island getaway, parksville

 

got back from my trip to the island last week. i met up with stefan's family, 6 adults and 4 kiddos.  stefan stayed just a couple of nights while kai and i stayed the whole week.  we rented one large house that sat next to a beautiful cove. we booked through vrbo back in april.
 
but there was a hiccup when we arrived.  the house was double booked!  we arrived to find other people's luggage already in the house.  we were quite confused by it all, terribly tired from the journey, hot from the sun and just wanted to get settled but couldn't.  it turns out the people in the house booked it in february so when we booked in april the house should not have been available to us.  they stayed and we scrabbled to find another place to call home for the week. 

 

we ended up at ocean trails resort.  diego - the dog - ended up at a kennel (poor thing!) because the resort doesn't take dogs.  it was much more expensive than the house too.  arrgh.  but every hiccup has a silver lining, right?
 
so, to keep with the whole brighter side of things, i will recap the week by sharing all the luxurious chunks?
 
1. we spent most of our time at the resort because there was a pool, tons of space to spread out and the beach a short path away.  we ate big meals at home thanks to stefan and craig, my brother-in-law.  lovely wine, tons of bread, cheese, most gorgeous tomatoes, delicious salads and the best salmon patties.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

  

 



  

2. the pool (and hot tub) was definitely the perfect hang out spot for us.  the kids loved the pool, spending mornings in there or late afternoon dips while dinner was being prepared.  even in the rain!  why not, right? 



3. the gorgeous rathtrevor beach was right there. low tide every single day giving us a lot of beach to explore, finding shells and sand dollars, and catching crabs.  it also made a nicer walk to the coffee shop in the mornings, with deer and bunny sightings.  a huge, prettily decorated sandcastle was built.  and, after the rains, the fire ban was lifted and we could roast marshmallows on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



"island" fun



pretending to be stuck on an 'island'

 







 

 





fire + marshmallows



 

 

 

4. englishman river falls park was a lovely little hike despite our fear of encountering a bear.  in the summer months a pool of water builds up which makes for a refreshing swimming hole.  kai and i stayed longer, we chatted, played, and dared to enter the frigid waters.  such a lovely spot.





 

 

 

5. we visited cathedral grove to meander, in the rain, among the old trees including an 800 year old one!  we brought diego with us too. he was so happy to be reunited with his family for an afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. one afternoon i took some of the kiddos to spider lake.  it's a warm water lake that made swimming in it lovely despite the winds.  we had the lake pretty much to ourselves except for some fishermen nearby.  with snacks picked up at a farmer's market around the corner, we settled ourselves for a few hours, enjoying the sun.  being in the middle of nowhere was pretty awesome.

 

 



7. i experienced A+ parenting when i begrudgingly spent an afternoon at wild play, an aerial adventure. 

wearing a harness to climb trees and walk along wobbling logs suspended 30 feet in the air is not my kind of fun.  no thank you.  i was shaking the whole time, talking myself into not passing out, breathing, hanging on really, really tightly.  kai, on the other hand, loved everything about it.  he didn't hesitate once at any of the obstacles. 

in order for kai to enjoy said event he needed an adult with him due to his age.  stefan was already gone and opa is afraid of heights, which left me.  i did it for kai so he wouldn't be left behind.  i experienced no joy from the whole enterprise except when watching kai go through it with such fearlessness and the hugest smile spread across his face, encouraging me, taking care of me, and knowing he was proud of me that day.

 

 

 

8. it was melanie's birthday too so three of us gals went to get a pedi in celebration.  there was also a sandcastle competition (so impressive!) and a farmer's market too.

 





these guys made me smile.

mostly, we just spent time together.  taking it easy.  lounging.  reading magazines and books.  playing badminton.  swimming  in the pool. drinking coffee/tea, taking pictures.  it was back to work/camp for a week but i don't mind. there's always another summer adventure around the corner (see details tomorrow).