Werdals: summer time

we have been blessed, not only by the people that surround us, but also by this place that encompasses us. we have had adventures and journeys to last a lifetime, we have used each weekend to its fullest, sometimes documented but not always.

earlier this summer we were invited by matt and chelly to join them at their family cabin at shushwap lake...i was expecting rustic...it may be nicer than my home, so home we made it. chellys mom and dad joined us, as well as her grandparents...the girls took to them as they would their own. it was an amazing place, peaceful and beautiful.

we had originally planned on a longer circle trip, starting with our first stop in kelowna to visit scotts grandma, we would then stop in to meet all the members of the peters family in vernon, next would be shushwap with the kellers and then a drive to calgary to hold the newest member of the frank family. we greatly underestimated our time and ended up cutting the last leg of the journey, disappointing to say the least.

so we started off, we left on wednesday morning and drove to kelowna. along the way we envisioned ourselves in jungles and forests atop the mountains as we drove the hi way. we found patches of snow and tunnels with bears on them. the girls read and soaked in the great scenes that passed us by. we arrived in kelowna just after lunch for a visit with grandma werdal. this woman has twelve of her own children, seventy grandchildren and well over one hundred great grandchildren. my mouth is still on the floor about that one. she is a beautiful lady, lovely in every way. she hums through most of her life and sang along with the girls for a few songs, played hide and go seek with them and looked at picture albums. it was an afternoon we won't soon forget.

we left grandma and headed into vernon to find the peters. rose and ryan have been our friends since before any of us were even dating. it was so good to hear their of their latest journeys to see their family and just sit with them for the evening. the beach called us in the morning and it was at this point that i pondered the thought of moving there...don't tell scott.

we said good bye to the peters, hoped in the car as the storm clouds came rolling in over the hills and started our trip to shushwap lake.

we arrived in the rain...with smiles on our faces. there is something about travels, the new smells, watching your family experience it for the first time, that time together, new stories to tell and share...i can't explain it, it makes my heart full.

we spent the next few days on the beach, riding bikes, walking, swimming, boating, sitting on the dock, playing a little bean bag toss, all with some really great people. people you want to share life with, you want in your life.