Thanksgiving in Canada

In early November when we didn't have any solid Thanksgiving plans, we decided our family needed a break from life together and opted for an adventure in Victoria, B.C. for the long weekend. The day we boarded the ferry it was soooo windy and I was having regrets about this decision. The waves were so high they were crashing onto the platform we used to drive on to the ferry. I was a bit nervous (on the inside), but put on a brave face for the kids. Once we got inside the ferry, people were sick everywhere. You didn't even want to be in the bathroom for fear of being sick just from the sounds of other people being sick (gross....). Good thing our family doesn't really battle motion sickness...and once we were moving I felt a little more at ease. The younger three girls and I were the only ones that ventured to the outer decks. That wind was sooo wild out on the ocean seas. Meg literally got blown over a few times. But the bonus is there were no sick people out there. Haha.

Our Airbnb was about 20 minutes outside of Victoria and was lovely! It really checked all the boxes for us to pull off a fun Thanksgiving weekend: big kitchen, hot tub, lots of beds and space to play!

Brynn roamed the back yard and tried to get close to some deer. She is a happy girl when she is outside!

Thanksgiving morning we explored Fort Rod Hill and the Fisgard Lighthouse. The views from this place were unreal. The kids loved rambling around on the rocks and finding treasures. We had to drag them away when it was time to go home and prep our Thanksgiving feast.

Meg was battling a cold while we were here. To date, she still talks about when we were in Canada and her nose wouldn't stop dripping. We tried to get her tucked in early each night to get extra rest. That left the girls to watch fun movies and play games with Chris and I.

We weren't sure whether or not we could take a turkey over the border, so we opted to buy one when we arrived...but struck out at the grocery store. We decided to just eat a deconstructed turkey (thighs, breast, drumsticks) and it was great! We had a yummy yummy meal.

We had a to do a lot finagling with the internet and our VPN to be able to access American television, and the Apple Cup was a priority. I was grateful Chris was able to figure it out, because I don't think he would forgive me if my idea to travel to Canada prohibited him from watching his beloved Huskies. ;)

The morning of the game, the little girls and I went to visit Hatley Castle. It is privately owned as part of a local college now, but it was lovely to walk the grounds and enjoy the beauty of this place!

I brought along diamond art and the girls became fast fans. Lots of craftiness happening the entire weekend.

Saturday we drove back to downtown Victoria for a day exploring the city. It was very cold and we tried to bundle as much as possible. But by mid-afternoon we decided to call it good. We saw a lot in our few hours there!!...

Craigdarroch Castle

Government House is closed, but we could walk the grounds and peeked in some of the windows. It is considered UK property and where the royals stay when they visit.

We drove back to the inner harbor and explored near the Empress Hotel, the Legislative Assembly and walked up Government Street where the girls found their souvenirs to take home.