Cousin Camp and our trip "Sans Enfants!"

This past week Jewel hosted a Rausch Family Cousin Camp at her home for all of her siblings' kids.   The kids were invited- but her siblings and spouses were not!   I'll admit, I never really embraced this idea (I think I may have told her she was crazy. ...several times) but she forged ahead and counted on each of our kids showing up.

When the day arrived, our kids could hardly contain their excitement and I was so impressed with all that Jewel had done to prepare for this.   She had a stage ready for their "Cousins got Talent" night.   She had a schedule that was FULL of fun activities.  Every kid was assigned to a group with an older cousin in charge.   They had jobs to do, meals to cook, journals to keep and more!!   

It all looked like so much fun I found myself wanting to stick around too.   ....almost;)

John and I left the kids at Jewels and sat around for a while wondering what the heck we were going to do with this span of three days.    Naturally- waterton was calling our name!

Because I was a little short sighted, I'd only booked the campsite for one night, which meant that we had exactly 24 hours from the time we checked in- to the time we picked up the kids, to make the most of our waterton trip.  We resolved to tackle some of the things we'd not easily do with our young kids.   

It started with a hike into Wall Lake.  Not nearly as difficult as I'd imagined, in fact it was really quite lovely!  Here I am thinking we were so cool because we'd like hiked all the way into BC.   Pretty tough eh?   haha

Wall lake itself is GORGEOUS!!!   John is not one to stay at the front of the lake and whenever possible, he likes to circle the whole darn thing- so that is exactly what we did!  Once we'd scaled over that ice cliff at the top of the lake, we found a great spot to pull out our fishing rods.   It was the best fishing experience we'd ever had.  We caught fish almost every cast!   We caught so much fish that we actually got bored of the little ones.   The water was so clear and pristine and I found myself wishing I'd have the guts to just go right in for a swim.   (Then I fell in - and that settled that!;)

There was only a trail around 1/3 of the lake and so we were definitely scaling shail and bushwhacking for the rest of time.   It was pretty fun!!

When we finished the hike it was roughly 4:00 and we decided on a whim to head right on down the road to Cameron Lake.  We'd been wanting to row to the far end of the lake for a long time now (naturally) and figured this was as good a time as any.    I was so impressed that after a 12 k hike, John still had the energy to row a DINGY for 3 hours once all was said and done.   

(He's pretty tough;)   

The far end of Cameron is soo pretty and so lush!! I never would have known this but the mountain wall is covered with little waterfalls and you can hear them all cascade around you as you fish in the water below.   It was so serene!   (And of course, true to John's theory- the fishing was great at the top of the lake!)

The next morning we got up early, packed up our tent, had breakfast at Wieners of Waterton and set off for another delightful hike!  This time Carthew-Alderson.   Considering how easy Wall lake had been, I was definitely not prepared for the uphill climb that is this hike.   (7 km each way)   I also wasn't prepared for how beautiful this hike is!   Alderson was smaller than Wall lake, but had a similar wall at the head of it.    John fished here and caught a couple of fish while I spent some time identifying some flowers.   We ate some snacks and then made our way back down to the town site so that we'd be able to meet up with our kids at the right time.

I was definitely missing those little goobers by this point, and it was such a happy sight to see Jewel, Chad, Crystal and all our kids pull up to our meeting place.   (Lost Horse Creek is a GREAT alternative to Red Rock by the way.  LOTS of great rocks, waterslides, and privacy;)    Here we played with the kids, Jewel fed us a delicious meal, and everyone shared all of the highlights of their week.   SUCH a fun evening!

What a great week that was.  It was great to spend time with John.  It was great to get the cousins together.  And it was great to see my siblings!

I'm so thankful that Jewel stepped up to do this (not everyone would so willingly;) but it proved to be a remarkable week for those lucky little cousins.  Definitely a Highlight!!!

