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A Trip to the Northern Neighbor
Vancouver, BC Canada
Living in the PNW, there are many drive-able destinations and for this spring break we took a quick trip up to Vancouver, BC, Canada. It’s about a 7 hour car ride from Portland, (Thanks Seattle traffic!) but totally manageable. We headed out early in the morning and planned for a pit stop in Seattle for lunch. We stopped at Pike’s place area and grabbed lunch and walked around and enjoyed some beautiful weather.
Then from there we headed to the border. We stayed right in the heart of the city at Pinnacle Hotel and had a great view of the water. The city is very walk-able with many restaurants and things to do in walking distance. Stanley park is right around the corner too. The hotel offered bikes to rent to ride and most people use to head to Stanley Park.
We actually didn’t plan too many things and sort of winged it for our 4 day trip. Joel and I had been to the city many times before but this was a first for the kids.
Our list of things to do:
Capilano Suspension Bridge. The name came from the Squamish Nation meaning beautiful river. Capilano originally was spelled
Kia’palano . The bridge originally was constructed in 1889 made of hemp rope and cedar planks and evolved overtime as well as the park. Along with the suspension bridge over the river, there is a cliff walk with some beautiful views, tree top adventures that also include a fun scavenger hunt for the kids and provide some views from up top.Hockey Game. Canadias do it right. This was actually our first NHL game and why not see it here! The team is the Vacouver Canucks. And we saw a great game that went into overtime and ended up in a few shootouts with the Canucks taking a win. And what was fun is that they had happy hour at the arena so you didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for some snacks!
Tim Hortons. Founded by the Canadian hockey player, specializes in coffee and donuts. Sort of reminded me of Dunkin Donuts on the east coast because this is where everyone goes and it’s on every corner! LOL! I enjoyed a latte and of course a donut!
Stanley Park. This is 1001 acre park right in Vancouver with so many things to do! Bike riding, hiking trails, swimming, parks, restaurants and Vancouver Aquarium. There is really something for everyone and a great escape from city life. It also boasts great view of the city skyline, mountains, and the water.
Vancouver Lookout. This offers 360° view of the city from 553.16 feet above. The great thing about this lookout compared to others is that your ticket is good all day. Go see the city during the day and then swing back by in the evening to catch the sunset.
City Walk. There is nothing better than exploring a city by foot. I feel that you really get to experience the city, the culture, the people at a whole new level. And the kids were pretty good sports about walking. And besides, it good for them!
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Spring in the PNW
The smell of spring is definitely in the air and the last couple of days here in Portland have felt more like late spring, instead of winter ending. Each year around this time I totally overbook myself with kids activities, my activities, etc and it usually just ends up a blur and finally come up for air in June. Not this year. We are creating a Spring Bucket List. We have enjoyed doing this with other seasons like , summer, fall and Christmas but usually forget about March-June. I have enjoyed the intentionally with the bucket list and also the creativity and just getting out of the house to do something together. So here are a few of our bucket list items for Spring… in no particular order.
Portland Dining Month in March. This is where some of the finest chefs in Portland create a 3 course dining experience for $33. It’s a great way to check out the foodie scene, especially newer restaurants. With over 80 restaurants participating, it won’t be hard to find a new favorite place, or 2!
The Tulip Festival. I have pretty much lived in Oregon my whole life, except for a stint in Arizona for college and have never been to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. Which is crazy, because I love tulips. So this is definitely on the bucket list this year
Cherry Blossoms! We have so many Cherry Blossom trees around the area. The light pink flowers, ooze the new found spring and just makes those gray rainy days we see in spring so much brighter.
Ski! Even though most people have put their skis away, we have year round skiing on Mt Hood. With the kids really enjoying learning how to ski/board, spring conditions are a fun way to continue that experience!
Bike Ride. Family bike rides are the best and we definitely are not short on trails. So many places to ride or ride to in the area. Check out a few here. Bonus if you ride to a place to get a bite or a drink!
Go out for ice cream! I think this is on every bucket list we have created. And why not?! There are so many scoop shops in the area it’s hard to choose just one… But our go tos are Salt and Straw, Ruby Jewels, and good Ol’ fashion DQ for some blizzards
Go for a hike! We have some smaller hiking places near us that are perfect for tiny feet and legs that can’t hike long distance. Plus after being cooped up all winter, being outdoors is so refreshing!
