Leif 's holding a clip. He doesn't go anywhere without one.

The beach at the end of the trail.

My family down on the beach. Christopher is a master rock skipper
and can do ten skips at a time.

This is at Golden Ears hiking area. I don't know the name of the trail but it goes out to the lake. It is my favorite place in all of Maple Ridge. It is so stunningly beautiful. The water is crystal clear and very inviting on a hot day. This place is like something out of a movie. Unfortunately I am not a great photographer so my pictures really don't do it justice. If you live in Maple Ridge or near maple Ridge and you have never been here then you are crazy. I am not kidding. You are missing out on one of the most spectacular places right here in our own back yard. You must go and see for yourself. I am really going to miss it when I move. Never take for granted this amazing area that we live.

 On Saturday we went strawberry picking in Langley, then headed out to White Rock. The tide was just heading out so there was lots of water for the kids to explore in. Miete caught a bucket full of little crabs, and everyone had a blast splashing in the ocean. It is so fun to watch Violet experiencing all these things for the first time. Last year she still wasn't walking at this time. She sat down right in a yucky tide pool, picking up handfuls of sand and trying to grab small crabs. She was covered in sand from her head to her feet.

So gross, sitting in that icky water.

I have created a summer bucket list for myself of things I want to do before we move to Calgary. Most of them I will have to do this month because August will be spent cleaning, packing and minding my four children alone. Chris is leaving at the end of this month and I will be without him at a critical and very stressful time. I am dreading it. So here is my list. I may add to it as I think of more things.

- run around the seawall one evening during sunset, with my husband. Anyone want to babysit?
- pick blueberries
- make strawberry lime jam. Tomorrow
- can peaches
- go to the water slides with grown ups
- swim in the clear water at Golden Ears
- spend more days at the ocean and the many lakes around here.
- run a lot because when Chris is gone I won't be able to.

- see Harry Potter 7 part II

- spend lots of time with friends and family

- do the Grouse Grind again    

- finish the book series I'm on. I'm borrowing the books from Caity. I'm on #2 and have 2 more to go                                                                                                                                                              

- plan and carry out 2 parties. One is Violet's 2nd/ going away for Chris as he leaves days after her birthday. 2 is Lilli's 7th birthday which I will have to do on my own since it's the middle of August                                                                                                                                                           

  
Well that's all I can think of at the moment but I know there is more. There are things I would love to do but I know we don't have the time or the funds to do. Need to save for the big move. I just want to enjoy living in this amazing place, and being with the people I love and will miss.

Miete and Lilli picking strawberries

Oh yeah I should mention that my run in Seattle was fantastic. I surprisingly beat my previous time by four minutes, and thats running with an injury. Still not fast but it was a beautiful route around Lake Washington and through some nice neighborhoods. I felt good most of the run until the last few km when my left foot went numb. It was a very well organized race and we were well taken care of. I would come back here and do it again next year if I could. We'll have to wait and see.