Monday, August 16, 2010

Farewell BC

On Sunday we got up a little early and packed all of our gear. We needed to use a fabric cooler as a fourth suitcase on our return trip due to all the gifts people had given us while we were out there (thanks everyone!). We headed to the airport eager to return to Toronto but sad to leave so many of our family. We really enjoyed seeing everyone and getting the chance to introduce our kids. We can't wait to come back soon!

The flight was relatively painless. It's quicker flying back to Toronto than it is flying out so it was easier than our trip out. Jessi got lots of compliments on how well behaved the kids were. Jeff and Laura were there to help us out so we didn't have the same problems boarding and leaving the airplane. We had a late night with everyone still on BC time and everyone slept in late the next morning.

Dustin & Karen's Wedding

Family Shot

Saturday afternoon shortly after 4pm Dustin and Karen were married. I was privileged to be in attendance. The ceremony was held in a beautiful garden near Victoria BC. The guests assembled on a patio overlooking a lake. Dustin and Karen exchanged vows and sealed the deal with a kiss.

First Kiss

After the wedding we congratulated the bride and groom and chatted in the shade. Shortly after we assembled in the greenhouse for speeches and dinner. The dinner was delicious and the company fantastic. It was great to chat with my family and I really enjoyed hearing the speeches about Dustin and Karen.

MOG's Table

I left shortly after the first dance to check on the kids and Jessi. Good thing too since it was a hot night and neither kid was going to bed easily. Together, Jessi and I got the kids to bed and settled in for our last night in BC.

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre

On Saturday we visited the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney BC. We had already seen two other aquariums in BC so our expectations were high. We were pleasantly surprised. This aquarium is a great place for kids. The entrance chamber is a mock submarine which got Chantal quite excited (and a little scared).



There were several tanks to view as well as a kids craft area young scientist exhibits. There were tons of staff and volunteer on hand to answer questions. There was also a great touch pool which both of the kids enjoyed.

Chantal & Austin

Touch Pool

After the aquarium we stopped at Boston Pizza for a quick lunch before we returned home so I could get ready for Dustin and Karen's wedding.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Karen & Dustins Rehersal Dinner

Tonight Ann and Kit hosted a rehearsal Dinner on their property for Dustin & Karen. The Mai clan was there as well as the wedding party and some of Karen's family. Everyone enjoyed the setting and the food was delicious. It was great to visit with the Mai's and to meet some of Karen's relatives. The kids had a blast tearing around and chatting with everyone. Chantal even made a new friend with another little girl. The kids tapped out at around 8pm. Neither wanted to go but both were exhausted. Jessi and the kids aren't attending the wedding tomorrow so they said farewell to everyone.

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Breakfast & Fort Rudd

Today we had a nice breakfast hosted by Uncle Mike and his family (Thanks Mike!). He took us all to a favourite spot of Ann and Dustin's called Jasmine's. Unfortunately the place was packed with CFB people and police officers so it took a while for the food to come but when it did it was worth the wait. It was nice to see everyone again too!

Breakfast at Jasmine's

Afterwards, Jeff, Laura and our crew went to nearby Fort Rudd. We strolled through the fortifications and walked near the lighthouse before returning home for some rest.

The Group

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Party Time (Part 1)

Tonight we hosted the Mai family at our house in Victoria. We had a blast visiting with the family that could make it. We ordered pizza from Boston pizza which even had gluten free pizzas for Jeff, myself and Adena. We're all pooped and off to bed soon so I'm just going to post a few pictures from the event.

Party Time!

Party Time!

Party Time!

Party Time!

Undersea Gardens & the BC Legislature

Today we had a much better night and a slightly earlier start. We decided to head to downtown Victoria to tour a tourist trap called Undersea Gardens. It is a boat in Victoria harbour with tanks attached to the side with fish. It also has a theatre at one end where they have a diver go into a big tank and point out the various fish. The coolest fish were the octopus and the wolf eel. Chantal and Austin both enjoyed it but were pretty antsy. After the show we touched some starfish in a touch pool, bought some stuff at the gift shop and headed out.

Jessi, Chantal Touching a Starfish

We walked across the street to the BC Legislative Buildings. We snapped a few shots on the lawn and then walked up to the entrance. We decided to skip the guided tour and just wander around. We saw the rotunda and the outside of the Chamber (which was closed to the public). Jessi particularly enjoyed the stained glass windows. I bought some souvenirs for my desk and we headed home for lunch.