Lazy Day down by the River

I have not gotten together with my sister Jewel for a month.  A MONTH!   Actually, it's been a lot longer than that since I've even seen my other siblings, but considering the fact that Jewel and I live a blessed block and a half away, I think it is fairly ridiculous that we've not really gotten together sooner.   Ridiculous, but definitely understandable.  (Our normal routine includes phone calls, swapping childcare, and running into each other at school/church functions.   There is nothing "normal" about our summer routine;)   

On one particularly warm afternoon last week though, Jewel called up and invited my kids down to the creek with her and her kids.   Kendal was painting, John was fencing, and none of us had company for the first time in weeks, so it appeared as though the stars were aligned!

My kids were THRILLED to go down to play, especially since Jewel's fam was visiting our cousins dog Banjo for the week.   Banjo has become an instant hit, and I'm praying that Jewels fam gets a Ridgeback of their own sometime soon.   (That way John and I will be the only ones in my family without any pets and our kids will think we are super cool for that one;)  

The kids (minus Nate, who stayed home because I lied and told him that the others had to go "work") found a snake, swam in the water and enjoyed feeling like they know what it's like to own a dog.   

Pretty great way to spend a lazy summer day!!!    

R.I.P "Hotstuff"

A couple of years ago John and I made an impulsive decision, gave into the persistent pleading of our children and got a couple of fish for them as pets.   Sam wisely named his fish Poseidon, but sold him a year later in an effort to make a fast $10.    Jessica named her fish "Hot Stuff" and never really gave him much thought after that.    (Clearly my kids grow deep attachments to their pets;)  

Over the course of the past year I have been the one to feed her fish, change it's water, and give it the love my kids didn't seem capable of giving it.   I'd often tell the kids that I was the only reason that poor little fish was still swimming.   Turns out this was true :( 

With all the company we had over the past week or two, poor little Hot Stuff took a back seat entirely, even to me, and after all of the family had left, I went to feed it, only to realize I was about 10 days too late!   Sigh....

The kids wanted to hold a funeral for "Hot Stuff," not because they felt a deep sense of loss or anything, but more because they have a morbid sense of humour;)   Here were some of the sentiments that were shared:

Jessica:  He was a beautiful little guy!

Sam:  He was always so nice.

John: He never complained.  And he taught us that even when it seems like nobody notices you, or cares for you, you just need to be patient, until you can't be patient anymore.   

And with that, we ended our journey as Pet Owners.

Let's hope we've learned our lesson!!!!

The "After Party"

We all got home from John's family reunion on July 19th, only we weren't alone.   For ten days more, the party continued, on this side of the border, as a few of John's brothers and there families came up to stay.    Here's just a FEW of the highlights:

As soon as we'd all adequately rested (and recovered from a week in Kalispel;) we loaded everyone up and went out to Waterton.    The afternoon started out a bit chilly, but that wasn't going to stop the kids from playing in the water.    Jessica had a blast with Libby, Emma and Mary the entire week long, and the four of those girls got along so well it was perfect.   Know what else was perfect?

Baby Max's little smile, that's what!   

Luce and I had decided that the best thing to do for dinner that night was to have Luci make Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw, and I think we definitely made the right decision on that one;)   While Luci got everything ready - the rest of us played down by the water, because naturally, they weren't quite wet enough already;)    Here's something important that I need to say:   Pulled pork sandwiches are the best.   Like...the best, especially when covered with coleslaw.

  (Big Scoop ice cream for dessert doesn't hurt either;)    

After we ate, and despite the fact that it was way past little babies bedtime, we drove up to Cameron Lake for a bit of fishing.    It was cool to point out and notice the changes that have resulted along this road due to last years flooding.  More than once I wanted to stop and take photos, but couldn't because I knew that would have annoyed everyone!  haha.   Other fun things to note about this night:  

*Sam caught his first fish of the year, much to his delight!

* Jessica caught an old fish head, much to my dismay;)

* Jordan did his best to tolerate the mosquitoes

* We saw a moose on the drive down

*The Sunset was gorgeous that night, and as I drove home with a van full of girls, I was touched to hear my daughters and nieces singing to their favourite church songs, and talking to each other about Heaven and Family.  It was pretty darn sweet!

Another day, we ventured out to St.Mary's Dam to show them all one of our very favourite places.    

The dam wasn't open very much, which was too bad, but I suppose that made it safer for the little kids.   John immediately set everyone to work looking for fossils, and it was literally not two minutes before my niece Emma found what John was certain was the tip of a T-Rex TOOTH!!!!  

