A Fun and Full Weekend

My Mother's Day celebration began on Saturday afternoon. We met all the children at Thetis Lake and went for a hike. The water was calm, the air warm. Sunshine and shadow danced along the trail.

My wonderful children - three of whom I gave birth to, and two more added in love.

My husband walking with the kids. They all kept looking for me but I was busy taking pictures and had to run to catch up!

Wildflowers. I do love the colour blue.

I tend to talk with my hands a little (ahem) and my husband caught this picture of me in action. I think I was demonstrating the American Sign Language motion for Holland - something I learned this weekend from my hard of hearing cousin who stayed with us.

Trees standing like silent watchers along the lakeshore. Long shadows filtering through leaves and branches. Glints of sunlight sparkling on the water.

Then to my daughter and son-in-law's house for a barbecue. Hmm good - hamburgers with mushrooms, cheese, carmelized onions, tomatoes...a delicious Mediterranean salad with roasted veggies...and a wonderful raspberry cake dessert with vanilla gelato and chocolate raspberry crumbles. Oh my.
My son-in-law loves tulips and their yard is filled with them - all yellow and red. They make a statement!

I didn't take any more photos - we were sitting outside by the outdoor fireplace and I was too lazy to go inside and get the camera. It was so comfortable sitting around the fire talking, listening and just being with the people I love most in the world.

Mother's Day Sunday involved a trip to the ferry first thing in the morning (my cousin and a friend had stayed with us over the weekend), then church, then my husband took me out for a yummy lunch at Milestone's. I had a grilled seafood salad, lots of salmon, prawns and shrimp. For dessert we shared a wedge of chocolate ganache pie that swam in a puddle of warm burnt sugar sauce. Decadent!

Then, mid-afternoon, my children drove me UP the WALL! Literally. Ashley has become quite the rock climber, and Cristal and my husband, Tim have recently begun going as well. Gerry, Cristal's husband and I went out with them to the climbing gym and had a blast. There's a lot to learn about trust when you climb - can my 100 lb daughter really support me up on that wall? Yep, she can. I did three full climbs and then spent some time bouldering. Afterwards, my arms quivered from the exertion. But oh, what fun!