The Wedding

What a wild and crazy day! I feel like I lived through a very surreal moment! You know - you go to weddings all the time (OK -- not all the time, but time to time), but you go to weddings, and they go through the formalities, and everything is beautiful. And you hope that one day your child(ren) will find someone they deem worthy of themselves to marry. 

And then it happens, and well—it was a beautiful day. Absolutely beautiful. But I'm going to start at the top. 

After writing the blog, Little Bear and I were out on the beach. That little guy is pretty funny! He's just so little, and he's like a chick magnet. Sorry if that term offends anyone, but you can't go anywhere with him without someone falling in love with him! 

Little Bear on the beach

And of course, the little guy overestimated the depth of a pool of water and fell in and then walked in the sand, and he was dirty. Well, I certainly wasn't giving him a bath, and thankfully, the sand fell off. I brushed off as much as I could, and I swear the rest fell off in the car when I went to pick up one of the guests at another hotel. 

OH NO -- Bear got dirty!!! 

A few of the guests joined M on the beach for early morning yoga. Bear and I hung around to get some pictures. I knew no one else was covering the event, so I helped out. 

Early morning yoga on the beach

Then I was off to Tofino and Rhino Cafe for my morning breakfast. Yes-- I could have eaten at the hotel, but riding the bike in was much more fun! DH brought Bear in the car, and they joined me. I hate when they put a pastry with lots of icing into a paper bag. You lose half the icing that way!! Anyway -- it was an apple fritter kind of day, and it was yummy. 

Bear and I are having our morning breakfast.

And there I am with my helmet on and my two jackets, but I was having an amazing time. It was so much fun!!!!

Happy to be riding a bike

I had to stop to take some pictures. That's the beauty of riding a bike; there is so much to see, and since you are much closer to things, you wouldn't see from a car. And since you are on a bike, it's super easy to stop and take pictures.  

A red poppy

This flower was from a huge flowering bush, and those blooms were as big as my hand. They were stunning. 

Massive pink flowers

And then I thought this was an interesting sign. Nicely made up, so it wasn't just a casual thing. I was tempted to take the bike and see just how deadly they were!!! I mean—don't you want to know what a deadly pothole looks like? Perhaps today I can find out!

What's a deadly pothole look like?

I stopped to take a picture of the hotel sign, but now realize, looking at it, there was too much shadow at the time. No worries—we have the memory. 

The hotel sign

At one point, I needed something from M's room—what the heck was I delivering or picking up? WAIT -- it wasn't that at all. I was trying to finish the ring bearer pillow, and they had goodies, so I stocked up for fortification while I finished the pillow. Yes -- it was a big day for pastries. I'll deal with the consequences when I get home. 

More pastries

And then Bear and I sat in the library and worked on the pillow. The pillow was done basically. I had to find someone to put their finger on the thread so I could tie it tightly, so I went to M's room, where some of her friends were, and one of them helped me tie it. That was to give the pillow a tufted center. 

Working on the ring bearer pillow

And there was Bear, and he sat between my legs on the chair while I tried different ways of attaching the pillow to his harness. The pillow just kept wanting to shift, but I think I finally figured something out. But as I sat there, two couples came by, took pictures of Bear, and asked all kinds of questions. And then they started asking about the puzzle that was still there. Oh my—I have work to do!!!! But you never know what's going to happen when Bear is around. He was such a good boy and patient as I worked on his pillow. 

Grandma says I'm a very patient boy, and I am!!!!!

Speaking of which, I had a near panic moment earlier in the day. It was a beautiful day. More on that in a moment, so Bear and I decided to sit in the lawn chairs near the hotel. Let me rephrase that, I decided to sit in the chairs and was hoping Bear would join me. He did stick with me for a bit, and then he started to wander around. I decided to get up to keep an eye on him, and all was good. 

Then he went left, while I went right, or he was looking for a quiet place to do his business. It happened so fast, I don't even know what happened. But all of a sudden, he wasn't there! OH MY GOD!!!! I'm not a panicky person, but I had a moment of panic, to say the least. It did NOT help when my phone rang —it was a call from M. OMG—I cannot tell her that Bear is missing. 

