Honda's Celebration of light wasn't the main event folks! | Klutch Photography | Vancouver family photographer

For about four years we used to live in the West End, and for quite a few of those years the celebration of light fireworks display was directly in front of our living room window. Granted those days we were just two Dinks (Double income no kids) living downtown! 

This is the second time we've taken our two children on an adventure downtown on the skytrain to watch the celebration of light happen In English Bay. The first time was approximately 4 years ago, and significantly more stressful then our last visit yesterday! Now that they are 10 and almost 13, It was a breeze.

We drove down to Bridgeport, Riverock Casino, park the car and we caught the sky training in. Yes, there is a lot of walking, but it was in the beautiful sunshine! We got to check out gay pride on Davie Street, and seriously the people watching was just outstanding!

We plunked down our blanket at approximately 6 PM with boatloads of space available, and the kids (with my third oldest child, husband Greg, lol!)lead the charge, hit the ocean water (by the way, we didn't know there was a NO SWIMMING ban! Eek right but I think there all fine?!). The girls did what I like to call "a right of passage", they got to go down on the old relic slide in the middle of English Bay.  Greg got to do it as a child with his family, and I as a non-mother at the time, living with Greg in the West End got to scream down it's hot metal, sanding death curve! I loved it back in the day and so did they!

Greg and the girls grabbed some taco's for dinner, and we sat as a family, eating, listening to music and playing Rummy-Q till it was to dark to see the tiles. This was our favorite part of the night BTW.

The Redbull air show almost made me pee my pants with it's stunts, to be honest I was thinking "good lord if this plane crashes, how will be be affected" (typical mother), but of course he/she did not! The energy around us was playful with a community vide, everyone was there for a fun, safe experience.

The fireworks did not disappoint, and the level of police presence was perfect.  Crowds were large and a felt like "Shelia the cow"  that I water painted in the winter being herded down the streets, but all of it was still a great adventure had.

We were so impressed with the organization of this event, the safety level of the streets and our skytrain experience!

Guys, if you have never gone, go! The journey leading up to the fireworks WAS THE EVENT, the fireworks is just the icing on the cake!

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Cabo, the sexEd vacation location | Klutch Photograhy | Vancouver family photographer

Half naked girls -check, drunk people everywhere-check and cock'n balls pot pipe for sale-check and that's not even the half of it!

Welcome to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at spring break!

If you haven't talked to your kids about anything to do with sex, drugs and general body parts I would suggest you stay OUT of Cabo! Unless you enjoy lying, distracting your kids and changing the topic AAAAALOT. 

I do have to say tho, it does open some great conversations about young adult behaviour, what's appropriate young adult behaviour and WHATS NOT. Like giving your underwear to a bartender to hang up in the bar is never the right choice- ever!  And why they don't have male underwear hanging?? Sexist much! Or dancing in the cage with a short skirt, that too is not wise. What's Viagra and why people use it.  If you have been to Cabo, all of these conversations will make perfect cense to you!

My kids, never seem to be  traumatized...is this good or bad? Perhaps Dina's sexEd class's?! Could you imagine, bahahaha! People who know me well will get a chuckle at the thought of that! "Ok kids, lets start with the word FUCK, it's not just a swear....lol!

We loved their local supermarkets with their unusual products, unrefrigerated eggs, no covered counters for baked goods or fish; it's a different world. Now the cheap gin & tonic canned beverages might be my reason No.1 for my visit & love of their local supermarket but the mouse I saw running around I could do without!  Also, remember that stops signs are just a suggestion when driving in Cabo (more so for the locals) and not to mention how hard these people work to make a living, truly impressive! Such kind and fun people really, even the bar promoters for the Pink Kitty (and every other bar on the strip) were trying to get us to come into the bar for a drink as a family for some "family time". lol.

All and all, it was a perfect mix of SexEd, burnt flesh, family time, meeting new friends and hanging out with old ones and a lot of laughter!   And btw, we never ever felt unsafe!

Viva Mexico!!

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The session lasts just over an hour, on location outdoors. It's meant to capture your family as they are in their current stage of life...the good, the bad, and the beautiful!  

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Thanksgiving Ferreira style | Klutch Photography | Vancouver family photographer

Every year we get back to the Island for Thanksgiving with my family. It's so much about eating that I'm a little embarrassed, ok not really. We love food and we eat all day long and laugh about new and old things and we climb up mountains to keep our Portuguese figures. The kids end up doing crazy unsupervised shit (like we did when we were kids), they break fig branches with footballs and knock off the precious concord grapes from the vine with baseballs....all of which is part of the "Thanksgiving" weekend event.

This year shenanigans...they took ketchup and used it for a haunted house (lol, oh fuck no you didn't. Umm yes, yes you did!). I really need to keep an eye on these four (more) when they get together. I went pee and thought, why is my mom now using ketchup to clean her tub?  My mom was unpleased yet laughed about it.

My parents are these crazy little Europeans, they are such kind people, such giving people. They're sad when we leave and we're sad to go.  But these sad goodbyes make for the best reunions in the next few months to come.

I hope you all had some kind of "thanks" moment this weekend.

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