First, and most importantly… it is BROOKE’S FOURTH BIRTHDAY TODAY!! Feel free to wish her a very happy birthday in the comments and I will read them to her:) We are going to spend the day together on carousels, going to splash pads, eating cantaloupe (she could eat a whole one all on her own and playing with dogs—> her ultimate birthday wishes. I can’t wait, I take birthdays a little to the extreme… Andrew is just learning this;)
***My Westin vacation Instagrams are compensated Instagrams! I hope you enjoy this blog post of our vacation in beautiful BC provided by Westin!
Andrew and I are home from a few days up in Victoria and we came home feeling sooooo much better.
We stayed at Westin Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria and our room had windows that covered 2 of the 4 walls so we could overlook the gorgeous scenery around us. I know I exaggerate (it is in my family’s blood to do so) about a lot of things but take me seriously with this for a bit, I don’t know if I have been anywhere prettier than Bear Mountain/Victoria. I felt like everywhere I looked I was just in awe, felt goosebumps from gratitude to God for such a beautiful world, breathed in the cleanest air possible and felt peaceful. Running in these areas, took it to the next level. So, yes… We will be back with the kiddos and visit as much as possible (Whistler, BC, CA is also on our list:).
This was kind of a honeymoon redo for us (the first one was amazing too:) but we wanted to have a more active and health-conscious one too! We wanted to play hard and relax big time! We weren’t very active with our first honeymoon but we wanted to take a trip and be really active (because that is more like us anyways;) while both kiddos were away. We loved staying at Westin Bear Mountain Resort because they have SO many opportunities for their guests to get out and be healthy! Westin offers awesome running gear (shoes and clothing) for just $5 to rent (and they bring it to your room) so you can pack light (and avoid workout clothes laundry) when traveling! They are all about the idea of Move Well, Eat Well, Play Well and Sleep Well——> and we did all of those things!
Andrew and I were pretty thrilled with the chocolate strawberries when we first arrived. The flights over were great—> The Olympics were on the plane to Seattle and we were glued to that and then from Seattle to Victoria it was so short it felt like as soon as we were done going up, we were going back down again.
The first morning we were there we had a Westin Running Concierge (Shayne—> he was the best) take us out for an hour of trail running. It was amazing to have someone with us that knew the area perfectly because I usually get lost 20 times when running in a new area. We went out on one of the mountain biking single track courses for a bit before joining up with a wider trail. We dropped down into a valley and then getting back out of the valley caused both me and Andrew’s legs to burn.
We sure don’t get to do this very often:
Our guide kept us on our toes:) We were both pretty tired by the end—> a clear sign we need to be doing WAY more hills at home.
At the top of climbing back up a hill… we were quite proud of our accomplishment.
Say hi to Shayne:) He was a blast to talk with the whole time and he showed us some incredible spots!
Our lunch for the day… Salmon Cobb Salad. The seafood here was out of this world. Utah isn’t known for their seafood and this stuff was just so crazy good. We ate with the sweetest ladies, one of them being the RACE DIRECTOR for the Victoria Marathon among other huge races in the area! Her love for the sport and empowering others to get out and run was completely contagious. I WILL be coming out one of these years for the Victoria Marathon.
Next up, Jordie Lunns (you can watch one of his biking videos here—> he is a pro) took us out for some mountain biking. AKA Andrew’s idea of heaven… it is one of his all-time favorite things to do. I’m not going to lie, I am quite the wuss on the bike but the boys sure did some crazy things. Even as a wuss, it was still a great workout and so fun to be out all on our own with a pro teaching us how to do it. Andrew is convinced he needs to mountain bike in Whistler next.
The resort has so many ways to be active—> they have an awesome gym in the hotel and then right next door to the hotel the guests can all use the Rec Center for free. The rec center is a huge gym that has classes, a cross-fit gym, a beautiful pool, weight room, a women’s only workout room etc. They are all about having their guests leave vacation feeling better than when they came and being active is one of the ways to do that!
That night we had the most amazing prawns, bread (Andrew said it was the best bread he has ever had), steak, gnocchi and chocolate.
The view while eating these foods was pretty incredible too.
Saturday morning we hit up Mt. Finlayson with our guide to do some yoga up top. The hike up took about 25ish minutes and it was a blast (and we were out of breath ha). The views from the top were awesome and we definitely needed some stretching at the top.