She was laughing and said that Bear was just around the corner. They had been watching me from their hotel window!!!!! PHEW --- saved by the onlookers, but busted as a trusted dog sitter!!!! We all had a laugh, and then I kept a closer eye on the little guy. 

This was Bear with all his wedding garb. He had on a white shirt, and I made him a green bow tie - more on all that another day. And then he had a new leash and harness, and his pillow. At one point, I think there was a corsage for him, but he had no more room!!!!

I'm a very handsome boy!!!!

The one thing that I am very proud of M for is her attitude towards the day. She has spent enormous amounts of time planning the wedding, and you could tell. Details were taken care of, some things probably went awry behind the scenes, but through it all, she was graceful, gracious, and so at ease. There wasn't a single moment that I felt she was "panicky" because something didn't go well. She said, " It is what it is." And that just made my heart sing. Be flexible, and nothing will ever disappoint you. I am so proud of her for that. She really and truly has grown up. But do your kids ever grow up in their parents' eyes? I am very proud of her for the woman she has become!

Thankfully, I'm a quick-change artist. I was watching some videos on my phone, and at 12:35, DH came back from hanging out with the guys. I was still lying on the bed with Bear, and we needed to be in the room at 1:15. Oops. I ran downstairs and grabbed a sandwich and a chocolate croissant for lunch. Then into the shower, but not before comforting Bear, as there was a tsunami-warning drill (no danger for us), and poor Bear did NOT like that. 

Anyway, I showered, blow-dried my hair, got dressed, ate my lunch, and still arrived at 1:15. There is no time to waste!!! Close friends and family members (ladies only) met in M's room, and when she came down the stairs in their loft room, she was radiant!!! The photographers and videographers captured the moments, and it was an unreal experience for all of us to share. 

But I have to include this memory here. I got my ears pierced years ago when I was a teenager. Over the years, I stopped wearing earrings, and one of the holes had closed. So I haven't worn earrings for eons. She had mentioned to DH that she wanted me to wear long dangly earrings, which - you know me - if someone asks me to do something, I tend NOT to do it. And can you believe that someone called me spiteful because of it!!! Well, we don't want any negative thoughts here, but the idea stayed in my head. 

One day at the mall several months ago, I spotted a place that does ear piercing, so I thought, "What the heck," and got my ears pierced. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when I was younger! Then, the day before we left, I hadn't bought any earrings yet, so I had to scoot to the mall, went back to the same place, and found some funky dangling earrings. 

I never told anyone about the earrings, and no one at home noticed that my ears were pierced! Now I can wear funky earrings -- yes -- I didn't need pierced earrings, I could have worn clip-ons. 

I wore them yesterday, and when we hugged when I saw her, we both started crying, which was OK for me but not for her! Her day was just beginning. But it was all OK, and I feel like we have cemented our relationship that much more! I swear the first thing she noticed was those long, dangling earrings! 

Then DH and I walked down to the beach where the wedding would take place. I wanted to get Bear prepared. When I came through the trees to the beach, it took my breath away. The view was stunning, and the weather was perfect. They could NOT have asked for a better day or place. 

The wedding venue

Just a side note: they had their first date on the beach somewhere in Vancouver. They got engaged on a beach in Maui and are now married on a beach in Tofino!!! The beach is their happy place!

Here is the arch that we picked up at the party rental place. The hotel did an amazing job of camouflaging it. 

The wedding arch

But seriously —look at that view!!!!

The view from our chairs

They had a commissioner do the ceremony, and it was beautiful. They did NOT want anyone taking pictures during the ceremony except one of their best friends. That way, they would get some immediate pictures of the ceremony. I had to chuckle because, from a couple that posts a ton of pictures on IG, to tell people not to take pictures was an oxymoron. But they had the professional photographers there, and the one friend who took some, so they could have some pictures of the ceremony. 

Why? They wanted people to be in the moment of their ceremony and to experience it through their own eyes, not through a camera's lens. I thought it was a brilliant move, but OH MY -- it was hard to sit on your hands!!! 

