Family Time | Amy Scott's Thoughts

An ER Trip & A Zoo Trip June 30, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 4:12 pm

This last weekend was an exciting one. Owen experienced many firsts – his first trip the ER on Friday and his first trip to the Oregon Zoo on Saturday. Friday was my grandma’s 81st first birthday. My mom, Owen and I drove up to Puyallup to celebrate with the birthday girl. We got there and socialized with my grandma and great-aunt and great-uncle. My cousin, Charlotte, stopped by for a few minutes. Owen got to play with his 3rd cousins, Forrest and Lincoln. Forrest and Owen are 10 days apart so it was fun to see the two babies together. After all the socializing, we went out to a yummy lunch at Olive Garden. Owen had moments of fussiness at the restaurant, but he held it together pretty well for a baby who needed a nap. My mom offered to stop at Starbucks on our way out of town and this where the day went downhill. Since the drive thru was crazy busy my mom decided to go in and place our orders. I was sitting in the car with Owen who was sleeping and breathing a bit funny. All of the sudden the sound of a puking baby could be heard. I got out of the front seat and opened the car door in the back to see Owen covering himself in puke. It was bad. Very bad. Puddles… Anyway, I got Owen out of the car seat and started to clean things up as a best I could. Thank God for baby wipes. I had to clean the car seat and the area surrounding it, I had to wipe down his toys and then proceed to clean Owen with my mom’s help. My mom’s vehicle has a nice spot in the back so we laid Owen down and gave him a baby wipe bath and a fresh diaper and outfit. Mom questioned putting him back into clothes, but I thought this was an isolated incident (rookie mistake). We reloaded and took off for home until… the sound of baby puke could be heard again. We pulled off in a local church parking lot and started the process of cleaning up Owen again. And then Owen threw up twice more. This time it was all over my lap. Yep. Good times. At this point, we decided to wait out the bug and return my grandma’s house since we were only a few minutes away. Once we got to Grandma’s, Owen was asleep so we decided to turn around and head back for home. However, Owen’s breathing got weird and his color was super pale. He threw up a couple more times and we finally made the decision to take him to the nearest ER. As you can tell, there was a lot of driving and stopping and puking. I made many phone calls with Jeremy and our doctor’s office before finally making the decision to go to the ER. The 15 minute drive to the ER was one of the scariest in my life. Owen was so pale and I was scared if he closed his eyes that he wouldn’t wake up, so I kept him awake (more for my sanity than anything else). We arrived at the ER and Owen perked up. It was crazy. I’m fairly certain it was an answer to the prayers our family had been praying for us. It was a tough call but we decided to stay and have Owen seen by the doctor just to be on the safe side. This led to us spending over two hours in the ER waiting… for no real reason. We were seen by the triage nurses and told Owen was fine but if we wanted we could go back to the waiting room and continue to wait for a room to open up and a doctor to see us. Jeremy arrived after this conversation with the nurses and we decided it was time to go home. Owen was doing much better and had stopped throwing up. He had no fever and seemed to be his normal self again. We took our chances and signed him out of the hospital. At this point it was now 5:30pm (we originally started to leave for home at 1:00pm) and I was exhausted from the day. It was so challenging to me to make these decisions regarding Owen’s health all on my own. I’m so grateful that my mom was alongside me for this adventure. She really helped me keep it together. We were both so grateful when Owen perked up. He was a totally different baby by the time we took off for home.

After all the drama of Friday, you would assume we had a quiet day to lay low and just recover? Nope, wrong. It was Family Zoo Day for our church. Jeremy felt awkward about going to the Zoo without his family and I totally understand. As the leader of this event, he really couldn’t stay home. So we all went to the zoo on Saturday. Owen had no fever and hadn’t thrown up since the whole ER ordeal. We decided we would greet the families at the zoo and then leave whenever depending on how Owen was feeling. The whole day had me a little nervous, but it turned into a really great family day. Jeremy and I enjoyed taking Owen around the zoo. Owen clued into the animals and loved to watch them. The weather was off and on rainy so the zoo was kind of quiet. After the drama of Friday, it was just nice to be together as a family. I was so glad that Owen was feeling better and that we could have that time together. I wasn’t sure how the day would go down, but it turned into an family memory that I will never forget. We had a really good time. The contrast of the day before only made it sweeter. I really appreciated it!

