With the girls headed back to school on September 1st, we figured we could fit one more hike in. We stole Aunt Tori and headed up to Grassi Lakes in Canmore. It was a beautiful day with gorgeous surroundings and some pretty cute girls!
There are two trails for this hike - the easy and the hard trail. We decided to take the "harder" trail which really wasn't too difficult and so worth it for the sights you saw. There were areas where streams ran right across the pathway. The girls were amazed and stopped to play in the fresh mountain water. The waterfall part way up was breath taking! You would miss this view completely taking the easy trail so we were so glad we went the way we did.
There were some steep sections on the hard trail but the girls worked hard and made it to the top. They thought the stairs and railings made out of wood and rocks throughout the hike were pretty cool.
The lake at the top was gorgeous! The girls had worn their swimming suits but the water was a little chilly (or ice water according to Cera) for a full on swim so they just dipped their toes in. So refreshing!
We enjoyed the view at the top while we had a little picnic. The water was such a beautiful color.
The girls had fun exploring this little cave. Nature is so great and fun to explore!
After lunch we hiked a bit further up the trailer from the lake. There was a good group of people rock climbing that the girls were intrigued watching.
It was a great day, hiking with wonderful family and enjoying the amazing views. It was a great way to wrap up a busy, fun summer!
We decided to hike down the easy trail as we had already seen the views on the harder trail. It was easier (it was also downhill) but not as breathtaking. We are so grateful we were able to go on this hike and enjoy the mountains we live so close to once more.
Alexis (our cousin/niece) contacted us at the beginning of the summer asking if she could come out for a visit. We were ecstatic and of course said yes! She has never been here and was excited to visit and see what Western Canada is all about. The girls wanted to make her feel welcome first thing at the airport so they made a big welcome sign and bought balloons. We think she felt loved and welcomed! (Don't let the sunny sign behind them fool you, after multiple flight delays, Alexis did not arrive until about 10pm. The girls were tired the next day!)
We packed her two week visit full of fun and exploring! It started with a visit to one of the girls favorite toy stores. Wouldn't you feel safe with these warriors around? (Even if Em likes to wear her helmet sideways!)
We wanted to take Alexis to the mountains (and Mom's wanted to do this hike for awhile also) so we headed to Johnston Canyon. We dragged Uncle Tyler and Aunt Tori along too! We think they are pretty cute!
Talking about cuties! We sure do love Elizabeth and are proud that she pushed herself all the way to the end of the hike! She must have wanted to document her hard work as she often asked for her picture to be taken. It was a bit of a challenge as the hike was very busy (it being popular and a Saturday!) but we were able to get a few.
Part way through the hike, we waited in line to check out the cave (if that's what you'd call it).
We walked through the rock tunnel and then had an amazing view of the first waterfall. We even got cooled down a little by the mist that was spraying us.
Those are some great women!
We made it to the very top!! Way to push yourselves girls. What a great day!
This hike was so beautiful but the top was breath taking! Nature is so gorgeous and a wonderful reminder of a loving Heavenly Father that created it for us to enjoy. It is also a fantastic learning opportunity for all of us.
Emilee spotted this curvy S tree on the way back down the trail and just had to stop for a picture. It reminded us how important it is to keep our heads up, even when times are hard or challenging, or we might miss some thing cool, great, or amazing. Often great opportunities to learn and grow come amidst trials and challenges.
What a wonderful day with great people!
We took Alexis out to see the Big Rock and we watched for the Perseid meteor shower. We all thought we saw some meteors but it could have been our minds and eyes playing tricks on us. Either way, it was a fun night spent with family which is always the best!
The next day we had Sean, Larissa (also Aunt and Uncle to Alexis) and their boys our for dinner. We had so much fun visiting, playing and eating. The kids even face timed with the rest of the family back in Ottawa. It was like a big family get together!
Next stop - camping in BC with Alexis. We were so excited to show her where we love to go in the summer! She's use to lakes but not ones surrounding by mountains!
The girls had lots of fun showing Alexis all the fun things they do at the lake. They really enjoyed the boogie boards this visit and trying to surf on them. Imaginations and random playing is so great!
This is our lake (well it's lots of peoples lakes but we like to lay claim). We cannot say enough how grateful we are that Grandma and Grandpa let us stay at their trailer and enjoy these views! We are so grateful that we are able to visit the lake often and could share it with Alexis while she was here.
We enjoyed some fun and good food while camping. The girls loved making their own pizzas. Emilee turned her cheesy creation into a sandwich/taco so she could eat it without wearing it! There were lots of giggles and memories on this trip!
We had some great, colorful fires.
And lots of s'mores!
The girls made some fun creations with their light sticks.
