“Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect.”  Margaret Mitchell said it so much better than I ever could, and isn’t it true? On the morning of the long-anticipated fall family photo session, one child evidenced every ounce of stubbornness in those little bones while the other child grinned like nobody’s business….

Every day is a good day when there’s sunshine (especially in the rainy Pacific Northwest) but it’s an even BETTER day when that sunshine comes out just in time to witness Vancouver’s partial solar eclipse (my very first solar eclipse!). The day had been cloudy and rainy but as I drove to Campbell Valley Park,…

“Oh, you guuuyyys!  You’re looking so good.  So rad.  So fabulous!  Just stay right there…I’m going to try to get the dogs’ attention…give me some patience…you guys just look at me and we’ll hope the dogs do, too.”   I crouched under my umbrella for the Rai’s Steveston family photos and monologued — partially for myself…

She stood on the edge of the world, teetering between the delights of an unknown expanse and the comforts of familiar reality. To her, it looked like a grand adventure waiting to be explored.  To her parents, however, she was just a few inches from soiling her outfit by falling face-first into the ocean. (This…

“Hey Pink! Look at me! PINK!” “Did you see this beautiful location, Pink?  Can we take a picture here, Pink?” “It’s my turn to choose our next spot, Pink! I want to go to the bridge.  Do you see the bridge, Pink? Its going to be so fun, Pink!” “Pink?” Yes, Purple?  “Oh, nothing. Thanks,…

When your family has been around the world and back, a longer-than-expected trek into the woods doesn’t signal consternation.  On the contrary, it’s an opportunity for adventure and excitement and conversation and exploration! =) I had clocked the walk along the Fort-to-Fort Trail at Derby Reach to the old barn as a reasonable .5km, but…