Nanny and G-Daddy Have Come to Canada!

We have been anticipating this day for a long time now, and we are pleased to announce the arrival of Nanny and G-daddy to Canada. The last time they saw Canada it was raining and cold and a very hectic time, so we are so excited to finally get to soak in the sun and sites with them. We always make a scheduled stop on the Malahat for anyone coming to Canada for the first time to get to see a breathtaking view. Our first full day has been enjoying the bays and eating lots of different cheeses at Hilary's Cheese Shop (a must when you come to Canada). We decided to take them to see a river up from our house as well. The only thing is that we did not plan on was swimming. Well, the kids have definitely developed a "live for the moment" plan in Canada, and yes they went swimming clothes and all. I usually have some beach stuff in the back of the van but had taken it all out for luggage- but that was ok too. Daddy and G-daddy said they would go in next time (we will see - the water was very cold!).

Lazy Days of Summer

The weather has been beautiful and we have taken every advantage of it. Our days our spent exploring new sites, hanging out with friends, sleep overs, and babysitting. We found another great spot at the Cowichan Lake in Youbou. Friends of ours took us there and we loved it so much that we brought Dad back on his day off. This lake has a wrap around deck with a diving board and slide. They also have logs that you can climb on and push each other off. Yes, I attempted the log and the slide - trust me you do not need pictures to imagine the sight.

Canada Day

July 1st is Canada's "July 4th" celebration. They call it Canada Day! Although they have fireworks and parties it is nowhere close to the U.S. celebration. Our pastor and his family invited us to spend a very relaxing day on the river. It is now our new favorite spot. This part of the river has a few rapids for the kids to go down, and there is also places to jump off rocks into the river. The water was very cold but refreshing. C never got out of the water all day. The kids are already begging to go back. Happy July 4th! We love and miss all of you!

Just Another Day in Paradise!

Pastor Mark recommended that we take a trip to visit Little Qualicum Falls. We were so glad that we took his advice. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful view. We did not take the two hour hike to the upper falls but we did see the lower falls. After this stop we of course had to go to the beach. We went to beach and had another amazing view. This time - not only did we see ocean but snow on the mountains on the mainland. Who gets to sit on the beach in the heat of the day and look at snow? It was amazing. This day was definitely the highlight on Nanny's week and was a great way to end it. This blog's title is dedicated to Nanny Adams because along our drive we had some amazing views and she was singing with the kids "Just Another Day in Paradise." (There are several more blogs below of our wonderful visit with Nanny Adams).

Nanny visits, Hurray Part III

There is always a first time for everything and kayaking was it today. We took Nanny to one of our favorite parks that is right on the beach. They have a sprinkler water park and you can rent different types of kayaks. The kids begged to try one. Nanny and I weren't too sure about sending them out into the ocean by themselves! They gave us very large boundaries and I said lets stay very close! C got the hang of it immediately. The pole as you can see was a little big for M. They gave her smaller ones but she seemed to drift into the rocks along the coast. So, the guide told M that she could ride on the top of the "sit-apons" (type of kayak but have no idea how to spell it). Remember this is a one person boat. She told M to remain really still or she would tip the boat. On a side note - I was in regular clothes - not having planned for this adventure. Well, M and I were doing just fine until Nanny decided to take her try at it. M spun around to see Nanny get in the boat, and I know that you have already guessed it. She tipped the kayak. Yes, there we went into the ocean! C felt bad for me so he tipped his just to be part of the fun! Needless to say that was it for me! It was a great day, and a memory that I will treasure forever. Oh, by the way - Nanny did not get wet! Check out the other two blogs below about Nanny's visit - Part I and II

Nanny Visits, HURRAY! Part II

Sightseeing was our main objective for the week since Nanny has never been to Canada. While the kids had a birthday party, Nanny and I picked up S and went to lunch at another bay. This looks like a small fishing village. Nanny said it reminded her of Maine. Another day we decided to take a ferry ride to one of the other islands. There is a Bible college on an island (that you can only get to by ferry), so we thought that we would go there and the kids could swim along the beach until the next ferry comes back. What S failed to tell us is that there really isn't anything on the island but the Bible college. Three hundred and fifty people live on this island (not including the college). The ferry ride was a very beautiful trip, but when we got over there (we did not bring my car) and started up the ramp mom and I panicked because it looked deserted and we were wondering what we were going to do with the kids for another hour and a half. So, we jumped right back on the ferry. The kids were not happy! The ferry then made a stop at Kuper Island. Kuper Island is an island where only First Nation people live. You must be invited to go on this island. There are no stores or gas stations on this island. The people have to ride the ferry to get supplies. We did find out (which is very sad) that there is one store that is on the island and that is a liquor store. After our very long ferry ride back, we made a pit stop at Fuller Lake and the kids got to swim - this made it all better! ALL IN ALL it was a great day with new sights that I have not seen. Just think the beauty that surrounds us was all made for God's glory. It has made me think about the verse that even the rocks will cry out if we do not praise God. He truly is an awesome God and we are very blessed to be a part of his creation.

Nanny Visits, HURRAY!

This blog is coming a week late so I will actually be writing several more on Nanny's visit. On the first full day of Nanny's visit, we did a general tour of the area and wandered around downtown Duncan. Her favorite part of the day was our trip to Maple Bay. The kids immediately ran down to the water and were wading in getting shells. Duncan is known for its totem poles so we enjoyed wandering around downtown looking at them and enjoyed eating ice cream.