Anyway, the ceremony was beautiful, and the sun beamed down on them as the waves crashed behind them. We could NOT have asked for a more perfect day. 

Wait -- I'm coming to their picture. Here is a close-up of the ring pillow. And I love how the commissioner called it. The ring BEARer pillow. It was so adorable. 

The ring pillow

I had made some small (6") pillow forms way back when, and they were made to put some funky folky stuff on the outside. I used the satin from her dress and made a cover. I'll tell you more about that experience another day. The lace is the bits of lace that the dressmaker sent me, and I stitched it to the pillow. 

And there are their two bands attached to the pillow. 

The wedding bands

Once the ceremony was over, it was time for family and friends' photos. We had picked up a bunch of games at the party rental place, and so while the photos were happening, the games were used. And it was almost time to go before I realized that I did not have a picture of the happy couple!!!

The happy couple - Dillon and Madeline

They both looked amazing, and Dillon had a bespoke suit made —oh boy, it really makes a difference in the fit. And M's dress was covered in tulle and lace, and that was quite the task to wear that on the beach. While the beach wasn't very deep in sand, it was deep enough that it was hard to walk on with shoes. I went barefoot until it was time for pictures. And in all that—I do NOT have a picture of me in my outfit!!!

Dillon and Madeline

After pictures, we headed to the dining room for dinner. And I have stuff to share there, but not today. And after that, we went to another party venue on the property for the dance! Here's a picture of the first dance, and they have been practicing it, and they were so cute!!!

The first dance

We walked back to the hotel (about 5 minutes), and it was pitch black. No lights, but I have zero issues seeing in the dark. 

As we arrived at the hotel, I looked up and OH MY --- look at the stars. Yep -- this photo was taken with my phone camera. It's amazing what those cameras are capable of. 

The night sky

Bear hung out with me for most of the day, but he had a sitter from 4 - 10 PM. So that gave me a bit of a break, although he's no trouble at all. Just not allowed in the dining room! I came back to the room to get him and took him back to the dance. HEY -- I had to get some steps in somehow!!!! 

When we finally got back to the room, the poor little guy was exhausted. He went straight to bed and hasn't moved an inch. WAIT --- let me rephrase that. He's a snuggler, and I swear I woke up sleeping on the edge of the bed. But what a cutey and you can't complain!!!

Exhausted after a very long day

And there it is --- the wedding. It was perfect! The couple looked stunning; the weather was perfect; there was laughter and joy; all their close friends and family were nearby; and all the hard work of planning went off so smoothly that it was seamless. People kept asking me about details, but I had nothing to do with the planning. I may have helped with a few things, but it was all Madeline and Dillon. They did an amazing job. 

I am so proud to welcome Dillon into our family, and I wish them all much joy and happiness in their new life as a couple. Love you both to bits!!!!!

And a huge thank you to all the friends and family who came to the wedding. As mentioned last night at dinner, getting to Tofino is not easy, and it took us two days to get here. But it was so worth it, and it holds such special meaning for the happy bride and groom. We had been here 27 years ago with Madeline when she was little. I need to dig those photos out when I get home. And I believe they were here a couple of years ago or last year? I'm not sure about those details. I'm sure they will be back!  

On that happy note, I'm out of here. We are meeting some friends for breakfast, not in Tofino, and I might go for a bike ride afterward. I'll see how the day goes. 

There is lots more tos hare, but that's it for today. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

A puzzle and a rehearsal

Today is the day!!! The big wedding, but FIRST - I have to tell you about yesterday, and then you'll hear all about the wedding tomorrow. 

I'm not sure where the others were, but I asked the previous day if anyone wanted to go for a bike ride! I had a couple of takers, but when push came to shove, they were working out in the gym! But that's OK - I thoroughly enjoyed riding the bike. And sometimes being by yourself on a bike is best! 

Off for a ride

However, I had to sign a waiver, which is normal, and wear a helmet, which is the law. I decided to ride the bike into Tofino (about 4 KMs) to see what I could see. Oh my gosh --- what fun that was. You never forget how to ride a bike, and if you maintain your balance, it's a piece of cake. The bikes are single-speed, which I am not used to. Even my townie back home has three speeds. 