Cousin Time

Family Zoo Day

Flowers from my hubby after all the drama

Feeling better and ready for the week ahead!

Leave a Comment

Cooking Marathon June 20, 2014

Filed under: Cooking Experiments,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 6:53 pm

Jeremy and I always talk about how we want to be more intentional with our meal planning. We often look at each other just before 5:00pm and ask what the other wants for dinner. A lot of times we go for quick fixes because we are too hungry to wait for anything to be prepared. Owen was super sick yesterday (he is doing much better today) so we knew today was going to be a home day so Owen could rest. We made a quick run to the store and stocked up some cooking supplies. We proceeded to spend the afternoon making freezer meals and other goodies! We made pulled pork sandwiches for dinner, Jeremy made a loaf of cinnamon apple bread and I continued to perfect Pioneer Woman’s baked fudge recipe. Our freezer is now stocked with five 9×13 pans of yummy meals that will each feed us for days. I made an enchilada casserole from Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist. Jeremy made 2 lasagnas, an egg bake and chicken spaghetti. I’m super excited to pop these in the oven over the next couple of weeks. I’ve heard of people taking a day to make a bunch of freezer meals and I always thought it sounded like too much work. After today, I am amazed how much food can be prepared in just one afternoon. I’m positive this won’t be the last time we do this. Plus, it was so much fun working side by side in the kitchen with my hubby. We’re so domestic!

Stocking up the freezer

The goodies we enjoyed today!

Leave a Comment

June So Far… June 19, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:44 pm

We are over halfway through the month of June and wow, has a lot been going on. Lots of changes have happened this month. Some big, some small. The biggest change for us would be that I am stepping down from my job at the church. Things got complicated at the beginning of the month with family schedules and Jeremy and I decided we would simplify our lives. I’m looking forward to being a full-time stay-at-home mom. I don’t worry that Owen and I will have plenty to do, place to go and people to see. While I feel this is a good move for our family, I will admit that it’s strange to hand over the reigns to someone else. I’ve been working as Jeremy’s administrative assistant for the last 5 years and I’ve been working at Bethel Church for almost 8 years now (It would have been 8 full years in August). Change of any sort tends to throw me for a loop, so wrapping my mind around all this has been crazy. At the same time as I am untethering from a life of set office hours, Jeremy’s day off changed from Fridays to Mondays. So many of my usual markers during the week have disappeared and now I’m often left wondering what day it is! I guess it’s time to rebuild my routine.

Another big exciting change is that my sister and brother-in-law moved into a new place this last weekend. We spent Saturday moving them and helping them start the unpacking process. I love organizing so anytime I can help anyone settle into a new space, I enjoy the challenge. Owen was a pretty good little kid for the move. He alternated between playing/sleeping in his Pack’n’Play and running errands with family members. In true Amy fashion, to help the moving process, I bought ice cream treats and Hostess Sno-Balls to keep spirits high. It seemed to have a very positive effect on April and I! It will be fun to see April and Andrew settle in and make the place their own. They happen to be very close to a favored local coffee shop, so I see lots of hanging out in this new location in the future!

As I mentioned in my last blog, it was my mom’s birthday last week, so we spent the evening with my family having yummy Chinese food and playing a quick card game. June is a month where I have to keep a present to-do list in my mind. We have two family birthdays and now three dads to get gifts for in one month! Jeremy opened his Father’s Day present on Friday night since the weekend was packed full. Owen gave Jeremy cash, candy and a photo cube with his face all over it. My favorite part was the Super Dad card from Owen and I. So far Father’s Day has had a “super” theme the last two years. I wonder if I can keep it going over the years. Sunday was spent celebrating with our dads. We had burgers with the Scotts and tacos with the Vitzthums. It was a very good day and a lot of fun to spend the day with both our families.

