the planning stages of this trip, it had been our want to pass Christmas amongst our Canadian solid unit of measurement inwards Vancouver. While nosotros were looking frontwards to seeing Aunts, Uncles as well as cousins again, about of whom nosotros had non seen for over 2.5yrs, as well as to sense a ‘Canadian Christmas’ nosotros were a fleck wary nigh this leg of our trip too.
After all, Jim as well as I are non fans of cold, moisture weather, or of wintertime for that matter. And for most of our trip, we’ve needed to habiliment petty to a greater extent than than t-shirts, shorts as well as sandals. We don’t accept anything to a greater extent than than a lite jacket, 1 span of long pants as well as about socks each in our backpacks. Aside from Yasmine, none of us had whatsoever ‘closed’ shoes either! Luckily our stops earlier hither were Bangkok as well as Hong Kong, as well as then purchasing a few essential pieces each without breaking the banking concern was easily done, although past times doing as well as then nosotros also had to purchase about other slice of carry-on luggage to deport our novel ‘stuff’. Once nosotros arrived nosotros were able to borrow the remainder from similarily sized relatives.
We’ve been actually lucky amongst the atmospheric condition likewise inwards the 2 weeks since we’ve been here. We’ve had by as well as large crisp, sunny as well as dry out days, which accept been perfect for enjoying the abundant outdoor Christmas events on offering as well as for social outings amongst friends as well as family.
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| Riding the Bear Creek Park Christmas train. |
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| On the Stanley Park 'Bright Nights' Christmas train |
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| Nature walk amongst cousins |
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| Crossing the Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge. |
The kids accept been peculiarly having a practiced fourth dimension here. We’re staying amongst 1 of their cousins, amongst about other visiting cousin also staying at the same identify too—4 kids aged betwixt 6yrs as well as 2.5yrs makes for a really fun (and loud) household! But having a 'normal' homebase, our kids accept been able to do regular materials similar play on scooters exterior as well as do arts as well as crafts indoors. We also had a terrific grouping attempt decorating a ginger staff of life house!
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| Painting Christmas ornaments amongst cousin Nora |
We’ve had lots of unique experiences hither too—unique to us every bit a solid unit of measurement anyway. The kids accept enjoyed eating out inwards restaurants that offering them crayons as well as colouring sheets spell they waited for their meals. They’ve peculiarly enjoyed special ‘kid’s meals’ that instruct served inwards a newspaper pirate ship! They’re impressed past times the numerous kid-friendly washrooms that accept kid-sized toilets as well as kid-sized manus basins. They loved trying their manus at ice-skating (and were surprisingly practiced at it too!). And when they saw snowfall for the foremost fourth dimension (in their memory), Yasmine declared that she was ‘very happy now’.
On Christmas Day the kids excitedly reported that Santa had been really generous to them, giving them lots of candy, chocolate every bit good every bit a novel outfit for their teddies. Their aunties, uncles as well as cousins also spoilt them amongst nice, well-thought out gifts, which inwards most cases were also really small-scale inwards size! In the evening, to a greater extent than of our extended solid unit of measurement joined us for Christmas dinner.
So far our fourth dimension hither inwards Vancouver has been everything nosotros had hoped for: lots of fourth dimension spent amongst solid unit of measurement as well as partaking inwards magical Christmas events together. We accept been spoilt past times the abundance inwards North American society, which inwards itself was an initial displace for concern, but nosotros accept been able to indulge inside argue (we think!). And to a greater extent than as well as then than on previous visits, nosotros accept been able to resist the temptations of consumerism, spending our coin on experiences instead. We accept about other calendar week left, as well as a lot to a greater extent than that nosotros desire to soak up.