Swimming in Potholes

On Sunday, after church, we went for an afternoon picnic in the park. We are trying to see everything we can while we are here in Victoria, and we'd heard the "Sooke Potholes" were worth the drive, so we loaded up and headed out. Turns out a chilly Sunday afternoon, while not the most ideal time to swim in the Sooke Potholes, is definitely the best time to visit the Potholes if you want them all to yourselves.  It was beautiful, and there were so many perfect skipping stones that Eli almost didn't mind not jumping in.

I spent the time playing around with the settings on my camera! 

"Look mom, this rock looks like a nose!"

 Don't eat the rocks, Silas.

 Eli's idea of dunking himself in the water. 

 I can't get enough of this profile. I love this boy!

 "I'm the leafy treetop!"

And, for the few moments I wasn't snapping pictures, I was enjoying the afternoon from here.

Spider Man Visits Victoria Harbor

We happened to pick the most perfect day to explore Victoria Harbor.  The weather was gorgeous, we found facepainters who were painting for donations (fit our budget perfectly) and there was a bagpipe band performing on the lawn of the legislature building. It really doesn't more perfect than that, now does it?

 I'm not sure what the "Legislative Grounds Protection Regulations" can do, but I think if they don't want a tree climbed, they should probably not have the most fabulous climbing tree accessable to everyone who walks on the grounds.  So there! Spider Man does what he wants, when he wants.

 I've been told that this hotel is where the royal family stays while they are in Victoria. I'm thinking that doesn't happen all too often, but hey, if they need a claim to fame, I'll give it to them. I've also heard that they have the greatest tea EVER (maybe that's why Queeny and her family like to stay there...).

Buccaneer Days in Esquimalt

Celebrating birthday week is a ball!  On Saturday, mohawks cut, pirate costume on, we sailed for the fine port of Esquimalt for their celebration of Buccaneer Days!  Fabulous pancake breakfast, a Buccaneer parade, an overly expensive midway and a free child's pirate den made for a day we couldn't complain about!

"Arrrghhhh!"  Eli opened his first present in the morning. Of course, being the good mother I am, I "wrapped" it in a Planet Organic grocery bag, didn't take any pictures of the event, and he had watched me making the entire thing earlier, so there really was no surprise.  In any case, he got a pirate costume, and couldn't have been happier.

Want to make a pirate costume for your own little?  Well, let me tell you just how easy, and cheap, it is.  We went to Value Village and picked the very cheapest white shirt.  I didn't care what size or how dirty it was, I just wanted cheap, after all, pirates don't care about size or cleanliness, right?  I got this one for $2.  Then I picked off the top three buttons, used a seam ripper to make a few more "button holes" on both sides of the shirt (four total on each side), strung some leather through, and tied a knot.  Then I cut off the arms all jagged like, and called it a day!  The bandana was from Michaels for $3, and he just wore some dark shorts.  If I had found some for less than $2, I would have bought some black pants and cut them off the same as the arms, but I had no luck in that department.  He be a mighty fine pirate, don't ye think, mateys?

Then we headed off for the Buccaneer Day's pancake breakfast.  Let me tell you, it was no Stampede Breakfast, but it was fun none the less. I don't know why I  got such a kick out of this, but check out our "juice" options. I'm not sure if there was any apples or oranges in attendance at this breakfast.  We gave them to the people sitting next to us and stuck with our water.

Then we watched the parade.  Again, shame on me for comparing, but it was a far cry from the Raymond July 1st parade (very little candy...), but we were entertained.

 Arrrghhhh!

 I have no idea.  Pirate Jedi?

 No candy, but we did get paper pirate hats.

After the parade we walked through the midway, quickly decided we weren't prepared to spend $5 on a single ride, and found the Child's Pirate Den, where everything was free, and the boys were totally happy. 

 What kind of pirates would they be without tattoos? Not very good ones, I would venture. 

 Yeah for Buccaneers! 

Victoria Catch Up

Like I said, I'm back in Victoria!  Tomorrow kickstarts Eli's "Birthday Week."  That's right, we are celebrating his fourth birthday for an entire WEEK.  You see, Eli wants a pirate birthday, and seeing as we are in the best place ever to celebrate such a birthday, why not make sure we do it up right.  We just couldn't do that in only one day, so we welcome Birthday week!!!  We're starting it off by going to Buccaneer Days in Esquimalt! It's like The Calgary Stampede, but with Pirates instead of Cowboys!  How can we resist!  We've got costumes, and the boys have done their hair (just wait!), and I have never been so excited for a birthday week in my life (except, perhaps, when I was four - I don't really rememeber, but I'm guessing.)

