Monday, February 28, 2011

And a great weekend was had by all...

My parents were visiting us this weekend!  They left this morning... boo.  As I was putting Caleb down for his nap he said that he wished Nana and Papa could stay forever.  I told him that all the sheep on Papa's farm would miss him too much... that answer seemed to make sense to him.  We all enjoyed a great weekend together.  Here are two of my highlights.

Number One.  My Mom made doughnuts.  The are THE BEST homemade doughnuts in the entire world.  Can I get an amen from anyone that was in my high school class?  Growing up, my Mom would often spend the morning making doughnuts while we were all in school.  At lunchtime she would deliver my siblings and I each a plate of warm, fresh doughnuts to share with our friends... oh the memories.


Mom started mixing them up Friday morning-- and my Dad and I hit the road in search of a doughnut cutter.  Apparently they no longer exist.  We went to Micheals, Bed Bath and Beyond, Canadian Tire, Superstore, Safeway, Walmart... nothing.  There were a few more stores we could have tried, but it was already time to roll them out so we had to get creative with stuff we had at home.  Wow were they good.


Highlight Number Two.  Even though it was an absolute miserable day in Vancouver (rain, snow, wind, below freezing temperatures) we decided to explore the downtown via public transit.  It was a cold adventure, but we had fun.  Caleb was particularly excited about the whole experience.  We begun the day by hopping on the sky train in Surrey and rode it as far as it would take us.


Emerson had her first experience in the stroller without the carseat... she did great.  Taking the kids along can be complicated, but it was nice to have a couple extra hands to help!




Yup, it was a cold one.


Next, we decided to take the SeaBus across to the North Shore.  Here's the view from the water.


Emerson stayed nice and warm in her snow suit.


Once we made it back to the Waterfront Station, we hit the train again and then decided to take the bus down to Granville Street.  Why to Granville Street?  To shop at Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn... of course.  My Mom was looking forward to this one.  Caleb was quite excited to find a chair his size at Restoration Hardware... but he was even more excited about his happy meal toy.  That's a good thing, considering that the chair was 300 times more expensive than the happy meal.


Next up, Pottery Barn.  I didn't purchase anything... but I did snap a picture of this gorgeous gallery wall.  I would love to recreate that in my own house... but maybe on a budget :)


Doug, my Dad, and the kids were troopers...  I think it helped that the store was warm, and that there was plenty of comfortable seating.


Then it was time to head home.  The bus pulled up to the bus station and I got on with Emerson.  The doors closed and the bus took off.... and I realized that no one else had made it on.  It was just the two of us.  No phone, no wallet... just Emerson and a soother.  I decided to get off at the next stop and wait for the rest of my family to catch up.  While sitting at the bus stop I had an interesting chat with a talkative lady about gardening.... and, well... unicorns.  Can't say that I had much to contribute to the unicorn topic.  But about 10 minutes later the next bus pulled up and the rest of the gang was there.  The bus was REALLY full, but I managed to elbow my way on.  Poor Caleb was a little bit concerned.  It was pretty cute.  After a long day out and about in the cold, we got on the sky train once again to go home.

The whole day, Caleb proudly told everyone that he didn't have to sleep that day... no nap for him.  As far as he's concerned, he went the whole day without sleeping.


But sometimes pictures tell a different story.

11 comments:

Denita Dyck said...

Oh boy- do you think your mom would share her recipe?? They look so good!

KDees said...

Wow, the donuts look AMAZING! I wish I was in your high school class! :)

kelly ens said...

yeah, those donuts look amazing!!!!
i love that caleb didn't have to sleep all day ;)

Jamie said...

Fun times! Too bad it was so cold while your parents were here, but I'm glad you guys still got out!
That snowsuit on Emerson is SO cute!!

Bonnie said...

Those donuts look AMAZING. My mouth is watering!
Sounds like a fun day in the city. Gotta love Restoration Hardware & Pottery Barn. So inspiring.

Linda F. said...

If I remember correctly there was a kitchen shop at Granville that had every imaginable cookie cutter shape. Maybe next time check for a donut cutter. They are hard to find for sure as I have looked many places as well. MCC thrift stores or garage sales may be your next best bet.

Gina said...

AMEN! I very fondly remember those donuts! And my waistline is thankful I don't know how to make them.

Anonymous said...

That sounds like a really fun day. If us Smith's ever make out to BC I would love have you guys as our tour guide!

Trev and Rebekah said...

Yes I too like her snowsuite.

Glad you had a good weekend.

And way to think about just getting off at the next stop for the family.

Let's connect when we get back at the end of March. We are off tomorrow afternoon.

Melissa said...

What a fun adventure - in typical Vancouver winter weather! You handled your bus mishap with such grace :)
LOVE Emerson's toque - and her eyes! Oh my!
The donuts looks amazing! I might be better off not knowing how to make those!!

Lexi said...

Anything your mom makes/bakes is good!! I saw your parents in January. It was so great to see them!