pics from the okanagan, part one

the okanagan weather for seven days was so amazing, all sunny and not too hot, that it was nearly impossible to have anything but a lovely time. but we completely lucked out, in addition to the blissful temperature, there was all sorts of other goodness going on.
 

the location

we, along with dede and her crew, rented a home at la casa, a lakeside resort community.  the rental was perfect for our families and had most every thing we needed.  the best part?  our home away from home was located at the top of a steep hill providing us with gorgeous views of the lake.  it's probably why the long-horn sheep like the area so much too. 

the location is quite remote, which i initially worried about at first - my hubby needs his coffee shop and i need to be able to plan day trips and explore the neighbouring areas.  the scary, windy, narrow road made it a little more remote than i had imagined so getting away on day trips meant more work and driving so staying put was just fine.  what i didn't realize is that staying put actually helps you slow down and relax, go figure. 

 



 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



kids had their own hangout room for sleep and play



 

 

the home cooked meals

 

when we travel we usually forgo cooking in favour of eating out.  this time however we ate our meals at the house and we ate deliciously.  it should be noted that dede is a stellar cook, so any meal she prepares is a good meal but that pasta with sage was especially amazing.  stefan met his match in the kitchen.

 

we also enjoyed ice creams and freezes.  we wandered the farmer's market, always a lovely activity - especially when kettle corn is available, right dede? and, we ate birthday cake! 

 

 

 

 

 



 



 

our one dinner out was really nice.  quail's gate winery is such a lovely spot; what a treat.  just look at that location.

 

 



 

 

 

 

fun lake activities

 

there wasn't much of a sandy beach to speak of but it didn't bother us.  there were decks set up overlooking the lake if one needed but we practically lived in the water, especially the kiddos.  and can i say, water trampolines (see yesterday's post) are crazy fun for kids and kids at heart.  how did my boys ever vacation without one before? 

 

my favourite activity was paddle-boarding.  there is something very serene in experiencing the lake by paddle board - well, that is when jason isn't trying to make you fall off of your board ;)

the days were long and fun filled.  after a week of being pampered by the lake with water trampolines, paddle boarding, and kayaking these images capture the joy of our trip perfectly.







 










kai launched, check!





chloe launched, check!





jade launched, check!





i can't help but laugh when i see this photo.  it was so difficult for them to hold hands and jump at the same time.  i get the giggles remembering it.





 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



stefan's board was being taken over by jade so...



he had to jump ship :)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we squeezed the last bit of pleasure out of our lake vacation... stay tuned for more pics tomorrow.