That meant a wee bit more oomph to get up a couple of small hills, but really, the road is flat, and all was great. You cannot help but smile when you ride a bike, unless you have been in the pouring rain for hours and your shoes are filled with water, and you have to set up a tent, but only after you finish climbing this 5 KM hill!! 

I've had a day or two like that in the past, but seriously? It's so much fun. When I am home, I NEED to get my bikes serviced and get out there!! To heck with walking --- let's get on the bike! My knees didn't seem to mind it so much, and everything feels fine today. 

I have to tell you a story about the seatpost, which is why I took the picture above. It's for adjusting the seat height, and I feel dismay when I see people riding a bike with the seat in the lowest position. That is the HARDEST way to ride a bike. Your leg can't extend fully, and you have ZERO power. Your knees will not thank you later. And you struggle. At one point yesterday, the seat fell right down. I guess the latch wasn't as secure as it should have been. I put it back up, and all was good. 

I remember on one of my bike trips that, unbeknownst to me, the seat was slowly descending, and after a break, I got on my bike and couldn't figure out what I could barely pedal. Then it dawned on me that the seat had slipped lower. Once that was fixed, I was back in business. So if you have grandchildren, spouses, or anyone who rides bikes, make sure the seat is the correct height!!! It's important, and pedaling won't be as much of a struggle. 

What did I discover in Tofino? Oh my -- there was a cute little cafe called Rhino, and well, I stopped. And I had a tea and OH MY --- look at the donuts. So I had one!!

The breakfast of champions!!!

I figured I deserved it since I rode the bike there!!! 

Then it was back to the hotel and Bear, and we were exploring and decided to check out the library, which is just a big open space on the third floor. Guess what we found? By the way, we had already been out on the beach several times. 

This is a Stave puzzle. Technically, you are not supposed to look at the picture. I don't think the picture came with the puzzle, but the hotel had conveniently placed a copy on the table. I was not familiar with Stave puzzles, but each one is handcrafted and is the Cadillac of wooden puzzles. If you check out the prices on the website, you'll see what I mean! 

A jigsaw puzzle - how could I resist

Once I flipped that card over, where it said NOT to look at the picture, I turned the picture face down. I placed all the pieces face up and realized there were many with special shapes. They were insanely beautiful. The signature piece in each is a clown, which I did not get a picture of, but we spotted the clown. 

Insanely intricate pieces

And there are often puzzles within the puzzle. There is a note inside the box that tells you if you have any of those and how many there are!!

I started traditionally—digging out all the edge pieces. But wait—this is NOT working. I was struggling when M came along. So we worked on the puzzle together. Dillon spent time with his mom in the gym, while M and I worked on the puzzle. It was a beautiful memory for us. And she's good at it!!! If only she were closer - I could have a speed puzzling buddy!

A great teammate for puzzle assembly

Once we figured out how the puzzle works, it was "easier." I use that word very lightly because every single piece of this puzzle was a struggle and therefore a win when we got it in. 

Between the two of us, we worked amazingly well as a team, got the bottom (waves) part of the puzzle together. The sun was cut into the shape of a sun!! 

Progress on the puzzle

She had stuff to do, so she left. Then my aunt came up to visit while I attempted to work on the sky, but I wasn't getting anywhere. But it was at this point, when I couldn't figure out what went into that weird opening, that I realized the two puzzle pieces that spelled out an island fit in that weird space. And then I realized that the TOP of the puzzle was not a straight line. It was puffy clouds!!!! 

Very weird shapes

Then I had to run some errands, so I left the puzzle in this condition. OH NO!!!!!  

DON'T touch the puzzle.

My aunt, cousin, DH, and I went into town for a late lunch. Poor Bear - even though we ate on an outdoor patio, he wasn't allowed, so I had to put him on the outside of the little fence, and I was on the other side. It was an open fence, and with a few bits of French fries, he was just fine. I know—people food, but I had to keep him entertained. He loves being with people, and this situation was not satisfactory for him. However, he was able to watch people and dogs go by, and that did keep him busy. 

