Our Vacation

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Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

Welcome back everyone! We are trying to adjust back to Life after basically being on a siesta for the last 3 weeks. I am not writing too much this time, for I mainly want to post some pictures of our vacation, but please at least scroll down to the end to a sneak into next post’s theme! In the meantime, enjoy the pictures!

The first week was a stay at home week with Daddy and the last few days of Chanukah. Not too much was done for Daddy was getting some much needed rest. Unfortunately Daddy couldn’t light with us most of the week, but the last few days he was home and it was nice to all be together. It was nice to have our regular menorahs out of storage this year. Mr. #2 decided he was going to make his own out of wood and a drill. He primed and even painted it all by himself. Mr. #3 was encouraged and did the same.

The last two weeks were spent visiting Saba and Savta, and aunts, uncles and cousins on Vancouver Island. The nice thing about living in a city with a HUB for airlines is that it is KIMG1393so much easier to get to the Island. One plane to Seattle and then your choice of how to get across the ferry (and airplane to do a short skip literally doubles the cost of the plane ticket, so ferry it is.) We landed before lunch and drove up the amazing almost coastal region to Canada.

I told the boys that even though we did not drive up that specific part of the world too often, it is the same general area that we did drive through when I was growing up and I felt so at home. I know that I wrote about it last year when Mr. Little and I went to that area

Up the western coast of Vancouver Island
Up the western coast of Vancouver Island

for a wedding, but I guess it is just that homey feeling that is making me write more. It was so beautiful to see all those amazingly tall trees. They are not quite as tall as the Redwood trees in Southern California, nor as wide as the Redwoods in northern California where you can drive through living trees in your vehicle and go shopping at a store in the trunk of a living tree, but these were still tall – probably at least 200 feet tall.

Vancouver Island is a very interesting place. At the bottom tip you have more of a tropical weather with some palm trees. Winters are on the colder side, but above freezing and with rain instead of snow. However, just driving not too far up the island you run into snow. We told Mr. Little that we would bring him to snow. He is still disappointed that we

The boys with Saba. Victoria, Vancouver Island
The boys with Saba. Victoria, Vancouver Island

don’t have 4 feet of snow piled up on our lawn and driveway for he misses making tunnels and forts. I keep telling him he can move back to snow when he gets older.

Most of the days was just recuperating from such a busy year. It was not just busy for Daddy, it was very different and busy for all of us. On the tannis (fast day), just Daddy and I went up the western side of the island. We had to stop before it got too windy. Twirly roads and fasting just don’t mix. We did make one really nice day trip with everyone heading towards the middle of the island up the other side. All I can say was that it was just amazingly beautiful. The fairly wet climate, trees, farms, water, just everything was so beautiful. Yes, we did get to snow, but the good snow was on the side of the highway and there was no place to really stop. On the way back, after crossing the

Victoria, Vancouver Island
Victoria, Vancouver Island

border back in the the US, we drove towards Mt. Baker and stopped at a visitor’s center to let boys out to get their fill of snow. 🙂

There has been a lot of questions and suspense about the fairly new online Judaic Day School, so y’all might want to stay tuned for next time (which will, IY”H, be fairly soon) for our review of Melamed Academy.

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Little Qualicum Hills, Vancouver Island

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Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

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Miscellaneous, Mt. Baker and Trip Home

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