We spent some great days in Kelowna with our cousins. They took us out on their boat and we all had a fantastic time!
We took a day to go to this river (I can't recall the name of it). There is a great swimming hole that we often go to with a rocky beach. The kids love hanging out here on a hot day.
And of course, there is the "annual mud bath" where they scrub each other up with the river mud.
Oh yeah, baby!
On July 6 we decided to spend one last morning at the ocean before heading to Kelowna. Dekker had SO much fun running free on the sand!
Mid-morning we said our good-byes to the ocean, packed up and started our drive to Kelowna to spend some time with the cousins.
The real reason for going back to the States was to pick up our new puppy, Dekker. He was born April 29, 2010 and he was an instant fit for our family!
He didn't cry at all when we took him with us...definitely a people dog. He loves to cuddle.
Some VERY happy kids!
Dekker got tuckered out pretty quickly with all the new things he was seeing and doing. We spent the first afternoon with him just hanging out around our trailer at the campground.
Two tired boys....sigh
On July 4th, following Mike's race, we drove back down to Washington for 4th of July celebrations. We found one last camp spot at Birch Bay. After getting settled in, we set out to get ourselves some fireworks! Mike and Braden waited in line at this portable shop and came away with a few full bags of fun!
On Birch Bay, everyone is allowed to set off their own fireworks along the water. As soon as it started getting dark, folks vied for a spot along the water to watch the display and add to it with their own fireworks.
The photos don't do justice to how amazing it was watching all the fireworks around the entire bay for hours on end. There are two families who live across the bay from each other who annually compete for who has the best show. Each one rivals a Disney fireworks display...we can only guess as to how much they spend on the fireworks each year!
Was a great celebration despite the drizzle.
Just a short 15 minute drive from Powell River is Mowat Bay...a favorite for all of us. As you can see from this photo, the views are spectacular. The kids always have fun swimming, cliff jumping and finding HUGE tadpoles.
The girls had a lot of fun trying to stay on this log.
Braden and Logan decided to take a try at rafting...and were successful! This huge piece of driftwood served as a wonderful raft for Tom and Huck!
Powell River has some of the most spectacular sunsets...this view off our cousin's deck is sure hard to beat!
Mike left Powell River as a foot passenger/hitch hiker to make his way back to Vancouver for the start of his race. On the third day, they arrived in Powell River to spend a day racing there and then overnighting at the same campground we were staying at. This photo is taken before the race, so Mike looks pretty refreshed and excited for a day of racing!
There were 500 racers in total so they started in heats to avoid too much congestion. Here they are at the beginning of the heat in the slow-ride zone.
Ahhh...finished another day! He came in middle of the pack for his age category on the whole race....congratulations honey on lots of hard work and training! We're so proud of you!!!
500 riders means 500 bags....and about 400 tents! Thanks to all the volunteers who set up and took down the tents every day and organized all the bags and loading and unloading of all the bikes!
After leaving Whistler with Mike's new replacement bike loaded on the back of the truck, we made our way to Horseshoe Bay to board the ferry bound for Powell River. Note that taking a 55 foot long vehicle on the ferry is quite a bit more costly than just taking a car! It's not likely that we'll take our trailer across again but was well worth it!
Amy and her second cousin, Emily....being goofy during a "photo shoot"~
We were given a private jazz concert in the home of one of Logan's jazz club members. Was fabulous entertainment with a fabulous meal and view of the coast!
