Falling in love with Vancouver (and Canada vs America: long summer days)

Friends have told me that summer is when people fall in love with Vancouver.  I am really starting to understand.  We live in one of the most beautiful areas of Vancouver proper.  We are as west as you can get which means we are surrounded by the ocean.  And, east of us there are miles kilometers of forest and trails.  I don't think I have written about this (!!!!).  I put one picture on here of the forest by our place but I haven't described it.  I have lots of photos but I'll just put on a few I took today.

First, here is a map of where we live:

We live at the place marked with an 'A' on the map.  The green area labeled UBC Endowment Lands and Pacific Spirit Regional Park is all rainforest with trails through it.  The light green/grey that runs northwest from that park to the northern coast is also all forested and covered with trails.  It is BEAUTIFUL.  We spent an hour in there today.  We can walk to a trailhead that is five minutes from our home.  I went for a walk with a girlfriend last week for an hour and a half and we got lost.  (not THAT lost thanks to fellow walkers in the forest).  Braden has ridden his bike with friends to the beach.

Second, the beach!!  We went one time in the fall and although it was sunny it was a little cold.  It's finally warm here (70's! and 80 tomorrow!).  We went to the beach yesterday and it was so wonderful.  I don't know if it's the smell of the ocean or just relaxing but I automatically feel like I'm on vacation.

Needless to say, we are packing as fast as possible so we have nothing to do but play until it's time to load the truck (ok, we are taking some breaks too...).

Lastly, the days are so long here!  I know they are longer in Alaska, but right now the sun is up around 5 (at least that is when I wake up and put an eye mask on because it's light in my room) and the sun was setting at 9:00 tonight.  I'm loving the long days.

Audrey's first time in the sand.  Trying to eat every pebble that is bigger than a grain of sand...

Exploring the beach where the tide has gone out.

Cutie pie!

Seaweed, sea shells, and ripples in the wet sand.  Seen but not photographed: crabs.

Trying to get a picture with my girls.

What a cute daddy.