are fewer things more fun than an unexpected trip to the beach!

We spent the whole week picking cherries, floating in the water, eating root beer floats and going for massage. Wait, that last one was just me!

I wish I could give you a whole list of amazing things we did while in BC but the cherries, water and root beer kept us pretty busy.

We’re now home and trying to get all back to work. I’ve been meeting with potential clients, Chuck’s been working like crazy and now we’re both crashing. I should take a picture of Chuck sleeping in bed right now. What better way to spend a Saturday after a week at the beach, right?

By the way, enjoy your Independence/ Canada Day weekend everyone!

My kids don’t need me meddling and getting involved. In fact, I believe that if I let them follow their own direction they might even sail solo across the world. It sounds crazy but a 16 yr old teenager just did it and landed in Sydney last year. Her name is Jessica Watson and she has been sailing since she was 8. She told her parents that she wanted to sail around the world and they had enough faith in her to let her go. They helped get her prepared, supplied and sponsored even!

She has a blog where she wrote all along the way and you can see that here.

I find this so amazing and in a small way predictable. I know that kids can do jaw dropping stuff. In all the interviews Jessica’s mother sounds not the least bit surprised because she really did know that Jessica would pull this off.

Makes me wonder what my kids will do.

All of the kids were able to join in the decorating and they loved it. Even Laurelyn got in on the action.

The boys got bored and quickly found something else to do with the decorations. An imaginative child never ceases to inspire me.

I didn’t manage my time very effectively while we were back in Washington. There was so much that I wanted to do and see and I didn’t get to half of what I was hoping to do. One of those things was spending more time with the Martie and Dee who came up from North Bend to see us. Thanks for coming up guys and I promise to take more advantage of the time next time we’re in town.

These next pictures are from a day trip Chuck and I took to Victoria Island so we could scout the place out. We have been thinking about moving there once our house is worth more than we spent on it. (Good luck, right?) Victoria is closer to my parents, warmer and milder than Alberta and we still get to keep our healthcare. It’s a win-win from our point of view. Speaking of views, the views from the ferry ride were amazing! Chuck and I spent the extra $10 to sit in the Lounge which has larger and more comfortable seats as well as complimentary snacks, tea and requires quiet voices so no one is disturbed while they’re sipping their tea! It felt so indulgent! The Lounge looked right onto the deck and the only downside was that I could watch all the people walking around outside. There was a man out there who was wearing backpack, wringing his hands, checking his watch, talking to himself and tapping on the one-way glass to the Lounge. I was starting to think this guy was going to blow a hole in the ferry with the contents in his backpack but he eventually got too cold and went inside. He still could have blown up the ferry from wherever he went but atleast I wasn’t sitting there watching him. Freaky!

Looking at neighborhoods online Chuck and I loved the idea of being in Oak Bay so that was our first stop. We immediately wished that we had brought the kids because we were there on their annual Light Up Festival. There were carolers, musicians, games, free food and sampler tables from some of the shops. It was so much fun and the kids would have loved it.

Oak Bay Library. We couldn’t get over how beautiful the buildings were!

This is the library lion that stands in the kids’ section where the children can climb up and sit like one of the characters from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Giant Checkers.

Giant Four Square.

We have a slight love for used book stores in our family. There’s something magical about finding an old book that has been loved and I can’t help but wonder where the book has traveled. What brought this book here to this store and into my hands? There’s a smell to used bookstores that I can’t get enough of. It’s gotten worse since we started homeschooling because now we’re always on the lookout for books about all sorts of subjects. We found a used bookstore in Oak Bay called Grafton’s Books. It was perfect. It even had the floor to ceiling bookcases and the wrap around track with the sliding ladder! I had so much fun. This was our first stop so we didn’t stay long but I could have been in there for our entire trip!

We stumbled onto this war memorial that looks out onto the ocean. Isn’t it beautiful?

My favorite part of going home is to see a relationship strengthen between my kids and my parents. It’s one thing to talk on the phone and to see pictures but it’s all together different to be together every day, all day for more than a week. My favorite was to see how attached Laurelyn got to her Grandpa. She loves her Grandpa and I am glad that my parents are coming here in February so I can get more pictures like these.