Look at that strength right here;)
Could have stayed up there all day long.
We finished up and then went to grab some lunch. A pulled pork sandwich for me with some tomato basil soup.
And then after a nap (Brooke and Knox don’t love us to sleep so we had to catch up while we were there;) we went to the gorgeous spa for a couples massage. This was our first one together and Andrew said afterwards that we are going to have to make this part of our monthly budget to go and do this together. It was perfect and I felt like a new person afterwards. They have a mineral pool you can use before and then after our massages we were able to relax and hangout in the room.
And for our Sunday morning before leaving, we had breakfast at Bella!!!
Just a tad bit different than our normal Sunday mornings of cereal and rushing around trying to get the kids ready for church ha!
And our last moving activity for the trip before heading home—> A GOLF LESSON!?!?! From a pro. On the most beautiful course you’ve ever seen.
Thank you Westin Bear Mountain Resort for our favorite kind of trip/activities/food/views!
While we were in line for our fish and chips (ehhhh for a long time;) we started making our bucket list… we’ve got a lot to do ha… this might take a few decades but exploring with Andrew is my favorite.
Also, I was pretty excited to see Desi out front for a little bit during the Olympic Marathon:) Did you watch? All three USA women were in the top ten wahoo!!!
And now we are back with the kids (well, we get Knox on Tuesday)… feeling more rested than ever.
PS a bunch of people asked about where my jacket was from on Saturday night—> HERE!!!!
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Would you rather have a cabin in the mountains or a beach house? More of a beach or mountains person? What about your family? What are some things on your bucket list that you REALLY want to do!? How often do you do yoga? Anyone do a race this weekend? Anyone have one coming up over the next little bit? Been watching the Olympic running events?
86 comments
Flower
I have a cabin and a beach house . Bucket list skydiving Happy birthday Brooke
Natalie
First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROOKE!! Hope your day is full of HUGS and LOVE and LAUGHTER and SMILES! :)
I really love the beach, but that vacation looks absolutely amazing. I wrote down the name of the place so that hopefully it will motivate me more to save up and be able to go some day. And I don’t really have a lengthy bucket list right now (I need to work on that), but the Northern Lights are on there for sure. I’m fascinated by the idea of seeing them!
Kristina Running
Sounds like such an awesome vacation! I know that massage must have been wonderful because you are glowing in the after pic!
I really want to go to Australia too. You won’t regret France or Italy! Paris has been my favorite city to visit so far and in Italy you have to go hike mount vesuvius and then visit Pompeii after!
Steph @ loveandlunge
happy birthday brooke!!!! four is a great age, she’ll have a ton of fun. can’t wait to hear about the celebration.
I don’t do yoga nearly as much as I should. it’s one of those things I know is good for me, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. and, I’d rather have a beach house I think. there’s something calming to me about water. I do love a good cabin in the mountains though. can I just have both?? don’t make me choose!
lexa
Happy Birthday Brooke!!! My daughter (Maciella) is 2 today. Any advice you would like to give her now that you are 4?
Jamie
Happy Birthday, Brooke! I hope your 4 year old dreams come true!
Laura @ This Runner's Recipes
Happy birthday to Brooke! Your trip to Victoria looks so fun! I didn’t even know flying there was an option, I only thought the ferries were. I definitely would choose a mountain cabin over a beach house.
J.L.
Vacation envy right here! My only Ironman was in Whistler. It is amazing! The whole town/resort…amazing. And definitely family friendly.
Molly
Happy Birthday Brooke! Hope you have a fabulous day! First off this is a wonderfully written blog. NOW I want to go visit there just for the running ( Hubby can do golf) I’m currently recovering from surgery but when I was active I’d do yoga 2x a week. I’d want a mountain house, one main reason is I LOVE fall so that’d be my escape to go see the leaves. no races until min Oct for me :( bucket list: Go to London! ( hubby wants to go to Ireland) I’ve been to Hawaii a few times ( worth it!) and go to Maine during the fall. another thing is as a history buff to go visit DC and all the museums.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
Happy Birthday Brooke! Here’s to four being a wonderful adventure!!
Sarah W.
Brooke! Have a very Happy Birthday and a fabulous new year as a four-year-old girl.
Lots of greetings from Germany,
Sarah!
