Circa 2003

Tyler and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary today.  A lot has happened in the last five years, and I can honestly say that I have never made a more right decision than the choice to marry him.  We've added two beautiful children to our family in that time, who we absolutely love;  We've moved almost every year (we've lived in 5 houses in 5 years); and Tyler is still my best friend in the whole world.  I'm looking forward to 10 times as much surprises, fun, (disagreements), and love.  

To celebrate our anniversary last night, Tyler and I went to Cirque du Soleil: Corteo with his parents.  I don't recall ever being to any type of circus before, and this one definitely didn't disappoint.  The theatrics and stunts were absolutely amazing.  The set and costumes were unbelievable, and the music was beautiful.  Worth every penny.  They are in town until the end of next week and I say, if you can go, make the effort, because it was outstanding.  

Happy Anniversary Tyler.  I love you.

Telus World of Science - Vancouver

On our final day in Vancouver we headed over to the Vancouver Science center while the window was being fixed on our van. Our membership in Calgary gets us into any Telus World of Science, which so far has included Edmonton and Vancouver. It really makes the passes worthwhile. This science center was really big and we had fun exploring with the entire family. It was a rainy day in Vancouver so the science center was CRAZY. The kids had a good time for a few hours though, and it was a great way to pass the time. I think it wore out Grandma Maurine pretty quickly though. The noise level was extreme, and unfortunately when there are that many kids, there tends to be some who are way out of control and the ones that get way out of control never seem to be within earshot or eyesight of their parents. Or if they were, the parents didn't do much to simmer down the chaos. At one point Tyler saw one little boy jumping up and down on top of a little girl who was helplessly pinned on the ground. The little girl's mother ran to her rescue, but the boys parents were no where to be seen.

Lucy was called up on stage at one point, but then experienced severe stage fright and wouldn't answer any questions. They have a special display right now on The Magic of Music by Disney, and there are a lot of great display pieces, but unfortunately no pictures allowed. The kids had fun playing dress-up. (notice there's no stage fright here)/

They got their picture taken on a Magic Carpet, played in the "Under Construction" zone where they could build things, and Tyler, Scott and Jason were fascinated by a video displaying a domino effect, using platforms, chairs, tether balls, etc. That was the most difficult part of the trip...pulling the boys away from that because it was time to go home. We headed to Scott's sister Dixie's house to meet her newest granddaughter Sophia, who was born while we were on vacation. She has her dad's coloring (he's brazilian) and her mom's doll face. What a sweetie. Then it was off to our hotel for the night.

Triplicate

It seems that every time we go on a family vacation we have bad things happen…and always in 3s.  The summer of 2006 we went down to Montana with Tyler’s Aunt and Uncle to go boating.  On the way down the truck stalled while Tyler and Sarah were driving.  It had overheated and Tyler opened the radiator cap and all the radiator fluid spilled all over and burnt Tyler’s forearm.  Then later on he stubbed his toe while cliffjumping and broke it.  And to make it 3 – he tore his ACL while wakeboarding.  Each year has been pretty much the same.  And each year we wait for the three.  This year we were making it through the first few days of our vacation accident free.  However, after driving all the way west pulling a trailer, Scott and Janie's van needed a brake job, so their vehicle was out of commission for a day.  Soon afterwards, the ABS light came on in our van, so we decided to take it into Budget Brake and Muffler to get it checked out and see if it was a problem we needed to fix before we got home and could see our own Mechanic.  It ended up being in the shop for the entire day (our last full day in Nanaimo) which is why we ended up at the mini-golf place late that night.  So that was 2...now it was just waiting for number 3, but we seemed to be doing ok.  No injuries (besides sore backs)...we woke up on our last day ready to go home and put an end to the triplicate curse.  As we were packing up the vehicles, Tyler decided to pull our van out of the carport so we could have easier access to the trunk.  The hatch was already open, but the roof of the garage was pretty high so he decided to go ahead and pull out without closing the door.  He had only moved a few feet when he heard a horrible SMASH!  Yes, the glass on our hatch hit a support beam in the roof of the carport and completely crumbled.  We were just about to pull out to head to the ferry, and we had spent quite a bit of money reserving our spot on the 10:40 boat, so we couldn't waste much time.  Tyler was frustrated, and Lucy was in tears (she wanted to get a new car, even though we explained that it could be fixed).  We quickly swept up the glass and headed to the ferry in the hopes that we could find an autobody shop in Vancouver that could fix it before we left.  The 5 minute trip to the ferry was very noisy and windy and exhaust filled, and it was a cool day on the island.  

When we got to Vancouver we found the science center and an Autobody shop close by.  They told us that they wouldn't be able to do the work that day, as they didn't have the piece of glass in store.  We called around to Apple Autoglass and other such shops to see if anyone could help us out.  We didn't have much luck and so the first autobody shop felt bad for us and agreed to get the work done (and order the piece of glass rushed from the warehouse).  We headed to McD's for a quick lunch and then over to the science center for some fun.  They called us within 2 hours and the glass was done.  Although it was a repeat of the triplicate curse, it was easily fixed thanks to some very nice men in Vancouver.