Whale Watching. I have never done this either, and we may not get to it this year, but I’ll put in the list as an alternate. Whales head back up to Alaska and pass though Oregon in the spring. Spring Whale Week is March 23-31 so it would be perfect time for kids out on spring break to see some whales passing through
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The real pot of Gold
This year we kicked off St Patty’s Day with a little 5k run for the family. The Shamrock Run is one of the biggest races in Portland and we had gorgeous weather and a great turn out. My husband Joel, and my middle son Damon, enjoyed their first ever race. And well I kind of bribed them because this year, all event finishers received medals so it was just enough to get a yes from them. As far as Ezra and I, this was our 5th event together and it’s been fun to see his progress every year. One of my goals as a parent is to be healthy and lead not only by example, but to get my kids involved too. And this was a perfect one to get started. They also have a leprechaun lap, 8k, 10k, and half marathon to choose from, so there really is something for everyone. The more things we get to do together as a family, the better relationships we build with each other and the better we function together as a family… especially with sibling interaction. And that is definitely a win any day. But for today, these boys were the surprise at the end of the rainbow and it was well worth the run.
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Lego Creatives
My three sons love legos. They all have their specific collections they like to play with but one thing they all have in common is being creative with the legos. There are so many fun ways to use legos. And it’s not just for building. Today we made marble runs with the legos.
LEGO FUN
We have also used legos to create a visual when learning math. Especially multiplication…”I need a 1×4 brick!”
I wanted to share this page on all things legos . And if you are anything like our household, you will love it. Especially on those days when the kids swear they have nothing to do…lol!! It will at least buy you some time before they say those words again.
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Thai to Go
Anniversary trip to remember
Marriage is sure not easy. It’s daily choosing to love your spouse more, choosing to see the best, choosing to serve and wanting the best for the other person. Some days we get it right, others it’s a work in progress. But continuing to work at it, breathe life into will always reap great results. So for our 10 year anniversary we knew we wanted to go somewhere. A place we hadn’t been and do things we wouldn’t normally do or couldn’t do because we had the kids with us or budget reasons. When I saw a timeshare spot open in Thailand , we went for it. Not really knowing anything about Thailand except that we liked the food and they have some beautiful beaches. We only had 11 days at the beginning of February to spend there, so we made the most of it.
We started our trip the northern part , in the city of Chiang Mai. I actually knew a gal that lives there with her family and she was able to help us out with tips and also picked us up from the airport. It’s the largest city in northern Thailand, that is bustling with people, markets, and temples and not to mentioned amazing Thai food that was so inexpensive. The currency of Thailand is called baht and for about 32 baht equals 1 US dollar at this time.
Day 1: Actual day 1 because the first 2 included flying across the pacific and into the next day. So for real day 1, it included taking a taxi to old town Chiang Mai. We walked around the temples. And ladies, make sure your legs and shoulders are covered while walking around the temple grounds and in the temples. We opted to try out both Joel and mine’s favorite dish, pad Thai, and for 60-70 baht we got delicious pad Thai with shrimp. There are tons of markets around with people selling food, clothes, bag, shoes, artwork, soap… you name it. So we took advantage of the different markets to buy souvenirs for our kids and for our parents. Oh and maybe a few for ourselves. Basically day 1 we played tourist. Most people spoke some , English…at least enough to get by. And we always brought the business card of our accommodations that was in Thai so we knew we could always get back
Day 2: Elephant day! This was on my to do list forever! Now there are many sanctuaries throughout Thailand where we could have seen the elephants but some were not the best caretakers of the elephants. We were recommended Patara Elephant Farm and we cross referenced it with Trip Advisor and after being there I would say it’s a must. A lot of the elephant were rescued from other places and now they have acres upon acres to roam free. We signed up to be the elephant owner for the day. This included feeding, brushing , bathing, and playing with the elephants. It also included a short ride on your elephant to the swimming hole where the elephants played in the water and so did we. They also fed a delicious meal of fried chicken, rice and fresh fruit. Transportation to and from your hotel too! And they too amazing pictures of our day free of charge!
