Vancouver!

We took a trip down to Vancouver to visit our dear sweet friend and adoptive Mother/Grandmother, Ilene. We've known her since Texas...so about 5 1/2 years, but this is the first time since then that we've been in close enough proximity to visit.

And she spoiled us to DEATH!! We went to cool restaurants and a cool museum, IMAX Show and Star Show INCLUDED!!!!! not to mention tons of little things for Addi along the way. She wouldn't let us leave without armloads of little luxuries, including a huge down duvet that I haven't unwrapped myself from yet.

Addi LOVED Ilene and cried when we had to leave. She named her home (a very beautiful condo) "The Castle" and wants someday to live in a "Castle".

Here are some pictures from the Museum. It is the OMSI and it's actually in Portland. I tried to get some cool pictures of Portland itself but the weather was not cooperating...maybe next time. And there will be a next time.

Addi loves herself a magnifying glass.

I can hear the ocean!

Who doesn't love spin-art?

...all the better to hear you with my dear.

OK this was funny, There's Addi in the middle doing the weather with a million other crazy kids and while they're dancing around or staring she is quietly muttering to herself and pointing and swooping her arms along the storm pattern. "...here is where the storm is heading....Newport will be 50 degrees today..."

One of our favorite parts was the chemistry lab where we did Ph tests, made a glow-in-the-dark liquid with hydrogen peroxide and took the shiny finish off a nail.

The only thing that she liked better was opening up an owl pellet and digging in it for rat bones. We found 3 skulls (front teeth in tact), 4 femurs, 3 mandibles and various ribs and smaller bones. They said the pellets were sanitized but we washed again just to be safe.

I really liked the table cloth at this cool BBQ place we went to in Portland called Russell St. BBQ. For the record, the food was AMAZING!!!