Amy Scott's Thoughts

On the ferry, heading to Nanaimo

Tuesday morning, we packed up our townhouse house and said good-bye to Steveston Village. It had been a great location, but we were off to see new territory! We were headed to Victoria! Because trips like this don’t come around everyday, my dad suggested that we see some of the Canadian countryside before we reached Victoria. We took a ferry to Nanaimo, which is north of Victoria, so we could spend some extra time exploring Vancouver Island. In Nanaimo, we had lunch at Tim Hortons where the guy at the counter asked Jeremy and I if we were from out of town. We replied yes, that we were from Washington State. He told he thought so because of our accents! Our accents! It was crazy to think that we had accents and we weren’t really all that far from home. That is one of the fun sides of visiting Canada. There are some many different languages and a diverse culture. It’s close to home, but it is different. After lunch, we went in search of some world famous Nanaimo bars. I had never heard of them before this trip, but my dad educated me on what Nanaimo bars are. They are a dessert treat with three layers. The bottom layer is like a brownie crust with coconut and nuts. The second layer in a coconut cream and the top layer is a fudge like chocolate. They are very rich and very tasty! We went to a couple different shops so we could compare and contrast Nanaimo bar recipes. These goodies are one of the highlights of Vancouver Island for me. I downloaded the recipe of the City of Nanaimo website. I plan on tackling my own version of Nanaimo bars in the near future!

Playing at Chapters with Grandma

We enjoyed the drive down to Vancouver. Part of the drive was along the water and very scenic. The trees were changing and it felt very much like autumn was at our doorstep. It was also interesting to drive through a few more towns we wouldn’t have had a chance to visit if we had gone straight to Victoria. We always point out the things are distinctly Canadian and then the things that remind us of home. We got into Victoria and I realized that the second half of our trip was going to be more of a downtown vibe. We got into our condo and settled in. We took off for a walk downtown for dinner and ended up The Cactus Club. Again, this a Canadian restaurant chain, so we had to try something new. The atmosphere wasn’t super baby friendly, but they ended up putting us really out of the way so we wouldn’t bother the other customers. Our waitress really took to Owen. At one point, my mom was walking with Owen around our table and the manager came up and asked if Owen would like a tour of the kitchen. Jeremy took Owen and they went off to explore behind the scenes with the manager. How cool is that? Once we finished dinner we explored a Chapters which is a bookstore much like Barnes and Noble. They have a great kids section and Owen discovered a love for Thomas the Tank Engine toys while we were there.

Trying to get a family photo at Butchart Gardens

Wednesday, was one of my favorite days for outings! We spend the morning at Butchart Gardens. I’ve always wanted to go there so it was a bucket list type day. The gardens were beautiful! I would love to go back and see them in the different seasons. We saw pictures of the different seasons and I’m sure they are always gorgeous no matter what day of the year. I went into the gardens with the hope of getting a real good family shot of Owen, Jeremy and I. I figured this beautiful place was Christmas card worthy. Well… the best laid plans… Owen wasn’t too interested in smiling for the camera, so my ideal picture never happened. Oh well. It was a lovely place to look around. I hope to visit it again. It was definitely worth it! Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that Owen got his first carousel ride at the gardens. I can’t say he loved it. It got turning really fast and it freaked him out… But it was a noteworthy first. Jeremy, grandma and I all rode the carousel with Owen. It’s been probably a decade plus since I’ve been one. Next time I think I’ll just take pictures like my dad!

Touring the Parliament Building

We got some lunch and made a quick trip to Costco to get dinner supplies before heading back to the condo. From the condo we walked downtown and took a tour of the Parliament Building. Since I’m not too familiar with the Canadian government, it was a very educational tour and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The fun part of the tour was Jeremy was able to get Owen to fall asleep in the baby carrier. Everyone thought it was so adorable to see this passed out little guy on the tour. I think it was the first time the tour guide had put anyone to sleep while talking! We enjoyed dinner back at the condo before we set off again to check out some Canadian stores we were curious about – Canadian Tire (which sells way more than just tires) and Home Sense (a Canadian version of Home Goods).

