It's a Tradition

Every year (for quite some time now),

we make an effort to 

go to Burnaby Village Museum one evening

prior to Christmas Day.

It's a tradition.

And, a wonderful one at that!  :)

We ran into friends on our way in.

In fact, these are the friends who

originally told us about this fabulous museum.

How fun is that?

We enjoyed going through much of it together.

And, when we parted company,

we reconnected throughout the evening.

We couldn't have planned it better if we had tried!  

Since Calvin is our family photographer,

Howie and I get into more photos together.

It's a new thing.

We're Canadian...can you tell?

Our sweet friends rode with us on

the restored carousel.

And, Calvin took photos.  
In the photo below ~
Fraser and I are standing on the left of the carousel,
Austin, Emma and Howie are seated on their mounts!  :)

Even Austin was able to join in!

What a blessing!!

Here's our favourite house on this site.

It's in its original location ~

built about 100 years ago.

Yes, in Canada, that is old enough to be in a museum!  

Want to come in for some hot chocolate

or hot apple cider?

Emma and I would enjoy hosting you here!  

Ah...there's Calvin!!

He did a self-timed photo and jumped into

it so we could all be together.  :)

We like to end the evening with a stop

at Krispy Kreme on the way home.

Dear me!  It's a dangerous thing to do!!

What are some of the special traditions you have

with your family in the days around Christmas?

It would be lovely if you would share!  :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photos in this post courtesy of Calvin ~

Thank you my love!  XO

And the Love Continues to Grow

It finally happened.

Emma got to ride a horse!

In our area we have DealFind.

And, it found a deal for me!

Three one hour lessons for a ridiculously low price.

Apart from the fact that it took us

over an hour to get to the riding stable,

it was very, very economical.

What a blessing!

Emma has always

(since she knew what they were) loved horses.

This was a dream come true.

These were lessons, after all,

and part of the package was grooming the horse.

Emma got to get up close and personal with Flynn

right off the bat!

She loved it.

After being taught the basics,

Emma was handling the horse by herself!

She got to do a few laps of the ring...

so exciting!

Posing for Mama.

Two more lessons to go!

And the love for horses grows.

Many Blessings,

Camille

Conquering Mayne

Conquering Mayne.

Well...actually only half of Mayne.

So, I don't think it is accurate

to say that we *conquered* after all.

But, it was the way we felt!

Mayne Island is one of the Gulf Islands off the coast of British Columbia ~

About an hour's sail from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.

We cycled it. All of us.

Even Austin was able to do it ~

What a blessing!

What a miracle!!

The day before Fraser's 13th Birthday,

we went over to Mayne Island for the day.

We walked onto the ferry with our bikes in

the morning, and returned about eight hours later.

Here we are about half way through our cycling adventure...

do we look like we know what we are doing?

Have you ever cycled a little island?

They tend to be hilly.

It seems like so much of it was UP.

As soon as we rode off the ferry we were going up.

Up and up and up.

First stop ~ the Lighthouse

for a picnic and some exploring time.

And, the required photo shoot ~

Of course! :)

Isn't the view from this spot pretty?

And, while the children did some of this...

And some of this...

We did a little of this...

I was feeling it for a few days afterward.

But, it was worth it.

And, I would do it all over again.

Just not anytime too soon ~ LOL!

How about you?

Are you doing anything *special* this Summer?

Our *special* times are being slotted in

a day here and a day there ~ it's been a blessing.

Sometimes it's the very best thing to do.

Whatever you all are up to,

I trust you are enjoying it!

Blessings to you!

Camille

**Photos in this post were taken

with Calvin and Emma's point and shoot cameras,

and I cannot properly account for who took what. :)

Staying Local

Summer took a LONG time to arrive ~

and now it seems to have disappeared again.

It's the way it is in this part of the world.

We make the most of it.

When the days are warm,

it's always a joy to go to the beach.

We have a local favourite ~

It includes a play area and fire pits.

We were there one afternoon/evening last week.

If you click on the image below,

and look into the distance,

you will see Calvin (in a red t-shirt ~

just to the left of the swing set pole),

and Austin (in a yellow t-shirt ~

at the very far right of the picture) playing Frisbee!

It was an unplanned surprise that I captured

them in this photo! How fun is that? :)

"Our spot" for the first part of the evening.

Can you see the white mountain-top

in the middle of the sky just above the umbrella?

That's Mount Baker ~ pretty, isn't it? :)

The boys had a little Frisbee game going while

Fraser and Emma were at the park ~ I even joined in.

Howie was with the other two ~

he got a chance to play a little later on.

Water activities were enjoyed ~ Of course!

We ended the evening with a cook-out ~

What a treat!

We were so smoky when we arrived home ~

showers were needed all around.

But, it was well worth it!

We have plans for day outings locally this summer ~

It's a blessing to block a day off here and there

to enjoy the area the LORD has placed us in.

What about you?

Do you have any summer plans?

Please do tell!

Happy Summer to you all!

With Love,

Camille

A Day in the City

Austin had an appointment
at Children's Hospital.
We had Auntie Mary with us.
So, we decided to make
a day of it and head into
the city.

We packed a lunch
and drove straight to
Stanley Park.
First stop ~
A park bench to sit
on while eating.

It was lovely.

Fraser and Emma didn't fit

on the bench,
so they got prime seating!

They were happy with
the arrangement. :)

It was a special time ~
Made extra special because
we had Auntie Mary with us! :)

The photographers
worked hard for their shots.

Do you see the
Lions Gate Bridge
in the background?

Howie had a little moment of peace ~
This was taken with the *zoom* lens
from quite a distance away! :)

Of course we had to have
a few photo shoots ~
Thank you Auntie Mary! :)

Calvin enjoys taking
*action* shots ~
And I enjoy posting them!

Sheer joy! :)

On the way home we were able
get into the third lane through the tunnel.
(During rush hour a lane opens
up on the opposite side).
It's a great thing!

We took Auntie Mary to
the White Spot for dinner
where most of us enjoyed a Legendary.
Mmmm....it was good!

God has graciously given
us a precious Auntie who
we love very much.
It has been such a pleasure
to have had her with us this
last little while.

Blessings to you each one!
With love,
Camille

**All photos in this post courtesy
of Calvin ~ Thank you my love. xo

Burnaby Village Museum

Burnaby Village Museum
is a local family favourite.
Especially at Christmas.
Decorated and lit up for the Season,
it is magical.

A re-created early 1900's
town with authentic buildings
and volunteers in period costume ~
It's a little like
stepping back in time.

In the evenings leading
up to Christmas, there are activities
and extra special things for families to enjoy.

We found ourselves there
one evening a few days before Christmas.

Our first stop?
The Carousel. :)
Calvin was my photographer ~
he chose not to ride.

A recent addition to the museum is
a beautiful, completely restored
Interurban Tram Car ~
From the era before most owned their
own transportation.
My Dad rode on one of these
as a young boy growing up in Vancouver.
(A little slice of personal history).

Did they look as nice as this back then Dad? :)

Here's a portion of the *main street*
with Howie and Fraser facing the camera.
I'm at the far left in this shot and
Emma is running toward me...
we're a little blurred ~
See us? :)

My Sweetie and me! :)


Thank you Calvin for taking
the photos!
It's tempting to stop
bringing my camera along with
me to things like this.
But then I remember that
it's necessary.
Often the photographer
gets left out of the pictures! :(

Next time it's my turn Calvin. XO

What are some of your family favourites?
Do you have special places you like
to visit during Christmas?

Please share!

Many Blessings,
Camille