Chantal & Rob in the BC Legislative Chamber

Chantal, Austin & Rob

We are planning to have some family over for dinner tonight so we are busy getting things ready for that now.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

BC Museum & Dinner on a Beach

Last night was a tough one for us. Austin woke up screaming at about 11:00pm and couldn't be consoled for about 30 minutes. He was coughing and sniffley. Jessi went to sleep in Chantal's room and I slept with Austin in our bed so I could comfort him. He woke up every hour for a little whimper which meant that I didn't get much sleep. Chantal kept kicking poor Jessi so they didn't get much sleep either. All of that meant that we had a late start and a lot of grumpy moments. However, the sunrise was beautiful!

Sunrise

We managed to get to the Royal BC Museum by 10:15am. We started our tour on the third floor in the First Peoples Gallery. The kids liked looking at the Totem Poles and the models of the villages.

Rob & Austin - We are a Totem Pole

Next we headed into the Modern History Gallery and pointed out the toys from our childhood to our kids in the Hall of Centuries. They were not impressed.

Austin, Chantal & Jessi Looking at the Fun of our Youth

Next we headed down to the street scenes. The kids really enjoyed this part and ran from place to place very quickly. Chantal particularly enjoyed waiting for train at the Port Moody Station. We took a picture in homage to our Vancouver family.

Chantal, Austin & Jessi - Ode to Port Moody

We spent a little time in a kids area but glossed over most of the rest of the museum because everyone was getting cranky and hungry and we weren't terribly into the stuffed animal part of the museum. We left the museum and decided to have lunch at home since we were all cranky.

Wolly Mammoth, Rob & Austin

After some much needed napping and lunch Ann and Kit came over to take us to one of their favourite beaches. The beach is a rock beach which the kids loved. Austin has been trying to play with rocks since we got here only to be pulled along to the next destination. He was pickled pink to be able to sit on a pile of stones and pick them up at his leisure. We dipped our toes in the ocean, played with rocks, watched an eagle fly through the sky and two seals and an otter swim by the beach. We enjoyed a picnic dinner together and then headed home. It was a fantastic evening and we really enjoyed the chance to chat with Ann & Kit again.

Chantal & Austin

Chantal, Ann & Jessi

On our way home was saw some deer on the lawn of a house down the street from us. Totally cool!

Deer Near our House in Victoria

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Swan Lake, Oma's House, Beacon Hill Park and Ann & Kit's House

Today we were joined by Auntie Ann and Uncle Kit. The kids took to them immediately and Chantal showed them all around our house. We drove to Swan Lake which is a park near where my Oma used to live. My Oma enjoyed spending time in the park and when she passed my family had a bench installed in her memory. We walked into the park and found her bench and snapped a few photos. We also stopped at the conservation office and the kids played for a bit.

Kit, Chantal, Ann, Austin and Rob

We drove over to see Oma's house next. I hadn't been there since she passed in 1997. It brought back a lot of memories. The rail bridge behind the house has since been converted into a walking path which we crossed to have a look at the back of the house.

Kit, Ann, Chantal, Austin & Rob

Next we drove over to Beacon Hill Park. We had lunch at a burger joint across from the park. We walked back into the park and went to the petting zoo. Chantal and Austin enjoyed petting the goats and really liked that there were a lot of little goats around.

Chantal, Jessi, Kit and Ann

Ann and Kit had us over for dinner at their place. Dustin and Karen joined us. It was our first time meeting Karen and the first time for Chantal, Austin and Jessi to meet Dustin. It was also our first time visiting Ann and Kit's place. We were totally in love with the property and all of the buildings on it. If we had the money we would definitely live in a place like this. We really enjoyed meeting Karen and it was fantastic to see Dustin again. I was pleased to see that he was very mobile considering he recently fell from a tree and was severely injured.

Dustin & Chantal

After dinner we toured the barn and met the two horses. Austin and Chantal were excited to see the horses but a little nervous when they got close. Afterwards we walked over to see Dustin's current house on the property. Chantal met Walter who is one of Dustin's dogs. She is very frightened of dogs and we were so proud of her when she pet Walter and let him lick her fingers.

Austin, Rob & Mickey

Tomorrow we will visit the BC Legislature and the Royal Museum of BC.

Monday, August 9, 2010

B.C. Part 2

This is Jessi – I decided I should contribute to Rob’s great blogging efforts.

Today we started out on the second half of our BC adventure. The day started out early, as Austin and I woke up at 5:30AM. Rob and Chantal were up for a good part of the night – Chantal had several bad dreams. Needless to say, everyone was very tired and the kids were super grumpy. This resulted in Rob and I packing in between various meltdowns.

