Ty's Epic Camping Trip

Ty has had many camping trips this summer but I think this one will remain as the most epic of all in his mind. Nana and Papa joined us for most of the trip which involved biking, throwing rocks in the water and tubing. We started out the weekend going to Quinton's house for dinner. 

 Nana and Papa took Ty to the park while we packed the motor home:

 And then we headed half an hour down the road to lovely Cultus Lake.  This local camping really is growing on me, especially when Big Bessie has a 115L tank and she eats that gas like it's going out of style.  I think maybe the gas is converted to fat, hence the name Big Bessie.

Our spot

Kayaking on the lake

Swimming:

Zeke spent a lot of this camping trip in his swing.  Apparently he loves to sleep in his swing as well as outside.  Swing + Outside sleeping = 5 hour nap for Zeke!   He also enjoyed napping in the back of the van with Nana and Papa.  Nana enjoyed napping on the picnic table bench while Marc and I went kayaking. Crazy lady! ;)

Our friends Ang and Chad were camping at the same time just down the road.  Ang and the girls joined us for breakfast.
We bought some weights for the table cloths that were little apples.  Ty loved pretending them to eat them over and over again.

I absolutely love this next photo.  He looks so old and contemplative!

Staying with camping tradition, Nana gave Ty a haircut while he ate a popsicle. 

Ty has basically mastered the art of kick biking.  He is very good at coasting now and loves to put his feet up. Many trips around the campground loop definitely helped!

 Zeke chilling in his bumbo on the day they were recalled.  Recall . . . what recall?!!!

 

Maddi sure loves Zeke!!

 All the boys in their Dutchwear. . .

 Later on that afternoon Ty decided to lock himself in the motorhome.  Marc was ready to break the screen here to get get him but thankfully he talked him through opening the deadbolt himself.  Note to self . . don't leave 2 year old alone in the trailer with the keys inside.

 Zeke loved this camping trip much more than his first.  His fussiness is basically gone and he was happy as a clam. (Why in the world is that a saying?!)

Each day we had some visitors and enjoyed sitting around the campfire with them. 

And lastly Ty went tubing with Marc and I to top off his camping.  He was so happy, looking around and screaming with glee.  He couldn't even talk.

Happy end of summer to you all!

forest bathing

the japanese have an established custom for the maintenance of physical and mental health, called Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing.  our family heartily embraces this custom and we credit ty's easygoing manner and good sleep habits to his daily runs through the woods.  kylie and i started this habit when we got a big dog while living in a small townhouse, but now we walk ty like we walk niko, while expecting and realizing the same benefits.

however there is someone in our family who is addicted to forest bathing more than niko or ty for the maintenance of his wellbeing.  those of you with an understanding of aristotelian logic and a knowledge of the size of our family and the nonambulatory nature of our youngest will have already deduced that i am speaking of myself.

i need some time in the trees almost every day or i start getting a little twitchy.  luckily the area we live in is rife with varigated forest.  the biking accessible from chilliwack is world class.

on that note, even a lack of forest can be spectacular.  this is from an amazing trail on sumas mtn near abbotsford.

the waterways around our house also offer a pleasant opportunity for aquatic based forest bathing.  i kayak a lot on my own, but now that zeke is 3 months old, kylie and i have asked a young girl down the street to babysit for 2 hours a few times so we can paddle together in the afternoon.

another way to get a forest fix, or my ultimate shinrin yoku, an alpine fix, is to take friends out into the mountains.

 mike c, mike vk and i recently ascended cheam in the cloistering clouds.  it was too bad they couldnt see the view, but the scene was magical.

while bootskiing, mike found out, just as aaron did on lady that niko is not in favour of any member of his pack other than me, either temporary or permanent, bootskiing.

 another shinrin yoku activity is beginner spelunking.  the rocks have their own energy.

 last week we ventured to the chipmunk caves with mike and hailey and kids.  everyone passed through at least one cave, and finn did an impromptu slide.  ty absolutely loved being inside a cave.  every time i looked at him his eyes were wide and shining.  of course that could have been b/c of the headlamp i pointed at him with every glance.

this morning mike vk and i rose early and ambled up needle peak on the coquihalla.  the scenes were magical from start to finish.

 rising out of deep fog to sunlit rock ridges and then clambering up from there to a seat high above the clouds.

 mike mentioned that as we neared the summit and the terrain become more technical, my pace increased, my steps had more spring and my upward progress was more dynamic.  this culminated in some rock jumping at the top of the world.

 rocks have their own energy.  i actually hugged a tree on the way down.  forest bathing.  alpine bathing.  granite bathing.  shinrin yoku works for me.