how to start new family vacation traditions.

July 3 2016

So everyone who knows us already knows we always go snowboarding/skiing at Big White for our Christmas holiday but we haven't really had a summer family vacation that we do every year but I think we've figured out how to start a new family vacation tradition....

1. Pick an awesome venue. How about lakeside vacation rental at Cultus Lake? yes, that one will do just fine.

2. Bring fun toys that brings the family together. Enter the stand up paddle board. Everyone had a turn on it (except my mom). Noah's turn lasted all of 60 seconds until he started shrieking to get his feet back on dry land but I am hoping next year he will be braver. The paddle board was hours of entertainment for all of us - testing out how many adults we could put on it until it sank, trying yoga moves and not falling off and my sister trying to do cartwheels off the end.

3. Get Costco to sponsor the trip so no one has to cook much. Enjoy family dinners lake-side.
4. Make the most of lame kid-friendly attractions like Dino Town. I remember going to Dino Town when I was a kid and it looks like it not as changed since the early 90's. The kids loved it though....and when the mascots came out in their dusty costumes that look more archaic than Barney they were so excited for the show! If you are ever having a bad day at work then just think it could be worse and you could be a singing dancing dinosaur mascot. I can still hear the catchy theme song, it keeps me up at night sometimes... Welcome to DinoTown, everybody jump around....*shudder*

 5. Enjoy family time whether you are on a boat, on a board, on the beach, on a roller coaster or just throwing pebbles in the lake.

6. Pre-book your vacation for next year as soon as you get home or you won't get that same lakeside rental again! Then start counting down til next summer famjam!

Foam Festivities.

July 16 2016

It all started when Rachael, Kristin and I were with our kiddos cheering "Go Dad Go!" at the last bike race. Our husbands were buzzing with adrenaline at the finish line and were checking out their medals...we decided that we needed to do a race and get our own medals. The only problem was that none of us really had time to train for anything that actually required much physical stamina. They don't give medals for picking up toys off the floor or making it to preschool drop off on time (never mind, I never make it on time anyways). But we really wanted to do an event together AND get a medal for it which began our search for something just made for us....

Then Rachael found Foam Fest. When we signed up for it, we didn't know much about it. Just that it would involve inflatable slides and some foam and it was in Sun Peaks which meant ROAD TRIP!

We found a perfect house in Sun Peaks that fit all three families with enough bedrooms for 6 adults and 6 kids - and it had a hot tub.

We were envisioning that race day would be a sweltering hot day and we would be frolicking in the foam over some little obstacles and then gracefully gallop towards the finish line. Well on race day morning it looked like it was going to rain and it was cold, SO cold but we had bought matching tank tops and if we opted for warmth and wore hoodies we wouldn't match anymore. So of course we made the only logical decision - we opted for fashion over function and we shivered our way to the starting line.

 It actually ended up being a good idea to ditch the hoodies because we got soaked in mud pretty much 5 minutes after we started the race. There were rope obstacles to climb over and under, foamy water slides and sinking mud pits that we crawled through. Brian (Kristin's husband) tried to follow us through as much of the course as he could and took most of these fabulous action shots. There was also one section of the race where the kids were able to see us and cheer us on. They just looked really puzzled and asked us why we were so dirty...I guess its hard for them to understand that sometimes mommy needs a break from being mom-like and just have some foamy fun!

 It was so fun to do a race where it really wasn't about setting a fast record but laughing through each of the obstacles and of course we all got our hot pink medals and much deserved soak in the hot tub after!

Oh and apparently this is the only obstacle course race in B.C. where the minimum age requirement is only 8 years old so in 3 years we might have a little Foam Fest entourage trailing behind us....just wait and see!

no-so-little anymore.

Dear Nallie-bear,
You just graduated preschool and you probably won't even remember but you were so excited leading up to your graduation ceremony. You sang your graduation song "We are Ready" so many times that even Noah was singing about being ready to leave preschool and going to kindergarten. We picked out the prettiest dress ever (from Value Village of course for $4.99) and Grandma even drove 6 hours to watch you walk across the stage and get your 'preschool diploma' and kids bible. I am thinking you probably won't remember this (it's OK I don't remember mine either) so that I why I am writing this now.

