Adventures on the West Coast - Vancouver

Tom and I embarked on our first holiday as a family of four. Lacey is now 2.5 years old, and Scarlett is approaching 2.5 months. The first challenge was packing. Previously Tom and I would share a suitcase, and Lacey would get her own (large) suitcase. This time, I mashed Lacey and Scarlett's belongings into one suitcase. I was actually amazed by how compact I managed to pack their bag!

Expertly packed luggage.

The next big step was getting all of our stuff in the car, and to the airport. Honestly, we only had two more items (another car seat, and a small bag) more than what we travelled with, with Lacey alone. But we also had a second child to navigate through the airport with. Luckily everyone we encountered at the airport was both understanding and helpful as we hauled our load, and herded our family along.

We arrived in Vancouver with one major toddler meltdown (which in retrospect-- was totally our fault), and got everyone to bed in our hotel.

The next morning, we started visiting! We spent the majority of our time in Vancouver with Tom's aunt and uncle. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, and we were able to enjoy their back yard, take Lacey to the park, and get out and about in the city a little.

Scarlett and Lamby enjoying family visiting.

We visited the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park. The conservatory is a refuge for some large birds-- various parrots and other breeds. Lacey enjoyed seeing all the colourful plumage. The conservatory is perched at the top of a hill, and offers some beautiful views of downtown Vancouver. Lacey was not interested in the views, she entertained herself by going up and down a set of stairs several dozen times. 

Vancouver skyline.

We had hoped to take Lacey blueberry picking, but we never managed to find the time to get out to a field. Lacey loved picking raspberries of her grandparent's bushes earlier in the summer, so we thought she'd enjoy picking blueberries (which she loves to eat more than raspberries). But we figured we'll be back another year, and she'll love it even more when she's a bit older.

We rounded out our Vancouver visit with dinner at Tom's cousin's house. They have a beautiful 100+ year old home in Vancouver, and Lacey enjoyed jumping on their trampoline, and starting a band with yours truly-- which included a bright yellow ukulele, and some sort of bongo drum. Lacey was the entertainment for the night, marching around singing and dancing, and bossing people around.

Lacey and Mommy band.

Our next stop... Victoria!