West Coast Trip - Part 1 of 3

It's been over seventeen years since I married my sweetheart, and we figured were way overdue for a second honeymoon. All our vacations with the whole entourage have been lovely but even I was ready to go away with just the two of us this time.
We were also overdue to visit my sister and family whom we had not yet seen settled into their new home way out west, since their move there a mere 7 or 8 years ago (ahem). So we knew immediately our second honeymoon would be on the west coast (where, ironically, M had once hoped our first honeymoon would be. We wound up going to the east coast that time.)

The view from our plane, when it wasn't cloudy, was dull grey or white all across Canada - until we crossed the Rockies and began our descent to Abbotsford, BC. We left the land of brilliant sunshine above the clouds and plunged down through a fog that seemed miles thick. When we finally broke free, the land below was green, and the mortals of the Pacific Northwest below were experiencing an ordinary rainy January day.

Mark and Christy are host and hostess extraordinaire. Chris sweetly set aside her busy schedule (despite the rather short notice about our coming) and acted like she had all the time in the world to alternately chauffeur us around to see the sights or sit chatting over tea/coffee in front of their cosy wood stove. I greatly admire this wonderful sister o' mine. 

 Deception Pass

God's handiwork out West is so much grander than that of our own beloved corner of the world. The many islands are taller, bluer; water streams from the hills in more numerous waterfalls; the rivers run wider with more vivid aquamarine water; trees tower wider and taller, draped and dripping with varying shades of green moss.
As for the mountains - we knew they were there, surrounding us as the Lord surrounds His people, though veiled at this time and from this vantage point. Through shifting, shrouding mists we caught glimpses of them, strikingly pointing to the majesty and greatness of our Creator.

 Home again to more of Christy's wonderful cooking!

....Followed by Mark's delicious waffles for breakfast!

Friday we ferried round the San Juan Islands, stopping at Shaw Island and Friday Harbour.

Friday Harbour

 We had lunch at the Blue Water, where the waitress thought M looked like a movie star (she showed us the star's pic and he was not nearly so good-looking as my M in my humble estimation...)

Back home,  we ate pizza and watched old movies on the reel-to-reel. Quintessential good times with Mark and Chris. :)