Kathy
Happy Birthday Brooke!!
i want to scuba dive in the Galapagos and hike Machu Pichu and go to Australia (then I will have been to all 7 continents, another bucket list item!) My husband and I are also working towards summiting all 54 Colorado 14ers (mountains above 14,000 ft) we’ve done 16 already, so a lot more to go! So we’d definitely prefer a mountain cabin over a beach house. Pinterest keeps adding to my bucket list! Soo many beautiful places in this world!
Arthi
Happiest of birthdays, Brooke! Hope you have so much fun today and eat lots of frosting.
What a great vacation! Looks like you guys had a wonderful time! I’m with you on the more active vacation. My boyfriend and I have taken a lot of trips this year and we always prefer to run around all day (running tours of whatever city we’re in, hikes, etc.) and then spend the evening lounging around and relaxing.
Ran a 6k for Team World Vision on Saturday (part of my 15-miler)!
Mollie
I’m swooning right now, the mountains are my favorite place on earth. We’re headed to the Seattle area next month for my dad’s birthday and I can’t wait to get out of this awful humidity and into some fresh air–and trail running!! (Which is a littler scarier when pregnant haha). The marathon was soooooo intense! I’m so proud of team USA!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE! I hope you have an awesome day!!
Sarah @ SarahRuns26
Shalane, Desi and Amy did amazing. So cool to have all three of them in the top ten!
Most of what is on your bucket list is on mine. And it will legitimately take a lifetime to do! At least you can do some of them at the same time (whale watching on an Alaskan cruise!). I love Victoria, it’s one of my favorite places. We went there right after we got engaged!
Happy Birthday Brooke!
Mel_OUTRUN_CF
Have a great day, birthday girl! Enjoy every second!
Wow! This resort is now on my bucket list!!! I’m from Canada and had never heard of it! And speaking of Canada, I am SO PROUD of our Andre De Grasse, who took the bronze medal in the 100m last night! What an amazing final. These guys are crazy crazy fast!
ULTRA RUN COUPLE @ULTRARUNCOUPLE
We are definitely ocean people. We LOVE warm weather. We like to run in the mountains, but would certainly prefer living near the beach.
Most of our bucket list items revolve around races: Hurt 100, Western States, and Leadville. We like to do our vacations around our races (preferably after the race, so we can truly veg out the whole time!).
We just finished our last big race of the summer, so next on our agenda is planning out the fall/winter schedule.
Kiara
That’s so exciting you got to play golf!! My boyfriend is a golf pro soooooo I’m kind of forced to learn haha but now that I have a pretty bad low back injury from running, I’m forced to try different ways to get out of my comfort zone. I’ve been going out with him a lot more to play and WOW IS IT HARD. I still feel it in my obliques and arms every single time I go out! It’s such a great couples sport though and I’m so glad we get to do it together!
Brittnee
Happy Birthday Brooke!!! Hope you enjoy your special day doing all of your favorite things!!
Your trip looked amazing!!
Donna
Happy Birthday to the one and only Brooke! May all of your wishes come true!
Meagan @ My Life as Mrs
Happy fourth birthday to you Brooke! I did a lot of awesome and exciting things when I was 4 and I loved all the time I got to spend with my mom at that age. Keep enjoying it! I’ll have some cantaloupe for lunch today and think of you ;)
I need to do yoga more! I’d probably have way less back troubles if I did…
April
Happiest of birthdays to you Miss Brooke! Have a great day doing all of your favorite things. :)
My husband wants to take us on a trip to the Canadian Rockies – Canada is a gorgeous country and I hope we get to go in the next couple of years.
Hollioe
That sounds like the perfect vacation and what a fun trip. I love that the Olympics were on the TV. I’m sure it made it just “fly” by.
Hope Brooke is enjoying her birthday!
Lindsey
That’s my fav corner of the world! Nothing beats bc! And a happy happy birthday to Brooke!
Ps- if it’s allowed with the sponsor deals and all that I’d love to get a review of Andrew’s garmin. I’m looking to get it as my first gps watch to take my stroller runs up a notch
Jen S
Happy happy 4th birthday to Brooke!! Hope y’all have an amazing day celebrating. I also make a huge deal out of birthdays, and my hubby doesn’t quite understand it. Hahaha. Love the fitness vacation idea!
