Jimmy grew up in the James Bay area of Victoria. It is such a cute and quaint area. Lots of old houses on small lots near the ocean and Beacon Hill park. We rented a little bungalow 1 block from the ocean. A way better option and the same cost as a suite in one of the hotels.

We have learned that when travelling with two toddlers a full kitchen and a separate room is an absolute necessity. We have room to play, the babies maintain their schedules (including finally sleeping through some but not all nights!) and we save some money by cooking every meal.

We had a great time in James Bay including visiting old friends, taking lots of walks, finding new playgrounds and of course our main reason for staying here was to be close to the breakwater which holds a very special place in our hearts.

Claire & Rhys enjoying the local playgrounds:

From the ferry in Swartz Bay we made our way to Sooke to visit auntie Wendy, uncle Chris and cousin Senna.

It was a beautiful warm and slightly overcast day. When we arrived the babes were still napping so we rolled the windows down in the van and we all napped in the driveway listening to birds chirping and the wind rustling the leaves. It really is a serene and beautiful piece of land that they live. We enjoy the slower pace of life in Sooke and the fun times our families share. Thanks for having us over!

Claire & Rhys really enjoyed the chickens and roosters, the trails through the woods, the ability to wander aimlessly in the yard, the pretty vegetable garden, the wooden swing, the adjacent river, Tessa the dog and of course their cousin Senna…

Jimmy hosts a skateboard contest every year in Victoria. This year was his 8th year and he hopes to continue hosting to year 10. We left for the island last Thursday and had a great four days with friends and family.

The ferry ride to the island was great. Windy but warm weather. There is a little play area for the kids which makes the 1.5 hour sail go very quick. We had some fun walking the outer deck especially Claire who really liked the wind in her hair 🙂

The ride to Sooke was quiet….Claire & Rhys had so much fun on the ferry that they slept pretty much the whole way there.

Jimmy started a little ‘peek-a-boo’ game with Claire when she would wake up from her naps. He peeks around the curtain that is next to Claire’s crib and says ‘ Claire’…she giggles and runs to the other side and opens the curtain with a big smile.

Just another very sweet bond that Jimmy has with the babies. Having Jimmy stay at home with Claire & Rhys was one of the best decisions we have ever made. They have a really beautiful relationship with their dad which is wonderful 🙂

Claire & Rhys’ cribs are end-to-end. At nap time or bedtime we can hear them chatting up a storm and giggling like crazy. We are always wondering what they are doing or saying to each other. It is a real joy hearing them having fun together. Rhys is quite a comedian and makes his sister laugh a lot! It is very sweet.

After they jump around and play in their cribs for awhile they eventually fall asleep.

This specific moment Claire woke up first and upon our entry into their room she was standing with her arms high in the air to be picked up and Rhys was sleeping with a bunny on top of his head! I have a sneaking suspicion that Claire tried to wake him up by dropping her bunny on his head.

We often find them with their legs hanging outside the crib like Claire in this picture.

Claire and Rhys love to curl up with snoogle which is a pregnancy body pillow. This pillow was amazing when I was pregnant and allowed me a few decent hours of sleep.

It’s nice that it still gets some good use!

Rhys is such an active little boy that he doesn’t stick around long enough to get lots of photos taken unlike our Claire- bear who is definitely not camera shy 🙂

Jimmy captured some really pretty photos of Claire & Rhys today after they awoke from their morning nap. He had fun tinkering with the black & white settings on our camera.

Claire’s hair is now long enough to get ‘bed head’ and Rhys was captured ‘blowing a kiss’ which is one of their favorite things to do lately!

Nice work Jimmy 🙂

Claire & Rhys are 17 months old. It has taken us that long to gather some courage to go out for dinner at a restaurant with our little monkeys.

After some pre-dinner fun at a park we drove to White Spot. We were seated far away from everyone near the washrooms…guess they were anticipating some screeching 🙂 We distracted Claire & Rhys with some crackers, apple sauce, the booze menus and our cell-phones. It went off without a hitch! It was so nice sitting down for a dinner out. I was pleasantly surprised how well they did in a restaurant setting. No screeches, no screams, no tantrums – yay!