HB Family Reunion 2009--the drive

Because the Big Guy Lowe and I are so clever (did you pick up on that sarcasm?), we decided to get the car fully loaded and leave for Canada in the middle of the night so that the boys would be able to sleep during a big chunk of the drive. The car was packed, the bikes on, all that was left was to add the kids and we would be on our way!

All seemed to be going as planned. Our two older boys were excited, but after a short period of driving soon settled down and fell asleep. Not quite the case with our littlest! We hadn't thought about the fact that we haven't really had our little guy in the car that much when it is dark. In addition to that, we're big believers in letting kids sleep in their beds rather than cars, so nap time is always at home. So we left home at 1:45 AM with our littlest wide awake and confused and continued that way until we stopped at a trusty McDonald's for breakfast and a playland break! Those were a few long hours!

After crashing the Mcdonald playland (which didn't open until 8:00AM--two hours later), the manager decided to let us in when our middle son sat down on the ground and started sobbing. At the time the Big Guy Lowe and I were so grateful! We ate, the kids played and then we headed back to the car. Now that the sun was up, bellies were full, and some of our passengers sufficiently exhausted, this was what our car looked like.


The sleeping baby only lasted about 30 minutes, but they were a glorious 30 minutes!

Crossing the border at 7:00AM really helps to cut down the waiting time. I guess most people aren't as clever as we are. (more sarcasm) After a few more hours of driving through the breathtaking Canadian Rockies we were arriving at our destination; Summerland, BC (a small town close to Pentiction, BC).

We have been attending a HB family Reunion in Summerland since I was a teenager. Our first glimpse of the Okanagan Lake was just as amazing as we remembered!

The weather was hot and the sky was clear, the perfect combination for going to the beach. We actually did get there that day, a few hiccups before as generally is the case, but overall we enjoyed a good trip, healthy kids, and reuniting with extended family that we love and look forward to seeing as often as we can. Everything was pointing towards a great week camping with family and enjoying the wonderful local beaches. Then came the next day...