I swear that dog is a people magnet. Everyone stops to talk to him!!! And he loves it. He just saoks up all the attention. 

DH and I explored the property and found this little path through the woods. 

The entrance to the Rainforest Beach Trail

What a pretty trail, and Bear had fun walking along the wood chips. He is not a fan of walking on pebbles, but wood chips are OK. 

The path to one of the beaches

There is a beautiful spot in the forest to stop if you wish. 

A wonderful clearing in the forest for faeries! 

We didn't have any rain yesterday, so that was good, but it's not warm. Which is probably OK, but I could stand a couple more degrees of heat. Since I didn't have a jacket with me and I know that the temperature on a bike is about 5 degrees lower than if you are just standing, I put on my jean jacket and then my flannel shirt jacket. I was toasty as I could be. 

OH -- there's a picture of Bear on the beach. For some reason, it's very hard to get him to look right at the camera. 

Grandma --- NO pictures please!!!

Then we were off to the beach (Shell Beach) for the rehearsal. It took three tries for us to get serious, pay attention, and decide who was doing what and when. Actually, M had it all planned out, but we needed to get on board. So that got done, and all was good. Then we went into the dining room for the rehearsal dinner. Actually, we were in the wine cellar, where they have a long table for a more private event. 

Practicing at the rehearsal

They really are a cute couple, and I wish them so much happiness. The big bet for today is who is going to cry at the wedding!! 

Bear was not too happy to be in someone else's arms. He was pulling on the leash to get to me, but he soon settled down. 

When he hears a voice he recognizes, he freaks out! When one of M's friends walked by when we were working on the puzzle, he went wild!!

I didn't get a picture of the wine cellar, but let's just say there was a lot of wine there. And here is the dessert from last night's dinner. I mean, you can always eat dessert. 

Dessert from the rehearsal dinner

The food is amazing, and earlier in the day, I had read up on the Executive Chef, who isn't that old. So they asked if he could come to our table, and he did. What a nice young man, and I had told the single girls at the table about him. I was praying that the pictures on the internet were not old. I pleaded that if he was not good-looking, the photos on the internet were airbrushed! Thankfully, he lived up to his pictures! Hmm -- I can't find that link to him at the moment. WAIT --- found it. 

OH -- if you go to this link, you can see a photo of the wine cellar -- just scroll down. 

So you want to know what happened to the puzzle? When we got back from Tofino after lunch, we had about 35 minutes before we were to be at the rehearsal location. I was going to take a nap, but the moment I lay on the bed, my mind went to the puzzle, and I'm wide awake. So off to the puzzle Bear and I went, and I was under a lot of pressure to complete it in 35 minutes. At least at this point, I had figured out how the top border would look—somewhat —and there were fewer pieces. 

The completed puzzle

But see what I mean about the top border? It was crazy, and there were small openings along the top as well. On the left, they almost look like seagulls. 

There were even cutouts in the top.

What a little treasure it was to find that puzzle and work on it with M in the morning. 

It was a great day, and as the day progressed, more and more people arrived. Not everyone is staying at this hotel, so I was on pickup duty once yesterday, and I have to pick someone up this morning for the beach yoga session. I think that is only for the young ones. But I'm OK with that -- I'd much prefer to go for a bike ride. 

I have to say that the bride is pretty chill, which is exciting. She says she spent so much time planning and has this massive spreadsheet of who needs to do what when, that it's all coming together. I just need to remember to pick someone up today and finish sewing that pillow! I completely forgot about it yesterday, and I need to get that done this morning. 

The weather today looks halfway decent - it's cool, and we hope to have some sun. WAIT -- speaking of sun, when we were on our final run of the wedding procession, and the bride started down the "aisle," a massive wave crashed on the rocks, and the sun came from behind the clouds! A sign!!!! 

It was a fabulous day, and everyone had a great time!!! A few more people are arriving this morning, and then I think we'll all be here! 

On that note, I'd better get Bear up and out for his walk, as I don't want to be late fulfilling my pickup duties! 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Travel day - day two!

Thanks for the kudos on the quilts, but I have to say the library quilt was all KU's idea, and so was the theme of the other one. We just got very lucky to make it all happen. I was just the supervisor! 