Nathaly
I love the beach. I grew up going almost every weekend so I guess that explains why I prefer it over the mountains. And Yoga… I do it once a week! It is so good as a stretching exercise on my rest days. I will normally do one of the Yoga with Adriene’s routines on YouTube. She has some really good Yoga routines for Runners!
gena @ sober life victory
Happy, Happy Birthday Brooke – Cha, cha, cha!!! Those pics look amazing! I’m not sure if I’m a beach or a mountain person. My kids definitely love the beach, but there is something so amazing about being around mountains.
Kourtney Ragland
Happy Birthday Brooke!! I can’t believe she is four! Just wait, she’s may be four now, but the next thing you know, she’ll be a teenager.
Carrie
First of all: Happy birthday Brooke, enjoy thevery puppy cuddles and birthday cake today! :)
It looks like you had such a blast in Victoria. It is such a beautiful place to visit. I had no idea there was a Westin in the area, I’d love to stay there next time. If you want to visit Vancouver Island again, I highly recommend going to Tofino for whale watching. I had an amazing experience with Jamie’s whale watching. Martha took me out in a zodiac boat, and there was so much to see. The three hours basically flew by!
KellyinCanada
Happy birthday with sprinkles on top, Brooke! I hope you have an awesome day!!!
You are right about Victoria being beautiful; I get struck by that every time I’m there. They have slightly warmer weather than us on the mainland, and so I love going there in early spring because their cherry blossom trees are all blooming earlier than ours! Whistler is gorgeous too, but for different more mountainy reasons. :) It is also a favourite destination of hubs and I! We went there for my birthday 2 years ago!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
Happy birthday Brooke!
The choice between the mountains or the beach would be a tough one, but I think the mountains would edge out. Sometimes being in the middle of nowhere is kind of awesome.
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie
Happy birthday Brooke!! Hope you all have a great day celebrating :)
Angela @ WittyAspirations
Happy birthday Brooke! (from Little Rock, Arkansas) :)
Wendy
Happy 4th birthday Brooke!!
What a fantastic trip! I am dying to go to Victoria! My hubby has been, so has promised to take me the next chance we get! We too, love active trips like that! And yes, couples massages are the greatest! We have now done 3 together, and they are heaven!
Lucy
Happy Birthday Brooke! 4 years old, woo! I will be taking our little Shetland sheepdog out for an extra long walk in your honor. You’d enjoy playing with him he is super fluffy and can do lots of tricks (in exchange for snacks ;-) ) like giving you a high five!
I’d rather have a place on the coast than a place in the mountains, I love the coast, the sand, the sound of the ocean etc. Our bucket list includes lots of travelling and shared adventures too. Right now we’re really hoping we get lucky enough to tick babies off our list soon!
Have a great day with loads of treats and fun, hugs from Germany xx
Jenny
Yay happy birthday Brooke!!!!
You made Victoria sound amazing. Now I want to go. Our bucket list is getting rather long too. I really want to go on another cruise. And we want to do a surprise Disney trip for our girls hopefully soon.
I love that the resort you guys stayed at was all about leaving better than before. Sounds like they did a good job helping with that.
Holly
Happy FOURTH birthday to Brooke ❤ I hope your day is magical and you enjoy it to it’s fullest!!!
Kimberly
Happy Happy 4th Birthday Brooke! I hope you have an amazing day doing all your favorite things. Like you, I LOVE dogs! I have 2, a 12 year old mixed dog named Lucky and an almost 2 year old charcoal lab named Shadow. They are so much fun.
Janae, so glad you and Andrew loved your vacation so much. The way you described its beauty and how much you loved being there is how I felt when we went on a family trip this summer so St Thomas and St John. I was just so filled with the beauty the God created there and thankfulness that we got to enjoy it together. I felt so at peace, it felt like I truly belonged there.
Lots of great things on the Bucket List. I suggest doing the Disney Cruise while the kids are little and will thoroughly enjoy that Disney magic.
Have a blessed day!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Happy birthday Brooke! What a young lady ;)
And a fabulous vacation! Woohoo!
Andria
Trip with passport only–does that mean a no baggage vacation?
Jessie @ The Acquired Sass
Happy Birthday Brooke!!!
