Stevenson Canada tour 2009

We're back from a 2 week trek through Canada. We could not mention our visit on the blog as it was a total surprise for Diane's 50th birthday party, which was great. We did a horrible job of picture taking... as in, we didn't take many, and the camera we used did not want to focus so what we did take turned out blurry. In fact, of our 6 parents we only have photos of one of them! So, sorry Alan, Lorraine, Terry, Val and Tim. Also aunty Amy, uncle Dragon and uncle Jess. Not to mention our extended families on both sides who we got to see at various partyies during which we neglected to pull out our cameras. Anyhow, that makes this posting relatively short, so here's where we went and what we did!

First stop, after 13 hour of travel: Manitoba!
We stayed the first couple nights with Alan and Lorraine in their awesome new condo. Teri also came to town for the surprise and was with us through the entire MB journey. We did such important Winnipeg tasks as renewing Bronson's passport and partying with the Hudons and Stevensons. This is the 3rd visit in a row where our first stop is the passport office and I still forget to come prepared with lunch and a good book.
Next we moved on to Diane's surprise party and Portage la Prairie. Edmund and I went to PlaP early with aunty Denise and The Family to set up. This is when Edmund first met great grandma Bazinet; he quickly made himself comfortable in her arms and this is where he preffered to hang out over the next couple days, sleeping and burping. Diane was very suprised about her party and our suprise visit - thank you to all who contributed to our flights, it was great to be able to make it! We spent a lazy Sunday chatting and eating. Eating and chatting. And then came the day trips...

Morden - home of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Center, pictured here is Bruce the Masosaur


Next to Morris to visit Great grandma Stevenson (turned 95 this month!) and lunch with Uncle Del and Aunty BarbThen to Winnipeg to visit the Museum of Man and Nature (oh sorry, that's the old "sexist" name, now it's the Manitoba Museum)... well Matt, B and Teri went there with cousin Aaron and Ethan, I went to the Winnipeg Art Gallery with Edmund.

Then down to the Forks for supper and play time.
cousins Ethan and little Kaiden with B

Great grandma Bazinet with her great grandsons

Bronson did not enjoy playing with Ethan at all.

On to Beautiful British Columbia (which was much colder and sporadically rainier) than Manitoba

Here grandma Val met us in Vancouver and whisked us to the ferry which we only caught on time because Matthew and I forced her to speed a little. In Port Alberni we were busy busy. First off, my parents have a Wii and a Wii fit, so we were all about that at first. Then cousin Sky and aunty Jean came to town to play, the Barker aunts were up island and my cousin Martin over from Vancouver so we picknicked on Saturday, then we had E's baptism, Fathers day and was my aunty Ev's suprise 80th birthday party on sunday, then on Monday I refused to leave the house, then we did a little sight seeing, then it was back home. PLUS, as I am ought to do, I cam down with a sinus infection and took 3 hour naps daily. On top of all of this, uncle Jess, aunty Amy and uncle Dragon were around being super entertaining. So, we were busy. Very busy. 1 week is simply not enough for either MB or BC (neither/nor?).

Edmunds baptism at Alberni alley United Church

(Thank you to Lorraine for crocheting the outfit in time!)
Great Grandpa Tony

Cathedral grove
To reach Port Alberni from anywhere East, north or south of the island one must drive through Cathedral grove, a park of old growth forest and major tourist attraction. We drove through this area at least twicce a day as we rushed around doing our visiting, etc. Every time Bronson would tell us that there were Dinosaurs and/or Monkeys in it and say "Woooow", so we felt we owed it to him to make a stop here and let him check out the big trees. It's hard to remember that the So Cal forests are deserts with shrubs and that's what he's grown up with. We had a good time looking around, and alas Bronson feels that there may be dinosaur bones under the trees, but no dinosaurs hiding in the forest.

Vancouver, heading home...
On Wed we flew out of Vancouver, so we took the ferry back to the mainland and visited my good friend Melissa and her kids for awhile before we needed to check in at the airport.

Here's Edmund with his girlfriend Angeline, she was born ~1week before him

Of course David and Bronson wanted in on the pics, too. David is 2 months older than B.

It was nice getting home to our apartment, it was clean (for the 15 seconds until B woke up and realized he needed to play with every single toy), warm and ours. The days since have been wonderfully sunny, too hot really. The stores are stocked with fresh cherries and strawberried and peaches, apricots, nectarines and pears. Our patio plants and garden have survived and our neighbors and friends are glad to see us. Yesterday afternoon there was a wonderful hour while Bronson, Edmund and I lay together on a blanket outside watching the clouds drift (I later realized B was feverish - no wonder he wasn't running around and getting dirty).

Now that we've passed the half way mark of our time down here I'm starting to really appreciate the weather and the access that this city gives us.

In other news - I start my new job tomorrow as personal assistant to a professor @ Caltech. I am both excited to have another purpose in life and sad that I will have to leave my boys for 4 hours a day and that Matt will now have to work nights too. I am also irritated that I will need to get out of my pjs prior to 7am.

Also - I now love the tv show 30 rock. Yay Air Canada and the seat back tvs.