plywood + hammock = park

 

I don’t know where the plywood came from or how it got out to our little woods.

The hammock was a father’s day present for hubby from me and the kids.

These two items have become a “park” that has provided endless entertainment this past week.

But first you have to make your big tough brother help you get past the “scary” chickens…

And traipse through the pasture out to our little woods.

    

The plywood “slide”…

 

It is smooth plywood that doesn’t have slivers.  I’m not really sure what it is called.

My kids will both traipse around the property without shoes… remember that when you were a kid?

When they tire of the slide they migrate to the hammock…

It’s like a cool, soft cocoon, especially for pouty little shrimps.

    

This is my thinking boy…

Thinking he should bug his sister…

Pretending he didn’t do anything…

Thinking of how to bug her again…

Succeeding in bugging her by swinging the hammock…

Telling her everything will be okay…

Such a man already.  Don’t worry, she’s not buying it…

My big man decided to play at the “park” by himself while Susie and I went to cook dinner.  I’m telling you, he’s a man. 

And she is such a girl…

<3

back with randomness

 

Whew!  I took an unexpected summer vacation from blogging.  It was necessary.  It was a combination of being busy, and then choosing to not be busy.  Sometimes I have to do that.  Now I have much accomplished and got some relaxing in this weekend, and the northwest summer has finally arrived!  Yesterday we went to church, I went running, finished up some yard chores, took a shower in the middle of the day, pulled on the maxi skirt I had worn to church and declared the rest of the day for relaxing.  It was glorious.  Ended the day with a round of bocce ball with a couple girlfriends and did not win.  There might need to be a rematch.  =)

Anyway, I’ll share some randomness with you today; I actually have many less random posts for this week and next!  But today you get randomness.  =)

 

While Ty and I were accomplishing much in the yard, Mark left some craft supplies out and Susie was accomplishing some bedazzlement on the front porch…

That was cleaned up.  That whole bag was all over the porch.  My husband says “glitter is the herpes of craft supplies.”  So true.  It was everywhere.  I was tough and told her and Mark they had to clean up every piece.  Hubby gave them the shop-vac about 15 minutes. 

 

Some recent thrifting finds…

A useful white serving plate and the sweetest little tea cup.  <3

 

Some teacups and saucers for my mismatch collection.  That set with the green stripe…

So sweet and dainty.  The set was $20 and I passed it up a couple weeks ago.  This time it was 50% off because it had been there for a while.  Love it.

 

I dressed me and Susie in current trends for church yesterday…

    

Her in an ikat jumper (double trendiness!) and myself in a striped maxi skirt.  We were stuck in the nursery so no one really got to see us all snazzed up, so I’m showing you all.  Susie wasn’t too impressed with the trends, more with showing off her shoes…

“See my shoes, baby?”

She’s gonna be an interesting combination of girly girl / tomboy.

 

The baby birds living in our soffit have hatched and require frequent inspection by the kids…

The inspection always reveals that the birdies are hungry.  =)

 

Lastly in random news, a sneak peek teaser.  This countertop has undergone a little creative transformation (this is the “before” shot)…

I did something crazy. 

I’m putting the finishing touches on the room and then I’ll share the whole thing. 

 

Well, off to her the kiddos out into the fresh air.  God Bless!

Capilano Park

 

Okay, so the highlight of our trip to Vancouver BC (not counting the food) was Capilano Park.

I had picked out this destination in the beginning stages of planning our trip, but the hubby was not excited about it.  We decided to do the aquarium instead. 

Then at the train station on our way to Vancouver, he finds this brochure…

And of course, it “looks awesome and we should go.”  MEN! 

Needless to say, we had to go check it out.

Heights terrify me.  I just figured this out recently, or maybe it is my old age kicking in. 

Before attempting the suspension bridge I had to conquer the Cliffwalk. 

Oh, and just as you are stepping onto the Cliffwalk, you read this lovely informational sign…

We are on a walkway hanging from a rock wall which is routinely split by ice.  Great.

This was a glass peninsula that jutted out from one section of the walkway.  From this spot the walkway is all glass so it is like you are out there in midair when you are on it.  Ty made me do it.  He’s mean like that.  I couldn’t look down.  It’s okay, I needed evidence that I was there…

I really  have to take my wide angle lens next trip; these photos aren’t doing it justice.

The entire park was beautiful.

This is when we crossed the big bridge…

And that is the only picture I have of our first bridge crossing, because it was frightening.  The bridge is 450 feet long and 230 feet high.  I really am afraid of heights.  I guess it is not so much the heights it is the unsteadiness.  The bridge swayed about 3-6 inches either way very sporadically as all the people made their way across, and it did not set well with me.

Next we went to the Treetops Adventure…

Since I didn’t have my wide angle lens, I patched together this vertical panoramic shot to show you how high these platforms were…

Ty clarified that it was not actually in the tree-“tops”, but rather in mid-canopy. 

I’m okay with that.

Ty’s favorite tree.  A giant Douglas Fir.  Although these trees were very old and some were very tall, it wasn’t quite like walking through a forest of dinosaurs like the Redwoods.  Still, the attractions here were very fun exhilarating.

The park had a fun science hunt for kids to do and a little tree house set up with a “scientist” and his equipment and collections from nature...

A great deal of thought and planning went into this park and not one detail was left undone.  I should have taken a picture of one of the employees / guides – they wore early 1900s apparel it was so enchanting, as was the forest.

Then the moment of truth. 

I was reading that the bridge held up to one of these giant trees blowing over and landing on it. That made me feel a little better about walking back across.

I gave the camera to Ty so I could focus on holding on with two hands he could get photographic evidence of me crossing the bridge…

Evidence secured, time to get off this bridge as soon as safely possible.

Actually I did get my camera back and stop and take a photo looking down; brave, I know.

That doesn’t look like 230 feet.  But, let me tell you, it was.

Capilano Park was a pretty place to spend out last day in Vancouver BC.  But I am glad to be home with the kiddos and back on solid ground! 

Godbless!