Sunset on the Point

We took a rotisserie chicken and some fries to the beach last night and watched the sunset from the beach.

I took the opportunity to take some pictures of my kids during magic hour - where the light turns everything it touches to gold.

Conner, 10

Emily, 14

Liam, 8 (almost 9)

Kyle (turning 16 this month)

We recently bought a new camera (Canon T4i) and I've been messing around with it, trying to get some practice time in before Kyle and I head off on a grand adventure on Saturday. More on that later.

 Almost set. One moment it was there, the next it was gone.

We have one more day on the Point. I keep referring to it as 'the island' - completely unintentionally, but it feels remote and untouched like an island. I'll be sad to leave. I'm already looking forward to next year.

I've been soaking up unstructured time with my children, time where no one has to do anything, or be anywhere.
Unless it's getting to the other side of the Point before the sun sets.

Maple Beach Cottages

The streets around here are quiet and full of quaint little beach cottages. Some are super run down, others have been lovingly taken care of and each and every one of them is different. One of my favourite things to do is walk around and look at the houses, and imagine having a beach cottage of our own.

Doesn't this little house look sweet? A neighbour told me that the house is empty, the owner passed away and the family can't agree on what to do with the property. A little love and TLC is all it needs.

 I love the punchy red door on this one.

I wish I had taken a better shot of this property - but there is a series of small cottages that are linked by a deck in the middle. Shingles on each building tie them together and gives a very Nantucket vibe.

 A white picket fence, naturally.

 This is a bigger cottage. I love the red painted shingles.

This little house is tucked away on a side street half a block from the beach. Bikes are everywhere in Point Roberts. I hadn't been on one in years - but it's true, it comes back quickly.

Even with four kids, I think a little two bedroom cottage like this one would be perfect. I would move to Maple Beach for the summer with the kids - it's close enough for Quinn to come and go for work.

Not really a possibility, but I can always dream...

Like these beach cottages? Check out more here and here.

The Point

I need the beach in my life. 

While I live on the West Coast (well, an hour from the coast), I don’t get nearly enough beach time in. I also need the sun, and that is in short supply around here too. One of the few things that sustains me through our long, grey, wet winter is knowing that come the end of July, we head for Point Roberts.

The view from our front windows - Conner playing with his friend.

The tide goes way out and creates little pools that stay warm in the sun until the tide comes back in. Great for exploring, paddling and skim boarding.

It’s our third summer here. We’ve rented the top floor of the same house on Maple Beach each year and we all look forward to our week at the Point. 

Liam on the beach in front of our place.

Unfortunately Quinn’s not with us this trip – he’s in Alberta for a few weeks on a job – but the rest of us are soaking up some serious down time and it’s been glorious.

Quinn last year at the Point - just because I miss him and wish he were here now.

Our friends have a place down the beach, and all day long the kids travel in packs on bikes from house to house, eating, playing, swimming and having a great old time. This year all the kids are older and I’m more relaxed and it’s meant they’ve had a lot more freedom to explore on their own.

At any given time we have up to eleven bikes outside our place. I have been going through a lot of popsicles, chips and ice cream. 

This is a special place. I love that it's so close - we can drive here in an hour and a half, including border line up. It's a well-kept secret and if I thought that anyone actually read this, I probably wouldn't write about it because I don't want the secret to get out. Five square miles of US land, surrounded by water to the south, west and east, and the Canadian border (and Tsawwassen) to the north. 

See that little point of land south of Tsawwassen - south of the 49th Parallel makes it US land.

I've taken some great pictures today of the beach and the beach cottages which I'll post later.

Peonies

An impromptu, solo trip to the Farmer's Market on Saturday was just what my soul needed.

I bought the most lovely peonies - two bunches of tightly wrapped white buds ...

Via

... that opened a couple of hours after I got them home.

They smell heavenly.

Liam's Baptism

Liam is our youngest, and when he turned four we went to BK to celebrate. As we sat there eating in that corner booth, I watched my family. I thought to myself, I don't have babies anymore. I don't have toddlers. I have children. And I began to think about how fast it had all gone by and how hard it was, and how I really didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Those days were gone and I was never going to get them back.

Liam at 11 months

And then I burst into tears. Seriously, I was sobbing and I could. not. stop. I cried my eyes out right there in the middle of Burger King.
(I wish I was one of those people who look pretty when they cry. Unfortunately, I have an ugly cry face.)

Liam at 8 1/2

Well, we recently had another milestone with Liam's baptism. In the LDS Church, eight is considered the age of accountability, the point at which a child can understand the decision he is making. Liam actually turned eight in October of last year, but we wanted to wait until my parents were here at Christmas. But then Quinn's parents were sick and unable to come, and it kept getting put off because there never seemed to be a weekend that worked. Finally we were able to line everything up and last weekend, Liam was finally baptized.

He was thrilled. It was the perfect day. So many people came and we were touched by the love and support that was shown him.

He was baptized and confirmed by his Dad. Grandma and Grandpa Martin both spoke. His friends Alex and Mikey gave the opening and closing prayers. The Bishop welcomed him to the ward.

Liam's little buddy Finn and his mom gave him the most beautiful gift. To commemorate his baptism, they gave him a tree to plant so that he can watch it grow to be big and strong. The card said that they know his faith will stay strong like this mighty Redwood.


Liam and his tree are the same height now, but over the next ten years it is supposed to grow to between 70 and 100 feet tall! We will have to pick somewhere special to put it.

We are so proud of Liam. He was so ready to do this. He knows that he has taken a very important step in his life and that he has made sacred covenants with his Heavenly Father. He was so excited to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He loved how he felt when he was baptized and said he wished that he could feel like that every day.

Saturday Fun

Now here's something you don't see in our neighbourhood every day...

Emily's friend rode her horse through the farmland and park behind our house to visit today. Liam and I took a little ride around and Mater helped us out by eating some of our grass. A good thing, since our lawnmower blew up last week.

I love where we live.

Subway Blind

I love how graphic and punchy old subway and tram blinds are. The white lettering on black really pops. But I didn't fancy spending $300 on one. And I didn't want a random list of places I'd never been before.

Sarah at A Beach Cottage has a beautiful tram blind in her living room.

My friend Becky is a graphic artist at Stick People Press - she replicated the style with my list of places. I had it printed on canvas at Proper Design in Vancouver, and stretched and framed by another art shop.

I love how it turned out, and that there is a story and memories behind each name.