There is much of June still left to be lived. I’ll keep you posted as our family continues to head into new and exciting territory. I’m sure the life of a stay- at-home mom will afford me plenty of writing material!

Yay! I get Mom all to myself!

Celebrating Grandma’s Birthday

Moving Day

Best Buds!

Love my dad!

Leave a Comment

Throwback Thursday June 12, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 9:30 am

I don’t usually partake in Throwback Thursday, Flashback Friday or Man Crush Monday. If there are titles for the other days of the week, I don’t know them. But today seems like a good day to do a throwback. This day holds meaning for a lot of reasons! First, it’s my mom’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! I’m so grateful to have a good relationship with my mom. I know that she put up with a lot from me while I was growing up. While I wasn’t a crazy, rebellious child, I think we all have our own ways of driving our parents nuts. Mine would have been singing too loud around the house and generally thinking the world revolved around me. I am so thankful for the wonderful influence and friendship my mom has given me over the years. Now that I’m an adult, I love our relationship even more. My mom loves her family in very tangible ways. She gives us her time and attention often. Owen thinks she makes a pretty good grandma, too!

Okay, getting back to the throwbacks! Today happens to be the day that I graduated from high school 10 years ago! I’ve officially been out of high school for a decade now and that seems so strange. Where did the time go? In a lot of ways I still feel like that 18 year old kid in a cap and gown, but really I know I’ve changed a lot. Looking back over the last decade, I am so blessed to see how the Lord has directed me. I had no clue when I graduated what was in store for me. My life hasn’t followed the timeline I thought it would, but God knows better than me and it’s been a blessed adventure. What I love about this picture is that I’m still friends with the ladies standing beside me. A lot of people told me that it wasn’t possible to stay close with your high school best friends, but we’ve proved them wrong. I’m so grateful to call Maggie and Kaly my forever friends.

W.F. West Class of 2004

Just for fun, I thought I would do one more throwback to last year on this day. I was in Hawaii for the first time vacationing with my family! This past year has gone by quickly, but the memory of the warm water and sandy beaches still remains. Our little family has a new appreciation for sea turtles after that trip. Now whenever I put Owen in something with a turtle on it, I am transported back to Hawaii. Good times!

Maui 2013

Each year and decade brings about change and opportunities. I have no clue what things will look like a year from now or a decade from now, but I know that God will still be good and there will be lots of fun to be had. I love that life is unpredictable. The Lord’s plans are better than my own, so I looking forward with great expectation all that still lies before me!

Leave a Comment

Family Day at Northwest Trek June 2, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 4:25 pm

Yesterday our family traveled to a local animal park to celebrate my nephew’s 4th birthday! It seems to crazy to believe that Carson is now 4! Where did the time go? This was our first “zoo” type experience with Owen and I was interested to see what he would think. I was glad to see that Owen clued into some of the animals. He was especially interested in watching the bears and the racoons. Jeremy charged our video camera and was making movies throughout the day. I would almost say it was the “perfect” family day except… except for the tram ride. Part of the experience at NW Trek is that take a 50 minute tram ride through their protected wildlife habitat. It really is great as you drive through the fields and forest spotting animals left and right. Well, it would be a great experience if a baby doesn’t scream through the majority of the tram ride. When we got on the tram Owen was getting tired. He needed a nap. Instead of napping on the tram ride, he screamed. Most of the people on the tram were relatives, but not all. I felt like refunding people’s tickets because we ruined their ride. The hardest part of being on a 50 minute tram ride is that there is no way to get off. There was no sneaking away with the crazy kid. So I sat there and tried to help Owen fall asleep. He would nod off momentarily and then wake up screaming full throttle again. Happy family memories! Once we got off the tram, I was able to feed Owen and go for a stroller walk that sealed the deal in the nap department. After Owen’s nap, he was a relatively happy camper that was passed around amongst relatives. It was great to spend time with Jeremy’s family. I enjoyed catching up with my sister-in-laws and having moments here and there with my nephews and niece. Carson is certainly worth celebrating and a day at NW Trek was a fun way to ring in a 4th birthday! Happy Birthday, Carson!

