Thanksgiving 2015.

Thanksgiving weekend. So much to be thankful for. A five day weekend, for one. And fun times with friends.

Hanging out with this crew for a day of bowling and restaurant hopping. 

Shoe shopping, while waiting in line at the Olive Garden. No, we didn't buy them!

Dessert at Menchies. 

Having our favorite family stay for conference weekend. 

Oh this little doll. I think I'd do anything for her!

Such great friends! Thankful for these kiddies and their awesome parents!

Fall.

The leaves are dropping fast here, and these two aren't too old yet to have some fall fun. 

I prefer to stay indoors and bake some fall goodies. Then eat them!

Back To School.

First week back to school. Grades 9 and 8. Surreal. 

And it only took me four days to take a "first day of school" photo. 

Windstorm.

They predicted a drastic weather change for last Saturday, calling for a sudden climate drop and a heavy rainfall warning. Instead we embraced balmy temperatures and a windstorm that left more than 300,000 homes in the Lower Mainland without power.

No power reduces us to sad and grumpy measures. And early bedtimes. 

But the storm had its beauty too. An impromptu neighbourhood party gathered several of us together outside, well out of harm's way, sitting to watch and listen as the wind whipped and whistled through the trees. We heard them creak and snap, then stared in awe as they dropped in slow motion. One tree split into two, the second section just barely missing a parked vehicle when it fell. 

"God made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom... He brings forth the wind out from His treasuries and from His storehouses." Jeremiah 10:12,13

We had fun brushing out all these beautiful windswept locks. 

And despite the lack of lighting indoors, there was still a good deal of laughing at the antics of these two little people. 

Day Care Days.

The parents took off on a little trip for a couple of days, and we were privileged to have these darling grandkiddies all to ourselves. First morning... we dropped by Papa's work and brought some donuts, then headed to the grocery store for some survival ingredients. 

These two. Best of friends for about 20 seconds flat.

And the next morning, Miss Leesy wanted to go see Papa at work again. Still trying to figure out if it was Papa she was wanting, or just another pink sprinkle donut from Tim Hortons. 

Lots of laughs for us, bonding with these two. And I think I played a bazillion games of hide and seek in the space of 48 hours. You would've had a few laughs at me if you'd been here. 

Haha. Glad you weren't!

WA Weekend - Part 2.

Seattle. Only a drive of a couple of hours from Vancouver, but hadn't ever been there. So this summer, decided it was time to visit. Our wonderful hosts became our tour guides for the day and planned our whole itinerary. Told you, they are amazing. And there's no way we would have ever gotten to see so many interesting places, or sample so much free chocolate, without them!

So here goes. First stop, the Ballard Locks.

Then a stop by the Troll. Who lives in the Fremont area of Seattle, under the Aurora Streèt Bridge.

Then off to the Theo Chocolate Factory, where we skipped the tour but ate all of the free samples. 

Famous for their organic chocolate. Orange chocolate. Mint chocolate. Roasted almond chocolate. Coconut chocolate. Coffee chocolate, and more. Tried them all. Loved them all. 

Then to the recently opened Starbucks Reserve on Pike Place. Me, at my happy place. 

You seriously have all of your five senses working in unison here. Watch them roast, bag and label their famous coffee beans. Taste their different brews of coffee and tea. 

Then to Pier 66, where we parked and headed on foot to the famous Pike Place Market.

Seafood section. 

Flowers for sale.

The real-life, green statue. 

The sad and lonely balloon man.

And last, but definitely not least, the original Starbucks location. 

Then the kids rode the Great Wheel. 

                   (photo credit: DL Kazen)

Then we took some family photos on the pier. 

And then scouted out Gum Alley.

Then a visit to Fran's Chocolatier and Coffee Shop. Fewer samples here, but definitely more wow.

This wall portrait is made up entirely of chocolate. Sweet eh? 

Our friends purchased some lovely flowers at the market.

                                                       (photo credit: DL Kazen)

Which the lovely husbands carried to stash away in the parked vehicle.

While the rest of us waited for them to return, and made some rather impolite comments about the two of them. No worries though. A couple of guys wearing skinny shorts and carrying flower bouquets along the streets of Seattle looks perfectly normal here. 

Then we had to say goodbye. And drove home, alongside this spectacular sunset. Photo credit for this one goes to Miss Kayleigh. 

WA Weekend - Part 1.

Spent the last couple of days with our friends in Marysville. D and DL. Amazing couple. They have had renown mention on this blog before, because our friendship now dates back almost 17 years. Since then, our four kids have grown up together, and are now embracing the teenage years. Lovely stage in life. Definitely some more wrinkles on the horizon for us parents! 

Here they are today. 

And how they used to be! Not terribly long ago! Weren't they cute?

And while our teenagers may no longer like to be deemed "cute", the three little people added to this family in recent years certainly maintain the cuteness factor around here!

Looking forward to some more fun tomorrow. Stay tuned for WA Weekend - Part 2!