Hey kids, wait up for your mama!

3 moms and 7 kids.

3.7 km roundtrip.

535 m of elevation.

At the top in just over an hour!

We thought we would have to encourage and possibly bribe the children to make it to the top but the magical thing that happens when you hike with friends (especially all boys)  is the competition instantly kicks in and it’s the three moms that are left breathless and in the dust yelling, "Hey kids, wait up for mom!" They stormed up that mountain so fast...it wasn't that long ago when they were toddlers in hiking back packs, how are they this much faster than us now?

The kids loved the part with the ladders and chains or I assume they liked that part, we didn't actually see them do it because they were so far ahead of us...

The frolicked up the steep parts like mountain goats...

We were at the top quicker than it takes for the kids to get ready for school most days...

Last time we hiked the Chief, there was no view because it was such a foggy day. Today redeemed all that, the view was GLORIOUS...

I cannot believe we were in the parking lot an hour or so ago and now on top of the world

So I guess we've reached the milestone where the kids can out-hike the moms...they scampered back down the trail like little squirrels while the moms all tried to keep them in our sight being careful with our weak ankles and achy knees. 

But alas, we must have done something right if they still want to go hiking with their moms and at the end of the hike, at least every mom had one kid that slowed down enough to hold hands and hike together for a little while. They were not tired when we got back to the parking lot, they would have gone further to the second and third peak if we had let them. That just means the adventure continues and we'll be back!

Let's Go for a Drive!

Two of our good friends just got 4x4 trucks and that meant we needed to go for a drive and plan for an adventure...

Start with a remote location (campground past Harrison Hot Springs)

Add some friends

Give all the kids 2-way radios

Add arm them each with a  Nerf gun

And let them run wild and free in the campground

Our friends came prepared with tent shelters so even with the scattered showers we were  able to chill by the campfire and relax. We kept one of the radios and it was so entertaining listening to the conversation during their epic Nerf gun battle

"I'm hiding behind the rock. Over!"

"They saw us, run for it! Over!"

"May Day! May Day! Over!"

"Back up! Back up!  I need back up! Over!"

We brought our camping stove and chef Simon sautéed hotdogs (with a hatchet of course)

After lunch, we explored the trails together, the trees look straight out of a Dr. Seuss book

We even stumbled along an amazing waterfalls

I would highly recommend bringing walkie-talkie radios and Nerf guns on the next family adventure again. The kids had the radios on the 2 hour drive home and it was pretty amusing listening to the running commentary as they talked to their friend... "We passed the blue car, did you pass it yet? Over!" "We saw Sasquatch on a sign, over!" "We are at a red light, I repeat we are at a red light, over!"

Til the next adventure. Over!

Pandemic Christmas 2020.

For the first time EVER we spent Christmas at home without seeing my parents, in-laws or friends. These were the headlines in Dec 2020, the song, "I'll be home for Christmas" has new meaning... now we are literally home with no one else coming inside or even sitting in our yard...

All the usual Christmas festivities like Van Dusen Gardens, Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain, Santa Clause Parade, Heritage Christsmas at Burnaby Village musuem are all cancelled. Some malls are still having pictures with Santa but there's no sitting on Santa's lap, you have to sit in a different chair 6 feet away from Santa or through the powers of Photoshop, kids are being magically placed onto Santa's lap.

Our Christmas plans had to be cancelled just like everyone else's. We could not go to Enderby and spend Christmas Eve to Boxing Day at the farm like we have for the last decade and half. We couldn't go to Big White and spend Dec 26 to New Years with my family at AirBnB 'Fun House". This was all very devastating. So much of Christmas is traditions and yes I admit I was sulking and pouting for awhile but then we tried to make Christmas at home the most memorable we could. We started with making our annual Christmas card to commemorate all the Lysol, hand sanitizer and toilet paper hoarding that was 2020

I was happy we could still do our daily "Advent Adventures" we do each yeaer. Each day from Dec 1st til Christmas, the kids take out two cards from the advent pockets, one card has a story from the Jesus Story Book bible and the other has a fun activity. We decorated the Christmas tree, baked sugar cookies, played board games, watched The Grinch, danced with strobe lights in the kitchen and on Christmas Eve, the kids slept under the Christmas tree...

Traditionally my sister takes the kids for a day and makes Gingerbread houses with them but due to the restrictions this year, Auntie Rainbee dropped off a bunch of activities with cute little messages wrapped with ribbon in scrolls for the kids to open up...

The kids enjoyed their first ever socially-distanced, Zoom Gingerbread House date with their auntie.

The kids were so happy to wake up in the living room under the tree and their stockings...

A little inside joke: we have seen the ad for Fisherman Friends a million times when we watch the Amazing Race as a family - we have collectively decided that is the most annoying commercial ever so we got an amazing reaction from the kids when they unwrapped those cough drops in their Christmas stockings

We couldn't see Grandpa and Grandma on Christmas but we were able to send some glad tidings on Zoom and the kids showed off the Gingerbread house they had made.

We had a socially distanced, Zoom Christmas dinner with my parents, my sister and her room-mate. It was the easiest Christmas dinner ever - no one spent hours in the kitchen this year. We even played Scattergories on Zoom after dinner which worked better than I had imagined. Yay technology!  

On Boxing Day, we went up to Mount Seymour and skied in style...Lil Bro wore his Christmas PJs and Big Sis wore my ugly Christmas elf sweater. 

Since we couldn't go to Big White or Whistler, we decided to explore a local ski resort we had never been to called Sasquatch and it turned out to be way better than expected. We had amazing powder both days we skied there. 

The condo we rented was pretty rustic and we had a few unexpected surprises like the previous person leaving a plastic container inside the oven and I didn't check inside before preheating the oven which led to melting plastic and the smoke alarm going off multiple times as I ran around the condo trying to open windows and find where the smoke alarm was so I could fan like a maniac but once the alarm stopped and we got the wood fireplace going, we enjoyed our books with the windows open with just a hint of burning plastic in the air. 

After the first night in the rustic condo, we spent the second night after we skied at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. The kids enjoyed swimming in the outdoor pools and we were so pleased to discover the hot tub was still open.

The first meal of 2021 was delicious - eggs benny and Belgium waffles with strawberries

We registered the kids for the 1km Resolution Run which of course ended up being a virtual run. Since we were at Harrison, we planned the 1km lap around the Harrison lagoon. The kids were so excited to start the year off with a race...

On your marks, get set, GO!

congratulatory handshake and prize ceremony with Daddy

So that's a wrap on 2020. Probably the most difficult and unexpected year we have had but admist the disappointment and frustrations of this year, we have learned that this family can do hard things so bring on 2021. Let's get through this together...