A final Adventure

I sure know how to plan our family vacations!

Back in the spring, I had made efforts to secure a campsite (no small feat when a kajillion other people are fighting to do the same thing) in the Kananaskis. We had driven through the area a year ago and were in awe of its vastness and beauty. We knew we wanted to get back.  I managed to get a spot for mid-August, and though I try to avoid camping in August (it's always cooler than July) I figured it couldn't be too cold, right?   

Wrong. 

As we were arriving, cold, wet, fluffy flakes were falling all around us and my hopes of a "summer camp" faded away as I considered the fact that I had not packed anything more than hoodies and toques. 

How did we survive our freezing cold winter-summer camp, you ask?

Well- thanks to the fact that I'd booked a swanky little Trappers tent to stay in - we managed just fine. (Thank you very much!)

I mean sure, there were times when it was so cold that we didn't know what to do for fun, times when we got so cold we just huddled up in the van for warmth, and times when we got so tired of shivering we came close to packing it all in and heading home.

But overall - we managed just fine. 

Mostly because of this guy. 

John was handy to have around (as always), what with his doing of everything, his cooking, and his occasional reminders to us that we were being complete and utter wimps. If it weren't for John - we surely would have called it quites. 

And I'm glad we didn't, because after our brush with hypothermia that first night, the sun came out (doesn't it always?;) and we were blessed with the most perfect 2nd half of our getaway ever!!

How charming is this set up!

K-country (that's what us rustic people call the Kananaskis) is full of picturesque rivers, lakes, mountains, and trails. John would have been happy to fish the whole time. 

If only it were that easy. 

You see, I had this long list of things that I wanted us to experience, and seeing as we had lost a day (re: our near-death experience) we had a lot of ground to cover. 

First off, a small family hike to Troll Falls!

It's a pretty simple hike that took us to a great waterfall that we could walk behind. 

I love waterfalls like this! The funniest thing about this hike though was the troll dolls that were hidden along the trail. There were signs along the way, letting you know that if you found a troll, it was yours to take home. Abby claimed a cute, blue-haired little thing. 

That afternoon, we found ourselves soaking in the sun at Upper Kananaskis Lake.

John (of course) had to try to walk around it, fishing rod in hand. Abby and Jess took the paddleboards out to the island. Sam and Nate tossed a ball on the shoreline and took Radar on walks. 

I just lied there on the rocky shore, covered my face with a jacket, and literally let the sun warm me all the way through. 

Our 2nd night went way smoother (warm, dry clothes work wonders) and we stayed up past dark eating hot dogs, s'mores, and visiting. 

I made sure to remind the kids often that this was our last family vacation before Abby's move to Edmonton. 

Could this really be our last adventure as a family?  

(At least as the family we have been for these past 18 years.) 

Will my four kids ever again pile into the same vehicle to go camping?

Will we ever again cram into one tent together?

Will I ever again get to lay on a shore and listen to the voices of my five favorite people drift over a lake?

 I'm hoping and praying for more days, exactly like these!