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.

bear creek beachfront

we love having big bessie loaded and ready for camping.  last week we made a last minute decision to return to bear creek on the east side of harrison lake.  it was easy to throw some groceries in the fridge, add a kayak and a stroller (and a baby swing!) and hit the road.  having a job that gives me weekdays off is a real vacation benefit.  there were only 2 other groups staying at the rec site the first night.  we snaked the sweetest spot.

ty can throw rocks in the water for hours.  being right on the beach was amazing.  we could watch him from the window while cooking breakfast...

or watch him from the table while eating breakfast!  kylie made some fantastic peach pancakes with fresh okanagan peaches.

our view was stunning, and the cool waters of harrison lake made an excellent counterpoint to the warm sunshine.

 one of the other groups at bear creek was a mother and daughter named victoria and capri.  they had travelled all the way from bowen island to camp on harrison lake.  it was fantastic to have a kid ty's age in the neighbouring site as a shared babysitting schedule emerged spontaneously.

 having our little rec kayak along was awesome.  kylie went out in the calm morning water, and i took ty for a few little paddles.  he was enthralled.

 from the water you can see how isolated and pristine our little piece of heaven was.

 harrison is known for serious winds, and in the afternoon i was able to paddle up the shoreline, then strike out into the lake and surf some big wave sets right back to our campsite.  i didnt trust myself to take pictures in the high wind.  the spray skirt came in extremely handy.

the cliffs on the downwind side of the site offered some nice climbing routes with a deep water exit.  i didnt attempt them by myself but would love to go back with brad or chris sometime.

both ty and zeke have taken to camping.  after a full day of beach play ty sleeps like a rock in his bed, and zeke seems better behaved when he is outside all day.  what an amazing spot.