Last Days

On our last day we woke up early to get everything packed up into the trailer and ready to go because we had to be at the ferry by 10:00am.  We had the opportunity to go on the big ferry this time, which we were excited about.  As we were finishing up breakfast we noticed a few spots in the water outside our house.  As we looked closely we realized it was a family of otters who came to wish us a farewell.  There were two large otters and 3 small ones.  They climbed up on our lawn, rolled around in the dirt for a few minutes and then headed back into the water to swim away.  They were very precise on where they wanted to go.  It was a nice way to end our trip.  We headed to the boat and were on in a jiffy.  We were excited to be on the big boat, but realized it wasn’t much better than the other one we had travelled on.  We were to the mainland in about an hour and a half and drove around Vancouver to find the Science Center and an Autobody Shop.  See my next post for details on that one!

Cyber City

After spending a full day in the house due to rain and getting the brakes fixed on our vehicle, we were all a bit stir crazy so we decided to go out to have some fun.  When we first arrived in Nanaimo, my back was giving me grief (hello, I'm turning into my father), so I made a trip to a chiropractor out here.  He was very nice and I think they gave me a deal for being an out of towner.  The only reason this relates, is that right next door to the chiropractor was a place called Cyber City which had a mini-golf course, Lasertag, arcade and a kids play area, and it was all attached to an A&W.  Seriously, how can it get any better?  We decided to head over there for some fun after Max had his nap.  There was some confusion between the two vehicles and some people ended up waiting around for much longer than was necessary, but eventually we all got there.  Unfortunately, when we did, it was raining too hard to play mini-golf, and they had  closed the kids play area for cleaning.  That left us with the arcade and lasertag.  The older kids (including Papa) had a round of lasertag, which Tyler, Lucy, Max and I played some arcade games for a while.  It was Chuckie-cheese fashion where you purchase tokens and win tickets based on your performance and at the end you cash in your tickets for a prize.  We ended up earning 181 tickets and Lucy got a red beaded bracelet, and a red jumping frog.  Max got a yellow jumping frog and one of those finger puppet monsters that you get in a 25 cent machine.  The kids had fun and enjoyed bowling the best.

After we were finished there, we headed to a chinese food buffet for dinner as Tyler's cousin Janet boasted that it was the best on the island.  We got there 15 minutes before they closed but they were gracious enough to bring out some extra food so we could eat.  The parking lot was great as it was totally uneven which created a lot of really great puddles for jumping.

Rock and a Hard Place

We are spending a quiet morning at the house today as it is a bit cloudy and overcast and Tyler and his Dad are trying to figure out why the ABS light came on in our van.  As we were playing around at the house and watching Hairspray and eating popcorn, Max decided that he was going to take some of his bathtub toys and put them in Roxi's kennel.  Then as he tried to climb in to get them out and turn around to climb back out, he wedged himself into the door.  

I was in the kitchen and I heard a little, "Mama! Mama!" I came out and could only laugh and take a picture.  My pausing to take a picture made him upset and he ended up in tears.  As soon as he was out, we all laughed and he kept pointing at the kennel and laughing.  

Parksville

About 20 minutes north of Nanaimo is a small town called Parksville where Tyler's cousin Janet and her husband Ben live.  We took a trip out there today to check out the scenery.  We went to a beautiful park and enjoyed playing on the playground and on the water park.  It was easily the biggest playground i've ever seen. 

 There were tons of slides and swings and things to climb on.  

It was fun for young and old alike. 

 

At the same park was also a display from the sandcastle competition from earlier in the month.  The sandcastles were amazing in their detail and design.  Some entries were from individuals, and the largest sculptures were created by teams.  Each entry was given 23 hours to complete their sculpture (within a 3-day time frame) and a specified amount of sand and space. 

 They were required to use all the sand in their sculpture and when the pieces were complete they sprayed each sculpture with a mixture of glue and water to seal them.  As tourists we were able to take a token and vote for our favorite sculpture.  

Lucy and Tyler both voted for the "monsters under the bed" sculpture, but I voted for the "Take Off Eh" sculpture.   

It was a hard choice as all the sculptures were outstanding.  We had a picnic lunch of panago pizza and then headed out to the "Goats on the Roof" which is a market and restaurant.  The roof of which is covered in grass and kept trimmed by goats.  

The market was busy and had a lot of different souvenir type shops.  We bought the kids a toy drum, a train whistle, and papa bought them each a Pez dispenser (Lightening McQueen for Max and Gloria the Hippo for Lucy).  We stopped for a quick icecream and then were on our way back to the car. 

We were surprised when we got to the van and saw a bunny had taken a bit of shade under our vehicle.  Jason got a few lettuce leaves and strawberries to feed the bunny and we stood back and tried to coax the rabbit out.  Max, being his usual fearless self ran straight for the bunny to interact.  Fortunately, the rabbit was just as fearless so he didn't feel intimidated by the close visitors.  

