Canada

CANADA – VANCOUVER
Our flight to Vancouver could not be better. We left Florida and had a quick flight to Phoenix where we changed for Vancouver. The plane when we boarded wasn’t even full so it was pick a seat and sit down. Our air host for the trip was an ex Australian whom now resides in Hawaii (nice life) and he made our flight very pleasant, giving away a lot of freebies (bonus being an AUSSIE). We arrived in Vancouver and straight away noticed the change in climate (well I did). Selena meet us with our truck (and it’s a beast of a thing) that we have hired for the whole time that we are here. Lucky enough for us it’s automatic. It reminds me of a car that you would take out on a hunting trip. Canada is beautiful but BLOODY freezing (but I’m only going to mention it this once and never again, just look at the photos for proof). Selena drove us to a place in Vancouver that over Christmas the park is decorated with lights. We stayed over night in Vancouver and rested for our early morning drive to Heffley Lake, near Kamloops where Selena lives.

HEFFLEY LAKE – SELENAS HOUSE
Our morning started at 6.30am. The drive from Vancouver to Selena’s house is on the express way 4 hours but we wanted to take the scenic route which of course is a lot longer maybe about 6 hours. Our first stop on the road was to a roadhouse (can you believe they actually call them that) called Tim’s where we had a coffee (can’t wait till I get back to oz to have a really good coffee) and breakfast. This stop was rather special for the kids because it was snowing and it was their first touch of snow. Kieran couldn’t wait until he got out of the car to make a snowball and throw it at me (I could have thought of some nicer spots than a carpark to throw a snowball but he was busting with excitement). The scenic route was definitely the way to go – just refer to the pictures on the blog. Once we set off again Selena showed us the ski resort at Whistler. It was beautiful just like you see in a magazine, snowing in the village and all. We walked around the village for awhile and Selena showed us a chocolate factory. Check out the toffee apples that they serve up. We left Whisler and stopped off at a local spot to have lunch within an Indian Community called Lillooet. Finally we arrived at Selena’s beautiful house on Heffley Lake. It was a quick look around, meet the family dog Jake, sit down have a chat, unpack then hit the sack for an adventurous couple of weeks skiing (I have already told the kids they are not allowed to laugh at their mother when she falls down on the skies).

Our first day at Selena’s house started with putting on our winter woollies and going outside, making snow angels in her front yard. Selena then took us for a walk on the frozen lake which out her backyard. We were so lucky, there were fishermen doing ice fishing (check out the fish on the blog they caught). We then headed up to the snow resort near Selena’s house called Sun Peaks.

SUN PEAKS
Sun Peaks Ski Resort consists of three mountains and a village built around these. Not too bad of a winter lifestyle if you ask me. The resort is everything that I imagined if not better. It’s not like one of those resorts where all you can do is ski (not that I mind that) it has other activities as well. There is snowmobile and dog sled tours, ice skating, bungy trampoling, tube riding and much more. Our first go at putting on all our ski gear (and being five of us and not wanting to feel the cold, there was heaps to put on) was hilarious. Me and the kids all looked like rolly polly’s all padded up. You could push us over and roll us around in the snow and we would form gigantic snowballs. I unfortunately had trouble getting ski boots to fit me. It seems the woman here have tiny feet (maybe because its that cold they shrink). Selena borrowed me a 23 shoe size ski boot but when we went to the ski resort to get properly fitted I’m this YETI foot size 27.5 bordering on 28. Once we got me fitted we were off to ski lessons. Here I was someone who has never skied before with my children in the begginer’s class. But everyone has to start at the bottom hey! Well let me tell you, my ski instructor had a laugh for the next two hours. I constantly fell over and at one stage I was sking backwards. Not really, I fell over trying to get off the ski lift and I went all the way down the bottom on my belly backwards, laughing(very dignified!)

By our 2nd and 3rd day of lessons, the kids were skiing right past me on the “Gentle Giant” ski slop (I haven’t progressed from here yet) and I was having to deal with how to turn without falling over and taking other people with me, in particular the ski instructor. The kids have done exceptionally well and have ventured on to the green runs and a blue run yesterday. The lessons surely are the way to go, but this being our 4th day of lessons I have muscles that ache that I never knew that they existed. As we are approaching the festive season, on the weekends the ski fields are fairly busy (not that it bothers me, I haven’t progressed to these slopes yet) and there are so many trendy ski bunnies walking around it’s like a day at our beach seeing who can brandish the most expensive outfit. Let me tell you, the beanie hair style is really happening for me (just check out the photos – don’t laugh!). We are hoping in the next couple of days to get tickets to see the “Kamloops Blazer” ice hockey team. While I am typing this, it is snowing outside and a balmy -9degreees! Whooo what a heat wave. Not only have we been skiing for the last couple of day, Selena has a beautiful lake right outside her house, and we decided to make the most of it by building an ice rink. Check out the photo’s of us standing on the frozen lake with Selena’s dog – Jake. How amazing.