We were all pretty convinced and this lucky find helped enthuse the rest of us who now wanted to find one too;)   Just as we were about to leave, John's brother Ammon surprised us all by finding ANOTHER tooth tip.   What a lucky day!!!!

In case you are skeptical, John recently showed these teeth to a local fossil expert/archaeologist who confirmed that they are undoubtedly end parts of either a T-Rex tooth or teeth from a predecessor of the T-Rex.  How cool is that?    That makes for three T-Rex teeth that John has watched people find in this spot, and those three finds have caused John and his friend to think that this could mean that there is a legit skeleton somewhere under all that rock.  We have permission to send these teeth on to Emma and Ammon now, however the Tyrell Museum may eventually want them back IF such a skeleton was ever unearthed.   So fun!!!

After a little fossil hunting, we led them over to Walleyes Beach.  Or what existed of it.  (The water was high, and the mosquitoes were plenty;)   haha

I should probably interject right now and point out that these kids, over the course of those 17 days, ate a total of 51 meals together.  51 MEALS!!  Not once did they argue, or fight.  Sure, the occasional plate of food was thrown over the balcony, but overall I think these kids were awesome together!!

Abby, in particular impressed me so much as she took a keen interest in all the babies.  Whether it was Savanna, Blythe, Jaden or Max- if there was a baby around, she was looking after it.   She seemed to grow up right in front of my eyes over the past couple of weeks, and now every time I look at her I feel sad!  And grateful.  So, so very grateful for her and the help that she was!

Ok, enough gushing about Abby, back to the recap.  Towards the end of the week, Ben and Kat came down again and we were able to all go out to Waterton together again.   We tackled the smallest of hikes to Blackiston Falls.  The kids enjoyed it, but what they really enjoyed was playing in that wonderful Red Rock water!  Sigh...it was beautiful!!!   And of course, nothing tops up a trip to Wateron quite like hot dogs at Wieners of Waterton and Ice Cream at Big Scoop!!!   

Is it possible to ever get bored of this?   I think not!!!!!

So that is it.  We said good bye to Ammon & Kristin on Firday, and Jordan & Luci left on Monday.  

We've spent the last few days recovering from colds, cleaning up, catching up on yard/garden work and trying to re-establish some sort of a normal routine.  (I use the term "normal" loosely;)  

We had a crazy, busy, silly, happy, exhausting, memorable, FABULOUS couple of weeks!  

Not a bad way to spend the first half of summer;)

Blurry Recap

We arrived home from our week long family reunion a little under a week ago, and I am just now trying to recap some of the fun that was had.    (I was too tired then.   Sadly, I'm still too tired, but I realize that if I don't record some of the highlights - this old brain of mine might forget them altogether!!! ;)

The drive down was a beautiful one as we chose to go down through Glacier!   There was still a tonne of snow up at the top of the pass and the waterfalls were all flowing fiercely which made for a spectacular ride.   (It's on my list of "summer must do's" to drive that road again this next month and snap some photos)   It was beautiful!!!

My main worry that Sunday was that nobody would be happy with the accommodations as that was one of John's and my responsibilities.    I'd spent weeks agonizing over all of the things that could have gone wrong, because clearly, it helps so much to worry about things preemptively;)   

In the end, the accommodations were great!  The cabin easily accommodated all 40 of our sleepers, and each family had their own room, which gave us reason to celebrate for sure!

Monday was spent at the cabin taking family photos and enjoying the traditional carnival.  (Each family is in charge of a game/activity and some families really outdid themselves this year around!)   The kids always look forward to this event, which can't really be said for the "family photo event."  (Monday is always a love/hate kinda day;)      

We did enjoy a day at Big Sky Water slides as well, but I intentionally left my camera behind.  It was a cool morning water sliding, but warmed up nicely in the afternoon.    It's definitely no Seven Peaks or anything, but I think the cousins enthused each other and had a fun time!

Glacier consumed one of our days, and it started with lunch along the shore by Hotel McDonald.  

 I LOVED hiking to Avalanche Lake.   I found three flowers I'd not before seen - Queens Cup and Solomon's Seal and Alpine Forget me nots.  Beautiful!!!

