Oh Canada! Banff and Yoho National Parks

Our trip to Banff was fantastic! Cameo and I have been wanting to go there since our honeymoon. We had always heard how beautiful it was and at least for us it didn't disappoint. In fact, for me, it exceeded my expectations. One of the most beautiful places I've seen. (I'm definitely bias towards mountain beauty.) This was, in my opinion, probably the coolest driving vacation we ever went on. (Excluding driving vacations we had after flying to our destination first.) Hope you all get a chance to go someday.

The pictures are posted backwards so if you want to see them in order, go to the bottom of the post and work your way up.

Jonah wasn't as sure about the fireworks as Granger. He used the motorhome for protection.

Billings, Montana loves their fireworks and so do we.

The sky was lit up from horizon to horizon with fireworks for at least two hours with personal backyard explosives in firework-legal Montana.

Granger got so excited he literally lost his pants jumping up and down in pure firework nirvana.

Jonah and Granger playing the parts of Lewis and Clark.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana.

Very cool place if you're a history geek like me and my kids.

Grae and Jonah in downtown Banff with their "bubble tea's". Never heard of them before. Kind of a slushy drink with gooey balls in them. Surprisingly very delicious!

The upper hot springs in Banff. Great way to end our hike. Great for the muscles and to add a little European flare.

He's not nude. He has underware on.

Hanging by the lake.

Our reward for a six and a half mile hike. All the kids except Easy did it under their own power. Don't worry, we'll whip Easy into shape soon.

Doesn't Cora look so cool by the lake?

I love my wife.

I made Cameo come back to Morraine Lake. It was way too beautiful not to fully appreciate and the first day we were here Cameo was too cold and had to feed Easy.

The new album cover for our kids' band... if they had one.

I wasn't throwing him in, I just wanted to help him touch the waterfall.

This is the foot of a modern-day explorer.

Their just warming up for Everest.

I'm pretty sure Cora could live in the woods very happily by herself.

Me teaching Easy about nature.

Cameo makes very cute kids.

Sometimes I think I shouldn't have let Cora watch so many "Man vs. Wild" episodes.

Jonah leading the way. (Cool pic by Cameo)

This is Easy's tough face.

Sometimes it does feel like we're raising a bunch of wild animals.

Me and the boys on the gondola.

This ride is not for anyone afraid of heights. Cameo and Cora were a little squeamish

View of Banff from the summit of Sulpher Mountain.

Granger the cowboy.

Cora's first horseback ride. Dreams do come true!

Granger, Cora and Jonah. We love these crazy kids.

Takkakaw Falls

Me teaching Granger how to skip rocks. Granger got his first skip on only his second try!

He said it was because he had the best teacher in the world. He's such a schmoozer.
That's why we love him.

Too Beautiful

Little Ezra (Easy)

Lynn and Easy at Emerald Lake.

You'll notice this place is full of lakes.

Cameo and Easy at the Yoho River (I think)

One ugly guy in one pretty place.

When did I get so old and fat?

Cameo and Easy at Lake Louise

Lakeside Adventures

Three kids on a log.

Cameo and the kids at Morraine Lake.

Lake Minnewanka

Detained at the Canadian border... Who would've thought? I guess we just look like hooligans.

Fathers Day

There is no greater title I could ever aspire to than that of father. I love being a dad. I hope I turn out to be a good one. I'm greatful that in 14 short years I had a dad that taught me so much about how to be the father and man I am trying to be. Thanks Dad I miss you.

Life Livers

No, not the kind of liver that is an organ but to live life!

Yesterday, on our way home from Elitch Gardens Theme Park, I told Lynn that no matter what our situation, we seem to always find a way to do fun things. It's what we live for. He said, "It's because we're life livers." It got me thinking. It's true. No matter what our financial situation or what demands of our time life has for us (and we've been all over the spectrum with both time and money) our priority is to enjoy life.