We headed back to Ben and Janet's for a delicious salmon dinner.  The salmon was caught by Ben and his dad on their last fishing trip.  We had fun playing a game called "Battle of the Sexes." and were home late.  The kids headed right to bed and all the older kids played pool for a while.  The day was a mix between grey and sunny so it worked out well to be in and outside.  

Cathedral Grove

On Sunday Afternoon we took a drive to Cathedral Grove where we were able to walk through some of the tallest trees in North America.  They are dwarfed by the California Red Woods, but we were amazed nonetheless. 

 The kids had a fun time running through the pathways and enjoying the cool air of the shade.

  The largest tree in the park is over 800 years old.  It is 76m tall and 9 m around.  It is taller than the leaning tower of Pisa.  It took 7 adults to stretch their arms around the entire base of the tree.  Then we all stood in front to take a picture along the tree that was laying down.

  There was a warning sign at the beginning of the trail to say that if it got really windy you were to exit the park immediately.  This was due to the possibility of the trees falling over.

The vegetation in the grove was amazing as well.  

Everything was so lush and green.  There was a tree that was growing inside the trunk of another tree.  And one that we could all fit inside.

Whale Watching

We spent the day in Victoria and went whale watching.  Nanaimo is a beautiful place if you are on the water and looking out, but the town is not much to see.  Seeing Victoria yesterday was breathtaking.  The architecture and view are amazing.  

We spent most of our time down by the wharf, and it was beautiful.  You can see in the background a building with white columns.  It used to be the head offices for CPRail, but it has now been turned into a Wax Museum.

We headed out on the Catamaran and the Skipper said it would be a 3-hour tour.  (I nearly jumped off, but I decided to trust them as there didn't appear to be a professor or anyone named Maryanne on the boat).  Our whole family took up half of the catamaran and rocked the boat every time we switched sides.  

It was fun to speed out to the open ocean and learn all about the marine life in the area.  We were fortunate to see a few Dall Dolphins who are very friendly and like to engage the boats and swim along side them.  We also saw a few hybrid porpoises (a mix between a Dalls porpoise and a Harbour porpoise).  It's neat because they haven't seen this mix anywhere else in the world.  They are a new phenomenon, so even the biologists are unsure if they have any fertility issues.  We headed out a little further to the coast of Washington State and were able to see a male transient Killer Whale.  

He spent a lot of time between the cluster of boats that were there to see him, but it was difficult to get a good photo.  That was the best part of the trip as Max was able to see the whale most easily.  

On our way back we stopped and saw some Harbour Seals.  The air was cool when the boat was in motion, but as soon as we were back into Victoria, we had to strip our layers as we were covered with our usual layer of sweat.  It was a long day, but a lot of fun.  We thought about having dinner in Victoria as well, but as we came back into Harbour, we saw two huge cruise lines coming in as well, and decided Victoria was about to get very busy.  We stopped in Duncan on the way home and had dinner at the White Spot and then it was home to bed.

The Force is Strong Here

As we pulled into the London Drugs parking lot to get a part for Scott's camera, we noticed a small gathering outside the Silver City movie theatre.  We felt compelled to go an look and take some pictures.  I had no idea Trevor Ganchar was going to be in town, we probably could have given him a ride...although I imagine his Landspeeder is faster than anything we have in this galaxy.  As you can see he's checking out the horsepower on our pontiac van.  "Does that thing even have hyperdrive?"  It sure looked like Trevor, but maybe it was just his clone...

Beach Days

We spent a hot hot day at the beach and had fun building sand castles and cooling off in the water.  The beach was actually on a lake and we found the sand much smoother than the ocean.  

The next day we went to the beach at the ocean and found the water cooler and the sand rougher, but how can you come all this way and not swim in the ocean?!

So far we have seen a jellyfish, crabs (of varying sizes) and hundreds of starfish.  They litter the shoreline when the tide goes out.  They're mostly purple, but every so often you see a red, or grey, or orange one.  We've collected a number to dry out to take as souvenirs.

Ferry Ride

On Wednesday we took the Ferry ride over from Vancouver to the island.  It was amazing to be on the boat and listen to the big horn as we departed.  The kids went up front for a while (it was REALLY windy) and then spent most of their time in the kids room.  

They watched Diego and the Backyardigans and then Lucy played cards with her aunties.  Now that we're at our condo in Nanaimo, we get to see the Ferry come and go all day. 

 Our view is amazing and we get to see the tide come in and out everyday.  We've collected a lot of seashells. 

Vancouver Aquarium

Here we are on Day two of our journey to the island.  We stopped at the Vancouver Aquarium to check out the new baby beluga.  

The kids had a blast and we met up with Janie's cousin Keona and her son Jack who is a few months younger than Lucy. 

 They had a great time seeing all the animals together.

Swimming with Jacob

After we got family photos done on Monday we came home and got in the pool.  Jacob chilled in his tub for a bit and then joined the kids in the pool for a few minutes.