The last time my entire crew were with my family in BC, over the holidays was in 2002, a few months after the birth of our 3rd child. Now there are 6 of us – at full fares each – we had to be creative with our travel plans!

We have been back since as a family, in 2005 when our 4th child was only 2 weeks old but we had 1 way tickets (which were gifts) and then drove my parents 24′ RV back through the U.S. to home here in Ontario. Hubby, myself, 4 kids 6 yrs and under and my Father-in-law! That was an adventure in itself!!

This time around, we chose to travel through the United States because flying through Canada is just above CRAZY expensive. To fly from Toronto {Ontario} to Vancouver {British Columbia} it would have cost us over $5,500 just for airfares and then add a rental van on top of that. We have to rent a van… cars no longer seat 6 people!

My hubby is as thrifty as I am and managed to find a good price on 6 seats going from Buffalo, NY to Seattle, WA. We’ll be crashing for 1 night in Seattle as we are landing almost in the middle of the night – I wasn’t looking forward to an additional 2.5 hr drive + border crossing with 4 very overtired little people. Just the thought of having to rent two rooms because hotels have a max of 5 people allowed in each room… is making me cringe! This world is no longer made for families of 6!! We’re going to make the most of our time there – touring around Seattle in our rental mini-van before heading north to my parent’s place.

Rather than spend the ridiculous price Canadian airlines were charging… we’re only paying $2,200 for airfare plus our incidentals along the way.

I’m looking forward to waking up on Christmas morning in my parent’s house, seeing my sisters & my cousins who are as close as my sisters and their families almost every single day for nearly 2 weeks! Visit with my many nephews and nieces and their children. Yes… I’m a GREAT-AUNT! I’m looking forward to eating in my parent’s restaurant in White Rock and helping my sister out at their Bake Shoppe and Cheese Market. Seeing the mountains and maybe even getting a little skiing in. I’m looking forward to smelling the salt-water and listening to the waves lap against the shoreline. I’m looking forward to being home!

Soap Box Moment: In my humble opinion, I think the exuberant costs of flying within my own Nation are ridiculous. To be able to fly out of Toronto and into pretty much any other country for cheaper than it is for me to fly to Vancouver or even Halifax for that matter, is absurd! Canadian Tourism Commission, please do something about this! I’d like to spend my Canadian money in Canada but if I did… I wouldn’t have much to live on!