Little Navigator

The beginning of the tram ride, hanging with my youngest nephew, Keegan!

Make a wish, Carson!

I felt like this blog should include an animal picture

Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day & The Beach May 15, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 9:22 am

Our little family on Mother’s Day

Sunday was my first “real” Mother’s Day. Last year I got lots of well wishes on Mother’s Day and Jeremy even got me a gift, but I knew I wasn’t really parenting yet. I was making a baby and that takes effort, but this year was different. It felt like I could celebrate it this year, like I was officially a member of the mom club. I honestly didn’t have any plans that I wanted to do for the day. At this point, Owen is too young to understand it and I didn’t have any new traditions in mind. I’m sure has the years go by we’ll make some new traditions and memories for our family on these special holidays. Jeremy and I really wanted to see our own mothers this year and make the day special for them. Spending time with family is the perfect way to spend any holiday. My day started off quiet. Owen and I had a late start to the day which meant he could get a good nap in before we headed out to church. After church, we had lunch with Jeremy’s family. It was fun because Jeremy’s brother and sister-in-law came up with their little boy, so the cousins got to play. Any day I get to see my nephew is a good day! We headed up to my parent’s house for dinner and then came home to watch the Once Upon a Time season finale. I really love that show!!! I stayed up later than usual so I could finish it. It worth it!

Playing in the sand

Jeremy took Monday off since he has been working some of his normal Fridays off. In true Jeremy fashion, he asked me spur of the moment if we’d like to go to the beach. We’ve been talking about going to the beach for a while but just hadn’t set a date. Since Monday was a free day and the weather was amazing, it seemed like the perfect day to go. Owen was a super napper the entire way there and back. Once we arrived in Cannon Beach, we unloaded our crew from the car and Jeremy set about getting us lunch from our favorite restaurant. Toby was along for this adventure so we couldn’t eat inside any where. It was too warm of a day to leave a dog in the car. In fact, it was a lot warmer at the beach than we expected! It was in the 80’s and surprisingly not breezy. It was perfect weather from walking on the sand by the water. After our meal of Mo’s to-go, we loaded up Owen and Toby and hit the beach. I’m fairly positive we spent more time getting ready for the beach and cleaning up after the beach than we did at the beach, but oh well. That’s what happens when you have a baby and a dog covered in sand. Owen took in all the sights, sounds and smells. Jeremy set him down in the sand and Owen grabbed a fist full of it. Jeremy even buried Owen’s toes in the sand! It wouldn’t be a true first visit to ocean without touching the water, so we put Owen’s feet in the very shallow part where the waves just barely come in. This first trip to the beach was a big experiment. I learned a lot. I will pack differently next time and remember the sunscreen. Since all Owen had was a sun hat, I was super nervous about him getting sun burned. Because I thought it was going to be cooler, I packed a lot clothes that Owen didn’t need. Overall, it was a success and good learning experience. We ended our time at Cannon Beach with a stop by the bakery. We drove out of town munching on doughnuts! What a good day!

A picture perfect day at Cannon Beach

Playing with a sand dollar piece

Feet in the water

Toes in the sand

A great day for a walk

Leave a Comment

Thoughts on Family, Charter Members and Staying in One Place a Really Long Time April 26, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 12:05 pm

Enjoying dinner out on a Friday night!

This Thursday, I had the honor and privilege to attend a memorial service for one of the charter members of Bethel Church. There are very few of these charter members left. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to start Bethel Church in 1940. Back then it was a church plant from Centralia to Chehalis. Eventually the congregation out grew their downtown Chehalis location so the church moved down the freeway to a large piece of property that would accommodate expansion and a growing church. Our church has a great history. As hard as it is to say good-bye to one of our founding members, I am so grateful for the legacy that he has left in Lewis County. I am friends with his daughters and many of his grandchildren. Shorty Ames was a man of few words, but my life has been touched by his faithfulness to love his family well.