Date night in Victoria

Thursday was our last full day in Victoria. We visited a local coffee chain called Serious Coffee. Over the course of the trip, we visited three Canadian coffee chains – Waves, Blenz and Serious Coffee. I think Waves won for as the favorite. They had the best hot chocolate and the best atmosphere of the three. Serious Coffee was my runner up. Jeremy got a maple latte or a maple macchiato every where we went! Very Canadian! Once we had our warm beverages, we were off to Craigdarroch Castle. It’s a huge mansion that looks out over Victoria. It was certainly interesting to learn about the Dunsmuir family that live there originally. The castle has been used for may purposes like a military hospital, a college and a music conservatory. The rooms are filled with period pieces and lots of history. The lighting is super dim throughout the castle, so it made it feel a bit eery! We left the castle in search of a nap for Owen and lunch. We decided on a place called The Noodle Box which gave huge servings of noodles. The afternoon was spent looking around Chinatown and few more downtown locations. Thursday night, my parent’s watched Owen so that Jeremy and I could go out to dinner just the two of us. After many meals of trying to balance Owen on our laps and his happiness in restaurants, it was nice to eat a meal without worrying about him. Jeremy and I walked down to the wharf and enjoyed dinner a place called Red Fish Blue Fish. I was very similar to Go Fish in Vancouver. It was a great outdoor eating spot and I didn’t mind that we got sprinkled on by a light rain. We went souvenir shopping after we finished our meal. Then it was time to head back to the condo and pack up for home!

Friday, we loaded up, hit Serious Coffee and went to the ferry terminal. It was interesting to see that if you take a ferry back into the US, they check your information at departure and arrival. We were grateful to back on Washington soil. The drive home went quicker than I expected and Owen slept almost the entire way. It was a great trip full of fun memories and family moments. It was great to get to spend more time exploring the Vancouver area and Victoria has long been on my list of places to visit. I am, however, grateful to sleeping in my own bed again and getting Owen back to some form of routine! Plus, our little bed bug is back in his room and sleeping a lot better now that we’re home. A sleeping baby is a baby is a happy baby in my book and happy baby equals a happy mommy. We love being international travelers, but we love being homebodies just as much!

Nanaimo bars!

Visiting new places!

Butchart Gardens

Butchart Gardens

2 Story Walmart! It was huge!

Craigdarroch Castle

Watching a highlight video of our trip

On the ferry, heading home!

Hanging at the hotel in Bellingham!

After we wrapped things up with staff retreat, our little family took off to connect with my parents. We went straight to their house and did some laundry while we waited for my dad to get off work. The first leg of this trip was to be the whole Vitzthum/Scott/Gallaway clan. My dad had rented a mini-van to hold us and all the luggage. When my sister and brother-in-law got off work, we met up with them for dinner and then we caravaned the rest of the way up north to Bellingham. Originally, we were going to make the trek up to Vancouver, BC all in one day, but my dad suggested going part of the way a day early. This gave us a full Friday in Canada with almost no travel time in it. Driving from Cle Elum to my parent’s house and then up to Bellingham made for a long day in the car, but Owen did really well for the most part. Once we all got settled into the hotel, it was quickly approaching bedtime. Thus, ended one of the bigger travel days of the trip.

Lunch in Steveston

Friday morning, we left the hotel around 9:00am. We purposefully waited until then to avoid commuter traffic at the border. We got through border crossing fairly quickly and we were to our townhouse before 11:00am. We stayed in cute development in Stevenson Village. Jeremy and I had visited Steveston before and knew that it was a quiet and quaint little town. It was nice to stay outside of busy Vancouver. The village had a lovely river walk that we enjoyed often while there and it is the filming location for our favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time. I was really excited to share this with my sister because she loves the show as much as Jeremy and I do. Our first order of business once we got settled into the town house was lunch. We walked downtown and ate the location of Granny’s Diner for the show (really known as the Stevenston Cannery Cafe). We wandered around town and showed April some of the key filming locations.

We spent the afternoon driving into Vancouver and visiting the public market at Granville Island. There were lots of sights and sounds and smells to take in! The market has so much to offer. We walked from the market to dinner at Go Fish. This little seafood shack on the river was a fun find from Jeremy and I’s last trip. It was very tasty! I really love salmon fish & chips!

