Canada....a little different than planned

Well we've been looking forward to this trip for a long time....actually since last summer I guess!  Well as I said in my previous post on Tuesday of the week we left, Lucy got the tummy bug.  She threw up all day but was fine the next day.  I didn't think much of it until Thursday afternoon...right after those snowcones in the previous post...Tyson threw up.  I was in shock and had so much going on with Camp Hope that night that I kinda lost it and just cried.  I hadn't finished packing us and my mind was just swirling.  I mean you can't take a sick kid on a plane?!?!?!  Or could you....

Well we went on to Camp Hope.  Tyson hung out with Pops for a little while.  Then we walked in the door from Camp Hope and Tyson threw up everywhere....yes new house and new floor....and then Caleb threw up.  Oh goodness.  It was kinda so much I didn't really know what to think.  I was so tired I just cleaned it up and sent them to bed.  Logan got home (he was still finishing up work) and we finished packing.  I started feeling weird....yes weird.  I went to bed and just laid there.  Around 2:30am I got up to get a drink and basically passed out....I came to and started throwing up.  Oh my.  What now.  I got back in bed and woke up Logan.  He said we are not going and turned off his alarm.  I laid there for the next several hours contemplating what to do.  We bought the trip insurance but all it covers is what we spent.  If we skipped our flights and went later in the week the flights were DOUBLE the price.  Good grief.  So around 6:30am I woke up Logan and told him let's just do it and go.  He thought I was crazy but part of me just wanted to go.  I felt like it was the enemy attacking and not wanting us to go....and honestly I did NOT want him to win!  So yes, we got a late start but we made the flight and went!

The boys woke up feeling totally fine which we were so grateful for!!

But basically I hadn't slept at all that night and I was decently weak.  I don't remember much of the flight...I slept every chance I could.  I do however remember the take off.  We taxied forever and right before we were going to take off I started feeling very funny.  I had been freezing and all the sudden broke out sweating...I was so thirsty and then started feeling like I was going to pass out.  Logan said I was pale and green...ha!  I somehow managed to NOT throw up which I'm so grateful for.  The feeling passed thankfully before we took off.  After that I was fine but just extremely tired.  My sweet Brittany was actually on the SAME flight!!!  She, not knowing we were going to be sick, changed their seats to be right behind us on the flight.  Yes really.  Thankfully they didn't get sick but I was so sad I didn't feel good to spend the extra time with her :(.  

This was Tyson's first flight....he did great and loved it!

Since we had been sick we definitely didn't want to pass any of it to our Canada peeps so we drove north a little bit and stayed in Bellingham, Washington.  The La Quinta became our new home.  Thankfully it had an indoor pool and that sealed the deal.  This was our morning routine....free breakfast and swimming in the pool :)

After a good night's sleep I was feeling much better.  We found a park nearby and had a picnic and then walked to some waterfalls. 

We found a nice place and had a fun family game of Skipbo!

We came back and rested and then decided to make the drive up to see Mt. Baker.  We were staying in the closest town to the mountain so we figured we better go!  It was amazing....SO much snow in July!!

That is snow!!!

The boys would climb up the hill and then slide down on their bottoms.  They loved it.  Just wish we would've had warmer pants on for them to slide in!

On way home Caleb got sick again :(.  I was thinking we were done with it....but not him.  So we decided we should wait it out a little longer.  The next day he was feeling better and everyone else was too.  We took a tiny ferry to a small island called Lummi Island.  

We couldn't find much to do but we finally found a beach that we played on for awhile.  The boys loved it.  We had a picnic and played for awhile.

Here's our temporary home....more TV than these boys ever watch :( 

So after we got back Tyson and I decided to go find a train museum that I found online.  We got in the car and headed towards it but then realized it was closed.  So we found another museum downtown Bellingham.  We parked and walked to it and sadly it was closed because of electrical problems.  He was sad and I was disappointed.  We found a store that sold trains and so we decided to go there.  We were leaving downtown and a guy ran into the car behind me and then hit me too.  Unbelievable.  We were fine thankfully.  He wasn't going very fast by the time he hit us.  I didn't even have my license with me and it was a rental car!  But the police officer was super nice and made Tyson feel way better.  We had to wait a long time but got all the info and finally left.  That's when I started thinking that this whole trip was just not going as we planned.  Sick everyone and now a wreck?!?!  When we got back to the hotel room we found out Weston had now gotten sick and thrown up.  Boo.  I wanted to cry.  So now everyone had had it except Logan.

