Out to Sea

The next day we slept in and ate breakfast in our room. We were both tired so the sleeping in part was terrific! Then we decided to try out the hot tub and pool. We had to go to the indoor pool because it was so cold and windy out on the deck.

We really didn't last long in the pool. I didn't even get in, but Lloyd swam for a few minutes. Then I had another idea. I thought we should try going to a more private hot tub at the back of the ship. It was extremely windy back there! We could barely walk without getting blown over, but I visioned the air blowing through our hair while we sat in a nice warm hot tub. Boy was I wrong! I guess they don't heat those hot tubs at the back of the ship because nobody uses them when it's that windy. While wearing our swimsuits, we tried getting into an ice cold hot tub and strong winds were blowing all around us. It was probably the coldest moment of my life, but we were laughing like crazy! Then we were going to go for afternoon tea (herbal, of course), but the line for that was very long. Instead we got hot chocolate and I got to eat my favorite snack of all - warm peanut butter cookies. They were fantastic! We also explored more of the ship.

This was the back of the ship where that cold hot tub was. You can see how windy it was!

We decided to get a little work out in with all the food that we were eating. Lloyd ran on the treadmill while I did this exercise class with some other women. The class was really very challenging. It was led by a guy with an English accent and he wasn't even doing the exercises. He just kept saying, "Good Job, Ladies!" and "Keep It up, Ladies!" He had no idea how difficult the exercises were. I finally asked him, "When are you going to try some of these exercises?" I was so hot after the exercise class, I chose to run around the ship instead of running on the treadmill. I think I ran around the ship like 12 times to make three miles. The wind felt nice while I was running!

We dressed a little more formal for Friday's dinner. Lloyd had a steak and I had a steak and shrimp. It was very delicious! Of course, we tried more desserts too.

After dinner we enjoyed a comedy/juggling act. This guy was pretty talented. For his final act, he got out of a straight jacket while riding a unicycle. It was amazing to watch! Then we saw another show by the cruise dancers and singers. This one was called "Destination Anywhere." It included songs and dances from places all around the world like Las Vegas, London, Africa, and even the moon.

We stayed up late on Friday since it was our last night onboard. We ordered drinks and danced a bit. We couldn't remember the last time we had gone dancing. I guess we're getting old. It was fun to let loose again!

Arriving in Vancouver

We were a little sad when we woke up Saturday morning because we knew it was the last day of our cruise. Most cruises are round trip, but this one was one way to Vancouver. We woke up early so we could have breakfast in the dining room. We picked up these souvenir photos from the photo gallery. I also got a really nice scrapbook that I'm excited to work on some day.
We watched from our balcony as the ship pulled into Vancouver. It really is a beautiful city!

We relaxed up on the deck while we waited to disembark. We enjoyed just a few more minutes of the luxuries of our cruise ship. After we got off the ship, we had to go through customs. Then we got a taxi and took it to the bus station. From there we took the bus to the ferry that would take us to Victoria. The bus drove right onto the ferry where it parked in the garage.
On the ferry we enjoyed a buffet lunch. We also saw gorgeous views of the islands of British Columbia.

We were sad our two day cruise was over, but we looked forward to spending two days in Victoria.

Butchart Gardens

Victoria was wonderful. We felt so lucky to be there, but it was a little tricky finding our way around without a rental car. Our hotel was right across the street from the bus depot so that was convenient. We ate dinner at a favorite restaurant of mine - The Spaghetti Factory, also right across the street from our hotel. The next day was Sunday and Mother's Day. I felt bad not being with my kids on Mother's Day, but I still wanted to go to church. We ended up walking over two miles to get to church. It was a nice workout and we were very warm during Sacrament Meeting. It was a wonderful meeting. They gave all the mothers beautiful plants. I ended up having to leave the plant at the airport because they wouldn't let me bring it home through customs. After church we walked back to our hotel and changed our clothes. We ate lunch at a cute restaurant that had been converted from an old gas station. It was called Pluto's and the food was "out of this world." Then we took the bus to the Butchart Gardens. I had visited these gardens in 1986 when I was in seventh grade. I remember them being very beautiful. Once I saw them again, I realized my memory didn't do them justice. These gardens are the most spectacular I have ever seen. I recommend a trip to Victoria just so you can see them. Here's just a few shots of the flowers of Butchart Gardens.

