Mission, Chilliwack and To Surgery We Go

Port Ho!



 

Sunday, July 28th Cont.:

 

 

Sunday afternoon we got off the ferry and drove through to Mission (an hour East of Vancouver) to see the Hicks'.  Mike's brother Scott, Angela and their two boys live in Mission and the boys were just chomping at the bit to get there!  All four Hicks Grandsons (excluding B) arrived within a three year period so all four boys are very close in age (and silliness!).

Grandma!

 

 

The awesomeness (aside from seeing them of course) is that they've just moved into a new place with a huge outdoor, in ground pool.  We got in the door and the boys were off into the pool! 

 

I had started B on a mild blend of formula and pedialyte and he was tolerating it in small amounts but still not his happy self and still having bouts of cramping.



Strawberry munchers!

Mike's Mom and Dad had driven out from North Vancouver to spend the day as well as his cousin's wife Adrianna and her two cutie pie boys.  We had a great time, great food and great fun!  Ang's sister Lorraine made an appearance as well (while visiting from the East Coast) so it was great to see her too! We drove back (an hour East) to Chilliwack that night (late of course) to stay at my sister's place (who is still in Australia the bum), with the promise to return Monday for another day of cousins.

Uncle Scott

 

 

Monday, July 29th:

 

Monday was a hard day to get up and going (after a long night) so it turned into a late day by the time we got back to Mission but we made the most of it!

 

It was so great seeing the boys playing and hanging out together and Torin was just a complete fish wanting to be in the pool non-stop.

We had another feast topped with lemon cheese cake (as a trade to Scott for a van wash) and lots of laughs.  As always, it is never enough time and it was time to say another round of good-byes again all too soon.

Nate love
 

 

A dip with Auntie Ang

 

Fish boy T

Hicks crew

Harley lovin

The whole gang

 

Tuesday, July 30th:

 



Story books with Uncle John

Tues brought another slow start to the day (are you seeing a tired Momma trend here?) but we were very excited awaiting the arrival of our final few visitors.  My Aunt Terri and Uncle John made the (very long) trek up from Washington State to come and spend the afternoon and evening with us.  It was very hard to reason with Torin this trip why we couldn't go to Auntie Terri's house in the US.  Terri and John's has been on our stop-list of places for the last few times that we've gone out and it is always one of the favourites with the boys.

 

Auntie Terri and her boys

When I take a moment to listen to myself talk to the boys I realize how much I sound like my Aunt Terri and it always cracks me up!  I think because I spent time with them when I was a teenager and I always loved their parenting style.  My own parents were pretty darn great, don't get me wrong but it is Terri's humour that comes out sometimes in what I say.  Could be one of the reasons why my children feel an equal kinship to them.

 

Mr.B, Terri and I got to go out and gather the shopping for dinner that night and got to have some time to chat which was great.  We prepped yet another fabulous meal and were joined by my cousin Erica and her partner Chad (who drove out from Vancouver). 

 

I am sad that there were many people that we didn't get to see this trip but on the flip side we are so fortunate at the number that we did see!  I got to see so many of our family members (many travelled to see us) and for that I am certainly thankful.

 

I stayed up packing into the night on Tuesday night, the final pack...

 

 

Wednesday, July 31st:

 

Home again, home again, jiggity, jig!

 

We didn't get as nearly of an early start as I would have (unrealistically) hoped but we did leave Chilliwack for the final leg of our journey just after 10:30am.  We quickly found out that B wasn't as happy on the drive home as he'd been on the way out.  He kept my Mom busy with his constant demand for new or different toys (he got her trained quickly).  It was a rather uneventful (thankfully) trip home and although B wasn't as great of a traveller we decided to forge on and do the return trip in one day.  We actually made it home to Calgary in 13 hours (which is great) but it made for a 1am bedtime for the boys (and of course B didn't sleep a wink the whole way home).

Gorgeous BC

 

So here we are home again (and what a glorious place it is to be) and already planning out next years trip!  I always have such high hopes of connecting with people when we are travelling but I also never seem to weigh in the exhaustion factor of travelling as well! 

 

For those of you that we did get to see, thank you for making so many wonderful memories with us.  For those of you that we missed seeing (and I'm sorry for that), we'll hope to catch you next time and Calgary's only a (short) 13 hour drive away...

 

B's just now (Aug 6th) getting back to his regular (before trip) feeds.  He's lost over a pound and a half (which is not good) but is seemingly getting better.

 

Today (it is 4am afterall) is surgery day and we are feeling just a tad nervous and stressed about that.  The plan is for the surgical insertion of a new PEG g-tube, an endoscopy and biopsies of the stomach and intestine as well as new ear tubes.  The scary part for me?  He's scheduled for day surgery, I am amazed that he could possibly be in and out...unprecedented.

 

I will most likely send out posts on our FB page throughout the day.  Any positive thought and energy you can shoot our way is always appreciated!

 

From Our (Exhausted But So Very Happy We Did It) Home To Yours...