CAMPING

I think in a prior post I mentioned that Marc and I had sat down with the calendar and marked down what we wanted to do this summer. We though we would give camping a try as the kids hadn't experienced that yet. We went to Coquihalla Campground in Hope and got a site right on the river. We spent hours playing in the water and throwing rocks. We had an incredible time and really enjoyed just being "family." On Monday we headed to the Othello Tunnels which the kids thought were "so cool." Here are some pictures of our time.

Benjamin played with sticks quite a lot...even sticks that were on fire. I had a bit of a problem with that but Marc just laughed.

We had to borrow Marc's dad's van so that we could fit all our stuff. Hannah was super excited.

Benjamin loved playing in the river and even though he fell in 3 times he kept going back for more. We finally decided swimming trunks were required. (Next time I'll be sure to pack more undies.)

Hannah loved everything about camping and was a great playmate for her little brother.

Roasting marshmallows for the very first time.

Enjoying a morning cup of hot chocolate.

My family in the tunnels.

The kids hiding in their "cubbie" in the tunnel wall.

Just chillin' at the campsite and enjoying a refreshing beverage.

Hannah doesn't look very excited (I think because she knew it was almost bedtime.)

My handsome boys.

Family Hike

This summer we have been trying to stay active. Everyday we try to spend at least an hour exercising in some way. So on Tuesday we headed out to Maple Ridge and hiked around Kanaka Creek. We had a great time and the weather was perfect. We walked off the path down to the river and enjoyed a snack on the rocks. It was a wonderful way to spend time as a family. Take a look.

Summer Fun

We are really enjoying our summer but it seems it is just flying by. We actually took out the calendar the other night just to pencil in things we want to do and things we need to do. I figured if we didn't, September would roll around and nothing will have gotten done. It's pretty easy to do nothing with the gorgeous weather we've been having. We love to just hang out in our back yard and be lazy. Here are a few pics of the kids being silly and the kids making a mess with ice-cream. Marc caved tonight when we heard the ice-cream truck coming. The kids thought it was pretty cool. The last picture is of my men mowing the lawn. I guess that means that we aren't being totally lazy.

VBS

This week has been a busy but good one. Our church joined together with the other church in Greendale and held "Powerlab" Vacation Bible School. We had a lot of fun and the week went very well. All the kids seemed to enjoy themselves plus I think they learned a lot too. Here are a few pictures of my kids enjoying themselves.

Ben with his very cool Science goggles.

Hannah during craft time with her friend.

Benjamin learning how to make bubbles.

Hannah enjoying her daily snack with a friend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

We had a wonderful day together as a family. I am so thankful to be living in a free country where we can truly live the way we want. I am thankful that we can give our kids so much (too much) and we have so much to be thankful for. Here are a few pictures of our day. First we went to the parade and then off to the Canada Day Festivities. The slip and slide is always a favourite as is the hat making at the library booth, the bouncy castles and the face painting. We finished up the afternoon at McDonalds getting an ice-cream and we did a lot of laughing together. What a great day.

With much thanksgiving!!!

It is with much joy in my heart that I say "THANK YOU" to whoever invented the fan...but much more importantly I say 'THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU" to whoever invented the air conditioner. It has been a life saver. Above is our new one (with remote) that we put in our bedroom. Below is the one we put in Ben's room. The kids are now bunking together in his room and we don't hear "It's too hot." Instead we hear "I don't want her to sleep in here." Oh well.

This picture shows what our kids have been doing after long days in the sun. I put a movie on my laptop and they lay on the floor in Ben's room where it is nice and cool and relax for the evening. They love it and you can tell they are really into the movie.