Building permit day in Sechelt!

Pete and I took the day off on Weds to visit the Sunshine Coast!

We still act like tourists, not locals eh?! Couldn't miss this photo op from the ferry!

Exciting progress on the cabin we're building - we have an official address and are ready for water hook-up! We met with the Sechelt planning office and opened a file for our Building Permit!

And hurrah! The land is being cleared!

Rick Pearson, our clearing guy, even let Pete play with the big orange digger!

Last weekend we saw Marissa (Teresa and Victor's amazing little girl) - Marissa shared some "Dora the Explorer" stickers with Rian!

Fearless and charming are just a few of her many traits!

I was quick enough with the camera to catch them both on the bouncy thing! Marissa doesn't look too impressed with Rian's technique...

Rian loves his birthday presents!

He got a book so beautiful from 'Oddparents Kirst and Chris that this is one of the only times he's touched it! He'll still be loving this when he's 30!

I found him one morning lying down and playing with this wonderful puzzle from Mia and Max!

He got a useful wheelbarrow from mate Sam - perfect for carrying a shovel!

Batteries still going strong in the amazing WordWhammer from our Toronto friends Josh and Rachel!

The "Tickle Book" from Grandpa Bonny!

No childhood is complete until you've had blue hair! I'm still finding playdoh all over the house!

The Dougans know how to have fun - thanks Riley, Rebecca, Olivia, Emma, Lauren and Genevieve!

The Soviet-styled ambulance from Jonah is one of Rian's favorite 4-wheeled toys !

Rian and the larger-than-he-is Pooh! From Grandpa Roberts and Veronica!

Eliane came to visit! Our friends Caroline and Jean moved last year to Bowen Island, a lovely part of the world a short ferry ride away from West Vancouver!

The gorgeous Eliane is growing up, adventureous as ever!

For us still living in the urban jungle, we get our nature in places like the Lower Seymour Conservation area, where we took Nova for a walk!

Hiking is hard work on short legs!

Rian and Nova still get along (mostly) well! Giving treats are fun!

Its hard to get a good picture of a mostly black dog but this one turned out well!

But who needs forests when our front garden looks as overgrown as this?!? It was once a nice yard - and definitely on the list of things to tackle this summer!

More pictures!

Here's Rian at the local park - with our other favorite park being renovated at the moment, I suspect we'll be here a lot this summer!

Rian's little mate Jonah, helping to open a present! Jonah spends Weds. here with the fab babysitter Pam!

Yea! The Paper Bag Princess book, a Canadian classic!

One of Jonah and Rian's funniest games is "rickshaw", invented shortly after Jonah's Mom went to India!
It's sooooo hilarious!
We took a day trip out to see our new 1/2 acre plot of land on Seaview Road in the Sandyhook area of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast (say that 5 times fast!)

We're applying for our building permit this week and if all goes well, we should have the cabin at "lock-up" stage by early August! Maybe...

This is one of the main reasons we bought the land - a 9 minute walk away is the beach and boat launch!


Yep, our new life philosophy of "Investing in Leisure" is taking shape!

Grandpa Roberts' Visit! My soon-to-be retired father came down to visit us in early May!




Rian was able to show off his impressive frizbee skills!


Rian invented the "Grandpa Slide" where he crawls up behind Grandpa, then slides down!

Kinda hard to describe but I've got video if I can ever work out 'You Tube'...

Rian also loved having someone to read him stories - he's figured out that if he asks for "more stories", he can stay up later and later....





Having a BBQ! Check out Nova next to Rian - so optimistic that something will fall....

And last but not least, because my Mom is just up the road now, we don't take that many pictures but I did snap this one at local Victoria Park!

The Sunday after the 2nd Birthday! Its all about the presents!

Getting this good at Mini-Basketball took a lot of practice (thanks Marissa!)


Looking thoughtful at the new duds from Grandpa!
Loving the new hoodie! It says 'Part-time Ninja' on the back - my sis Kelty will love this as Ninja is her kitty... Thanks Sam!

And we have two winners of the Love-the-toy-Hate-the-batteries present awards!
Rian LOVES the Wordwhammer..."every letter makes a sound"! I think I can hear it from every corner of the house ..."every letter makes a sound"! But he's learning his letters and those batteries can't last another week! Thanks Josh and Rachel!!

And another great toy from Marissa, this one we're keeping away from Nova who disemboweled her Xmas pressie to Rian! "Row, row, row yer boat" is Rian's all-time favorite tune thanks to this green puppet!! ...I wonder if we can re-program it to play something else though....

More of Rian's 2nd Birthday Party!

2 Birthday Cakes = Happy Rian!
Daniel, here with mom Belinda, was an expert at birthdays having turned 2 several months ago!


Sam and his dad Neil enjoying the balloons!

Jonah's mom Libby!

Daniel kinda had enough of the paparazzi, here with dad Oscar!

Ah, toddler friendship at its best! Daniel helping Rian with his supper!

Being 2 years old is pretty fun so far!