No camping trip is complete without a stop at the ice cream store - yum!
We also spent some time at Lake Koocanusa showing Alexis the softer sand but colder water.
Cera, Emilee and Elizabeth really love being in the water! Even when it's colder water and they've already been swimming all day, they will still swim out to the dock and jump in multiple times. Our little fish love summer at the lake!
Aunt Tori introduced the girls to something new this year - roasted starbursts. Of course the girls fell in love with them (they do contain sugar!) and enjoyed them every fire they could. They liked the crispy outside with a gooey inside - like a roasted marshmallow, only better!!
We spent a lazy morning at the trailer one day reading and playing games. The girls like Grandma's new extra large yardzee game.
We enjoyed some yummy watermelon and Cera just had to get this picture taken. It's the same size of watermelon and pose as we took of her a couple years ago at the beach.
This was the picture taken in 2012.
When we got home from camping we decided the science center needed a visit. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed lots of time at the outdoor playground. They all loved the large newton's cradle and it's now on Cera's wish list. (maybe not the large version though!)
Elizabeth liked the large train whistles and especially playing them with her head. She was a little tall but figured it out. What a funny girl!
They took turns pushing each other in the big comfy swing.
We had a big dance party and our team created the most energy from our dancing!
We were at the right place at the right time to learn all about spinning plates on a stick. It's a lot harder than you think!
Elizabeth opted to impress everyone with her neck hula-hooping instead of spinning plates. It worked - the science center employees enjoyed her show!
Mom thought Em looked pretty cute in these glasses. Crazy moms!
On our way home we made a stop at the big mall which included Bass Pro. Mom gave in and let the girls play a game. You can tell guns aren't a big thing in our house as the girls weren't even totally sure how to hold them.
After a quick lesson, they took aim and tried to score a few points. We'll just say we didn't leave with a big prize (or high score) but we had a blast!
And no visit to Calgary is complete without trying a mikshake from Peter's Drive In! The girls all enjoyed their picks of flavors but none could finish their entire drink. That's a big shake!
During her visit, we introduced Alexis to a few new games. One of those games was the electric version of the game of life which became her favorite. She thought it was a great game and wanted to play it lots. We probably played a hundred years of the game during her visit! Great memories are made around a table, with friends and family and a great game!
We'd gone out to dinner one night and super bummer Mom wouldn't pay extra for the "fancy" kids desserts. Instead we went home and made our own the next day! All the girls loved making/designing their own worms in dirt (smashed oreo cookies and chocolate pudding). Luckily they liked eating them just as much!
We also decided to head to the bowling alley! The first game we played on a normal lane, which was fun, but then we headed over to a lane with bumpers for our second game. We all had fun on that lane as we couldn't get any gutter balls! The girls even got a few more strikes and spares.
We haven't gone bowling much as a family so it was fun to see the girls improve as they played and learned the best way to do things.
We had such a fun afternoon and were surprised with who came out with the top score!
After bowling the girls each had a few dollars to play with so they hit up the arcade games. The air hockey was a hit!
Dad was able to take a day off work so he could come play with us. He planned to take us to do some archery - another new experience for everyone! Hunger Games here we come!
After a quick lesson, we were off to shooting! (if that's what it's called?!)
Cera really enjoyed this new experience. She aimed at the closer targets for a bit and then switched to the targets on the back wall.
Elizabeth did great also! We pinned some balloons on the targets (thanks for the fun suggestion Uncle Tyler) and she popped 3! She came in second for the most balloons shot/popped.
Emilee was the champ of the day taking out balloons with a total of 6. She also won the first balloon challenge and therefore got to pick where to go for ice cream. (Although we were impressed with the other girls popping balloons as theirs were a lot further away.) It was a fun day and the girls are already asking when we can go back.
Alexis bought some sparklers at the dollar store, so we decided to have some fun with them one night. Mom pulled out her camera to catch some of the action.
The girls had fun making different shapes and then seeing how they turned out on the picture.
That X letter was a bit of a challenge to try to keep lined up. Sending our love to all of our family and friends!
The girls decided to try their initials. It took a bit for them to understand they needed them to do them backwards so they turned out the right way for everyone else. Em got an extra line in her E but maybe she was just trying to make two so Elizabeth was included.
Elizabeth really wasn't sure about the sparklers. She did a few holding someone's arm who was holding it. Finally the second night she put on her super brave girl pants and did one all by herself. Way to go Elizabeth!
We had so much fun while Alexis was visiting but exhausted when she left. It took a couple days to recover from all the playing, exploring, visiting and not getting enough sleep but it was so worth it. We hope she can come again soon and maybe bring the rest of the family with her!
