road trip: deception pass, whidbey island & seattle

our little family needed a road trip so we packed our bags and headed south. first stop was deception pass for coastal hiking and beaches. a drive across whidbey island where i spent my summers growing up was like a trip down memory lane. we took our time: thrift store stops for stocking up on teacups and doilies and quaint little coffee shop breaks. a ferry ride took us to seattle where we stayed with family. the next day was spent exploring the city: shopping, coffee shop pit stops, and roaming the market full of flowers, fresh produce, art, souvenirs and sampling delicious local peach slices around every corner. it was a much needed short and sweet little trip.

thank you chelsea and crystal for you hospitality and tour guiding!

xx

mothers day

this mothers day was so completely wonderful thanks to my sweet little family making my day. we started the day early, had breakfast and packed a picnic. we packed the car and took the sea to sky highway to our first stop, shannon falls. we went on a  mini hike, ate lunch and watched a spectacular waterfall splash down the rocky mountain side. then explored the quaint little town of squamish. checked out the flea market and antique shops. had tea. bought a blanket for our picnic. stocked up on more food and treats and took off for alice lake. we had a picnic on the grass and aya played in the sand and made friends with fellow family picnickers. it cooled down after dinner and we took off home bound. aya napped the whole way and jamie and i made plenty of rest stops to photograph the gorgeous scenery as the sun was setting. all in all it was a great relaxing day. it was pretty much a 'do what rebbi wants day' and it turned out close to perfect. it kind of makes me want to make a 'lets do what rebbi wants day' for one day out of the year for our family. just a little excuse for a little extra adventuring. because we could all use a little more adventuring. and it was one more thing checked off our spring wish list! actually a couple of things if i include the picnics! so here's some of the photos we took on mothers day...

it's so good to escape city life now and again and remember the way we're meant to live. or the way we're meant to relax. it's so easy to get caught up in it all. now we've just got to figure out what to do for fathers day!

♥

spring wishlist

i was so ready for spring when winter was coming to an end. im not a winter person. to me it just starts to feel a little stagnant near the end and i start craving adventure, fun and new beginnings. i was longing for spring to hit so i could get on with life. not that there's anything wrong with relaxing, i love it. i just need balance. relaxing with fun and adventuring. so right before spring hit i started dreaming up the different things we can do as a family before it gets too hot. have i mentioned i'm not a summer person either? so here's what i came up with. 

 

there's other things i left out and thought about later...like a trip to the zoo! so i'll be posting these adventures as they come up.

happy dreaming and manifesting!

♥

that time i went to mexico

so i've been reminiscing travels and old adventures lately. it's that time of the year again when i start to get itchy feet. since aya's come into our lives i've been feeling quite settled, but it's buried within me to explore and adventurer. i was thinking about it the other day and so far aya has technically been to: portugal, england, scotland, mexico, and hawaii. of course i was pregnant in 4 out of these 5 countries. i didn't let it hold me back even though at times it was difficult...like a 26 hour flight with an 8 hour layover coming back from england at 5 months pregnant (which was totally worth it, i even stayed in a castle!). and not for an all inclusive second trip to mexico to meet up with good friends. my ticket was booked before i was pregnant and while i was traveling in europe. luckily i was in my 2nd trimester when the trip hit. it was difficult not drinking a drop of any of the free alcohol the entire time let alone not eating a piece of fruit or having a sip of tap water. i made up for it with the free buffet (which i later regretted for obvious reasons). so here are a few of the pics i shot in mexico with my old camera. there where hardly any of me (my choice entirely), i was at that awkward stage where my belly looked like i was just bloated and nothing fit right. i remember rummaging through my suitcase looking at my sad lack of choices and bursting into hormonal tears wishing jamie was there and my belly was an obvious pregnant one and not a 'fat' one.

we sailed to a remote island for an afternoon (probably my favourite part of the trip)

and watched sea otters bathing in the sun.

this poor  cat lived in the wall of the hotel with her little kittens

i walked around the town a little with friends. i always feel like i have to watch my back in mexico, it's unfortunate but true. there where some charming little nooks and crannies though.

adios mexico.

a winter roadtrip

shortly after christmas jamie, aya and i took a little road-trip down the coast to stay with his family at a beautiful cabin on the ocean...

 aya loved exploring the pebbled beaches

tired after the beach, nap time!

enjoy the rest of your winter!

♥

fall family road trip

this fall we took a family trip to victoria, it was beautiful as usual

 aya loved this window in our hotel

 one of my favourite parts of trips to the island is going to butterfly world, i love it there! 

and then there was halloween once we were back. aya was a fat cat bear creature, she loved trick or treating sooo much! since she's not allowed sugar i got to eat all of her candy.