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Monica Swanson

the grommom

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Boating the Canadian Gulf Islands.

by Monica 5 Comments

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Greetings, from my parents boat in the Canadian Gulf Islands…

Sea Trial Boat Canada, w/ thegrommom

We’ve had an amazing adventure so far, visiting a new island or harbor almost every day.  My parents planned this trip so well, making sure there was some kind of adventure for the boys at every stop.  We flew into Victoria, and spent one night at the Port of Sidney.  We then made our way to lovely Genoa Bay, then on to Ganges, (on Saltspring Island,) and now we are at Telegraph Harbor, (on Thetas Island.)  The boys have had many chances to roam independently, cruise in the dinghy, hike, get muddy, and make amazing memories.

We have taken ferry boats to other islands, gone kayaking, fishing, and caught at least 18 dungeons crab!  (Who likes crab?  I have some new recipes, since it is now a staple in our boating diet! :))

Every town, harbor and marina has had something special to make it my personal favorite:  From rustic bistros on the dock, to cute ice cream shops, adorable houseboats, and flowers (flowers everywhere!) I have fallen in love five times over!  And we still have three days left to go! 🙂

We’ve only uploaded some of our photos, but while I’ve got a bit of decent internet, I thought I would hop on and say hi and share some of our travels.

Swanson Groms in Canadian Gulf Islands

Josiah Swanson, Canada

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grandparents w/ Levi

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thegrommom Canada

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(We don’t have snakes in Hawaii, so that was kind of a big deal, haha.)

I am so grateful to my parents for giving us this wonderful adventure.  I know my boys will treasure these memories forever, and the trip has been soooo good for me.  (Is there anything better than sleeping on a boat?!)  🙂

I do post whenever I can on Instagram and Facebook, so that’s the best way to keep up with us until I can get back here. 🙂

Much love to you!

Grommom
PS  To all who have pinned and shared my post on “What a teenage boy needs…” thank you.  I’ve been shocked to see how many people have been spreading that around.  Any time you share my writing it is such a  blessing.  Thank you!

Aloha, Monica
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Comments

  1. Urban Wife says

    July 27, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    This looks like such an amazing trip! What a blessing for your parents to give y’all this gift. Beautiful pictures!

    Reply
  2. Lucy K says

    July 24, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    This looks like one of those trips your kids will tell their kids about, wonderful memories. My 10 year old read this with me and thinks this was the coolest trip, specially that snake. Your parents look like the nicest people, thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

    Reply
    • grommom says

      July 29, 2014 at 7:38 pm

      Thank you Lucy! Yeah, the trip was a boy’s dream…and I am personally glad we don’t have snakes in Hawaii! 🙂
      Hope you’ve had an awesome summer so far. Aloha!

      Reply
  3. Maud says

    July 22, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    Hello Monica,

    I really enjoy your blog.

    I am a mother of three home-schoolers (two boys and a girl). My sons are 11 (7th grade) and 9 (4th grade), and my daughter is turning 6 (1st grade) in a couple of days.

    We’ve been at home for 3 years. We used, Calvert, for the first two years, because it was structured and provided a strong education. However, the second year, schooling became very demanding, and we were finishing school around 5-6 p.m. Our days were too long and eventually, we became burnt out.

    I was looking at A Beka and Timberdoodle. I know you’ve experienced both of these. My gut is pulling me in two directions.

    A Beka: I am leaning towards A Beka because I want my children to get that structured curriculum. However, I’m worried that even with the dvds, A Beka, will make our days too long.

    Timberdoodle: Timberdoodle intrigues us because it seems fun, but I’m worried that it may not provide a thoroughly strong education.

    I do not wish to mix the two. We had an eclectic curriculum last year, and it did not work for us.

    Would you please tell me your opinion on Timberdoodle vs A Beka? I read your blog about A Beka. I’m torn. I want homeschooling to be fun, but at the same time, the curriculum needs to prepare them for college.

    Thank you so much, Monica.

    Sincerely,
    Maud

    Reply
    • grommom says

      July 22, 2014 at 11:06 pm

      Thank you Maud!! It sounds like we are a lot alike in our homeschool style. 🙂
      I am going to send you an email with a more lengthy reply so as not to bore other readers, haha.
      Sounds like you’ve done really well so far. Way to go, Momma. 🙂 More from me soon—
      Aloha.

      Reply

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