More Midwest Visitors!

My parents and sister came and visited us at the end of September. The first thing we had to do was celebrate Dad's birthday - I'll just let you guess how old he is from the fire on top of his apple pie!


They'd already been on the West Coast for a week visiting family and friends, but Mom, John, & I were amazed that Dad & Katie could both fall asleep on our coach! They slept this way for a good hour and a half.


While touring around Vancouver, we spent some time at some new spots. The first - La Casa Gelato! This restaurant has over 400 recipes for gelato, and there are always 218 kinds available for you to choose. This is not the place you want to go if you're indecisive. They do give lots of samples. One to stay away from - curry. Trust me on that one.


Not your typical picture of the city from Stanley Park!


The other place we explored a bit more was Coal Harbor. This is where the seaplanes take off from and land, where the Olympics broadcasting will take place, and where some great boats reside. A fun photo of Katie.


We found these HUGE yet comfortable chairs along the harbor. Designed for Paul Bunyan, they are easy to share.


We ate a bunch of good food while they were here - thanks for all the meals Mom & Dad - but one that was especially fun to go to was Earl's. We were already quite full from fish and chips but we headed over there for dessert anyways. It was fun to show them and have them enjoy two of the dishes that I used to make from scratch!


Thanks so much for coming! We'd love to have you again if you're ever out here again!

The Fruit of Fall

Don't you just love this time of year?

The PNE

Summer was drawing to an end, so we had to do something to celebrate summer while we could! What better way than attend the Pacific National Exhibition, the big fair in BC? We headed off to Vancouver and were soon taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. The best animals we saw were Babe the Blue Ox's descendants. They obviously haven't been trapped in any snowstorms, however, as they are still white.


What would a fair be without the food? John thoroughly enjoyed his freshly made corn dog.


Being the OREO lover that I am, having them deep fried was an opportunity I wasn't going to miss! They were good, but dunking them in milk is still the way to go.


You know my husband - he can't pass up donuts, especially not fresh mini donuts!


Believe it or not, the food wasn't the big draw for us. We'd been hearing about the RCMP Musical Ride all summer, and they were performing at the PNE that weekend. The RCMP Musical Ride is "a formal event showcasing the equestrian skills performed by thirty-two cavalry who are regular Members of the Force" (Wikipedia). It's like a drum corps but with 32 horses. It was actually really amazing.