Well, this was a first that we had two travel days to reach our destination, but we are here! We are at the wedding venue!!!

Since I was up at a ridiculous time, which meant the blog came out on time back home, it's going to be super late this morning for those back home, because I hope I'm on BC time now. It sure messes up your sleep when you travel, but that's OK. 

I got Little Bear up, and we went for a walk. He's like that --- he has to do his business first thing, and I'm not a believer in pee pads, so off we went. 

I had checked the map, and there was a Tim's not so far away, so we walked there. It was early in the morning, and not many people were around. If I think Lexi is slow, this guy is a sloth!! He has to sniff everything and likes to take his time, and when he starts to get too slow, I just pick him up! I can't do that with Lexi!

Grandma and I walked to Tim's!!!

Since pet dogs aren't allowed at Tim's, I preordered on the app, and when it was ready, I went in with him to pick it up. I just might use that app more often! 

We spotted this giant mural on a wall. It's all about a retired naval ship (HMSC Saskatchewan) becoming an underground reef in the harbor. 

A historical mural in Nanaimo

We spotted an orange poppy, which was very pretty. Bear, of course, couldn't care less, but I made him stop. 

Orange poppy

We had some time to kill before we left, so DH and I walked to Tim's for breakfast (carry out), then did an Adventure Lab (geocaching) in the area. We spotted this building in downtown Nanaimo, which used to be what? 

A former bank in Nanaimo

It was a bank, of course - the Commerce Bank, or was that The Bank of Commerce? All banks seemed to have these huge facades to show they were prosperous. Had lots of money? Now they are just ordinary buildings, but back in the day, a bank was something special! 

And we spotted this artwork in the square outside the public library. Those are piano keys in a circle. We couldn't read the plaque in the center, but that's OK. We completed the Adventure Lab and saw a couple of things we would not have seen otherwise. 

Artwork in the square

As we checked out, we saw this in the lobby. The hotels take their pet guests to heart around here. Sadly, Bear didn't stay long enough to be the pet of the day. 

The pet of the day!

But he loves the elevator. Bear and M used to live in a high-rise in Vancouver, and he would run to the elevator, then sniff all the other dogs as they went up and down. What is so cute is that he HOPS over the crack between the car and the floor. And when I let him out of the room without his leash, he went ripping down the hall and then came to a dead stop. He had no clue where he was supposed to go! There are always tons of laughs when he is around. 

Sniffs in the elevator

And he loves to pose for pictures! The silly little guy. On our way out of town, I tried to find him a sweater with a proper opening for his leash, but alas, none was to be found at that time, and then M suggested we put his leash on the outside of his sweater! DUH!!!! He's so little, and the harness is bigger, so that worked like a charm. 

Grandma - hurry up!!!!! 

We loaded the car, and we were off. We made a couple of stops along the way, and both were on the way to Tofino. I wanted to stop and finally meet a friend whom I had met online many, many years ago. And now the secrets start anew. I will share more about her with you in a couple of days. I was super excited to meet her and see her studio!!! And that's all I'm going to say. 

She lives in Nanoose Bay, so we were off the highway for a bit, and I spotted this giant "rhubarb". OK, so it's in the same family, but the stalks were quite fuzzy. I don't know what it's called, but it was HUGE. And we had just been talking about rhubarb at the quilt retreat and how some people love it or hate it. 

A giant "rhubarb" plant

OK --- I had to Google it, and it's called a Gunnera and is strictly ornamental, but those leaves can grow up to 6 to 8 feet wide! Wow -- and then the AI Overview told me I am in the perfect location to spot that plant. Nothing is a secret when you are connected to the internet! 

Then, as part of my wedding duties, we needed to pick up some party-rental items, which is why we rented a full-size SUV. We needed to pick up an arch, which the party rental guy was certain would not fit in the vehicle, but I knew it would. And yes, the ends had to come between the front seats, but only by six inches, so it all worked out just fine! 

