victoria

Right after our trip to Powell, Ryan and I got on a plane and headed for the Great Northwest - my home. Not all, but a lot of my family was able to be there, and it was so fun to see everyone! I was originally waiting to get all the complete pictures from my sister, Tara, but it seems that other members in my family are getting a little low on patience. So an incomplete post will have to suffice! We stayed in a condo right next to the water in Victoria, BC and it was beautiful! There were some benefits as to the unit we stayed in - for one, there was a hot tub which we used almost every day! And two, it was right next to a runway - sea planes landing and taking off almost every hour. I think the novelty of it all didn't wear off until after we had finally gotten the good pictures Tara needed in order to send them to Dave. After that (which wasn't until the second to last day!) they were old news and we didn't need to rush outside to see every plane. Oh the joys of digital cameras! We did a lot of sightseeing, but also did many walks in downtown area. It was so fun to see all the street performers, go to different shops, see all the boats, and simply enjoy being in a beautiful city! Here's a favorite picture of some girls in my family: (from left to right) Tara (older sister), Kendra (younger sister), Mom (aka: Grandma), and Kaitlynn (niece). Isn't that just precious?!

I think one of our favorite places we went to see was the Butchart Gardens. They were so incredibly gorgeous and nothing on camera can capture all of the beauty that surrounded us! It was neat to learn about the history and to even go back later in the day with all the lights turned on and less people to bump into! :)

Here's my sister Tara in her typical pose - taking pictures of her two kids: Kaitlynn and Jonathan. You can tell I need a little more practice capturing those 'precious moments' because Jon's eyes aren't even all the way open! But I thought it was so fun to catch Tara in her act - she is such a good mom and I hope to be like her someday!

And for those of you who know my family - we really know how to have a good time! I think that if sleeping pictures were worth anything in this world, we would all be millionaires. I heard a quote once that seems to sum up my family's philosophy in life: Nothing in life can be so bad that it can't be fixed with a nap. :)