Home...

We are home after a rather long time away. It was spring break and therefore time for my son's annual check-up with his doctor in Victoria. We take advantage of the fact that we will be on the Island to visit with all the people that we love and miss during the rest of the year. This year we were there even longer than planned as hubbies grand-father passed away just before spring break so we went down early for the funeral as well.


It is almost shocking, going down to the Coast and the Island now. It is so moist and so very green... almost suffocatingly so at times. The damp is everywhere and I never noticed it at all for the first 34 years of my life! It is beautiful and stunning to look at, but also rotten and decaying at the same time... The rain that used to seem so normal is now overwhelming and seemingly, constant. It is not home, anymore. It makes me sad to admit that, and I do know that if we were to move back I would soon adjust, but it is true. I have grown out of the bonds that held me to the coast.

I still love the ocean and the gardens and the green... I love the clean. Everything is scrubbed clean down there by the frequent rain, unlike the dust and dirt that coat everything up here. More than anything though, I miss the people that I love, both family and friends. However, I am not yearning to move back, as I once was.

Now we are settled, happy where we are. My kids have so many friends and such a fabulous school. The town seems to be getting smaller to me, which I assume means that I am now part of it... I can barely go downtown these days without stopping and chatting with someone I know. Not to mention the wonderful job that hubby has, which allows him to be home enjoying his family more than any other job I have ever heard of. The big sky is fascinating and full of beauty, the rivers we still have to explore... The fossils that seem to be all over, if you have the patience to look for them and the wildlife that is everywhere.

Yet we are not certain that we will remain here forever either... I think the one thing we are certain of, is that we are uncertain what our future holds. There is something exciting about that... so many options and possibilities it is up to us to find the path which is right for us.

Spring

Walking around Stump Lake in Squamish with Nana & Grandad

The last two weeks have been spring break for Maria so we took advantage of the time off to go back to Squamish and the Island to catch up on some overdue visits and for Allan's yearly check-up with the cardiologist. It turns out that two weeks is not long enough to see everyone, but we managed to see many of our much missed family and friends.

Getting in the good books with the Easter Bunny...

Having a lovely visit with Granny Green brought the unexpected surprise of more cousins!

Our trip to Squamish was wonderful, it is funny how we have come full-circle now that we have left the Island. For so long after leaving Squamish, we couldn't stand going back to town because of all of the changes and building that was never-ending. We loved seeing our families and friends, but it was hard to see the town itself, it was no longer our home-town. Now that we have left the Island and moved up North, we can see the beauty of Squamish again, it still isn't "home" but it isn't so disturbing to see the changes... maybe because it really isn't home anymore? (anyway, I side-track) We had a wonderful visit with everyone we managed to see while in Squamish and we enjoyed the lack of snow.

Maria stopped by at her old school during lunch hour to see some of her old friends, then we went to Transfer Beach after school to meet up with more friends... it is always fun to throw rocks

Our visit on Saltspring with my Sister and her family was great fun!

We left for the Island after a week and managed to see so many people and had such wonderful visits, it really was awesome on the Island too. We managed to get to Salt Spring to see my sister and her family, visit my other sister and family in Ladysmith as well as most of our friends, we visited much of our family in Duncan and managed to join in on the annual easter egg hunt which was great fun. We also spent one day in Victoria after Allan's Dr. appointment (which was excellent) and we went to the Royal BC Museum and watched an Imax movie... so it was VERY busy, but so wonderful.

We had a great time at the museum

We saw an otter on our walk out on the breakwater

The easter egg hunt was awesome... even if it was pouring rain!

Then to top off a wonderful trip, we arrived back in Fort St John to spring... the snow is almost completely gone and it is warm. Ahh spring, I have missed you!

Our trip home was good... but a little over-stuffed!