The Great BC Road Trip: Part Two

Our first destination on Vancouver Island was Victoria to visit John's family. His aunts and uncles on his mom's side were in town from Vancouver and Massachusetts so we had an informal family reunion. It was a great opportunity for us to see everyone and for the girls to spend time with their cousins. We had a lovely visit with everyone and it was a nice break from the dirt of camping!
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Merrie with her cousins (technically cousins once removed) Hannah and Adam. Merrie LOVED playing with them, she kept saying "them my best friends, Mommy!"

Charlotte petting a goat at the Beacon Hill petting zoo

Swimsuits and popsicles in Grandma and Grandpa Miller's yard

Eating lunch at the kids' table

Mommy and Daddy

After 4 days in Victoria, we headed to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Auntie Stacey joined us for the fun and spent some great quality time with her nieces. I was expecting nice, hot beach weather for this part of the trip but I was sadly disappointed. It was rainy one day and rather un-summery the other days (high of 23, so not really beach weather). But we managed to get on the beach one afternoon for about an hour. At least I didn't really have to worry about sunburns!

We stayed in Parksville for 4 nights before saying farewell and thank-you to Auntie Stacey and taking the ferry to back to the mainland.
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Meredith and the wild blackberries she (i.e. John) picked near our campsite. She and Charlotte (and me!) loved them. I will say, however, that after Charlotte's first blackberry diaper we limited her consumption...yuck!

John and Charlotte having fun in the water. Charlotte had so much fun on the beach - she's definitely a water baby.

Fun with Auntie Stacey

Merrie building a sand castle

Mom having fun with her girls (notice that I'm wearing a sweatshirt on the beach. It was that warm...) ;)

Where did Merrie's toes go?

We headed to Coombs a couple of mornings. Merrie makes friends wherever she goes :)