The Island

We ventured over the water to Vancouver Island last weekend. Particularly we went back to Port Alberni for the first time in four years. The last time we were there was for Dad's final sermon at Arrowsmith Baptist before he moved to Langley to become the BCBC District Minister... The Pope of the BC Baptist Church :) Jon's mom joined us. She had been back since but this was her chance to show Livi off at church! We went back for the wedding of a dear friend of Jon's that he grew up with. 

We took precautions for the sake of the car seat and put some training pants on Livi, instead of panties, for the 7 hour journey. She was dry the whole way! She used all the strange toilets with out complaint! Mommy was so proud :) We caught an earlier ferry and Livi napped in the car on the way from Naniamo to Cathedral Grove. I wanted to make a quick stop in Cathedral Grove to show Livi the old growth forest. She was pretty amazed by all the big trees. 

Friday night we had the opportunity to visit over dinner with the Keno's! The Keno's introduced Jon to the world of disabilities... so really I have them to thank for preparing my husband for my world! The Keno's have had numerous foster children with varying disabilities over the years and, after having three biological children, they adopted five more! Three with Down Syndrome and one of those three from Bulgaria! Visiting with them was invaluable. I felt so honored being able to glean from their experiences of parenting children with DS and their adoption from Bulgaria! I think I'll save all my thoughts on that for another post though.

After dinner we stopped in at the rehearsal dinner for a quick hello and to meet the groom. We'd heard all about him but never had the opportunity to meet him. They have been living in England. Cambridge to be exact. David, the groom, is even more of a intellect than Jon and won a scholarship for his Doctorate to Cambridge! I don't think I've ever met some one so smart in real life :) It was not the best circumstances to really get to know him but Jon and David both agreed on a rain check and discuss the things that only intellectuals find remotely interesting over a bottle of whiskey... Very CS Lewis-esc. 

The wedding the next day was beautifully perfect for the couple... despite the rain. They are catholic, so of course said their vows in a Catholic church. The plan was to have the though-out community focused reception in a local park, but the weather did not co-operate. Fittingly the reception was held in the church that the bride grew up in... Arrowsmith. I think it was great for us too be in the church again for the first time and not have it be a Sunday morning yet. Jon enjoyed seeing many of his old friends and showing Livi off... although I think his mom enjoyed showing Livi off even more! She was awesome to have along. She babysat Livi while we were at the Keno's and during the wedding ceremony, which was over Livi's nap time. She also helped out A LOT on the ferry rides, long car rides and during the events. 

At the end of the wedding Livi found the unattended, and still on, microphone. 

She started singing along to the bak ground music and working the audience... 

who of course all thought she was adorable!

Sunday morning was not as emotional as I was preparing myself for. I did keep expecting to see Dad come around a corner or sitting on the stage. It was a little weird to sit through some one else preaching from "Dad's" pulpit. I only got a little teary eyed once when Mom took Livi to the front with all the children to get dismissed to Sunday School. Dad was usually the one to tell the little story and pray over the kids before they left. It might have been my imagination but I think there was a little extra bustle of activity and shifting in seats as Mom took Livi to the front. I wish Dad could have been there to take her up himself. He would have been so proud. 

By the end of church Livi was overdue for a nap. We went back to our host's home for a few more hours while Livi napped and we packed up the car. We headed for Naniamo that afternoon, not missing ice cream from Whiskey Creek of course! Dad would almost always offer us a stop there if he was picking us up or dropping us off from the ferry. It was very fitting to end our trip to Port with Whiskey Creek.

We stayed one more night in Naniamo so I could hold our first Chosen Children meeting. We are really starting to see some progress with the Society but still trying to figure out all the CRA stuff. I'll post about that another time too, once I have something more concrete to report on. 

We missed the early ferry we were hoping to catch, but it was probably very good that we were early for the next ferry since the terminal was so busy. The ride home was uneventful except for one little adorable "uh oh" of Livi's. We had again taken precautions to save the car seat from any accidents so she was wearing her pull-ups again. As we were waiting in line at the ferry terminal Livi informed us that she had to use the toilet. So, Jon jumped up threw her over his shoulder and ran the two blocks across the parking lot to the washrooms. I don't think he thought about the impact that the repetitive bouncing on her bladder would have because half way there, Jon heard "uh oh" from behind his head. I laughed... a lot. 

Hanging out the sun roof waiting for the ferry!

We were very happy to reach our home and, more importantly, our beds. We had to share a room with Livi, while in Port, who decided it was play time at 6 am each morning because Mommy and Daddy were right there! Not sure how this is going to work with camping in two weeks!