Day 3: Thai cooking day. Now we are official Thai chefs…or I like to think so but I have yet to recreate this meal at home since we have been back. This is a must! We chose Thai Farm Cooking School They have a great set up . They provided transportation to their farm where they have little stations set up so everyone can have their own cooking spot. Classes are small and they take you set by set. There are 2 different menues to choose from based on what day you go, but you do get a cookbook for both menues to take home . We made curry, a soup, pad thai, stir fry, bananas and coconut milk. They also served green papaya salad and the most delicous lemongrass tea. You also got to learn about the different ingredients…especially the peppers. Woah, thai peppers! Don’t worry you can make your dishes Thai spicy or tourist spicy as they say it. All classes are done in English and you get to meet people in your class from all over the world. Very fun and highly recommend it.
Day 4: We sponsor a kid through Compassion International and had the privledge to visit him and his family . Will post more details in a later blog. But truly grateful for that experience. Day 4 also included a short flight down south to Krabi and onto Koh Lanta where we started our beach vacation.
Day 5: Relax. We stayed at the Twin Lotus Resort. It’s an adult only resort and we rented a private villa on the beach…umm , it was so nice amazing! We enjoyed a free breakfast and they had all types of breakfast items from around the world. We definetly took advantage of big breakfast ! Day 5 included hanging out at the beach and boy was the water warm. It was like bath water and so clear and the water was so calm. Very enjoyable to swim in . We walked around the beach and then booked an afternoon kayaking trip in the Andama Sea around a few islands. We were able to see some monkeys in the wild. Althought they were pretty friendly.
Day 6: Snorkeling day. We took a boat out on the sea and headed to 3 different snorkeling spots. I wished I had brought and underwater camera so for now you’ll just have to imagine. The coolest ones were starfish. We saw red, blue, white and purple ones. Oh and we also found Nemo and his family and many neon, tropical looking fish. The water was so clear, warm and it was simply perfection out on the white sand beaches. I could get use that lifestyle.
Day 7: We rented a scooter and drove around the island and did what ever we wanted. Thailand drives on the opposite than what we are use to in the US, so it was a little weird but we got use to it. We ate some more, swam some more, played tourist some more. I ended up wearing a mask by the end of the day because I was tired of breathing in the exhaust and dirt while on the scooter.
Day 8: It was really a continuation of day 7 since we had an overnight flight from Krabi to Shanghai and it left just after midnight. Slept a little on the flight and then we landed in Shanghai and took advantage of a long layover and went out into the city. Not without a little excitment while trying to get a 24 hour visa to enter the country but that story I’ll save for another time. Let’s just beauccracy at it’s finest. We did a little sightseeing and went up the 2nd tallest tower in the world, rode the fastest train the Maglev which is a magnetic train, bought some chinese souvenirs and of course ate some chinese
Day 9: A long ass travel day that included us not getting our bags that were left in Shanghai. Oh language barrier and the fact they weren’t tagged to our final destination. But we did end up getting them a week later and the kids got their souvenirs and get all our stinky, dirty clothes.
It definitely was a whirlwind of a trip but was so worth it. And any time you take to invest in your marriage will always be worth it !
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My Three Shredders
We are so fortunate to grow up in the Pacific Northwest. There are adventures to be had all around us. And this year I was determined to get all kids comfortable on the mountain, either skiing or boarding. I grew up skiing with my family and I love being on the mountain with fresh snow and those bluebird days…ah they are the best. We took advantage of Summit ski hill at Government Camp on Mt Hood. It’s the perfect place for little ones to learn to ski. They have one lift that is slow and perfect to learn how to get on and off the lift. The lift operators are so patient. Way more than I could dish out! And you don’t have to worry about more experienced skiers flying by your kid as they are learning to navigate the slopes and not to mention the price cannot be beat. I don’t know about you, I am not in the mood to donate my kidney to afford teaching my kid to ski and maybe only getting a couple runs in…um no thanks!
Here are my tips!
- Have low expectations! No really. Just plan on having a fun day and maybe only getting a run in if this is their first time up. That way you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you accomplish more. And if you don’t make it more than one run, just have a fun day in the snow and grab some hot chocolate.
- Pick a nice day to go up. Its not fun learning to ski if you it’s super cold, windy and its so snowy that the visibility is terrible. We picked sunny days where it had recently snowed so they could have pleasant experiences for their first couple of times.
- Keep it one to one ratio. This is not the time to be super mom or dad trying to tackle teaching more than one kid to ski at a time. It’s a disaster
- Rent equipment off the mountain. You will save money. And if you think you’ll be going at least once week, look into a season rental
- Ski midweek. Less crowded and will save even more money.
