Pender Island, B.C.

 This past weekend I had the amazing fortune to gather with six lovely women for a Pender Island getaway. It was one of the best wildlife experiences I have had - from seeing a pod of at least 15 killer whales go splashing by our patio, to hand feeding deer in the garden....it just felt like we were at the right place at the right time. One afternoon we even had a deer follow us along on a walk....it was definitely a magical weekend. We found new trails to venture, ate gourmet meals cooked by the group, danced the night away - it was all that you could ask for from a great getaway.

Hornby Island, B.C.

I'm a huge fan of B.C.'s Gulf Islands - there's something so utterly charming about the way people live - the pace, the natural beauty, the roadside stands full of beautiful flowers or farm fresh veggies...

We spent four days camping on Hornby Island and it quickly won me over. Here are a few images from our getaway:

They wanted to help build the campfire....but I think they might have mixed it up with Jenga because it's looking like they're building a four alarm blaze.

These moments  are what it's all about.

Early morning reading

This photographer had heart palpitations during the making of this photo.

Who's a cutie?

Tribune Bay

Breakfast outside, campstove coffee and these two - heaven.

The beautiful bluffs at Helliwell Provincial Park. Helligreat.

Cardboard House Bakery: Delicious food within a parklike setting with a giant bike rack for people to come gather on their travels. I couldn't recommend this island more. xo

Harrison Hot Springs

We had a mini getaway to Harrison for one of Craig's bike races. He shaved an entire hour off his time last year and placed 12th overall! It was such an awesome experience for us to celebrate with him. Even though it was just an overnight getaway, sitting in those hot springs, going out for a nice dinner and staring out at that gorgeous lake sure was rejuvenating.

Mill Lake Park, Abbotsford

Hi friends! How's your Summer been? Over the next short while, I'm going to play catch up on some of our little highlights so far....I hope you've had a wonderful time enjoying the great outdoors! This is definitely the time when our province makes it oh so appealing to stay close to home. It's just beautiful. Here are some photos from back at the end of June. One of my favourite things to do is to explore places I've never been before. Here's a beautiful park to walk around, complete with a water park and numerous playgrounds along the little 2.5 km lakeside loop. It's called Mill Lake, and it was a great spot to spend the day and bring a picnic.

Living the dream

This weekend we went to visit my niece's gorgeous home in Mission. It was the most spectacular piece of property I have had the luck of exploring. I think she's pretty much going to have to live there forever because I can't imagine a more beautiful place to call home.

 The view from their front yard

 The view from the back yard (Yes, the mountain is also on their property).

 Papa, having a blast. 

 Their beautiful homestead.

Our daughter tossing sticks for one of three awesome dogs living on the property.

Watching her have so much fun adventuring around the property made me just keep thinking, this is how we are supposed to live - not sitting in traffic running around doing errands, but just enjoying everyone's company, playing in the great outdoors and ignoring the clocks.

Someone has to keep all those dogs in line.

Sweet cousins

walking in a winter wonderland

The endless fresh air. The jaw dropping beauty of snow capped trees. Tossing ourselves down the hillside on toboggans with friends. Feeling like a kid, with my kid. These are the best days, where I feel like my cup is just full to the brim.
Parenting feels circular to me. In carving out little adventures for our family, I get to experience things all over again, through our daughter's lit up face, through her questions and observations. I get to do little things for her that my mom did for me, and in that moment, feel connected to my mom and the memory of us. Riding down the hill on our sled, holding onto my little girl, I'm instantly reminded of my mom holding me, and us wiping out on our old wooden toboggan, and making snow angels side by side, laughing in the snow. Motherhood feels like this string that I'm holding, linking me from one generation to the next. And I'm holding on with all my might.
One of my absolute favourite instagram accounts is thegraygang - she is someone who I completely relate to in terms of her outlook on life, on how her heart speaks.
This quote on one of her recent photos, resonated so deeply.  I wanted to share it with you because it epitomizes exactly how I feel:

"The truth is I don't have to be great at everything or even a handful of things -- but I've gotta be great at mothering. Not for you but for me. For my own reasons. And this doesn't make me irrelevant or weak; this instead gives me the greatest joy there is. The other crap can fall by the curbside but my family must always come first. Not because I have built my identity around them -- but because in the process of giving myself to my children, I have found myself."

xoxo

Our first Bowyer Island family boondoggle....

Hello friends! How is your Summer going? Can you believe how quickly it is flying by? We just spent a lovely weekend away with our relatives. Do you do family getaways with your extended family? I can't tell you how much I love them - it's the best way to pack in ample, uninterrupted quality time. It also helps that this group is hilarious. I swear, I spent so much time doubled over laughing that my cheeks were sore by the end of the weekend (the ones on my face) - and it doesn't get better than that for me. Being outside all weekend, in this stunning setting, I swear, adds years to our lives. Every time I'm spending time in BC's beautiful coastal islands, I always tell whoever is in earshot, that this is how we're meant to live. Here's a little peek into our weekend over on Bowyer Island:

 The island is only accessible by boat.

This is the island's communal Kawasaki Mule used to cart everyone's gear from the dock to the cabins.

This would be the island's main roadway and since the only vehicle is that Kawasaki, traffic jams are pretty minimal.

 Getting back to nature. Ye old poop deck.(The cabin itself had a composting toilet in the bathroom, but it's for "#1" jobs only).

This time together means Everything to me. 

 Al Fresco dining at its best. 

 A beautiful visitor.

 Cocktails + Cards Against Humanity = Hilarity. It's simple math.

(For those wondering, the cabin lights are run off solar power or by propane).

The Kildare Estates beach.

ello ello.

 The diving platform.

 An awesome way to spend the day.

 The gang.

xoxo