Enjoying the Canadian wilderness

Saturday, we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridges. This park boast one massive suspension bridge, a treetop walk, a boardwalk and a cliff walk. All of the different experiences were a lot of fun. The suspension bridge wiggled a lot more than any of us expected. It caught me off guard! The treetop walk was like walking from tree house to tree house using small bridges. The board walk offered lovely views of the sunny forest and the canyon. The cliff walk was a set of steel bridges that followed the length of the cliff. The views were great and the weather was fantastic. It was a great day to be outside enjoying nature! After the bridges, we drove around Vancouver. We took a look at Chinatown, we wondered around Safeway looking for goodies we could only get in Canada and then we headed to the Metropolis at Metrotown, which is a huge mall! The last time I was there, we didn’t get to see all of it, so now I feel like I have officially conquered it! The rest of the evening included dinner at the townhouse and then a walk into town for mini-donuts! What a yummy dessert!

Point Atkinson Lighthouse

Sunday, we went to a small hole in the wall joint called Waffle Gone Wild for brunch! It was very tasty. I got a banana nutella waffle and it was yummy! This was the day that April and Andrew had to head back home so we went back the house to say our good-byes. During this good-bye period, we became aware that Andrew had lost his wallet. Originally we thought that he had left it at the house, but as we turned the townhouse upside down no one could find it. Things started to get a little panicky when a neighbor saw Andrew outside and asked if that was his wallet. The neighbor had found it earlier that morning! We were so thankful and April and Andrew were still able to hit the road on time!  After the Gallaways took off, we turned around and drove outside of Vancouver so we could see the Point Atkinson lighthouse and the view Cypress mountain. Both sights were lovely (minus the traffic and Owen screaming in the car and a massive blowout diaper – those were the not so lovely sights).

A&W Goodness!

Monday was our last full day in the Vancouver area. We went back to Granville Island to explore it when it was a bit quieter. We got some souvenirs and then took off to explore new territory. We stopped at A&W for lunch so my dad could relive the good ol’ days. Apparently, he ate at A&W a lot when he was a kid. It was fun because they served us our sodas in frosty mugs. I even got poutine with my meal which is french fries, cheese curds and gravy. It’s a big thing in Canada, so I thought I would have a try at it. It was very filling! After lunch we visited Trinity Western University. TWU was a school that both April and I had considered going to. It was fun to explore some of the suburb cities like Langley and Abbotsford. Monday night was leftovers at the townhouse and packing up so we could depart the next day.

There were lots of crazy random things that happened during our stay in Vancouver. Apparently the townhouse has a switch for the hot water heater that is on the wall in the half bathroom. That switch got turned off so Dad and I had no hot water by the time it was our turn to shower on Saturday. That was an interesting adventure. For the longest time we couldn’t figure out where all the hot water went, but our guys are resourceful and finally figured it out (not until evening though). On Friday, while at Granville Island, we saw a cyclist trash in the middle of the road. My mom being the nurse went to her and and stayed with her until she could get up and off the road (which was a long while). We got stuck in tons of traffic in the Vancouver area. They have lots of 5 lane roads that merge down to one lane for bridges or tunnels. I think my dad might have a new found hatred of driving in Canada thanks to all the traffic!

I really do love all the things you can do inside and outside of Vancouver. The Capilano Suspension Bridges were a favorite highlight for me. All the food was great and I was happy that we tried a bunch of places we don’t really have here. I munched on many a Canadian candy bar just because we didn’t have it at home. We also got Tim Hortons doughnuts. The group wasn’t too impressed with them, but I thought they were good. I like doughnuts and Tim Hortons are everywhere, so it was nice to say we tried it!

Well, that about concludes Vancouver! Stay tuned for Victoria!

Group shot!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Cliff walk selfie with the fam

Mini-donuts!

Banana Nutella Waffle – YUM

Sunset walk on the river in Steveston Village

Bed Bug

The Scott family has returned from an epic international adventure. Our trip started off in Cle Elum, WA for our annual staff retreat and then followed right into a family vacation to Vancouver and Victoria, BC. Let me tell you, 12 days is a long time to be away from home with a baby! In fact, 12 days may be the longest I’ve ever been away from home to date. Since our trip had 3 very different locations, I’m going to break this up into a three part blog! That way I can share more pictures and stories!

