Apparently, at 3:00 (when the wedding was supposed to start…), the weather was beautiful.  The bride & bridesmaids were still busy getting ready though - you can’t rush a girl on her wedding day!

After the rains, the rest of the day went off without a hitch - and everyone had the most amazing time…and Sarah & Greg…I hope you live happily ever after!

we made it out alive & relatively uninjured…and continued on to my brother’s house in Squamish for some relaxtion…WRONG!   The boys loved Squamish, and hanging out with Uncle Larry…I too love hanging out with my brother, but would feel so much safer if he just wasn’t into so much crazy stuff!  The boys did some AWESOME climbing…The boys loved the climbing - I found it a bit stressful, but great for photos!  We also had the most amazing weather - and spent on day at an awesome little park just outside of Squamish.  The water was great, and helped keep us cool in the +30 temps!

It seemed we hadn’t had quite enough excitement though, and the day before we left, my brother suggested we should hike up the Chief.  I have heard how amazing it is…so altho I was nervous, I agreed.  We were supposed to leave at 5:00pm, but, my brother is pretty much always late, so we got started at about 7:00.  The hike was pretty tough - harder than I expected, but still pretty fun.  At the top though, once we got on the rock - I was suddenly terrified!  Like, rooted to my spot, almost unable to move scared.  This should be pretty obvious, as you have to know that I would normally have taken A LOT of photos in a place like this…if only I were able to move!  Instead, I pretty much had to continue looking down, and not around…and handed my camera to my brother.  I’m very happy to say that I managed to get up the Chief…but am also confident that it will never happen again!  The hike down was pretty tough as well, as it’s very technical, and not easy IN THE DARK!

ahh…finally off to Victoria, for some serious relaxation!  We’ve had a great time here, spending time with Brian’s sister (who’s NOW 40!) and the rest of his family, as well as meeting up with some old & new friends!  Last night, we went to my friend and AMAZING photographer Michelle Loewen’s house for a great dinner, and got to meet her awesome family…and then snuck out for a quick after dinner photoshoot!  Michelle has always been one of my all time favorite photographers, and I am SO happy to have had her photograph my family!  She’s offered me a few sneak peaks - and I am in love!  Thank you SO much Michelle…I am so thrilled with the pics, and can hardly wait to see the rest!

We spent tonight with my lifelong friend Allison & her family…always so fun to share our kids with each other!  I have tons to proof when I get home…just got a few of my boys down on the beach tonight…it’s been so long since we’ve spent time with the boys in Victoria…it’s such a beautiful city!  Off to Whistler again tomorrow on our way home…for just a little more mountain biking fun!  Thanks for reading if you’ve made it this far…!

Thanks for looking!

It was an absolute thrill for me to be a mom to a girl for a year…a joy I never thought I would get to experience, and it was everything I ever wished it could be…and so much more.  I found this quote online today…it’s perfect…

“Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad, because I miss you, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss.”

See you soon Ilaria…counting the days…thank you for the most amazing 10 months!

Keats took this picture of Ilaria & I just before we drove her to the airport…and yes, those are tears in our eyes…