Memorial services always get me thinking. They are a time to examine my own life. I am so inspired by the stories I heard on Thursday and the love that was shared. I was once again reminded at how important these days are. One after another. We never know how many we have. Shorty had almost 95 years of them. I was thinking about not only the changes he saw in our church family, but in Lewis County as a whole. I wonder if he ever drove through downtown Chehalis and had flashbacks to 1940. I’ve been a Lewis County resident since 1998. I will have lived here 16 years come August. Of course, I never know how long I will be here, but what if I’m here another 50 years? What if… I’m sure the landscape will change drastically and I’ll have flashbacks to 1998. Remember when there was no Starbucks? No Dutch Brothers? Remember when the Walmart wasn’t a Supercenter or remember when Walmart was the ONLY place to shop and you always ran into 4o people you knew while there? Good times.

Yesterday was my favorite day of the week – FRIDAY! It’s the one day that Jeremy isn’t down at the church. One family day to just be us and do what we want. Fridays are the best. I love spending time with my husband and son and little dog. There was a mixture of productivity and resting. Jeremy and I each got stuff on our to-do list done, but we also spent time together. It’s days like yesterday that remind me that family is the best thing I can invest myself in. There are lots of worthwhile causes to give myself to, but I think family is the best. Time with my family is unparalleled. There is no match. Jeremy decided that we should go out to dinner rather spur of the moment and then this decision led to a mini-adventure! We had a good time and just enjoyed the time together. It was one of those days where I would just like to slow time and stay in those moments a little while longer.

My time is precious and how I invest it is important. Shorty’s memorial service was just another reminder of how family is worth the time and investment. I admire the longevity he had to one location and to one church. It seems like people are all over the place these days. They move here and there and everywhere. If they don’t like a church then they go find a new one. Church hopping happens often. Bethel Church was the church we settled on when we moved here in 1998 and it’s the church I still serve at today. I hope that I can have the same longevity Shorty shared. I want to stay through it all. Through the ups and downs. I want to be faithful (a word that was used multiple times to describe Shorty’s life). I want my family to know that they are loved in word and action. I want to be a wife and a mother that is engaged and present. I want to make a difference and leave this world a better place. I know people seem saint like after they die… It’s the nice part of memorial services. I know that my chances of being saint like are slim. I am human after all. But I want to try. I want to give myself away every day. I want to leave that kind of legacy.

Leave a Comment

Easter Weekend April 21, 2014

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 1:50 pm

Happy Easter

Easter weekend has come and gone and we survived! Hurray! Easter weekend is always a massive endeavor and you add a baby to the mix and things get a little nutty. Owen decided to be anti-nap this weekend which led to him having a sparkling personality most of the time. There were moments where I was on the brink of insanity. I had joked about checking myself into the locked psych ward at the hospital to get some rest. Thankfully that wasn’t necessary, but I was close. Thursday and Friday were big prep days for Easter Eggstravaganza. On Friday, I had to put an SOS call out to my mom. I was working on filling prize eggs at home and Owen didn’t like the fact that I was multitasking. Thankfully my mom came to the rescue and alternated between filling eggs with me and keeping Owen occupied. Saturday was the big egg hunt day. The weather was not very nice. There was much rain and wind. However, we live in Washington and no one seemed phased by the wild weather. We had record attendance which was quite mind blowing. Owen and I made it to the first egg hunt. He ended up sleeping through his egg hunt. Since it was pouring down rain, I didn’t really plan on setting him in his field just to sit in a puddle. Next year he will be mobile and able to participate. This year Easter Eggstravaganza was a spectators sport for Owen. My family worked at the hot dog booth so Owen and I crowded under their pop-up canopy to take in the sights from a somewhat dry location. After the first hunt, we found Jeremy to say hi and greet the volunteers. After that it was off to home for a supposed nap that never happened. Saturday night was our evening Easter gathering at church. Sunday morning were two more Easter gatherings and two family gatherings. That about sums up the weekend. Busy, busy. We loved seeing our families and spending some time catching up with them.