Austin & Chantal After the Ferry

We checked out and drove to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to board the 12PM ferry. It was very cool to drive on to the ferry and Chantal truly did not believe that we were on a boat until it started moving. She was also curious to know if her Uncle Barry was driving this boat too, which was very cute. The kids did have some fun on the ferry and briefly visited the mini play area, but most of the trip was spent managing their grumpiness.

Austin & Jessi on the Ferry

Rob and I pretty much missed the views of the islands, but I was able to snap a few scenic shots with Austin out on the deck. It was raining and windy, so Chantal preferred to stay inside. Then we drove to our very nice new digs. We are staying in a beautiful house with amazing vistas. The kids felt right at home and Chantal quickly informed us of where we would all be sleeping (including Jeff and Laura when they arrive on Thursday). The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping and doing laundry – nothing too exciting. We spoke with Auntie Ann and have some fun activities planned for tomorrow. Hopefully everyone will sleep better tonight. We miss the Vancouver family already, but are looking forward to hanging out with the Victoria crew.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Brunch and Goodbyes

Today we met the Vancouver crew for a big buffet brunch courtesy of Great Granddad. Jeff and Laura arrived in Vancouver yesterday and joined us for brunch. Both kids were really excited to see their Aunt and Uncle. The brunch rivalled those in Maui. The kids loved the variety and everyone enjoyed the bounty of food. However it was clear that we are all out of practice at eating at a buffet. I barely managed two and a half plates before tapping out! The adults took turns running around with Chantal and Austin after they got bored of sitting.

Laura, Chantal, Jeff & Austin

In the evening we went to Mark and Jamie's place in Coquitlam for a light dinner and drinks. It was our last chance to visit with the Vancouver crew and we really enjoyed being able to have everyone together in one place. Chantal and Austin ran around on the grass in the backyard under the watchful eyes of their Vancouver family.

Chantal Finally Hugs Great Granddad

This week has been wonderful for us. We had the opportunity to introduce our kids to my family here and to spend time with them. We will miss everyone and we are already planning our next trip!
Group Shot

Tomorrow we will check out of this condo and catch the 12pm ferry from Tsawwasen ferry terminal in Vancouver to Swartz Bay ferry terminal near Victoria. We're really looking forward to taking the ferry and seeing all of our Victoria relatives.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Vancouver Aquarium

This morning went to the Vancouver Aquarium. We arrived at 9:30 (when it opens) and were joined shortly after by Barry, Vicki, Lisa, Jen, Amanda and Great Granddad. The line to get in the aquarium was very long so Barry bought a membership and saved us about 20 minutes in line (not to mention he paid for our admission! Thanks Barry!).

Lisa & Austin

Once we got inside we toured around an area that showcased the biodiversity on the BC Coast. At least that's what I think it was about. I was busy chasing a 15 month old who was determined to run from exhibit to exhibit to climb the stones. I did catch a glimpse of a really cool octopus and tons of other sea flora and fauna. Chantal led Great Granddad around by the hand and showed him all of the cool fish.

Amanda, Chantal & Jen

We visited the kids play area and Chantal enjoyed a sing along while Austin climbed on things. Amanda, Jen and Lisa took turns playing with the kids and Austin and Chantal really enjoyed all the attention. After the kids play area Lisa took Chantal through the tropical area and I tagged along. Chantal enjoyed seeing different types of sharks and a big sea turtle. She also liked seeing the parrots and the caimen.

Dolphins!

Jen saved a spot for us at the dolphin presentation. The whole crew enjoyed watching the dolphins leap out of the water and swim around at top speed. We also saw the sea otters and the beluga whales before leaving the aquarium.

Austin & Belugas

We had lunch at a nice restaurant in Stanley Park called the Tea House. They had a brunch menu so the kids had waffles while I had an omelet. It was nice to have another chance to chat with everyone. We realized today that we are leaving for Victoria on Monday and although I am looking forward to seeing the other side of my family I will definitely miss the Vancouverites.

Chantal, Barry & Great Granddad

Friday, August 6, 2010

Granville Island

Today we went to Granville Island with Jen. The new place we are staying is a six block walk to the island so it was an easy trek and we didn't have to pay for parking. Jen was hungry so we started at the Public Market area and enjoyed some snacks. There was a busker playing and our awesome kids didn't blink twice before getting up and shaking their butts.