However, when we arrived at the rental place, the order wasn't ready. The pick-up time wasn't until 4 PM. WHAT??? Apparently, that was on the order, and this was 10 AM. We certainly didn't want to hang around for six hours. They said they could have it ready by noon, so off we went to find some place to eat and sit with Bear. 

Fortunately, the weather was decent, so we went to the Qualicum Beach Golf Course (we played there about 30 years ago) and sat on the back patio. The kitchen didn't open until 11, but we at least had a place to park our butts while we wiled away the time. And Bear got to test out his new bowl. Yes -- DH and I tried to learn to golf together, but it just didn't work out. I didn't need a constant instructor with me, and I bowed out of playing golf.

Grandma - the new bowl is nice

Here's the thing -- it would have been nice to leave for Tofino at 10 AM, but we are on vacation, and what the heck is the hurry? Just go with the flow, and it all worked out just fine. 

I don't have any pictures of the scenery as I was the driver on the way to Tofino, but it's a beautiful road. We didn't stop along the way at places like Cathedral Grove, but I remember that place well from years ago. What a fun trip that was, and I can't remember who all was on that trip. Darn --- I wasn't blogging at the time, and my memory is crap for travel from years ago. I could have flown to the moon and back and not remember it now! But we have a picture of M as a two-year-old in her oversized green fleece standing beside a huge log. My parents were with us as well. 

We decided to go straight to the hotel since we arrived at 3 PM. We are at the Wickaninnish Inn just outside Tofino. It is one of M's favorite places to vacation. We got checked in, and look—Bear has a welcome basket!!!!! Although I think the ball flinger might be a bit too big for him!!!

Grandma - my very own welcome basket!!!!

While this place is beautiful, I knew it was the "right" place when I saw all the wind sculptures around the property. We saw the same one that we have and many more. It is one thing I have purchased for our backyard that I don't regret. I don't regret anything I have purchased, but this was a bit pricey, and I have zero regrets. Unfortunately, many of the sculptures are in sheltered areas, so we can't really appreciate that they are wind sculptures!

Wind sculptures

M and Dillon had posted a picture of themselves on the beach in these orange rain coats, and I thought - wow - they bought matching rain coats. Nope -- those are for guest use in the hotel. All of them are XL, so they are huge, and while they are not super warm, they are enough to take the bite off. I just came back from a walk on the beach with Bear, and since I don't have a coat, this came in very handy. There are also big, thick rain pants, and you can borrow rain boots. 

My orange raincoat

This is the view from the dining room last night. The beach is rough with lots of rocks, and yet we saw many people out surfing earlier. There are lots of waves, and people seem to flock to the place for that. 

The view from the dining room

So we met up with Dillon's parents, us, and, of course, the bride and groom. It was all very nice as we don't know them well, but they are nice people, and we all get along, which sure helps. I am forever grateful that his parents have "adopted" M and made her feel so much like a part of their family. 

This was my dessert! Oh my—that was so delicious. 

The dessert for dinner

While we were in the restaurant, we ran into friends of ours who also traveled here from Ontario. More family members and on our way out, we met more family members. It's like Italy all over again, and so fun to see people we haven't seen in a long time and even those we've seen recently. 

After dinner, M, Dillon, his mom, and Bear went for a walk on the beach. 

M, Bear, and Dillon on the beach last night

What a fun evening, and then it was time for bed! 

I decided that last night was a good night to share the things I had made for the wedding. They loved every one of them. And now I have two more people in my small circle who share a fun secret. All will be revealed tomorrow, but they LOVED the surprise, and I'm so happy!! They were so excited they wanted to share everything last night, but alas—I want to save the surprise for the wedding day.  

Bear and I have already been out to the beach, he has had breakfast and is now trying to snuggle up wth DH. But as I look over my shoulder, I can see he is giving me the evil eye! He's so cute! They are super attentive at this hotel! But that's OK. We have stuff to do today - I think somewhere along the line there is a rehearsal, but I think we are free to do what we please all day, and I spotted a beautiful bike path along the road, and there are bikes in the lobby. So I might just wander over and go for a ride. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! The bride and groom are beyond themselves with excitement - perhaps a wee bit nervous, but let's have ourselves a wedding!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!