Today, we are grateful for a day off around the house! I have been sorting baby clothes and boxing things up. Owen is now transitioning to 9 month clothes and the next box of diapers I buy will be size 3! Crazy! Owen has enjoyed two solid food meals already today as I start the routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner with him. Jeremy has been in the kitchen baking and cooking. I’ve been keeping the washer and dryer busy and working on updating my pictures. I’ve also had some time to tidy the house and Jeremy has gone outside for a bit. We took a family walk and this is all before 2:00pm! It’s amazing what you can get done with two parents and a day around the house! Owen is also back to a more regular nap schedule today and I am thankful. Despite the craziness of Easter weekend, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what the true meaning of the weekend is all about. I am beyond grateful for a Savior who loved me enough to die for me. I am amazed and humbled at the power of the cross and the fact that death couldn’t hold Jesus down. I serve a RISEN Savior who is alive and active in my life. In some of the zaniest moments of this weekend, I called out to him and knew that I never alone. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Owen enjoying Eggstravaganza!

Ducky

This doesn’t taste good!

Reading his new book

Comments (2)

March So Far March 21, 2014

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 10:41 am

Somebody loves to stand!

March has been a month for sickness in our household. We had our first cycle of family sharing when it comes to germs. Jeremy got a cold and he gave it to Owen and Owen gave it to me. Being sick was never “fun” before, but now as a parent it’s certainly not. Before I could nap whenever I wanted and just lay around watching TV. Those days are long gone and I missed them this last week. Jeremy came home one day so I could rest and he ended up coming down with a bad flu bug. A very bad flu bug. Later that weekend I got a touch of a tummy bug as well. However, this last week has been pretty good for us health wise. I think we are coming out of the germ filled hazed and we are ready for spring! Jeremy has been out and about in the yard. He’s mowed a couple of a times and have planted flowers again our front beds. The yard seems to be coming to back to life. The tree in our front yard is starting to show it’s pink blossoms. After months of gray, it’s great to see some color popping up.

Owen continues to grow and change daily. He loves to stand up now (with support, of course). He also enjoys sitting up and playing with this toys. He doesn’t quite have his independence yet in the sitting the department, but he is close. Owen continues to be a mystery in the world of naps. While I was sick, I tired to take a nap while he took a nap numerous times. Without fail, I would lay down and he would wake up in about 10 minutes of me falling asleep. When I couldn’t take a nap or didn’t take a nap for some reason, he would sleep for 2+ hours. Oh the mind games babies can play!

Trying to keep the play mat interesting!

Owen continues to be a thrasher in the bathtub. I have decided giving Owen a bath is a like sitting in the splash zone at Sea World. Ponchos might be necessary! In our ever constant quest to keep Owen a happy camper, we have made a couple of exciting purchases this month. First, would be a set of black-out blinds for his room. It seems that Owen wakes with the sun and that will continue to get earlier as we move toward summer. We’ve had two days so far of him sleeping in later than usual and today he was back to a more normal get up time. We also added a new baby contraption to our front room. Owen is now the proud owner of a jumperoo. He was getting bored with his play mat and with his new love of standing, it seemed like time. He really loves the noise and lights on the jumperoo. He can barely touch the floor right so he tilts and stands on one foot. I’m sure once he really can jump around, he’ll love it even more.

New toy!

In other March news, I’ve been back to reading and I love it. I just finished The Poisonwood Bible. It was an intense read. I’m not sure that I enjoyed it, but I wanted to find out how it ended so I kept reading. Books like this frustrate me because while the family were “missionaries”, I felt like they had no real relationship with Jesus. Their struggles were only intensified by the fact that they really didn’t seem to know the God they were claiming to bring to Africa. The book is very political and goes into great depth on the government changes in the Congo. I like historical fiction for the most part because it opens my eyes to an era gone by.

