Canada

After Olympic National Park we headed to Canada.  We took a ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville. We had lunch and played Monopoly Deal on the ferry.  The kids have really enjoyed the game (thanks Trevor & Michelle!), and we've played it at least once a day.  It's a quick Monopoly game.  The ferry ride was about 30 minutes long.

Here is Andrew posing as we arrive at Coupeville.

Here were are in line at the U.S. - Canadian border.

On our way to Banff we planned to stop in Vernon, British Columbia.  We arrived around 8 pm and checked into our hotel and did two loads of laundry.  We took it easy on Sunday.  We went to church and enjoyed visiting with members in another country.  We've found the people are different, but the church is the same no matter where you go in the world.

This part of Canada is a vacation destination.  We stopped at the Planet Bee and learned about beekeeping.

Here is a picture of the Okanagan Lake.  It's 84 miles long.  A family we met at church told us they've been water skiing this week and haven't seen anyone else.  There's a lot of room for water activities there.  There are also two other lakes close by.  It's a beautiful area and would be a great vacation spot for anyone who likes water activities.

The hotel we're staying at opened last Wednesday.  We selected it because it has a three-story waterslide.  When we checked in we discovered the pool wasn't open yet.  After church the kids asked the front desk if it would be ready this afternoon and they said they would open it around 5 pm.  After dinner we went to the pool and the kids had a blast.  Andrew decided that he wants to have his honeymoon here because the slide was awesome.  Here is Andrew exiting the slide.

Brian flying down the slide.

Mia and her dad playing in the water.  Mia was too short to go down the slide, but the hotel worker let me go down with her one time.  She had fun and wished she could go down more times like her brothers.

Money update

At Mount St. Helens the kids each purchased something.  Brian bought a survival kit that has a whistle, compass, and secret compartment.  We're pretty sure the compass doesn't work, but he enjoys telling us which direction we're headed.  Andrew purchased a key ring with a picture of Mount St. Helens from the front and back.  His best purchase (in his parents' eyes) so far.  We've noticed that since Andrew doesn't have much money he has no problem helping his siblings spend their money.  We'll be at a gift shop and he'll find things that Mia or Brian would like and encourages them to buy it.  Mia purchased a butterfly coloring book.  Yesterday was the first day the kids lost a dollar.  Twelve hours in a car can test anyone.  Overall they've been doing a great job.