[vacations: Keats.]

Our life-long friends invited us to join them at their family cottage for the weekend ... we were thrilled to be asked, and our boys were beyond even that.  Tias and Siah are a year younger than each of our friend's boys, and the idea of a weekend away with them just about made their brains explode with excitement.

There were boat rides, tube rides, scavenger hunts, photo-shoots, ice-cream making, black berry picking, fort building, "kick the can" playing, hiking, fishing ... 

And whadayaknow.  I had my camera with me *grin*.

... the weather was perfect.  Even in the early morning, a latte on the deck and a good conversation was all these two needed .. 

Josiah caught his first fish ... with his Handy Manny fishing pole *grin*.

Both boys tubed for the first time ... Somehow the ocean seems scarier than a lake, but we didn't let them in on that *grin* ... 

... my hubby bailed as he tubed with Svea, our friend's 10 year old daughter.   She should've known her dad would try and flip my hubby *grin* ... 

Tias took a liking to jumping off their dock ... and was amazed at how sometimes it was such a big jump compared to other times ... due to the tides.  Try explaining the gravitational pull of the moon to a 6 year old.  He'll think you're lying *grin*.  At least mine did.

... rainbow birthday cake, baked in a jar.  Lisa is just that amazing.

... Josiah didn't want to leave his fort - and kept asking, "do pirates like shells?" or whatever, and if we said no, he would decorate the fort with them ... ensuring the pirates would stay away ... 

Mattias and Eston were so cold from swimming in the ocean, they tried to suck the heat off of the boat's seats *grin* ... 

Man.  BC really is spectacular.

And ... Lisa was kind enough to snap a few family pics for me.  Of course, my family HATES getting their pics taken ... but they were nice enough to put up with me saying, "Pleeeeease.  I just need ONE good one."  

And while the boys were off with their dad, I was able to get a little photoshoot with Katia ... except she officially REFUSES to have her pic taken ... well.  She'll have it taken, but she won't look at the camera.  I have 40 fantastic photos, all with her looking down.  I'll post those another time *grin* ... unleeeeess, I can sneek in a shoot with the kiddies soon.  I think it's time.

I'm looking forward to more sunshine around here ... and I hope that you and your family are enjoying your summer in the sunshine too :-)!

Have a great one!