We didn’t go far this year, but when you live on Vancouver Island that’s ok too!
Our sister-in-law, Margaret, flew out for a visit and I took her to Tofino which is one of my favourite places on the Island. After seeing it for the first time, Margaret could see why.
In May we headed to Seattle to celebrate Magnus turning 12. We took him to a Seattle Mariners game and it was everything we could have hoped for. We had great seats near the action which led to him getting a game ball (signed by the mascot), a T-shirt with his favourite player (Cal Raleigh), got shown on the jumbotron, we treated him to lots of merch and all the food and drinks a 12 year old could put away. In many ways, it was a home run! The icing on the cake was our dear friends Paddy and Dave Carlson from Spokane joined us along with their family and a friend.
Then in June we went to Calgary for our 50th high school reunion, that I helped to organize along with a great team. It was wonderful reconnecting with friends we hadn’t seen since we left Calgary, and to see so many turn out for this big milestone.
We also attended the Celebration of Life for our dear friend, Peggy Campbell. Her family did an amazing job hosting it, and we know Peggy, who was a fabulous entertainer, would have been proud of them. We also celebrated the 65th birthday of our sister-in-law, Karen, and Karen and Colin’s 44th anniversary.
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| Left to right: Roger, Colin, Dallas and Steve |
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| The birthday girl, Karen! |
We then headed to Ma-Me-O Beach and stayed with Shelagh and John Slater along with Paddy and Dave Carlson. We wined, dined, and even hit the Ponoka Stampede.
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| Back row: David, John, Roger Front row: Paddy, Shelagh and me |
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| “Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys….” |
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| We had a great time going to a BC Lions game in Vancouver. The new high speed ferry worked perfectly getting us to downtown Vancouver and back to downtown Nanaimo in one day. |
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| We had a fabulous afternoon of wine tasting at Beaufort Winery near Courtenay with our good friends, Ed and Connie Lewis. The scenery was spectacular! |
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| Roger caught his first ling cod. They are as delicious as they are ugly! |
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| Left to right: Roger, me, Phil and Randy |
In September we went to Washington again to see Magnus run in his first cross country race. Kinley men are not known for their running skills, but Magnus did them proud and ran really well. We had fun taking him fishing at a nearby trout farm and picked apples from their trees.
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| My favourite picture of the 3 of us ❤️ |
And this is where life took a turn that no one was expecting. On November 1st we had a zoom call with Colin and Karen which we did every couple of months. Colin shocked us by sharing he had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer 2 days before. More testing was planned, and as always, Colin was optimistic. This is a guy who worked out regularly, didn't smoke and was only a social drinker. The only symptom was he thought he had pulled a muscle from lifting weights a few weeks before. We booked flights for 2 weeks down the road as there was a family wedding in Edmonton we were attending on Nov. 15th. He died November 5th.
To say we were devastated would be an understatement. Colin was not only Roger’s younger brother, but he was a close friend to both of us. He was Brad’s Godfather. He was everything to Karen and their son, Cooper. Roger and Colin worked in the family drilling business and after it was sold, Colin started his own company and Roger worked all over the world on projects for him.
We went to the wedding, then flew to Kansas to be with Karen, Cooper and his fiancé, Claire for a few days. We will return in April for Colin’s Celebration of Life, and then visit Karen in the summertime. Cooper and Claire are getting married in October in Scotland. It is giving us all something to be excited about, and we know Colin will be with us.
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| Our niece, Samantha and her husband, Adam at their wedding on November 15th |
It was challenging feeling joy this year, but an early Christmas with Brad, Anette and Magnus helped to get us in the holiday spirit. We missed seeing Obi, their beloved Boston Terrier and who we cared for whenever they traveled, who passed away at 15 years old in November.
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| Obi wearing her boat coat and doggles while on our boat |
We like giving and receiving experience gifts so this year we took the family to an amazing seafood restaurant, Elliot’s Oyster House, where Magnus enjoyed fresh oysters along with us and then we went on the Giant Ferris Wheel so we could see the Christmas lights.
The next day, Brad and Anette surprised us with tickets to the Lion King. This is a play I’ve wanted to see for years and it totally exceeded my expectations. We had great seats on the main floor near the stage so could see the huge puppets as they passed by us. Without a doubt, my favourite theatre experience ever.
We had another seafood feast, and when we got home, we played games that each family member had to plan. It’s turning into a family tradition and one we have fun doing.
We hosted Christmas dinner yesterday with dear friends Bev and Stu Shaw and Connie and Ed Lewis — who also planned Christmas with their families before or after the 25th.
Colin’s sudden passing certainly gave us a wake up call of the fragility of life. While we have always tried to focus on experiences rather than possessions, it has been a good reminder of what is truly important. For us, it is important to spend time with our friends and family, and experiencing new things. Next month we head to Vietnam and Japan and will spend 6 weeks visiting these two countries where we’ve never been before.
May 2026 be a year of good health, time spent with those you love, and experiences that recharge your soul.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase. You just have to take the first step.”
Martin Luther King
