Skiing

During the break we took the kids to Wahala for their first skiing/snowboarding experience. We registered them for lessons in the morning with an instructor - Mac on skiis and Cole on snowboard - while Elroy and I went for a few runs down the hill. After the lessons, they were eager and raring to go. They both caught on really quickly and did an amazing job! By the end of the day, they were going down the Moderate slopes and they did not want to stop. I think the only break Cole took was to go to the washroom! We dragged them off the hills at the end of the day and headed home to soak our tired bodies in the hot tub. When Cole woke up the next morning, the first thing he said was "Can we go skiing again today??" I think that was the first of many ski trips to come!

Boxing Day

Boxing Day was spent with Grandma Marilyn, Grandpa John and Uncle Dwayne! Mackenzie played some Christmas Carols on the piano before we started. Mackenzie was very excited about all of her Paul Frank bedding that she received as well as a rock tumbler. Cole is now ready for some goalie action with some new mini-stick goalie pads. After gifts, we relaxed, played and watched the hockey game before we had some ham and pluma mouse. Yummy!

Christmas Day

Cole was the first one up on Christmas morning - 7:15 and he quickly woke up his sister who was sleeping peacefully. After we had a cup of coffee in our hands and the fire was going we began to open gifts. This year the kids used some of their own money and went shopping on their own to buy Elroy and I each a gift. They were very excited to give these to us. Elroy got a "Relaxation Kit" which included a soft, fleece blanket and a pillow. I got a tray and necklace from 10,000 Villages - very thoughtful gifts.
Cole was very excited about his new hockey jersey - Sydney Crosby and Mac loved her new i-pod dock. Poncho even got in on the action with his very own gift - an edible log!

In the final gift that the kids opened, they found 2 new travel bags with a set of instructions. They were to each look for 3 hidden letters inside of their bags and then unscramble the letters to spell their Mystery Vacation! It didn't take Mac long to find the letters and Cole was busy looking for his last letter when he pulled out the letter D and shouted "Disney"! Disney World here we come - Spring Break 2011!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve day with Grandma Ann & Grandpa Bernie (We sure were missing the rest of the gang from Mexico this year - it seemed very quiet and empty without them.) We were there bright and early in the morning. The kids were excited to see their Santa Boots filled with candy and their stockings overflowing with gifts. Elroy even got his very own poppy seed cake - spoiled brat!!! After opening gifts, we had a delicious brunch and then relaxed and enjoyed the day. Most of the adults settled in for a cozy nap and the kids set to work on their new police lego set and had it completed by the time we all woke up. The rest of the day was spent playing games, watching movies and relaxing before having some chicken cordon bleu for supper and then heading to church.

Mac's Hockey

Mackenzie has joined the hockey ranks this winter and is playing hockey once a week in a girls' rec program. She is really enjoying it and it's amazing how much she has improved from the beginning of the season. After Christmas, the girls are going to start wearing more equipment and learn more game skills. Way to go Mac!

Christmas Concerts

Mackenzie was very excited to have a role in the school Christmas Concert this year. She played the part of an Angel and had a few speaking lines that she needed to say. She did an amazing job and was a very angelic angel!
Cole was also very excited about his concert! He sang lots of fun Christmas songs and his class said two poems on stage. During one of the poems he played a reindeer character.

Hockey Boot Camp

Cole's hockey team had a Hockey Boot Camp right before Christmas! The kids came with their faces painted in camo ready for action! They had to push heavy objects across the ice, crawl through tunnels, jump through a ladder, a tug of war and many more activities. We had one tired boy on our hands when he came home.

Christmas is a Coming

There are a few traditions which seem to come up every year as we get ready for the Christmas season: 1) Baking Schmondt Kuche - Cream Cookies. The kids love to help with this and are getting pretty good at rolling their own dough and using the cookie cutters. 2)Chocolate houses with Grandma. The kids always look forward to creating their very own chocolate houses drenched in icing and candy! Thanks Grandma for helping us with this!
This year the kids had a special delivery from Grandpa - Candy Trees which he made himself. Thanks for the treats Grandpa!

