Fern Gully

Calling our spot at Cowichan River (Stoltz) Fern Gully but the whole place is the land of the lost.  It's a small campsite.  We've been all over it. There has been lots and lots of relaxing.  Naps. A couple movies. Some games. We do miss having friends around but we're having fun.

Lots of exploring. Lots and lots of walking.  Actually wearing down the tires on the dog stroller!

Haha. Then Luk ran to the closest site to see their site number to pin point exactly where we were.

This is the field we used to take Jr. and Kady to run in.

A little rock throwing.  I couldn't get the stroller where they were.

Jia and I made a daisy chain for Coco but there was no chance we could get her to stay still for a photo.

Finn didn't care for laying in the daisys.  He scrambled up.

1st trip ever that Isabel was tired.  

Lili and Fei came out for dinner and a hike.

No cell service. No wifi.  No data.  Just lots of quiet down time. Caught Jia drawing by flashlight ;)

We walked a few kms and went by the old homestead.  I loved, loved, loved this house.  I dream it all the time.  So many projects all weekend warrior stuff.  Unfortunately almost all of the trees have been cut down.  I used to secretly (not so secretly) hope that once the kids were gone it would come up for sale and we could go home.  It just doesn't look like home without the forest though.

Land of the lost.

One of the best things we've ever bought for pets. Right up there with the super yard xt.

We picked from the neighborhood.

She made us a bouquet for our anniversary. A bit wilty here but it perked up with water.

We peed, please let us out!

We saw a bear!  Kids first bear sighting. Jia was surprised at how small it was.  It wasn't that small.  Kai missed it.  Eric slammed the TV screen up and he was too busy fussing about that to bother looking out the window.  Luk wasn't talking so we're not positive he saw the bear or just the photos after.

This was right at the entrance to the park. So all my warnings about bears 🐻 in the park are no longer fiction ;)

Coco and Finn.  Bonding very, very slowly.

Lik em stick ems. We hiked to the river to enjoy the powdered sugar treat.  We were anticipating a major disaster with Kai but he did fabulously.  

Wasn't able to catch her licking the Fun Dip.

This wasn't posed!  Honestly just caught them laying together to watch the boys.

I love this picture. Check out Coco's smile.

So pretty at the river. Love the matching pride harnesses and leashes.

Finn.  Looking majestic.  

Piled 3 high!  It's clear I should have bought the couch instead of the chair.

We've brought the kids in for school from the campsite. 1st time for that!  Today is our 29th wedding anniversary.  The plan is to pick the kids up and bring them home.  Lili and Fei sitting tonight for us. Not positive yet what the plan will be.  Definitely heading back to the campsite for dinner. Could come home later or spend the night.  Not sure how Lili and Fei will manage getting the kids ready for school. Plus Finn has to be at the vet office early tomorrow for his neuter.

Lili and Fei are vaccinated!!  

Mail Delivery

A bunch of little packages from China and Canada Post put them all into one big package.  So I got them all at once.  Fun.  Finn is all caught up to his sisters in supplies and finery ;)  We're all too busy right now to fuss a photo shoot.  His lime harness for daily use fits perfect!  He has a decent harness and leash for camping that matches the girls. 

And the tie!!!  Omgawd.  

Lili is serving at the Rock Cod this summer.  I believe it's going well so far.  Fei is head busier now.  

Fei got her courses selected for University.  Her grad is coming right up.  She got 100% on her capstone project.  Both Lili and Fei submitted their acceptance of their room offer.  They're sharing a suite in the same building Lili was in.  Across the street from the University. It's almost time to start some shopping to get Fei equipped to move out.  It will definitely be shocking to have them both move out!!  For 4 months we won't have built in sitters.  Jia will be 12 in December.  Not sure what's more shocking...girls moving out...or Jia turning 12?!

I got a ticket for next Saturday night at the Drive In!!  Fun!  

Company

Look what came in the mail.  Sooo cute.

Photo shoot plans ;)

I was trying to get a picture of Eric walking Finn on a leash but I didn't catch it.  The parking lot looks good though ;)

We made it to the farmers market.  Jade came with us.  It wasn't too crowded. I brought Finn.  No pictures though?  Weird.

A happy little Meili with her face in the wind on the way home.

A Bright Angel trip.

Such happy little faces. Finn was behind the girls.

They love the sun.

For the first time ever we managed getting the Bonnie Martin's Chinese food special.  It didn't disappoint.  We'll definitely make the effort to do this take out again.  Kin Beach always fun and we met Dawn-Marie, Al and Rosa there too.

Fun having the Finch family here. Three late nights on the patio ;)  Not a lot of picture taking ongoing on.

The gate is supposed to hold Chihuahuas up and allow cats through.  Not sure this was quite the goal.  Haha.

The slimey sand we got May for her Birthday was a big hit!

Not much actual napping happened but for a while it was definitely puppy heaven.  So fun to have Rosie around.

Twins. Rosie and Coco napping together.

Another twin moment.

Drawing contests.  

Big event...both boys in a matched pj set!!  I tease ALL the time about their combinations and they tell me all the time they don't care.  I was starting to think they weren't able they accepted the challenge tonight ;)

Kai's IEP

Some fun stuff from Kai's iep meeting the other day.  First, it sounds like we get to have Michelle with him again next year.  He's having such a great year.  We found out he has been working with the speech therapist learning to use augmented language with an iPad and doing great with it.  He is able to put full sentences together with it!  Then the iPad speaks for him.  Next steps are to try and teach Kai some skills with his cane so he can get more comfortable with the cane in general and ultimately feel more comfortable walking in new places.  This is the email message I just got from his teacher:

"You should have been flies on the wall today!!  Michelle, brilliant Michelle, had attached dinosaurs all over Kai's cane (see attached photo) so that he would feel more positive about learning to use his cane.  She had a song from Youtube about a Dinosaur Walk and it was so catchy and fun!  Kai would make the dinosaurs walk with his cane while we all danced and sang along.  It was a very dear moment!"

How fun is that?!

New Digs for Mom.

It's so pretty and new ;)

So much work to do this swap and move.  Easier than the big down size and move for sure though. 

Last night we took our moho to a friend in Lake Cowichan who was helping Eric figure out why the new generator would only run 10 minutes before shutting off.  Eric said they were the last attempt and if they couldn't figure it out he was going 100% solar.  We got a call this afternoon saying it was fixed and ready.  Yay!!  However...I'm still thinking the 100% solar sounds pretty good anyways.

Since we were in Lake Cowichan at dinner time we tried out a little place there that has this speeder trailer set up with tables. Kai was predictably super excited about dinner on a train :)  We tried their homemade cinnamon buns.  Yum.  Worth the drive.  Dinner was amazing for three(Kai, Luk & Jia), pretty good for one(Eric), close for one(Lili), blah for one(me), not great for one(Fei). Good enough overall we'll go back this summer when we camp there, some of us will order differently.  

Happy Birthday Oliver.

He's 3.  He's also pretty sure his life sucks.  We won't let him out and his paw hurts. It is looking better this morning.  On a careful watch because if it doesn't heal we're looking at a toe amputation.  

He holds it up off the floor and he let's me very gently hold his paw and have a look.  

Eric sent me this.  Phew.  Oliver has settled down for a minute and taken a break from pacing at the doors. I'm also pleased his draining foot is on the washable dog blankies.  Again...we're just sooo glamorous.