I ran 2 races this weekend, well, sort of one, but sort of two. It was called the Two Face 10K, it was a road race 10K and then 90 minutes after the road race start there was a trail 10K. I did both & ended up with about 30 minutes in between to change my shoes & “rest”. They both went really well, & I was totally exhausted but had a BLAST!
Laura
Happy Birthday Brooke!!!!
Okay now Victoria is on my bucket list!! How amazing of a vacation!! I can’t decide, it would depend on the season or my mood. Either way there just has to be running routes for miles and a massage and I’m in heaven!
Tina
Happy Birthday, Brooke!!!! Enjoy your day! :-)
Rachel
Love and live in the mountains but love the beach for the getaways!
Brooke, I hope you have a wonderful birthday! My daughter, Brook, has her birthday tomorrow! Seemed like she was 4 yesterday, but she’s turning 17!!! Where did the time go?
Marissa @ Run Riss Run
Happy Birthday Brooke! I hope you have a magical day!
I’m definitely more of a beach person, but I also love the quiet of the mountains.
I did my big bucket list trip this summer (Meditterranean cruise). I still want to visit Ireland and Denmark. I also want to run a race on another continent.
I yoga about once a week, but I could do more. Every time I do, I wonder why I don’t do it more often :)
I am watching pretty much all things Olympics, but especially the running events!
Sally @ sweat out the small stuff
Cabin in the woods but with a summer house at the beach. Lol. Seriously I love both. But I love hiking and trail running more than swimming. I actually love the walking along the beach in the winter months.
karla @ finding my fit
this vacation looks absolutely wonderful. I’m dying for a … [sadly solo…] vacation. I’m going to Savannah for a weekend in October and going to do all the sight seeing and try to stay active. But a resort that endorses staying active and healthy living rules!
happy birthday, brooke!
Polly
Looks like such a fun trip! Victoria is so beautiful! I love doing yoga. It’s so relaxing and I enjoy doing it at least once a week.
Susie
Hubby would pick a mountain cabin but I’m all about the beach. I guess we’ll have to have both :)
I think sitting down and writing a bucket list together is such a neat couple idea!
Michelle
Happy Birthday Brookers, to a very special 4 year old!
So glad you did this 2nd honeymoon. Sometimes a lazy beach vacay is just what the doctor ordered, but I’m with you, I almost always prefer an active vacation.
Yay for US women marathoners! and Yay for yoga – once a week makes my body happy.
Nina
Happy Birthday, Brooke! I hope you enjoy your special day!
My bucket list: running the marathon (soon, fingers crossed), visiting: the states I haven’t gotten to yet, Florence and Capri, Paris, Ireland, and swim with dolphins.
I used to do yoga way more often, need to incorporate it back in a few times a week.
The mountains are beautiful but I am a beach girl. I look forward to running on it next week.
Krista @ Gringita
I would rather be in the mountains! I grew up going to the beach a lot, so I think its because the mountains are still so different for me! I love love mountains and the fresh water and air.
Ouf. I did yoga a lot for about 3 weeks this Spring :) haha, I had a discount code for the studio around me. Now where I’m living I don’t know of any yoga classes (confident there are no studios here haha), but maybe I should look
I haven’t ran a race in soo long! None on my calendar either. Next year I guess!
Caroline
Happy Birthday, Brooke! What a big girl! Hope all your wildest wishes come true and you enjoy this special day!
What a fabulous trip you guys had! I’m so happy for you guys and also totally jelly — It is a beautiful area and makes me want to go back!
Love your bucket list….maybe we can team up and knock em out!?!? Haha
Side note: when I was younger, my mom and I would take a trip every summer to baseball parks (major and minor leagues). We would hit 6 or 7 different cities in different states and all the baseball anyone ever could handle and then other sites that the cities had to offer. Such amazing memories!
Tiffany
Happy Birthday Brooke!!
I would rather have a mountain cabin!
You need to add Norway to your bucket list!! I’m there right now (but I’m from the U.S.) and the fjords are amazing! Pictures don’t do them justice!
Libbie
First, happy birthday Brooke! Today is two of my nieces birthdays too. I love both the beach and the mountains, but my in-laws have a house up in Flagstaff, Arizona, and nothing clears my head better then going up there, running, and just being out in the fresh mountain air.
Christy
Happy birthday Brooke! Have an amazing day!
Peggi Konvicka
Happy 4th Birthday Brooke!! Hope you have a great day full of cake, family, laughter and plenty of Beretta kisses too!!!
