Canada: Stanley Park and Traveling Mercies

      We spent a lovely Father's Day bicycling around the Seawall at Stanley Park.  The t-shirt quote of this day would have to be,

""Look, Lily - it's a white bird." "No.  It's a seagull.""

Thanks to Uncle Luke for finding out that Lily does, in fact, know what a seagull is.  Stanley Park is the Central Park of Vancouver, and it is a place where giant trees and plants abound that is ringed by the ocean.  My kind of place.

We started our time at the Vancouver Aquarium, definitely one of the best aquariums that we have ever visited.  We wanted something that the girls would love, and they did love it.  (Though, as you can see by the first picture, Lily did not really enjoy family pictures on this trip.  Ah, well.)

We decided to try to get a picture of both girls peeking through the glass.  Not so much success.  Definitely a lot of laughter.

After the Aquarium visit, we hopped on rented bikes to cruise the Seawall with the girlies loaded up in a bike trailer.  So much fun and glorious ocean views along the way.

We even got to stop and see some tide pools brimming with life.

For John's Father's Day dinner we found a hip-happening restaurant on the water called Cardero's.  It was fantastic, and they graciously found a spot for us so we wouldn't have to wait an hour.  (I think this was prompted by the fact that as we were walking away, Lily started wailing "I want to eat dinner here!")  The food and service were both great.

(What a great dad.  Seriously.)

This trip was full of traveling mercies, as our life is.  This day God's mercy stood out to me in two ways.  The first is sort of little - we left our credit card in a parking machine, and when we discovered that and went back, someone had turned it in at the desk of the Aquarium.  Such a blessing.  The other thing that happened that day still chills my blood a little.  As I was walking down the stairs at the house carrying Bella, I tripped and fell down a couple stairs and dropped Bella on her head.  Awful moment as a mother.  I screamed and scared Ellen and Luke to death (John was on a run).  She immediately started crying and within about 10 minutes, we knew she was fine, but it was terrible terrible terrible.  My mind even now starts running down the path of what all could have happened to my precious one.  But it didn't, and that is far more than I deserve - than any of us ever deserve.  God's mercy is so great, and I think I sometimes need moments like this to be reminded of how much he loves us.  Though I know that even if something had happened, that wouldn't change his love, only the path the he has me on.  I am grateful that, for now, Bella is safe, sound and happy (and as hungry as ever - that girl is a bottomless pit).

There is one more day left to blog about, and let me tell you, the pictures are something to behold.  You will have to come back for our last hurrah in Canada!