Other than reading, another highlight for me this month, was making my first Pioneer Woman recipe. I made her baked French toast for MOPS and it was super tasty. Jeremy and I were already talking about ways we would tweak the recipe, so I’ll have to make it again for sure. We also purchased Frozen this month and have been singing the songs throughout the day! So much fun stuff going on as you can tell! March isn’t over though and there is still a lot of fun yet to be had. Jeremy is taking a group of kids up an awesome kid’s conference tomorrow. It promises to be quite the event. Jeremy’s birthday is coming up next week and I’m excited to celebrate another year of my amazing husband. March as certainly been full and is certainly flying by!!!

Leave a Comment

O Canada! March 2, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:57 pm

I’ve been wanting to visit Canada for a while now. It’s been a decade since I’d been out of the country and I was getting the itch for some international travel. Since I live in Washington State, the Canadian border is about 5 hours away and with my enhanced driver’s license, I didn’t need a passport to cross. Jeremy surprised me for my birthday with a trip booked for Vancouver BC. I went to Vancouver when I was almost 5 months old for the World’s Fair in 1986. Now I got to take my son when he was about 5 months old to Vancouver. Weird timing or what? This was first time spending the night away from home with Owen. Most people might pick a laid back vacation for their first trip with a baby, but Jeremy and I chose a 5+ hour car ride, a border crossing into a different country and a big city to explore. I had my doubts about how the trip would go, but it went great. Owen is a great travel. He slept a lot of the car ride. We made a couple of stops along the way so he could eat and have some time out of the car seat. We got to our very fancy hotel in downtown and then we took it over instantly with baby stuff! We set up Owen’s Pack’N’Play and made the breakfast table a diaper station. We laid a blanket out on the floor for play time. We seriously moved on in. I brought less stuff than I originally planned on packing, but I still ended up over packing. I brought too many clothes for myself and Owen. I figured he could spit up or poop on multiple outfits a day. Better safe than sorry. However, he was a relatively clean kid for most of the trip and the extras weren’t needed.

Jeremy and I are the masters of the Thursday through Saturday trip. These long weekends fit around our church schedule really well. Thursday we got into the hotel and set up camp. We roamed around downtown and I realized that Vancouver BC is a lot bigger than I thought. For dinner we went a little shack on the water called Go Fish. We ate the best fish & chips outside under a heater with the city view at sunset. Friday, we drove out to Steveston where our favorite show “Once Upon a Time” is filmed. It was so cool to see buildings that I recognized from television in person. We explored a few filming sites before heading back to the hotel to regroup. Back at the hotel, Owen and Jeremy hit the pool. This was Owen’s first time in a pool so it was a bit of a big deal to us. Owen enjoyed it a lot! We spent our Friday evening at one of the largest malls Jeremy and I have ever been to. It had over 400 stores on 3 levels. We spent 2 solid hours there just walking around and we still missed about half of it. On Saturday we went to the public market and had brunch at a place called Edible Canada. It was all fresh local foods. I had the most amazing waffles with a mascarpone cream, blackberry sauce and ground hazelnuts. Jeremy had a crab cake and eggs benedict. It was very fancy food and felt like a splurge! After we explored the market, it was time to head home.

This trip was truly an adventure. I didn’t realize that I would feel so “out of the country”. I assumed that BC would just feel like the northwest, but it really felt like we were in a different country. They said things a little differently, the money was different, the metric system was fun to navigate, we tried new brands, things are spelled differently (example: centre, colourful, busses). Our doorman asked us if we were on “holiday”. Because of roaming charges, we couldn’t use our phones unless we were at the hotel on their wi-fi. That was strange! It made me realize how attached I am to my phone. We are used to using it for GPS, so Jeremy had to breakdown and actually buy a map to get around! We commented on how often we would have googled something, but it wasn’t an option! It was fun and crazy to get out of the country especially for our first time away with Owen, but it was a great trip and I glad we took the chance on doing something a little out of the ordinary!