Summer Update: Hiking!

We love getting out to the mountains to hike.  Not that we go on really intense hikes with these very young children but it is just so great to get out!  This hike was up in the mountains above Canmore, called Grassi Lakes.  It was a great push for the kids and yet not too hard for them.  The main challenge was that we brought our stroller- the double, big wheeled one, but it was still really hard to push up.  Thanks so much to Todd for taking the brunt of that work.  The kids just adore their uncles!  It is so fun for them to get to play with and have all of their uncles attention. 

It was the most beautiful of lakes, so bright and green.  There was another lake up there that we hiked around as well.  That one had an interesting rock wall along one side that was all covered in little holes.  There were a few people that were rock climbing up this wall, it was perfect for that with all of these little hand grips.  The kids loved to watch them doing this!  Also there were some parts with little caves along where the kids could pretend to hide in and play around.  It was such a beautiful day and a wonderful hike!!

Summer Update: Park Days

We had such a great time this summer attending a different park each week.  We had a friend organize  a different park to go to every week and we just got to show up!  It was a great motivator to get out and do these things to enjoy the summer.  We went to North and South Glenmore Parks, Riley Park, Fish Creek park, Prairie Winds park and others. It was always so great to get out, have the kids play and all of us the enjoy company of friends.  There was usually water involved which made it even better! 

One of the days that we went to Fish Creek park, we had been to the beach the day before and so I wasn't prepared with our swimsuits and towels.  Also I was just thinking about the kids putting their feet into the creek or throwing rocks in.  That day was so hot, over 30 degrees, and the kids could not help but go into the water fully clothed.  It was an experience for them, swimming fully clothed.  All of the drag that was created by their clothes, it is really hard to swim.  After they were able to take off their pants and skirt and swim in what was left.  This was helpful as they also found a mud puddle and preceded to play for the next hour in this mud puddle.  They would dig down into it until they could step into it and sink down to their thighs.  Elliette got down into the mud all the way to her armpits.  It was funny to watch other kids that would come and watch but wouldn't dare to touch the mud, let alone climb into it for an hour.  My kids had a blast!  That was their favorite park day!  The only part that Elliette didn't like was that I made her strip off her ruined clothes and wash off in the creek.  She was so embarrassed to be in her underwear, but we wrapped her in a towel and kept the van clean of all of their muddy play.  It was quite the day!

We also had fun going a few times to Prairie Winds park on our own.  It is nice and close and some days there weren't many people there.  It was sure fun.  Elliette is sitting here in front of some lady with a baby that the girls just go up to and make friend with.  They are very friendly and outgoing and just make friends with anybody.  It is funny when I am sitting there and they take their towel over to sit next to some new person that they met.  They are so funny!  I am grateful to see their confidence growing.  What great kiddos they are!

Marshall enjoyed crawling in and out of the water at prairie winds park.  Also you can see Great Grandpas feet behind him.  He joined us on a few outings through the summer, which is nice for all of us to get out!

When I was a kid...

I remember this being one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid, playing in the rain.  I still love a rainstorm! I love the thunder and lightning, the pouring rain and everything about a good storm.  I love the sounds and the smells of it, the excitement, the nourishing of the earth, the washing of everything clean and best of all, playing out in the rain!  I guess that I have helped to pass this love onto my girls.  We have eaten supper at the window so that we could watch a storm, we get out onto the front steps so we can watch without getting wet and sometimes we get really wet!



I remember sitting in the warm water in the gutters and was curious as to why the water was warmer there. It was so much fun to watch the girls explore the rain and maybe ask themselves the same questions that I did as a kid.  I love to watch them and be able to appreciate their excitement and learning and really remember doing the same thing.  It feels great to really remember and understand because as a parent I know we forget a lot of what it was like to be a kid; but not on rainy days!

Wow, do I love these funny kiddos!!

Summer Update: Drumheller

 We love going to Drumheller!  It is such an amazing place to visit.  We love the museum, the dinosaurs on every corner, feeling like we are travelling to a different planet.  We hiked around the hoodoos, went across a neat suspension bridge and went to the museum.  It was a beautiful day and we had such a fun time!

 

She is posing in front of the aquarium.  I just love those gorgeous eyes of her! 

What a great girl she is!

Summer Update: Camping in Mountain View

We had the best time visiting Paul's cousin Camelia and her husband Doug's place in Mountain View!  It was so beautiful there and they took such great care of us!  We are not much for camping but I really felt ready to have an adventure and give it a try!  We went without Paul but were able to take Camelias twin Katherine with us.  It was great to have some company along the drive. I don't think that there could be a better trip to make it fun for all of us.  There were horses for the kids (which they so kindly took us on every day!!), there were places for Marshall to climb around and another to crawl around with, there were dogs to hug and chase and feed, there was a stream to catch tadpoles, bugs and whatever else in, there were treats at the store up the street, there was a refuge from the weather when it turned against us and there were awesome people for me to chat with all the time!  Definitely a real winner of a vacation!  We also went out to Waterton for a hike one day.  It was really such a great time, so beautiful and peaceful out there.  What a life, I love it!!

Here are some pictures of all of the fun that we were having!

Kyndal was very determined to be able to ride the horse on her own. She did a pretty good job.

There was a lot of this following and running along with the horses.  The kids just loved every second of it!

 

Shouting out and banging on this door was a fun time for Marshall!
Elliette caught some new pet minnows,
they didn't live very long!                                                          We had a great time around the t                                                                                    campfire and laughing at the girls trying to                                                                                                              tell  scary stories.

 

This wagon was such a hit for all of the kids.  They just loved to take turns and all climb in and out;  to go for a walk down the path just to ride in the wagon.  It was such a fun thing, and great for the babies. 

It was just such a beautiful peaceful place to visit!  We had such a great time and are thankful to Camelia and Doug for allowing us to come and stay, for taking such great care of us and for your great company.  Thanks so much!!