Seattle

Josh had a work trip to the Bellevue area at the end of June. Since we were already done with school for the year, we decided to tag along for fun. It was a great trip, and this time armed with our GPS, the days trips around town were a bit easier. Not problem-free, but easier. I'm still not used to all the crazy highways there.

The first day happened to be my birthday and Josh and the kids surprised me with breakfast in bed. Such a treat! The kids and I then headed to do a bit of shopping at the mall. They were very well behaved since it was my birthday. We spent that afternoon by the poolside in the hotel. The kids are old enough to play in the water without me in the pool. I had a chance to read, swim and play too. It was a great way to spend my birthday.

The next day was a trip to the Woodland Zoo. I was pretty amazed with the number of animals they had at the zoo. I didn't realize it was that big. We spent pretty much the full day there. By the time we caught up with Josh, we had already eaten dinner. We did go to eat with him and had a dessert. The kids were introduced to their first Mud Pie. It was a definite hit.

Our last day was spent at Pike Place Market for the morning before meeting up with Josh. In hindsight, PPM isn't all that fun for kids. We did find the Gum Wall and I was able to get a few new teas to try, but it was super crowded. I was so relieved when we found Josh and we left the crowded market area. We decided to go to the Fremont area because a friend told us that the Geocaching headquarters of the world was located there. The caches there did not disappoint. We found about 4 of them, all within walking distance of each other and they were really cool/different ones. If you happen to be in the area, head to the Fremont Troll and start from there.

I'm really thankful that we have the opportunity to go on these trips. It definitely helps that we can tag along and not have to pay for lodging. The kids love it and though we only get to see Josh in the evenings for dinner, the kids are always so happy to experience all the new places and stay in hotels.

Sports Day

I was really happy to hear from another mom about a Sports Day put on by a Burnaby Homeschool Co-op. It was nice for the kids to get to experience a common school activity. They had such a fun time that they were willing to skip a canoeing session with the Outdoor Adventures club in order to finish the day.

Random

Just wanted to include these memories from Spring.

 The kids were signed up for an Outdoor Adventures class near the end of May. 

They built shelters, tried archery, went canoeing and tried new games.

Ethan lost his second tooth. It was one of his center front ones. 

He had the cutest gap from that one missing tooth. I love the message to the Tooth Fairy. 

I just love this picture. We went to Reifel Bird Sanctuary for Mother's Day.

Maddy was super excited because a Red Winged Blackbird fed right from her hand.

Spring Camps with Scouts and Girl Guides

This year the Scouts All-Sections camp happened to be on the same weekend as a bridging camp we planned between the Brownies and a Guides unit from our district. Luckily they were both out in the Aldregrove/Langley area. As you can see from the pictures, the Scouts toughed it out in the rain and tents where as we had lovely cabins and a huge main lodge area. Unfortunately, it poured with rain for most of the weekend. I kept thinking of the boys and wondered how they were doing while I was cozy in my bed!

• Luckily the scouts did have lots of tents and undercover areas. One family did pack it in after one night as their tent filled with water.
• At one point Josh asked if Ethan would like to play with his friends. His reply was, "No, actually, I want to watch the cooking. I'm really interested in that." (Food is ALWAYS on his mind.)
• Since many people did not show up due to the rain, Josh said they all ate like kings because there was so much food.
• The sun came out on the last afternoon, just in time for canoeing.

• Our camp was luxurious! I surprisingly slept REALLY well on both nights, but don't tell Josh!
• As you can see, the Girl Guides campfire was not as rough, but in our defense, the camp didn't have a fire pit outside.
• Maddy really enjoyed the Utensils dinner. She lucked out. Some girls had to eat with with the most random kitchen utensils. It was a fun dinner.