We headed over to the kids market and Chantal went on a mini merry-go-round. Jessi bought some souveniers (a kids book "Goodnight Vancouver" and a sticker book about a first airplane trip). Jessi also bought some elmo tattoos for Austin. When she put one on his arm he said "Mo" (which is Austin-ese for Elmo) and gave it a big kiss.



Next we went back to the public market for lunch. The market was very nice. It was similar to St. Lawrence market in Toronto with lots of small vendors and different types of food. We enjoyed a nice lunch and then headed over to Rogers' Chocolates for some ice cream. The adults had sensible flavours like dark chocolate mint and coconut milk chocolate while the kids shared bubblegum icecream (yuck). It was wonderfully messy and the kids were full of energy afterwards!



We headed over to the splash pad to burn off some of that energy. Jessi and Jen took the kids in and splashed around for a while before we headed back to our condo for naps and quiet time!

Jen & Chantal Wearing Towels

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Stanley Park (again) and Moving Day #1

Today we left our giant house in the Capitol Hill area and moved into a much smaller condo unit in South Granville. Jessi and I worked together to get our mountain of gear together and managed to get out of the first house by 8:30am. We stopped at Canadian Tire to pick up a cooler bag to hold our cold groceries. Afterwards we drove back to Stanley Park and stopped by the Totem Poles. We snapped a few shots and grabbed some souveniers and then headed over to South Granville.

Jessi & Chantal

The new place is on the 8th floor of a condo building in downtown Vancouver. The unit has a very modern design and we have had to move many glass containers with various plants and stones in them to safer locations. We don't think we'll let the kids touch anything here for the duration of the visit because they will certainly break or stain it! The location is excellent though and it is supposedly only a short walk from the Granville tourist area. We are probalby going to go for a quick walk when the kids get up.

Jessi Finally gets One Quiet Moment

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Stanley Park

Today we went to Stanley Park with Jen. We passed her office building on the way to the park. It sure looks fancy! First we drove over the Lions Gate Bridge. To a Torontonian it was very impressive and super cool. We turned around at the other side and enjoyed the return trip just as much!



We pulled onto Park Drive and stopped at Prospect Point to take in the view of the Lions Gate Bridge and grab a coffee and rootbeer. The view was spectacular and we got a few great shots!

Austin, Rob, Chantal and Mommy at Lion's Gate Bridge

Austin, Rob, Chantal and Jen at Prospectors Point

Next we drove down the road a little and stopped at Hollow Tree (aparently there are more than one of these trees). We snapped a few shots and hopped back in the van.

Jessi, Chantal, Austin and Jen at Hollow Tree

We stopped near a new attraction in the park called Klahowya Village. It is an attraction organized by the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC. Our first stop in the village was a large tee-pee where a young man was telling traditional stories. We were quite enjoying it until he told a story about a ten foot tall woman who ate children. We thought Chantal hadn't been listening but we had to leave shortly after that!

On the Train

Next we grabbed a bag of organic popcorn and bought tickets for the Spirit Catcher which is a miniture train ride through a beautiful forest showcasing aboriginal animal carvings and their meanings. Afterwards we saw a Hoop Dancer perform and it was amazing.

Rob and His Kids

We went for lunch at a restaurant nearby and everyone enjoyed a nice meal. Austin surprised us all by using a straw to slurp up frozen lemonade! After lunch we returned to Klahowya Village to visit the petting zoo. We were surprised that Chantal not only kept her cool but actually pet the goats and other animals! Way to go Chantal!

Austin, Rob, Chantal, Goaty and Jen



This is our last night in our first accomodation here in BC. Tomorrow we move to a condo unit in Downtown Vancouver. Jen and Lisa had stayed with us for several days and we are sad that they won't be able to stay with us downtown. We enjoyed a quiet dinner and put the kids to bed.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Hair Colouring, Buntzen Lake and Saint Street Grill

Chilling at the pad

Today we dropped Jessi off at Lisa's salon to get her tips coloured. Jen and I took the kids down to Rocky Point to play at the playground there. After playing there for a while we drove up to Buntzen Lake. The kids splashed in the shallow water for a bit and then after a bit of rain and a splash of cranky kid we returned to Port Moody to pick up Jessi. Lisa did an amazing job on her hair. It looks fantastic. See for yourself:

Lisa Dyed Jessi's tips

Lisa Dyed Jessi's tips

Nathan and Amanda invited everyone out to dinner at the Saint Street Grill. They got married in this restaurant so we were really excited to see it first hand! It was very nice. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the kids were really well behaved. Chantal was really excited to sit next to Great Granddad and they exchanged many cheek kisses and pleasantries.

Group Shot