You have grown so much in this last year. This preschool has been so good for you. I look at this picture of you from September 2015 and your cheeks are still so chubby I want to munch on them. You were excited and nervous to start at a new school. This time you had one of your best friends at your side. That makes all the difference. Plus your teachers were so kind and nurturing. There never was a day of not wanting to go to preschool.  After your not-so-great experience with 'old preschool', I was hesitant to put you in any program and I am so glad I did.

And last couple of weeks have been epic growth for you (and me). I realize how much of an introvert you are. You had your first week of church camp. I knew it was going to be intense to do all those field trips with a big group of kids that you don't know. It was  hard to let you be away from me all day. You knew one friend but didn't know any one else. It was hard to leave you every morning. You would cling onto me and I would have to peel you off. Some days tears would be streaming down your face because you were scared and anxious about being at camp. Part of me wanted to scoop you up and just take you home but I knew you could do it and if I took you home you wouldn't know how brave you could be. So I would pray for you and leave you sobbing. That part sucked.

Good thing my mom-instincts were right.

Every day on the ride home, you would be chattering about the songs you learned, the craft you made and that you wish you could go to camp every day. But somehow every morning, the nervous butterflies set in again and drop off at 9:00am were a teary affair. One day I heard you praying aloud before camp, "Dear God, please help me be brave today. Amen." That made my soul smile. I am so proud of you my love.

This week was another camp at a different church. I was worried for Noah since it would be his first time going but it was actually you who was  anxious  every morning. You are such an introvert. Such a sweet, gentle, beautiful spirit. You take in everything from the sidelines and when you get home, you are a non-stop chatterbox showing me everything you did at camp. You know all the actions to the songs. You can recite the bible verse. But apparently at camp, you are too nervous to say anything. That's OK sweetheart. I love you just the way God created you.

You just turned 5 today.

It was a fabulous perfect day. We did rides all day at Playland. You were fearless today. Its so ironic that dancing at church camp is more frightening to you than any roller coaster.

You are starting kindergarten soon. I can't believe I only have one more month left til you go to kindergarten. You are going to rock kindergarten. I know it. But I am also dreading it because I am going to miss you. Like SO much. I feel like life is on fast-forward and I would just like to pause it or freeze it permanently because it's beautiful and I am not sure what is ahead. Life with you two is so loud and exhausting and messy and sometimes unbearably whiny but its also so enriching, fulfilling and altogether life-giving. I love it. I really do. I am scared that things are going to be different when you aren't here with me all day. Noah needs his big sister. I need my little girl. But I guess you aren't so little anymore. Wasn't it yesterday that I was letting you hold my fingers as you took your first steps in our old house? Wasn't it yesterday that we used to slide you back and forth across our kitchen floor like an air hockey puck? (seriously, you totally loved it) Wasn't it yesterday that you were signing 'more' with your pudgy hands? Wasn't it yesterday that you were my shadow and I'd vacuum the house with you glued to my hip?

And you're 5 now? Seriously, where is the pause button, how did this happen?

Well sweetheart, as much as this growing up thing is scaring me....I could not be more proud of the beautiful, introspective and inquisitive little girl you are becoming. I guess you are not-so-little anymore....sorry it's going to take some getting used to. Happy Birthday my love!

assembling my superheroes #runforH20

Thank you for everyone who supported and came out to the Run for H20 event today. Mama got to run 10K and the kids raced in their Run for H20 capes with pride and in the end we surpassed the fundraising goal and raised $65,500 for families in Guatemala! That means an entire community of lived changed for the better!

Here's a recap of the day best told in pictures:

upside down pre-race stretch

Superman made a special appearance - he was such a hit with all the kids

apparently Nallie thinks that is a superhero pose

pre-race Zumba

when Nallie saw me at the finishing stretch, she ran out to cheer me on!

Racers ready: at the starting line of the Kids 1km race

Daddy and The Flash getting ready to run 1 km together

Nallie speeding past

so proud of this little one

The Flash ran the race with his ally Spiderman

The Flash coming making a speedy finish

Proud of my parents and the Bethel Fellowship for raising over $17,288!

Proud of my sister who has such a heart for the people of Guatemala

And that's a wrap!!!