Scouts go Fishing ....

Pretty sure they didn't catch anything but seemed happy to enjoy the outside together ...

And of course, when Isaac is involved, it also involves shenanigans around the water ....

Another summer here we come ...

Today is the first day of summer staff. Here is my love leading the new team up the mountain.  He was asked to do a smal devotional once they got up there. I wonder what he spoke on. Whatever he chose, I know he has a lot of experience, as of late, to pull from.  

Last night was the traditional bonfire at the Burdge’s to welcome them all here .... so hard to believe we are here again !  19th summer at Imadene here we go ....

Times Colonist 10K 2019

I mainly signed up just to spend time with these ladies .... 

The evening was full of all good girl things ..... food, shopping, chocolate, pedicures ....



The morning came quickly but we were ready ....

Here we go ...

The start .... we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!  Mary and Randi stayed with me for the first few km's but then I found my pace and it was much slower than theirs so I was happy to plug my music in and watch them disappear into the crowds ...

Whenever I would feel tired, I would remember these women!!

It was around this part, km 8.5, where it started getting hard on my knees ... and just up ahead, I see a sweet friend from WOA who is also appearing to be slogging it out.  So, I catch up beside her, we lock eyes and just fall into pace with eachother for the last 1.5 km.

We finished STRONG!  Kept pace and ran the entire 1.5 km in step with eachother.  Once we crossed the finish line, she admits she was going to walk the last km ....

My friends were waiting for me at the end!  We were all pretty proud of ourselves!  Mary-because she had never run a race like this and wasn't sure if she could even do it ... she hasn't run for long and the furthest she's run has been 6km ... and me because I hadn't run or exercised consistently for over a year!  And i was pleased with my time! My knees weren't happy, but they got happy within a day ...

Chris picked me up at the Costco a little later, and we filled the car with flowers for a new garden bed.  He really is a master packer!!!

The garden was all done for the Summer Launch bonfire in the yard ... it's a tradition!  It is always so good to have a goal .... (see the garden in the background?)

Here it is in the light .... looking forward to seeing it flourish this summer!

Fundraising Banquet ....

It never gets old, watching my sweet husband chat up the older ladies whom we've known for so long ... some have known him since he was a child.

I wasn't pleased to be at this dinner ... it comes so loaded with so much past hurt and people involved who have done the hurting, yet continue to smile to our faces .... so I was happy to stay in the lobby as there were not many extra seats in the main room.  It was interesting to see that within minutes, both Chris and I were surrounded by our friends ... as a bit of a barrier from some of those outsiders ... some of our friends came with their babies too!

This one was the highlight of the evening ... I mentored Gussie when she was a student in Auxano for a year ... years ago .. and now, here she is!!

I ended up helping in the kitchen for a few hours before the dinner started, Elizabeth was cooking, so it was nice to be in her company for awhile and be helpful and not be out floating around where I would have to have my back up.  It turned out to be a really nice evening out in the lobby .... and I stayed for a few of the speeches, but then I left to visit with Deanna who lives around the corner from the church ... this is how I caught her when i arrived ... doing some gardening in the dark .... (kids were finally down so that is when she can do some peaceful things ... this warrior has 4 kids under 6!) ... please note the wheel barrel lol.  I don't see her as often as I would like, but she it one of my people with whom I can speak honestly with and she and Glen have known us for so long and know intimately some of the struggles we deal with at camp ... we don't have that with many other people, so it's always a gift (and sometime a bit healing) to talk with them and feel a little less alone ....

Got the bangs....

I may have looked good on the outside, but this had been a heck of an emotional month.

Easter at the Burdges 2019

The rain stopped by the time we all arrived .... this guy was the most excited to hear that Jenny had picked up some easter treats for a hunt ....

After a hunt for baskets in grandma's basement, they were all ready to go!

I just love standing back and watching the other memory keepers ....









Grandma was uncomfortable but seemed happy to visit with everyone ....





Laura and Mike cooked the turkey, Gordon made a pile of "cancer healthy" salads and veggies from his cancer cookbook .... I brought a caesor salad and Jenny brought angel cake (with strawberries and whip cream) as well as all the treats she hid in the forest for the kids!  Here is Gordon doing what Laura calls 'the Manly Arts' ....

I didn't get a shot of dinner because once we were all around the table, nobody moved ... so here is a bit of the prep, laura and i set the table, she folded fancy napkins ... it was actually quite a quiet evening ... it was nice but I think we are all quietly working through all our own emotions of what is happening with our matriarch .... hard to see her in such pain, but every day she is closer to an answer to what is causing this ....

Good byes ... always lots of hugs and its always a nice evening spent together ....

The Ocean called us out today ....

We loaded the boat up and headed to the Ocean .... We got gas and snacks on the way out of town.  The boys and I each took turns freaking out at the boat following so close behind us....we took turns forgetting that we were dragging it .....

Our first stop after putting in at the Crofton marina was Wallace Island .... it used to be where a resort was ... one resort on this one island ....

We have no idea what this little cabin was, but it sure was fun exploring it!  All these signs of families and names ....



It is our favorite moments ... walking with our kids through new spaces ... arm in arm ....

Isaac found his first new car ....

And Elliot found his new found role with the tire iron ....

After Wallace Island, we headed to Salt Spring and were greeted exactly how we expected to be greeted .... we ordered Phad thai and sushi from the Saturday market and sat in the park and were entertained by this guy.  You can see his 'stool' to the right ... that is where he spent most of his handstand time ... but then he decided to free wheel in and that's when i took a pic lol

We watched headstand guy together ... Isaac slept whenever he laid down today, his eyes do look tired ... he was up til 2am with his friends last night ...

Hit up the local book store ....

Isaac bought 4 books ... granddad would be proud ... he was pretty excited for this books (used, so $40 for like 4 great books!)

Back to the coast guard dock where we parked the boat ....

On our way home, we spotted this beautiful secluded beach!!  So we parked and walked around (although Isaac stayed in the boat and slept)

Such a gorgeous day .... I wait for these moments of sun on my face ... its like life happens between these moments ....

Elliot crawled under the dash and stayed there for the ride home ....

And Isaac slept too ....

I didn't catch them on camera, but here we are watching the dolphins!!!! 

Such a handsome guy ... love him! 



We are almost at the dock here ... we had just left the 2 HUGE sea lions - we barked back and forth with them ... but these boys just seem to want to sleep when we are in the boat ....maybe we will get a bigger boat one day!  They seem to be getting pretty big for this one!  But what a great day together.