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Financial Peace
With a growing family, especially boys, typically equates to a growing amount of money out the window. But it doesn’t have to be. Joel and I started on a quest for a debt free living last January. I was excited and to get rid of some loans and just focus on saving and our mortgage. Joel on the other hand had different thoughts and ideas about money. Which is why we decided it was time to speak the same money language. It’s not that we disagreed on debt , we both didn’t like it. We just had different views on how to get out of it and really start planning for the future better. So we started Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. We committed to going to a class through our church. I cannot recommend this enough. We had done some financial planning in the past but this class enabled us to not only have tools and resources to plan our financial future, it also allowed us to think and dream bigger about the impact of how we spend our money does matter. And most importantly, we were speaking the same money language. We committed to our goals, utilized the every dollar app, which I still use to track and tell our money where to go instead of figuring out where the money went at the end of the month…can anyone relate?? We budgeted monthly and got creative to make some extra money. We still planned for vacations and fun outings out because that was important to our family…although I was totally on the beans and rice bandwagon to knock down our debt faster, but I was the only one and there still needs to be some compromise when you plan your goals together. In a years time we paid off a little over $12, 000 using the snowball effect and Dave Ramsey’s baby steps and we got rid of a lot stress we don’t know we were carrying because of it. We are excited now to see where God leads us utilize that extra money and see what comes from it.
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New Year, New You
I love this time of year. Where hopes and dreams are high, motivation for success is contagious and people are willing to try something new. Each year I do set goals. I write them out, place them around the house and choose people to help keep me accountable to them. With these things in place, I am more likely to hit those goals.
This year, I am choosing to gain new results rather than out of reach resolutions.
I am choosing gratitude. Reflecting everyday on what I am grateful for gives me a better perspective on how far I have come and what I have and accomplished thus far.
I am choosing to hit specific financial goals as well as help grow my team members financial goals.
I am choosing to live bigger this year, because I know I am made for a greater purpose.
One thing I love about my company is that they have a New Years Kick Off. It gets me excited for the new year and also allows me to reflect on the past year and where I want to go this year. I love that this company is truly a health and wellness company. It basically is a personal development plan with a paycheck and a healthy body attached! Can’t complain about that! Not only do they help you grow as an individual but you get to surround yourself with people that help better each other, speak life into and really about finding that inner passion and desire you were made for and being able to using the opportunity with Isagenix to pursue that as well as help so many people be free from physically and financial pain.
What would an extra $500 dollars a month do for your family this year? What would more energy throughout the day look like? It’s possible to live your best life. You just have to be willing to take the first step. Start here, with results you can’t get anywhere else.
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It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!
… Everywhere we go! At least when you go to Leavenworth, Wa. This is the cutest little town in central Washington near the Cascade Mountain range that will make you think you are actually in Bavaria. The Christmas season is a perfect time to visit for a little getaway. With over 500,000 Christmas lights and the alpine style building, you might feel like you are peering into a Holiday Snoglobe. It really is picture perfect. After Thanksgiving is when the festivities start. Christmas spirit kicks off with a little parade with Santa and children walking down main street with lanterns. Enjoy some holiday shopping with Christkindlmarkt. There is also a ski hill nearby and places to go sledding. Blackbird Island is a great place for a walk
Things to do:
Nutracker museum. They have thousands of nutrackers of all styles and sizes. The kids get to enjoy a scavenger hunt while they are there and search for specifice nutcrackers.
The reindeer farm is a very neat experience and lets you get in the corral with the reindeer and feed them. But watch out for those antlers! Book online to ensure a and your family on the tour.
Blackbird Island. It’s right next to the Bavarian village and is so beautiful in the winter and the snow. The Wenatchee River flows right by it and it makes for a peaceful hike or snowball fight with all the snow on the ground. Whichever style you prefer
Outdoor Recreation: All sorts of fun activities for the snow enthusiast. Skiing/snowboarding, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, sleigh rides , dog sledding , snowmobiling, and more.
Where to Eat:
Plenty of places to eat and you won’t have trouble finding any German food. If that is not your style then there are also a few Mexican Restaurants, Breweries. and Pizza places .
Two of our favorite German restaurants:
Andreas Keller. A nice dine in restaurant with all the trimmings. You also get to enjoy live German music regularly
Leavenworth Sausage Garten; What else do you need besides sausage and bier?
And there are a pleothra of places for wine, beer and cider.