Weston woke up the next morning (Monday now) feeling much better.  We decided to go to a small waterpark in Blaine.  It was 67 degrees when we pulled up.  It was SO cold to get wet and do the slides.  They had a hot tub but Tyson wasn't old enough to get in it.  He doesn't have enough body fat to stay warm so he was kinda miserable.  We had a picnic and played for awhile.  They all loved it and I loved wearing my jacket...ha ha!  

We came back that night and just rested.  Logan started feeling funny that night.  He woke up the next morning and basically didn't get out of bed the entire day on Tuesday.  That's when I got sad.....sad we were missing out and sad that this entire trip was going like this.  I will say it was so great that everyone felt ok during the day.  We were still getting to do a lot of fun things and see cool places even though we were getting to be where we wanted to be.  I took the boys that day to the train museum...that was now opened!  They loved it.  We watched the model trains and they even had some toy ones that the boys played with.

this boy's heaven....

We found a huge chessboard after we left the museum.  It was fun except it was downtown Bellingham and I didn't feel very safe without Logan with me.  I let them play one game and then we headed back to hotel.

Tyson and I found connect 4 while they were playing chess.

We went back to hotel after that and then decided to drive to a cool park in Lynden.  It was a big wooden park with a creek running beside it.  It was gorgeous and so peaceful!  The weather was gorgeous so we stayed for awhile.  They even swam in the river a little bit....although it was freezing!

Five guys for dinner :)

On Wednesday we decided to pack up and go on to Canada.  Logan dropped us off (he wanted to make sure he was in the clear) to help at Kids Camp.  It felt SO SO SO good to be there.  The boys just jumped right in to their classes and did great.  I worked with the older group...5th and 6th grade.  We of course got to do the wobble a few times :) 

I was SO amazed at how things have changed in just a year.  There were so many more kids at the camp first of all.  And then to hear these older kids answer questions and hear their heart was amazing.  They have grown so much and their depth of understanding is great!  We both got to share on Thursday and it went well.  At the end of camp each day all the workers form a big circle and share what all the Lord has done that day.  I was just amazed looking around the circle.  The Lord has and is doing amazing things in the people there.  It's so exciting to see the growth and enthusiasm in their people.  They want to learn.  They want to grow.  They want to be in the Word everyday.  And they want to serve!  It was great to get the time that we did with  them.  

Thursday they had time in at the Splash park next door.  Of course the water is freezing so the kids loved getting everyone soaked.  The Rackleys from our class also went on the trip.  They of course were able to be in Canada the entire time because they weren't sick :).  They loved it.  They connected with other couples and families.  They served and loved the kids so well.  It was awesome to come in late and see how connected they were to people we love so dearly.  They are already talking about going back again next summer!!!

Landon and Tyson

My precious precious friend.  I love her to pieces.  We talked each other's ear off as long and as fast as we could.  I was so sad that our time was cut short because of us being sick....but still it was great!  I'm learning to be thankful for what He does give and not wishing for something else.  I was able to see good in so many things that at the time seemed quite negative.

And that was about it.....back to Seattle we went Thursday evening and back on the plane early Friday morning.  Thankfully this flight home everyone felt good and it went much better!

So it was definitely a different trip than planned.  It hit me a few days after being home of how much we missed out on.  It's hard to understand why but I just have to trust that He had us where He wanted us.  We love the work He is doing up there.  We love their hearts.  We love seeing His hand change and mold so many lives to know Him.  So we are grateful for the time we had!  I definitely missed my little girl though....she went to Kansas and hung out with Mimi and Pawpaw (and Norah) the whole time.  She had a blast.  Sadly she took the bug with her and gave it to Mimi.....I felt terrible about that :(