But until tomorrow, let me grace you with some more beautiful pictures of this beautiful island I am living on.  This one we visited before we left. Can I say that I love castles?  Why are there no castles in Calgary?  I think when I become rediculously rich I will build one for myself. While the vast majority of the time I dream of being part of a Louis Lamour book, sometimes I think it would be awefully neat to be in a Jane Austen novel as well.  Couldn't I combine the two, somehow.  In any case, my castle will look something like this:

 But, my lion fountain will work much better than this:

 And I will have one of these crazy monkey trees in my yard, although, seeing as I will have a castle, I will call my yard a garden, or a courtyard, or something even more delightful.

 Of course, once we got back the first order of business was obvious.  We went straight to the beach to hunt for sea stars. We didn't find any, but we did find crabs.  Lots of crabs. And dead crabs, crab shells, crab legs... you get the point. 

 

You think we'd learn and bring a change of clothes when we go to the beach, but no, we always leave with the boys in their unders because their clothes are filthy and wet. Oh well, they have fun.

Come back tomorrow for Eli's Birthday Week, 2011!!!  Yeah!

We're Back

Perhaps I have confused you with my onslaught of posts about Victoria, and then my silence about it.  No, I did not fall out of love.  No, nothing terrible happened.  Yes, I'm back, and extremely happy about it.  You see, only three short weeks into our Victoria adventure the boys and I had to return to Calgary to take care of a few things, the most important of which was that I had to attend a birth, as a doula.  Although the baby chose to come a week late, and although I was itching to be back in Victoria, I was so glad to have been there.  I love what I do!  It was an amazingly beautiful birth, the momma laboured for 15 1/4 hours, pushed out her sweet baby in only 4 contractions, and nine minutes, held her newborn bundle on her chest for half an hour before any measurements or anything were done on her, and then breastfed right away. It could not have been more perfect!  I can't believe how much I love each of the couples and babies that I work with.  My favourite part is watching the dads comfort the moms.  The love I see in the eyes of a husband, watching his wife go through that to bring their baby into the world is absolutely priceless.  Honestly, I love what I do!

If you are wondering what happened with the Slave Lake collection, I'm happy to report that my friend Katey and her family we able to take full advantage of all the wonderful donations.  She still hadn't been home when she came by to go through the bags and bags of things, and she was able to take so many things that she needed for her family.  I was so overcome with the generosity of those who donated as I went through the rest of the things to organize it for donation.  With the outpouring of love from so many people, the people in Slave Lake were pretty specific about what they needed to be donated.  I was able to give what they needed, and anything that was left over I made sure it got to women in need in Calgary (through a few different shelters and organizations.)  Again, thank you so much for showing me what charity really is.  I wasn't the recipient of the donations, but I certainly gained from the experience.  To all of you who helped out, thanks!


Also while I was in Calgary I spent two entire weekends with Jared's family.  It was wonderful.  My nefew, Henrik (I saw him being born, too) was blessed at church, and there was a big family party afterward.  I love baby blessings, because everyone gathers together, not only to welcome the baby into the world, but to welcome them into the gospel, and as part of the plan of salvation.  I love seeing the babies surrounded by the arms of the Priesthood, held up by the worthy members of their family.  It is such a wonderful metaphor for the rest of their lives!  I love baby Henrik so much!

The next weekend I went to a Hudson Family Reunion, Jared's mom's family. I am so blessed to have made it into such a wonderful family. Seriously.  Some would think that a weekend with 50+ people would be a little overwhelming, but for me it was total comfort.  I wouldn't know what to do without the madness of such a big family around me.  We went to the zoo, partied at the church together, and otherwise just caught up on the lives of each other since the last Hudson gathering. I'm not sure how many people are as lucky as me to have in-laws that are as much family as their own. 

 

 Trying out ape arms.  Check out Eli's mean ape face.

 

 Eli helped Rhiannon be an ape, too

 You should hear Silas's peacock call. It's actually quite accurate.

Eli and Uncle Michael watching some baby goslings out the window (and yes, I realize that "baby goslings' is a little redundant, but that's what they are.)

 Silas and Aunt Rose.

And while we were at the zoo, we saw this guy:

He was over here, too.

And I think that brings me back to Victoria, where we have just two more weeks to see and do it all. I wish it were a month, or two, but I plan on making the most of it.  I really do love this place!