Where to Stay:
The village is quite small so even if you are staying outside the main area, it is still in walking distance and may save you some money. Most places have breakfast available to their guests and there are some hotels with pools. Just depends on what you are looking for.
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Sippin’ on Sunshine
Nothing says summer like swimming!
And we love taking advantage of my parent’s pool. The boys could swim all day and only come out for snacks and thankfully, to pee….lol. I grew up always being around the water so it’s fun having them have the same fun experience. The boys creativity sure comes alive in the water and a lot of make believe play. I have save many boys from sharks, pirates, and underwater creatures. We are never short on excitement and also love some fun pool games. Some of our favorites are…
WHIRLPOOL
Have everyone line up single file along the edge of the pool. Begin walking for a couple of minutes, then jog, then “run” around the edge another couple of minutes until the water current carries the person around the pool. We had time where the water was up and over the sides of the pool! Then finally, have everyone try and swim against the current. It’s impossible.
INVISI-BOTTLE
Take a clear, 2-liter bottle, remove the wrapper and fill it with pool water. Use a bottle with a white cap, or a cap of the same color as the bottom of the pool. Have everyone close their eyes. Then someone stand outside the pool and toss the bottle in the water. When they hear the splash, the players turn around and try to find the bottle. Super easy, right? Think again! The clear bottle blends in and becomes almost invisible on the bottom of the pool. It’s a fun, challenging game for everyone!
BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL
Whether the basketball hoop is floating in the pool or anchored to the deck, you will never be short on fun. And our kids our little so we have an ‘invisible’ volleyball net and just hit a beach ball back and forth; trying to score on the other team.
DOLPHINS AND SHARKS
Have all the players in the middle of the pool and divide in half. One group sharks, the other dolphins, leaving one person be leaders. Have one end of the pool as the dolphins’ safe point and the other end as the sharks’ safe point. When everyone is ready, the leader calls out either “dolphins” or “sharks.” Whichever group is called out, they have to quickly swim away to their safety point while their opponents chase them, trying to tag as many as possible. Once tagged you join the enemy team. Randomly keep calling out either team throughout the game. The game ends when all players have become part of one team.
FROZEN T-SHIRT CONTEST
This one takes some planning. Freeze 2 shirts 2-3 days prior to pool party. On day of event, divide friends into 2 groups. Each group is racing to thaw and put on the shirt. You can use anything in the yard to thaw it: hose, pool, slam it on the pavement, use your hands, breath on it, etc. Every 15 seconds you switch the person thawing the shirt. Have someone shout out “switch” ever 15 seconds. The first one team to thaw it and puts it on one of their teammates wins.
POPSICLE
The water version of freeze tag. One person is it and tries to tag the other players. Once a player is tagged, he or she must stand frozen like a popsicle (with hands straight in the air) until another player thaws him or her by swimming between his or her legs. A player cannot be tagged while underwater. Switch players once everyone is frozen like a popsicle or at a specific time intervals.
WATERMELON PUSH RELAY
A funny race. Can be played as an individual or teams. Players must push a watermelon from one end of the pool to the other without touching the bottom of the pool with their feet.
NOODLE JOUST
2 players to sit on a blow up raft in the middle of the pool. Give each one a pool noodle and have them joust with the noodles and try and get each other off the raft. The winner takes on the next player.
BELLY FLOP CONTEST
I feel like this is the original pool game. Have the audience judge the contestants and have a fun prize for the winner. I’m too old for this one now. It hurts too much so I am an active participant by judging! Nothing brings everyone together quite like a belly flop contest. As ALWAYS exercise caution when jumping off the side of a pool.
SCAVENGER HUNT
We have pool rings that we throw around the pool. We have the players on one end of the pool with their eyes closed, or backs to the pool. We throw the rings in and yell go. Whoever finds the most rings wins!
FLOATIE RACE
We love our floaties! Each person finds a floatie that they can sit on. Line the players up at one end of the pool and have them race down and back on their floaties. Can be played as individuals or a relay race.
MARCO POLO
One person is selected to be ‘it’. That person closes their eyes and counts to 10, or whatever agreed upon number, as the other players scatter around the pool. When the count is over, the ‘it’ person keeps their eyes closed and yells ‘marco’ as the other players yell ‘polo’. The ‘it’ players tries to tag the other players by following the sound of their voices. Once someone is tagged, they are the ‘it’ person.