Staff retreat… oh, staff retreat. I didn’t make it last year because I was 37 weeks pregnant and I didn’t want to be far away from home in case I went into labor. Going back to staff retreat this year was an interesting experience. Since Owen is still nursing, he was invited in along. I knew going into the trip that it was going to be a challenge at times. Staff retreat can be a very serious time of discussion and planning for our church pastoral team. Babies don’t lend to serious discussion. The first day went great until bed time. Right off the bat, we realized that Owen wasn’t too interested in sleeping in his Pack’n’Play. If we didn’t want him screaming at night then that meant we had a bed bug. The bonus to the house we rented was that it had three stories so Owen’s screaming was only really heard by 2 other couples. However, I still struggled with letting him cry at night. Especially because we were all in the same room and that meant I wasn’t sleeping either. So… co-sleeping became the theme of the whole trip. I’ll be honest, I don’t sleep as great with Owen in bed with us. I love my little snuggle bug, but I also like getting solid sleep. The two don’t go together all that well.

Distracting Owen while the group eats dinner… He is seriously a monkey!

One of the main activities for staff retreat was a special business meeting to elect a new network leader for our Assemblies of God district. This was a big, important meeting. There was some tension with the election process, but in the end, I think we all came to a good place and a new network was elected. I was proud of Owen. He stayed in the nursery at unfamiliar church for 3 hours. That is longest I’ve left him in a nursery before. I gives me hope that in the near future, I can maybe keep him in the nursery for both gatherings at Bethel! Anyway, back to the meeting, I was grateful to be a part of the voting process. It was a long meeting and I was glad when we reached a conclusion in harmony. This day ended with an epic adventure for me. The big meeting was over an hour away from the house we were staying at. Owen was melting down at the restaurant where the team was having an important conversation. I decided to take off and drive back so Jeremy could focus on the task at hand. During my drive home, in the dark, my phone died so I had to get back to the house by memory! Without my phone I had to remember the door code and then because the front porch light was out, I had to enter the code in the dark with Owen in my arms! It was a bit zany, but we survived!

Cousin time!

The next day while the guys went golfing, Owen and I took a drive to hang out with my sister-in-law and niece and nephews! This branch of the family lives the furthest away, so anytime I get to spend with them is a special treat. I love seeing Owen play with cousins. It was nice to be a way from serious conversations and big meetings. The whole afternoon was very relaxed and I enjoyed myself immensely. Owen slept the 45 minute drive there and back, so my introverted side got some much needed quiet time as well. A win-win!

The last day was simply loading up and hitting the road for the next adventure. I learned a lot on this trip about work related things and traveling with babies. They don’t mix all that well. I was off with Owen keeping him from melting while the group had their discussions. I knew this was likely going to be the case, but I thought I would give it a try. In between the moments of keeping up with Owen, I was able to have some good conversations with the staff members and the food for the whole week was really good. Our lead pastor’s wife certainly knows her way around the kitchen! Overall, I’m not sure I would do staff retreat with a baby again, but… I was brave and I tried it. Sometimes you just have to go for it and see what happens. I know that Jeremy enjoyed having us around. It was great to visit with the team again, even if I didn’t get a chance to contribute much to the conversation. God is good and we are blessed to work with a fabulous group of people who love Jesus and love people.

We just got back from a few days at the beach with Jeremy’s side of the family. We rented a beach house in Manzanita, OR and enjoyed some lovely weather. The trip included a few meals at my favorite places, a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and a couple of beach walks. We had lots of time to catch up with family, play games and eat. Owen loved hanging out with his cousins and he had a blast exploring a new home. The only downside to the trip was that Owen didn’t do so great sleeping at night while we were gone. The last day, he came down with a head cold which made our final night quite epic. It was honestly the worse night we’ve had yet with Owen. We barely slept a wink. Other than some zany nights, the days were fun and it was a great family memory made.  Here are some photos from our travels!

Dinner at Mo’s

Snacking in his new chair

Sunrise beach walk

Snuggle buddies!

Hanging at the Tillamook Cheese Factory

Sunset beach walk

Sunset