Clark
Des Linden is a local hero in my area, though I haven’t seen her on the roads and trails I still look. Sadly had a rough night with the 1 yo so missed the race….no!
I too want to shark dive. And if you are going to Europe you better go to Germany too! Best bread and food in general. But fattening as can be.
Rachel
Happy birthday, Brooke! Enjoy your cantaloupe!
That bucket list looks insane. Think about adding New Zealand to it if you make it to Aussie, you would be so close!
Kathy McElhaney
Happy birthday, Brooke! I remember when you were born. Just another one of your blogging aunties!
Your bucket list cracked me up – all these great places and activities then right in the middle “babies.” ;)
Definitely a beach person. I lived in Fresno, CA growing up and we always escaped to the cool California coast in the summer. That love has never gone away.
My husband had a cycling race yesterday (3rd in AG) so I volunteered because I’m a groupie that way. Next Sunday is the biggie for him – Dick Evans Memorial Road Race – the original Ironman cycling course. I’ll be at feed zone 2. Then I kick off training next week for marathon #5.
Haylie
Um when you visit Australia come hit me up in New Zealand and you won’t be disappointed!
Tess
What a fantastic trip to share together! I love being active on a vacation…you get to see so much of the destination.
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Brooke, Happy birthday to you!!
(same tune)
May the dear Lord bless you, May the dear Lord bless you, May the dear Lord bless Brooke, May the dear Lord bless you!
Meredith @ cookie chrunicles
Happy birthday to Brooke! I hope she had the best day. I am definitely more of a beach person than mountains. Looks look you had a great time!
LeAnne @ This is my faster!
I have so many different “Bucket Lists”. One for running, one for travel, one for food places etc etc etc. One of the travel Bucket List places is Santorini (Greece) and one of my running Bucket List things is to run all six marathons in the World Marathon Majors.
I’m actually in Rio right now for the Olympics and have been going to the track and field events (they have been AMAZING!!!!). I got interviewed on CNN after Usain Bolt’s win in the 100m finals (I felt famous for 5 seconds). The road running stuff I watched on TV because I wasn’t able to make it to the route :(
I hope Brooke has an amazing birthday!!!! And I agree, a monthly couples massage sounds like a great plan!
Kelly
Happy Birthday, Brooke!! 4 is a wonderful age (most days!! lol)…
Are you going to do a post about what part of your vacation was sponsored from the Westin? You included #ad on a couple of your IG posts, but I haven’t seen any mention of it yet on the blog….
kelly
Herzlich Geburtstag Brooke! (happy birthday!) I hope you get lots of sprinkles today!!!!
Bron
I think you need to add New Zealand to your list ;-) we have pretty amazing scenery and heaps of adventure tourism that would be right up Andrew’s alley! Massive happy birthday to Brooke! Hope she has a wonder-filled day with you all. My little girl turns 4 two days after Christmas – I love this age!
glowwithmeraki
Happy birthday Brooke! Love these pictures!
Lew
What a great bucket list. I want to go back to Australia to run City to Surf . Also, see the solar eclipse next summer.
I could totally go for chocolate covered strawberries now that I’ve seen that picture.
I enjoyed watching the marathon and was glad the US women were contenders. I wasn’t thrilled that it was on at the same time that I wanted to go for a run. Oh, well.
Happy 4th Brooke.
Jarrelle
How much of an example was Farah when he fell and he just got right back up and continued on!!! Not only did he continue on, he WON!!!!! Loved watching him race!
I think having a mountain house makes you want to be active and healthy while the beach makes you want to just eat and always be relaxing! Definitely a mountain house for me out in CO! Can’t wait to get out there and ski this winter!!
Happy Birthday to Brooke!!!!! Have fun celebrating!
Lesley
Happy birthday Brooke! Eat a real yummy cake with your fingers!
Liked your bucket list Janae and if you feel like heading north of Utah into Manitoba Canada, I can help you check a couple things off. We have awesome northern lights here in the fall, September to October. We also have a couple snowmobiles with great bush trails if you want to come in the winter. I have been to Whistler a few times and you won’t be disappointed with anything here. Great mountain bike riding or paved path riding that the kids can do, awesome hiking and amazing views. I can also highly recommend a trip to Switzerland. Just got back from there 2 weeks ago from attending a good friends wedding. I am seriously saving every penny to get back there again asap.