I think it stems from Lynn's father. When Lynn was a kid, his dad worked a lot, but he instilled in Lynn a joy for making memories. I so appreciate that he took Lynn's family on vacations even if it was really a business trip to collect materials for the sign shop, he took his family along and made the most of it. When Lynn was 14, his father passed away rather quickly. Lynn said his father still had so much in life he wanted to do and so many places he wanted to see. Lynn didn't want to wait until we had time and money or "retirement" to make the memories he wanted to with his children and so... we don't!

We're always looking for a reason to make memories with our children. I don't think life is all about fun but I do believe, as Christ said, "Men are that they might have joy." And I think He's happy when we are happy. For us, a fun-filled afternoon at a park, a bike ride, a weekend getaway, stopping at a "Historical Site" plaque on the side of the road, a five-hour drive down a road I've never been before or lunch at an out of the way mom-and-pop restaurant, renews me. It's like it quenches a thirst. I can't imagine life without those moments. Some are just for a half-hour and some are for weeks away in a new country but they all do the same for me and my family. We love it. I rarely post about these things out of fear that we will appear as though we're trying to make ourselves seem great and our lives perfect... but if I post the bad, I ought to post the good too, right? We have amazing adventures.

Are you a life liver?

Banff or Bust

We are planning on going to Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if any of you have made it up there before and if there are any "have to's" that we need to see. I've been doing some research and there is so much to do I can't figure out how to narrow it down. I figure we'll do some hiking, bring our bikes and bike trailers for the kids, maybe do some kayaking or canoeing (kid appropriate), etc. We'll be traveling in our RV. Any ideas are appreciated (especially you, Kathy, if you read this.)

Days like that...

So today was just one of those days that happen every so often - more often than not - in the lives of a mother. For those of you who don't care about the mundane lives of motherhood, do not read this post. It's not for anyone else anyway, it's for me and my children to know that I DO understand because I was there once too.

Ezra cried all morning. It wasn't just a little fuss, it was an angry, painful cry and his body was as though rigamortis had set in. It's not in his nature to cry that way so I was extra worried and frazzled. I had set in my mind that I was going to exercise and clean the house so I woke up, put on a crazy-tight sports bra that although I logically know I cannot fit into post-pregnancy I can't seem to accept, and ended up staying in it for seven hours before I was able to exercise. It became permanently embedding in my chest. By then all grandios thoughts of jogging to the park had gone out the window and I settled for a Wii aerobics game and only got through five minutes before Jonah was upset that he didn't get his turn on the Wii and so I just gave up and let him play. I made lunch while balancing a screaming baby in one arm and peanut butter in the other and got both baby spit up and Jif all over my sports bra. I snapped at Granger when he asked if all he got for lunch was a PB & J sandwich and then I unwrapped some old disgusting fake-cheese I found in the back of the fridge and put it on the kid's plates. I almost totally lost it when Cora threw it away without even taking a bite and told her if she wasted food without even tasting it, it was coming out of her allowance (all $1 of it that I occassionally remember to give her). Then the tornado siren warning went off and we all had to go down to the basement although for a brief moment I contemplated going to the second story instead.

It got better though when Lynn came home. He took Ezra, made dinner and told me to go take a bath (I hadn't been able to leave Ezra long enough to do that for the past two days since Lynn has had his 12 hour clinicals and I know I smelled and looked like a rat.) So I took a bubble bath, read the Ensign and when I got out, dinner was ready and Lynn even picked up after himself. Not a bad ending to a crazy day. Anyway, sometimes I have days like that...

Oh, and not a single bit of cleaning got done.

Baptism and Blessing

May 23rd was a very special day. We traveled back to Snowflake and in the old pioneer church on Main Street, Cora was baptised and confirmed and Ezra was blessed by their father. Many friends and family were there and some drove from quite a distance to be there. We felt very blessed and loved. We had such a wonderful week there, visiting with family and friends. I am so proud of Cora for the decision she made to be baptised and to Lynn for being the kind of father he is. I am one proud mama.

Camping

We camped with my brother Travis and his family at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Their baby, Bo and our Ezra are just ten days apart.