Sailing, Sailing Away To a Heavenly Garden of The North

We were gifted by Steve's family and some of our family... to go on a trip by sea to Victoria and Vancouver by the Island Princess Cruise and then fly home. It was to celebrate Steve's birthday and I can say without hesitation it was the most beautiful, relaxing vacation Steve or I have ever been on. The food was wonderful and I'm so glad I paid attention to our Young Women's and Young Men's Combined Activity on table manners. I've never had a 9 course meal before.

BTW..Did you notice my hair-do went flat? I need some spikie-stuff like the people use in Canada.


Another first was that it was like a Disneyland ride that lasted for days, but it was real. Hard to believe! It all seems like a dream now. Were we really there? Victoria and Vancouver were as if we stepped off the ship into the Garden of Eden. Cherry blossoms on all the trees, except of course..all the beautiful Dogwood, Magnolia, Lilac, and Rhododendron and Tulips of every shade of color possible and even (sigh, take a breath) lovely bright flowers mixed together with colors at opposite ends of the color wheel. I can't even explain it. It was spectacular to see! The flowers were even made into mosaics. There was every color of green! As we walked the Cherry blossoms fell like pink, soft, snowflakes just for us dusting our path. Heaven.


I love the ocean too...

I didn't arrange my pictures in order. Just slapped them up. Our ship's suite for us was super roomy and had the biggest balcony we've ever had in any hotel we've ever stayed. Beautiful music everywhere and I've never seen the ocean so big. Nothing all around us and it seemed to stay that way the whole trip. Well, then of course in the harbor we had a magnificent view of the city and the mountains.

The weather was wonderful puffy clouds and blue sky, then darker clouds and light rain. I just closed my umbrella and felt the rain on my face. L.A. was over 90 degrees when we left. Oh, I'm so grateful Steve missed the Santa Barbara fire.

There was no Internet because all the stations on the ship were filled and people lined-up to use the computers. We couldn't get cell phone service even in Vancouver. Well, just intermittent. Sometimes someone would call us and it would come through.

I wanted to see the filming of the movie "New Moon" but we got to Victoria and the Ferry would take-up the whole day. That would have been alright. But, it was Mother's Day and of course I knew that Mother's Day was always on Sunday. So I asked if we could just somehow go to Church. I usually have a hard time on Mother's Day. I still have my mother and I love her and I can't even see myself as the mother I had always hoped to be. I was meant to go to Church on THIS Mother's Day. Victoria 1st Ward was wonderful. The bishop's wife even picked us up for Church and we had a ride back. We stayed for all the meetings and like always, the Church's program was on schedule. "Spiritual Gifts" was our Relief Society lesson, Sunday School, and Sacrament Meeting talks. I'm so grateful I didn't go with the temptation to just cruise around and skip Church. I would have missed a great many beautiful brothers and sisters, the Sacrament, and wonderful Spirit there.

The last tour on Monday did take us to all the places "New Moon" will have in the movie--that's all I needed.. Like I've been there. I've seen lots and lots of films shot in Santa Paula. Usually, you may see a glimpse of someone, but the process of shooting is actually boring. Ask my husband who does "movie watch" for the fire department, occasionally. The only really good part is the food they serve on the sets. Most of movie making is standing and waiting for everyone and then repeating it over and over.

I wish I could express how grateful I am that Steve's family gave him such a wonderful birthday present and I could be there with him. It was amazing to me to not even know what was happening in the world, we weren't going to watch TV and waste a moment. Oh, I did just a bit in the hotel on Tuesday morning and then turned it off, yes, French TV and Spanish TV are the same. You wouldn't know what I mean, unless you lived here in Santa Paula.

Our whole trip was just us and no worries. Yes, Marnie....I am hooked. I love riding the ocean on a ship and I'm grateful it wasn't like "The Most Dangerous Catch" Someone should have prevented me from watching that beforehand.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Steven Dear!

I didn't want to leave Stanley Park

Going to Church

Oh, Victoria at Night!

Queen Elizabeth Garden
It used to be a rock quarry like Butchart Garden

Center of the Ship. The Island Princess

Our "Sweet" suite.

Can you see the tall mountains?

Steve got a little crazy with the camera.
This is now our screensaver!
There are light raindrops on the tulips.

I should have done a slide-show, huh?

Can't you just see Vampires

running around in the forest? Just Kidding.
I forgot there is that Big Foot Animal hahaha
I just saw sweet little black, fluffy-tailed
squirrels. I felt like Snow White. I think
they thought I had Cheetos in my pocket.

Wow! How beautiful.

Garden of Eden. Vancouver and Victoria. We are so blessed to have gone there.