Halloween

Pumpkin carving at our house usually looks like this: Mac is right in there and can not get enough of the slimy, gooey seeds and Cole is usually standing back complaining about the smell. This year he used a bandana to cover his face and a spoon so he would not have to touch the gooey seeds! Cole was a skeleton this year and Mac recreated one of my old costumes that I wore when I was a kids - Rubik Cube! We had alot of fun creating and making the costume. The kids went trick or treating on their own this year, which felt a little strange for us! Once again they came back with loads of candy!!!!

Mac's Birthday

For Mackenzie's birthday this year, she had to go on a scavenger hunt around the yard to pick up clues for her gift - a hamster cage and her very own hamster. She was so excited!! The following weekend we headed to the city to choose her hamster - Poncho!
Mackenzie celebrated her 10th birthday with a Alice in Wonderland Mystery Party. All of her friends came dressed as a specific character and using the clues left behind they had to solve the mystery of who stole the rabbit's pocket watch! The girls had a blast and were fun to watch as they really became their characters! They also had a great time in the hot tub afterward and they all stayed for a birthday sleepover.

Elroy's Birthday

We celebrated Elroy's 40th birthday by having some friends and family come over for a party. Elroy's friends were kind enough to provide him with a birthday outfit - 3 piece suit from MCC! Happy 40th!

Cole's Birthday

Cole celebrated his 7th birthday with a Super Hero Squad party! Thanks to the help of his sister, his guests were taken through some Super Hero Training including an obstacle course, Spiderman Tag, a Scavenger Hunt and some other fun games! The boys had lots of energy and were very eager to run around and wrestle!!! Happy Birthday Buddy!

Homeward Bound

Day 16 - Today we began our journey homeward. Unfortunately, the smoke was still hanging around and our drive down the first part of the scenic Ice Fields Parkway was filled with a smokey haze. We made a pit stop at the Columbia Ice Fields which had changed alot since I was last there when I was 3 years old. It was interesting to see where the Ice Fields had been over the years. We were not able to walk on them as it was too dangerous. After our stop, we continued on our way and made a picnic pit stop at Peyto Lake (bottom right picture). If you look closely, you can see that the lake is actually shaped like a wolf!!! (We only found out about this fact once we got home.) We continued on our way and made it to Aunty Kathy & Uncle Alvin's (east of Calgary) by supper. We spent a great evening catching up with them as well as my cousin Kristin, her husband Karl and their sweet little girl Madison. Thanks again for your hospitality and letting us crash at your place along the way.

Day 17 - The next morning, Kristin & Karl had us over for breakfast and then we were on our way for a quick stop in Drumheller. The kids loved all of the dinosaurs at the museum and had a great time exploring. After another quick picnic lunch, we continued on our way and made it all the way to Moose Jaw by the evening. We were all exhausted and ordered some pizza and went to bed!

Day 18 - Moose Jaw to Altona!!! We finally made it home just before supper. The kids were amazing travelers! Elroy also jumped into the back seat with them a few times to watch a movie and I successfully took over camper driving duties! After a long day, we were finally home! We had an amazing vacation - created so many wonderful memories, visited with lots of great people and saw a beautiful part of our country!!!
Now . . . where should we go next year?????

Jasper

Day 11 - Today was a travel day. We travelled from Sorrento to Blue River. Along the way, we stopped in Kamloops for some groceries, Clearwater for some fuel and to say hello to our old neighbour Jackson who managed the gas station and then onward to Blue River where we camped for the night.

Day 12 - We packed up camp quickly and got an early start in the morning. Along the way to Jasper we stopped in Valemount to watch the Salmon Run. We saw lots of salmon swimming up stream and also came upon 2 bald eagles looking for a feast. Our next stop before Jasper was Mount Robson. We stopped for a picnic lunch and then did some hiking along the Berg Trail. We arrived in Jasper just before supper and unfortunately the smoke from the forest fires in BC found their way to Jasper as well.

As we were getting some supper ready that evening, the kids were busy making a fort in our campsite using sticks they found on the ground, umbrellas, lawn chair s and blankets. We were all busy doing our own thing, when Mackenzie shouted out that there was an elk in our campsite. Sure enough, sauntering through our site was a young female elk. I quickly grabbed the fresh cantaloupe that was sitting on the picnic table and we all hurried into the camper. The elk walked right past us all and made her way across the road to some trees where she lay down for the night. I guess our campsite was on her route to her bed!!!! After supper we headed into town for some coffee and to do some exploring.

