So Thankful

One of the things that has been so neat about our time here in Vancouver is that we've gotten to live here like a normal resident, but we've also known that our time here is temporary so we've pushed hard to see and experience much of what Vancouver has to offer. In some ways, it's been like a 3 month stay-cation. But, really, there have been lots of days where the work/assignment load has been anything but relaxing, so I guess that's not the best analogy.

Anyway, my point is, we've had a great time experiencing all that we could here in the city. One of the last things we really wanted to do was get out in the snow a bit. I knew that after last year's little head injury, I wan't interested in taking up skiing, but I did want to try something snowy that we didn't typically get to do back in Carolina.

A friend here offered to take us snowshoeing and it was a great fit. The hike we did was easy, only 5 kilometers round trip and it was perfect for beginners. We were a little worried about Abe, but he kept up as well as could be expected. Towards the end, we did strip off the snowshoes and let him walk about in his "runners," as they call sneakers here in Canada. It was a great time with good friends and we're so glad we got to experience it.

Heading toward the trail, getting the hang of it!

5 minutes in and he's already covered in snow!

Two sweet girls!

Moving along

At the top! There is an amazing vista behind us, but the fog makes it hard to see.

This bird and several of his little friends were waiting for us at the top. We happened to have a few snacks in the backpack and they ate nutri-grain bars right out of our hands. It was pretty cool!

If you look carefully, you can see that there is actually a bird sitting on Abby's hand.