Although, I wasn't with my children, I can't imagine a better place to be on Mother's Day. I felt lucky that we got to be there in spring when the flowers were in full bloom. People who have season passes to Butchart Gardens say they are amazing all four seasons of the year.

Even the trash cans are beautiful!

This is what I imagine The Garden of Eden must have looked like.

My eternal sweetheart and a beautiful view- complete bliss!

The Japanese Gardens didn't bloom as much, but they were very peaceful and serene.

A perfect ending for a perfect day - a double scoop of gelato for each of us. Lucky us!

Victoria

Monday was our last day in Victoria. We were sad to go home. It was an amazing trip, but we were also happy to get back home and see our kids. This was the view of the Victoria harbor from our hotel room.
Monday morning we had a gourmet breakfast at a little place called Abigail's. It was absolutely scrumptious!
Then we went on a harbor boat tour. Our tour guide told us a lot about Victoria and its history.
You can see the Victoria government building in the background.This is the famous Empress Hotel. They serve tea there daily, but it's very pricey so we just walked through during tea time.
Here are some of the water homes in the Victoria harbor. I understand they are very expensive!
I got excited when the tour guide told us this was the same bridge used in the Annie movie. I loved that movie when I was a little girl!
The harbor is not only used by boats, but also these sea planes. We even got to see one take off.
Our last moments in Victoria were spent walking through Beacon Hill Park. It was a very large and beautiful park. We wished we could have enjoyed it longer. We got ice cream and hamburgers at the Beacon Hill Drive In to take with us on the bus/ferry. We took the bus/ferry back to Vancouver. We hung out at the airport for a while. I kept thinking, they're filming New Moon here, maybe I'll see one of the Twilight actors. No such luck! As Lloyd and I flew home and drove back to Modesto, we relished in our trip. We loved it all! The cruise was the best. Victoria was beautiful. We loved going to Canada. The people there are so warm and friendly. We joked that maybe we'd retire there. British Columbia is definitely a beautiful place. We're so very grateful for the wonderful time we had there!

Cruisin' to Canada

Tomorrow Lloyd and I are leaving on a two night cruise to Canada aboard the Star Princess ship from Princess Cruise Lines. Then we're going to stay for two nights in Victoria on Vancouver island. We are so excited! We'll share all the details when we get back. This will be our second cruise. The first was for our 5 year anniversary and this one is to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Bon voyage!

A Weekend of Scrapbooking

I was totally spoiled last weekend! I went away with nine other girls to a cabin in the mountains for two days and two nights of SCRAPBOOKING! It was the best! I got quite a bit of scrapbooking done, but of course, I wish I had gotten more done. I seem to enjoy scrapbooking more when I'm not too far behind, but with five kids it's very hard to keep up. My blog is helping me capture my feelings when events happen so I can use them for journaling in my scrapbooks. The weekend wasn't just the best because of the scrapbooking. We had so much fun talking and laughing together. We shared a lot of crazy stories, but everyone agreed "what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin" so I won't reveal any stories here. We also ate a TON! I've never eaten such fabulous food in a weekend. The mint brownies had to be my favorite, thank you Ashleigh! Everyone is more than thrilled (NOT) when I bring my camera out, but I just have to capture these beautiful women and the memories we make together. Thank you to Lauri for planning these annual getaways since 2006. Yes, it's become a tradition we look forward to every year! Katie, Diana, and me Starla and Lauri Sisters - Ashleigh and Kathryn, a picture cute enough to frame! Stacey and Brittany

Natalie with her Swedish fish

Family Temple Day

On Saturday, April 25 our ward had a Family Temple Day. It was a wonderful day for all of us. The kids participated in different activities while Lloyd and I got to do an endowment session. It was great for us to go to the temple without having to worry about the kids so far away at home. I loved the peace and spirit I felt in the temple. The kids loved going on a scavenger hunt around the temple grounds, making crafts, and playing games. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch together as a ward. Last year I was in charge of the lunch and it was such a treat to not be in charge this year. I love to see how excited my kids get about going to the temple. They got so excited as it comes into view from our car. Seeing how beautiful and special the temple is helps our children to have the desire to go inside some day. We are so grateful for the temple, without it we wouldn't be an eternal family.