Day 13 - We woke up bright and early ready for our ride on the gondola up Whistler's Mountain. Unfortunately, the smoke from the forest fires was still hanging around, so the view from the top wasn't the best. We still had an amazing time though on top of the mountain. Once we got to the top, we had breakfast at the restaurant and then hiked all the way to the summit. Cole & Mac loved playing and climbing on all of the rocks along the way. It was also very windy up there. Once we got to the top, we found some snow to play in and the kids even built a mini snowman. We also received a call from Grandma Ann on top of the mountain, giving us an update on Grandpa Bern. Cole & Elroy decided to continue hiking to another vista, while Mac and I chose to stay at the top and build mini Inukshuks using the rock that were everywhere. After our hike back down (which was much easier than up), we rode the gondola back down the mountain and headed back into Jasper. My cousin Tab and her daughter Samantha, who live in Edmonton, joined us for lunch as they were passing through on their holiday. We had a great lunch and had a blast catching up.

Later that evening we went for a drive to Athabasca Falls, where we went on a short hike and explored the area surrounding the falls. It was a beautiful evening, and the kids still had an amazing amount of energy to burn off. The falls were extremely powerful and we were able to see how they had carved the landscape over many, many years. After a long and busy day, we headed back to the camper and crashed with a movie.

Day 14 - Today we had two destinations in mind - Maligne Canyon & Maligne Lake. Maligne Canyon involved another hike, which the kids were beginning to get tired of. We told them to suck it up and off we went hiking down into a beautiful canyon.

After our canyon hike we continue down the road to Maligne Lake. Along the way we saw a black bear along the side of the road eating berries. Apparently, most of the tourists did not know how to read and got out of their cars to take pictures of the bear, even though the signs said "Please stay in your vehicles!!!!" We used our sun roof once again, and had a great view of the bear. Once we got to Maligne Lake, we found a spot for a picnic lunch and then headed out on another hike along the shore of the lake. After all of that hiking, we were all pooped, and once again had a relaxing evening back at the campsite.

Day 15 - Today we ventured on a very twisty mountain road to Mount Edith Cavell to see some glaciers. We were not disappointed once we reached our destination. We first hiked through a glacial valley to a viewpoint where we could see 3 glaciers - Angel Glacier, Mount Edith Cavell Glacier (with a glacial lake in front of it) and Ghost Glacier. As we were hiking, we heard a thunderous crash and could see pieces falling off of Angel Glacier. Once we got to the Glacial Lake, the kids were eager to explore and touch the water and were fascinated by the chunks of ice floating on the lake. We heard another thunderous crash, and we saw a huge hunk of the Edith Cavell Glacier fall into the lake causing a humongous wave. The water first sucked back into the lake and then rose fairly quickly on the shore. We all stood there in utter amazement! It was very cool to see! When the trip was over and we asked the kids about highlights, this day was one of their top three memories!!!

If you look closely at the picture in the top left of this collage, you can see the wave beginning to form. The bottom right picture shows the piece of the glacier that fell off.

Our Trip West - Sorrento

Day 8 - We traveled from Radium to Sorrento with many interesting stops along the way. Our first stop was at Roger's Pass where my couisin Darrel works. He showed us around the visitor centre, a new memorial for an avalanche that occured when the railway was being built (bottome left) and took us on a few hikes. Our first hike was the Rock Gardens, where we hiked through a rock trail looking for hidden symbols. Our second hike, was the Big Cedars where we saw enormous cedar trees towering above us. We even found some very fresh bear poop along the trail. We then made our way to Revelstoke, where we stopped at the Train Musuem and checked out the some model trains, an old steam train and learned about the history of the railroad in the area.

Our journey to Sorrento continued on and our next stop was The Enchanted Forest. It was a beautiful cedar forest filled with enormous trees and every storybook and nursery rhyme character that you could imagine. The kids had a blast in here and loved posing for pictures and exploring all of the displays.

Right beside The Enchanted Forest was the SkyTrek Adventure! There was a kids rope course which was about 10 feet off the ground and took the kids about 30 minutes to complete. They had a blast climbing and maneuvering around the course. Both of them made it through without falling and having to rely on their harness to keep them up!
We finally arrived in Sorrento at Aunty Verna & Uncle Dieter's after an eventful and exciting day! We were now ready for a weekend of R & R!!

