Merry Christmas from our family to yours ...

Cross Country

Conner and Liam were on the grade four and five Cross Country teams at their school this past fall. Conner was very self-motivated to run on the team, Liam less so (but was persuaded when told that it was X Country or no Minecraft).

Grade Four Boys' Race. Liam (2nd from right)

The season consists of three meets, two at our school, and one at the park behind our house (my favourite for convenience, the boys least favourite because of the wicked hill at the end to the finish line). The teams are from five or six area elementary schools.

This season we saw a lot of friends from church and were able to cheer on a lot of kids we know who go to other schools.

Rebecca and Emily

Across the field at the start of the race,

Grade 5 Boys' Race. Conner is fourth from the left

through the woods, and across the bridge,

and up Heartbreak Hill. It doesn't look too steep here, but there were more than a couple of kids crying by the time they got halfway up.

Conner placed in the top ten in a couple of the races, and top fifteen in the first race. He's plagued with shin splints and foot pain so I think it may be time for new insoles.

Liam may be in the back of the starting pack at the beginning of the race, but he always places in a very respectable middle position. He must have passed a lot of the kids that wore themselves on the sprint across the field at the start of the race.

I'm so proud of both of them for giving their best efforts this season. I love to watch them run, to practice and to see the result of their efforts.

Next up: soccer.

Seabrook, Washington

More on the lovely houses we saw during our anniversary getaway at Seabrook earlier this week...

The development is based on principles of New Urbanism, which basically means that it's meant to replicate a town rather than a subdivision or housing development. You are meant to be able to walk everywhere - there is a town centre with a restaurant and shops, streets have sidewalks on both sides, green spaces with park benches are on every corner it seems, and back lane access means that cars are tucked out of sight.

The restaurant was pleasant (loved the interior), although at lunch at least there weren't a lot of grain-free options and the hostess was less than hospitable.

Our house had beach cruiser bikes in the shed, which we used one afternoon to cruise around and check out the area.

This courtyard was similar to the one in front of our cottage (which I didn't get a good picture of, but this gives you the idea). The firepit would be a nice place to do s'mores with the kids in the summer.

Liam couldn't understand why we would have left him behind when there was two bedrooms in our cottage. I think we'll definitely head back next year with the whole family, perhaps in the spring.

17 years

On October 6, 1995 Quinn and I were married in the Seattle LDS Temple.

Fast forward 17 years and we have four kids, a dog, a couple of businesses and lots of hard work and great memories both behind and ahead of us. It has gone by in the blink of an eye, and it keeps getting better and better.

We managed to get away for a couple of nights together, a feat that I wasn't sure we would be able to pull off between kids and work and a myriad of obligations. Our requirements were that it had to be within a reasonable distance to drive, didn't involve a ferry or plane, was relaxing and quiet, and was near the beach. Remember, I need the beach in my life.

I discovered Seabrook during an online search, a lovely little new beach town on the central Washington coast. It's a five hour drive from our house, doesn't involve a ferry or plane and is right on the beach. From Olympia, it's a straight shot west to Aberdeen, and then winding north up to Seabrook.

Seabrook is patterned after Seaside, Florida and was built on the principles of New Urbanism. It's hard to tell how long the town has been here. Every house is different and there isn't a vinyl home in sight. Instead there is a lot of natural materials - cedar shakes, board and batten, wood siding. Most of the houses are built on a small footprint and the gardens are low maintenance. In fact, the only grass we've seen is in central parks and greenspaces, and on the side of the roads. Many of the houses feature rear lane access and almost all feature some kind of porch or deck.

In other words, I'm in heaven.

We are staying in a two bedroom cottage that is one of ten identical buildings that face onto the same green space which features a communal fire pit.

It is adorable - outside it is white board and batten with a front and rear porch, and inside it's beadboard ceilings, mullioned windows, gorgeous white trim everywhere.

I'll be posting some pictures tomorrow of some of my favorite cottages at Seabrook - much like the Maple Beach post here.

Lazy Sunday afternoon

I love September. We've had better weather this month than we had in July. It's been beautiful and sunny for days at a time with little rain. This week's forecast is sunny with temperatures in the high twenties. I can feel Fall coming, but it's not here quite yet.

We had a lazy Sunday to make up for a busy Saturday. I took some pictures for my class after church -  some in our back yard (which needs some desperate attention - next year), and then I went for a walk by myself through the park behind our house.

September Afternoon

Practicing today with a 50mm f1.8 lens I have on loan. I like it. It's fun.

These wooden crates were from the barn at my in-laws.

Pretty girl. I love the shallow depth of field here - this lens makes it so easy.

{sooke, bc}

Sometimes I really love my job. Except when I don't - which is, you know, most of the time.

Usually I have to get up at five to drive into Vancouver on what is supposed to be a major highway but more resembles a parking lot. Stop and go (mostly stop) for an hour. And then we might be shooting in a dark studio, or in a house that is too small to accommodate a film crew. For at least twelve hours. And then when we're done I get back in my car and do the slow crawl home again.

But today I woke up in a beautiful hotel room, went downstairs for breakfast, and then into the lobby to shoot. It was glorious. I am in Sooke on Vancouver Island.

This is the hotel that we are shooting at.

Nice, huh?

source

This was my view for most of the morning.

When I wasn't looking at this:

I get to stay another night, and then I will leisurely make my way home to Abbotsford in the morning. Making the most of every moment...

Have a great weekend!