Gramma and Grandpa moved to Agassiz in August, we visited in September, and haven't been able to visit there since. We missed Christmas at their house due to sickness, so I asked if we could come out and stay overnight there. Of course it was an overwhelming yes!
On Friday morning we packed and prepped to go spend the night. We were planning to leave after Eva's first nap. I was bustling around packing and remembered the stories of families being stuck in their cars for 24 hours between here and Agassiz during the floods. I then heard there were travel warnings due to freezing rain, fallen trees and slippery roads between here and Agassiz. Hmm... either we cancel (not happening) or I pack for every scenario.
I packed extra snacks, first aid kit, extra blankets, extra diapers, plastic bags, water bottles, and even thought to put some hot water from our kettle in a travel mug in case I had to make a bottle for Eva on the side of the road or something. Mostly I figured I was being silly, but it turns out some of these things came in very handy!
On our way out there we got a text that the power was out in Agassiz. Ha, No worries. Sounds like an adventure! And an adventure it was! The roads were clear until just past Chilliwack. At that point, there were branches falling all around us and we were dodging debris on the road. We got off the freeway, and huge chunks of ice would fall from street lights and power lines and branches continued to fall. I've never seen anything like it! The street they live on was littered with trees. No wonder the power was out!
We arrived around 1:00 and the power remained off until 8:00pm. Shelley planned a Christmas dinner for us, but with no power we couldn't cook it unfortunately. Grateful I had prepped "emergency" food for the kids and I. Made it really easy to grab a snack and some veggies out of the bag and throw them on the table while we figure out food!
Another interesting thing was that they're on a well, so no power means no running water. SO grateful I packed that mug of warm, clean water for Eva's bottles that afternoon/evening! Like what the heck are the chances.
Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING outside was covered in a thick layer of ice. It was too crazy to get outside to take some pictures of it, but I can assure you there was an inch of ice covering every branch on trees, every power line, every roof, every street sign, everything. Periodically throughout the afternoon we'd hear this big rumble and crash as sheets of ice fell off the roof or the neighbour's roof. If you popped your head outside all you'd hear is this distant crackling of trees breaking.
Anyway, the kids spent the afternoon playing, and then we exchanged gifts since we missed Christmas! Dom and Emilia were on a bit of a rampage and Dom ended up unwrapping one of my gifts and just tossing it aside, and Emilia had opinions about everything she opened, "I didn't want that. I wanted Frozen! I only like princesses!" Nice, Emilia... makes a mother proud. After she calmed down and we got home she started asking for each of those things and is very excited about them, but the initial reaction was pretty priceless.
Of course it's the middle of winter, so it gets dark at like 4:30, but we had flashlights, and all their battery-operated Christmas decorations were still on. It was a totally cozy and romantic afternoon. So fun! For dinner the BBQ was de-iced, and we threw some frozen pizzas and hot dogs on there for the kids, and then after they went to bed we had steak, potatoes, and a kale salad. Zero complaints were made.
Dom and Emilia went to bed together in a queen bed with a couple glow sticks so they wouldn't get scared, and after just over an hour finally fell asleep. They were up at 520 and 6am, but stayed in their beds.
Eva was a perfect angel the whole time. She slept wonderfully, both naps and night time. Only one minor issue was when her room got too cold, but the power came back on, so a quick cuddle and a heater and that problem was solved and she was out for the night.
The adults spent the evening having drinks, playing games, and chatting. We laughed lots, and it was so great to be there. The next morning we were up at 7 (or earlier) with the kids, and we started our day. Pancakes for breakfast when Gramma and Grandpa got up, lots more playing, and we were planning to head home after Eva's first nap. We peered outside and the snow was coming down again. In the interest of being cautious and maximizing our time, we decided to stick around for an early dinner and had chili around 4:00 and then hit the road. We made excellent time on the way home and were home by 5:30 to unpack and get the kids to bed.
Dom and Emilia were definitely tired that second day. They watched Cars during quiet time, and were teetering on meltdown territory most of the time. They held it together though. At least they had lots of new things to play with!
When we got home and got the kids off to bed, Scott & Ash came over and we played games, drank beer, and laughed until we cried. Only the 4 of us will understand, but I want to document for future Renee.
We now have new nicknames
Ashleigh - Bryan
Scott - Archer
David - Benji
Renee - Cnikki
Alright, here are the pictures!
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