Day 9 - Aunty Verna was our official tour guide on Saturday and took us around the area to see some of the sights. We began our tour at the Recline Winery, where we were able to sample some delicious varieties of wine. After that, we headed to Gort's Gouda Cheese Farm to sample and buy some fresh gouda cheese. Cole was not impressed with this part of the tour, as he did NOT like the smell of the cheese. A fresh fruit stand was our next stop, where we paused for an ice cream and bought our fair share of cherries, peaches, nectarines etc. Next stop was Salmon Arm, where we picked up some fresh Bratwurst for supper and toured the harbour where we saw some of the many houseboats found on the Shuswap Lake. We then went for an amazing hike at Margaret Falls through a small canyon. Lots of trees and places to explore. After an amazing supper of Bratwurst, Verna & Dieter took us to the Par 3 Golf Course in their neighbourhood. We all had a great round of golf - Elroy almost had a hole in one, I kept hitting the ball into the gully and Cole was interesting to watch as he had to use Elroy's adult clubs and nearly spun himself into the ground on every shot!!! The evening concluded with a puppet show put on by Mackenzie & Cole and some star gazing on the deck! Another great day!

Day 10 - Today was Aunty Verna's birthday!!! Elroy & Dieter took over breakfast duties and we had a great breakfast on the deck with bacon & eggs and lots of fresh fruit. Mackenzie & Cole decorated a birthday cake for Aunty Verna. (I think there was more icing on the kids than the cake.) Mackenzie Kate received a special gift from Aunty Verna, a framed prayer cross stitch that Grandma Kate had made in the 1940's. Aunty Verna sat down with Mackenzie and wrote a story about Grandma Kate's life. We spent the afternoon lazing around. Cole was busy cleaning his toy 4-wheeler from Dieter and was very happy to help Darrel wash his truck. I think Cole & Darrel were more wet than the truck by the time they were through. We also started a new tradition of "Steak Faspa" which is pretty much steak supper in the middle of the afternoon. After our Steak Faspa we headed to the beach for some swimming. Another great day with family and tomorrow it was time to move on to Jasper.

Our Trip West - Radium

Day 7 - We travelled from Banff to Radium through the Kootenay Mountains. It was another beautiful drive. We stopped along the way for a hike to the Paint Pots - bottom left picture. This is an area which is fed by ground water and contains ochre which produces a paint like substance. When we arrived in Radium, we noticed that our camper slide needed some minor repairs, so after that was taken care of we headed to the Radium Hot Springs for the evening to enjoy both the cool and hot pools. The kids had a blast doing tricks off of the diving board into the cool pool and I loved being able to sit and relax in the hot pool. The kids were very excited to see Mountain Sheep by the pool.

Day 8 - White Water Rafting on the Kootenay River!! The kids were super excited about this day! Our rafting adventure began at 9:00 am where we boarded an old school bus and traveled for about 45 minutes down to the river. The kids were geared up with wet suits, rain jackets and river shoes and we were provided with rain gear and river shoes. After a few basic lessons in rafting we were on our way. The day began as a beautiful sunny day, but by the time coffee break rolled around the clouds also rolled in. We had around 10 people in our raft and the kids sat in a safe spot in the middle. The scenery was amazing and we even saw a small black bear climbing the side of the river bank. We traveled through Class 1, Class 2 and some Class 3 rapids where we all got a good splash and had to paddle hard and then hold on as we went through them. Just before we stopped for lunch, it began to drizzle. After lunch, it continued to rain for a while and then cleared up for a while. Right after we passed the waterfall (picture bottom left), dark clouds rolled in and it began to rain once again and then HAIL and thunder!!! After paddling through this for about 10 minutes it finally cleared up and we once again were paddling in sun, but by this point we were all soaking wet, except for the kids who were wearing wet suits. Despite all of the adverse weather condition, we loved every minute of our rafting adventure. We traveled 40 kilometres down the river and saw some amazing scenery and wildlife. For the kids, it was one of their highlights of the trip! We boarded the bus for a hour and a half bumpy ride back to our campsite. We arrived back around 6:30, made some supper, popped in a movie and relaxed!!