The day that we left my kids got Christmas presents from Grandma and Grandpa. Everyone loved what tey got and the now had toys to play with on the long trip home. I can’t wait to move to Victoria so we can be only a ferry ride away!

It had to be on purpose! How else could every sun hat I have ever owned be so impossible? Sun hats must have been designed to simutaneously be the most necessary and impossible article of beach accessory known to man. As soon as my kids’ cheeck get pink everyone arouns starts asking about where her sun hat is. We locate the hat, put it on her head and in record time that hat has been ripped off and thrown in a huff onto the ground. I can’t keep a hat on Laurelyn’s head to save my life. Anyone have a hack for my sun hat dilemma? I thought of using duct tape but I have a limited supply and I don’t want to run out. Duct tape is gold in our house.

Luckily the sun was out for a good amount of time but it wasn’t blistering hot. Perfect weather for being out on the boat. Wayne, aka Captain Scowl, rented a boat for the day so we could wake board, tube and swim out in the deepst part of the lake. The water was the perfect temperature and the kids were angelic which makes for one ecstatic mommy!

Here is a picture of Captain Scowl. He may look grumpy but he’s a big teddy bear. Wayne absolutely loves his kids and watching them have so much fun in the water, he was in his element! He even let David take the wheel! Now if that’s not the greatest guy ever then I don’t know what is!

David at the wheel.

We started with tubing because the little kids wanted to get into the water. Jason and Jocelyn went out together but they made up thei own hand signals so we couldn’t decide what they were trying to tell us. Faster? Slower? Stop? I have no idea what flailing arms with a huge grin means but we guessed that they wanted to go faster.

Don’t worry, they have life jackets!

I was worried about how Laurelyn was going to react to being on the boat. This was her first time and we were booking pretty fast. I wasn’t sure if she was going to get sea sick or if cranky. Both of which would create a crummy time for everyone stuck in a boat with her. Luckily she continued to be an amazingly well behaved tiny tot and sat happily watching everyone bounce over the waves. When we stopped to swim around she motioned to get into the water. She swam around with Jeff, laughing the entire time. I don’t know what she was saying in this picture but it sure looks like she’s decided to give someone an ear full.

Captain Scowl with the Princess.

Katey came with these big plastic sunglasses and David absconded with them as soon as he saw them. He believes that anything blue belongs to him. I have to admit that these sunglasses look fantastic on him.

Katey and Jocelyn went out on the tube together.

Watching the kids go out on the tube looked like so much fun, I had to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, I forgot that Captain Scowl was at the wheel. I think he was trying to kill me. Who knew that almost dying could be so much FUN! I screamed, laughed and screamed some more. I haven’t been on a tube for years.

Jason got a chance to drive the boat.

Ricki and Laurelyn.

Jason. Can you see the pure joy on this kid’s face?

I can’t believe we’re going home tomorrow. I’m going to have as much fun as I can before we leave but first I need a nap.

Three of the Hemminger kids, Kelsey, Kaity and Jeff, took my two oldest for a stroll along the creek run off from the hot springs. The water was so nice and clear that they ran back, threw on some bathing suits and headed out in search of some deep areas to lounge it. I know what you’re thinking, who would want to lounge around in warm water, in a creek, in the middle of the mountains on a hot day. I certainly didn’t but I knew you would want to see pictures so I mustered up the courage to brave the water.

We found areas deep enough that we could all fit comfortably and Jason could jump in. Boys are meant to be outdoors, all day, every day, forever. That’s heaven for my boys anyway.

Jason’s cannon ball

No excursion is complete without a good competition between my kids. I don’t encourage it but Jason and Jocelyn are constantly competing about something. In the creek the game was to see how long they could stay underwater which was hilarious because both of them have swam under water for almost a minute but for some reason they barely made it 5 seconds!

Jason and Jocelyn’s competition for the longest breath

If my girlfriends are reading, wondering where the heck we’ve been (Hi Alyson!) and whether or not we’re still having my party on Saturday, it’s postponed. It’s hard to throw together a 30th birthday party when it’s the middle of family vacation season. We’re going to put it off and we’ll do something later. In the meantime I’m enjoying some time in the sun.