I will post a couple pictures of the northern lights on my blog and my many posts from Switzerland are coming.
Have a great week.
Michelle
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!! I love your name, my daughter is named Brooke too! Hope you get to eat lots of sprinkles today!
Bethany @LuluRuns
Happy birthday Brooke!! Hope you get lots of cantaloupe and doggy time in today :) 4 is a great age!!
I would love a cabin the mountains. As much as I love the beach, there is something about being in the mountains that makes my heart feel free. I love seeing God’s creation.
Your vacation looks amazing! Next time you guys hit Canada up, how about you sneak my husband and I in your bags, okay? ;)
Jennifer
Mountain cabin for sure!
How does the cost of this trip compare to your beach honeymoon?
Emily
Happy, happy birthday, Brooke!!!! We crossed a few things off on our bucket list this summer when we went to London and Paris (only for a day-definitely need to go back for longer!) for our honeymoon. Paris is a must do-I may have teared up when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. :)
adrianna
happy birthday to the gorgeous Brooke! (its my sister’s bday today, too!) hope it was fantastic :)
beach house FOR SURE. love the ocean more than anywhere on earth. although being from WV, i’m probably a mountain girl at heart.
yoga…i make myself do it about once a week. i really should more often…
Michele at Everyday Snapshot
Happy Birthday to the cutest little blogging daughter ever. A cantaloupe girl steals my heart, I just ate a whole one myself yesterday ! Yum. Enjoy it girl.
Cabin in mountains AND a beach house. I could never choose, would love both so much ! I see Disney Cruise was on your list. We went about 8 years ago, it was awesome. We are bringing my daughter on one next summer. I like yoga, but I rarely do it, due to a busy schedule and lack of patience. It’s more like speed yoga from a flip book. My bucket list just includes simple mini-vacations of places here in the states. I’ve not ventured to far out from Illinois, I’ve seen beautiful places in so many other states that I would love to one day visit too. I’m easy to please and cheap (as in love the inexpensive route)….my husband better appreciate that.
Sky
Happy Birthday to Brooke!
I lived at the beach for several years and my husband’s parents live right on the water. I can honestly say I never want to live there again. It is great to visit but something about living there all year takes away from the fun of it and it never seems like you are on vacation. I guess it’s that way for wherever you live but I still think I prefer a cabin. Mountains are the best!
Rachel @ Simply Rachel Nicole
This whole trip looks and sounds amazing! Happy Birthday to Brooke!!! She is the sweetest girl ever. I can’t believe she is four! :)
Aleks
I’m a beach person but living in Switzerland is slowly turning me into a mountain person. Just went hiking in the Appenzell region this weekend – you definitely should do that when you make it over here :).
Samantha
I live at the Jersey Shore, and I’m not a beach person, so I’d prefer a mountain cabin. I do like living near the coast, but not an ocean girl (It’s a weird claustrophobia thing…)
I don’t do yoga as much as I should (read: not at all)
No races here for now (WAY TOO HOT!!)
Happy birthday to your little Brooke! Her birthday sounds perfect! Here’s a great new age :)
Jodi
Let me know when you come to the Kentucky Derby! I’ve lived in Louisville, KY for 15 years and I’ve never made it. It would be significantly more interesting if I got to meet the famous Janae Jacobs! ;)
Kendra Auringer
this is my first time leaving a comment but I read your blog all the time and love it. You were in my backyard and I didn’t know it. Bear mtn resort is about 5k from my house. My son just finished a 5 day mtn bike camp there and we hike and run there all the time. There is also a run that takes place every Novemeber up there called the Bear Mtn 10 and half marathon, billed as the toughest in Canada. It runs along the golf cart path and has 3 hills labelled momma bear, poppa bear and baby bear. Lots of fun! I am so glad you enjoyed your stay in our amazing city.
Taylor
What a fun trip!! I love an active vacation! My dad is from Canada and I have been wanting to visit for some time now!
Debbie @ Deb Runs
Happy birthday, Brooke!
We have a family beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and were just down there last week. It’s in the area where the wild horses roam so when I’m out on a run along the ocean, a horse might run by me! It’s pretty cool. I’d love to go on a vacation to a house on a lake sometime so I can kayak and paddleboard all day long.