This was definitely Nate's longest hike ever and I was proud of him for accomplishing it.   He had to be carried for about 10 minutes on the ascent, and then pretty much the whole way down - BUT he didn't whine!!  So...that's a win;)

Avalanche Lake is a gorgeous lake and I think John fell in love with it the moment he discovered the fish were biting!

This reunion also marked a new event that was a hit with the kids.   A family Auction!!  

Each family brought toys, treats and all sorts of fun things to donate and then each family was given points to to use when bidding on items they'd like.  

The kids all enjoyed this and there were relatively few tears, excluding Nate's;)  He suffered some major anxiety as he watched the coveted light sabre which he worried would go to someone else.  He was over the moon delighted when his bid for it won, and it was all fun and games for him after that!

                                                Nate wasn't the only happy camper that night;)

Another day was spent on Flathead Lake enjoying Seadoos, and a pontoon.   

Abby and John could have spent their entire time on the boats - in fact, I think John did!!!

On Friday the whole family participated in a silly sock run.  The kids had spent time decorating socks in all sorts of crazy ways and then on Friday they ran a fun, lighthearted run.    It was cute watching every family member cross the finish line.   

My favourite event of our reunions are always the Girls Night Out.  Over the years, it has turned into a "Favorite Things Party" and we LOVE it!  I feel like I have been blessed with amazing sisters and sisters in law, (on both sides) and this evening is a fun chance to celebrate with some of them.   

John and Sam went white water rafting with some of the others.   Abby wanted badly to go too, but she'd gotten a bit sick that day with some bug that was going around.   Poor thing:(   

I think John would have loved more rapids but Sam thought it was wicked cool!!!

Those were some of the highlights of the week.    

John has a remarkable family who know how to party in a big way.  

I'll admit, I was a wee bit exhausted, but as we drove home at the end of the week (with many of his family joining us) I felt grateful for the time we got to spend there with all of them.   

Here's to the Cougar Trail Ranch.  Thanks for another great family reunion!!!

Taking a Break...

We've been frantically trying to pull things together lately in preparation for a VERY busy July.

From here on out our days are filled back to back with reunions.   And reunions.   And reunions!

On Wednesday evening, the very second John walked in the door (he's been building fences and is gone always;) we high tailed it out to Waterton.  It was a totally impromptu decision, but it was born of this intense need I had to get out of town and relax.   (It was pretty much bite one more person's head off - or chill.  And waterton is the perfect place to do just that.   ...Chill.)

 The kids only agreed to the drive, so long as they could play at the watermark.   I lost a lot of money this night because I promised the kids that whoever would stand under the pail of water and get soaked would get paid.   (Darn kids always hold me to it too!;)   It was pretty breezy out while they played, so I guess they deserved every penny.

The highlight of the night was taking the kids to Wieners of Waterton for dinner.   Thanks to a gift card I'd gotten for my birthday we really splurged and the kids got whatever they wanted.   

(PS:  If you've never tried their fried pickles before, I don't know what you're waiting for!)

After dinner, the kids talked us into trying out the newest ice cream shop (frozen yogurt really) called Mountain Top Frozen Yogurt Shop.    It's delicious, and the kids were shocked that we were actually spending money on restaurant food, because we NEVER let them talk us into eating out.   haha.   That's what happens when Mom relaxes, you know?

After that, we walked down to Emerald Bay and watched as the kids swam in the water and fished.  For Christmas, every kid got their very own fishing rod, so this was super fun for us to see them all learning and loving it!!

It was a perfect evening!!

...So perfect in fact that on Friday night, despite the mountain of work, cleaning, packing and preparing that we had to do, we ditched it all and made for the mountains one last time.   The whole way up to Cameron lake, I seriously questioned our sanity as I knew we did NOT have time for this.  

But- once there, what was there to do but relax and enjoy it! ;)

A lovely woman in my ward who I've been serving with in Relief Society made us a Banana Creme Pie earlier in the day.   Our favourite way to eat in Waterton (minus eating out of course;) I carefully packed it in a cooler and hauled it up for dessert. 

 "Banana Creme Pie on the dock of Cameron lake, watching the sun go down and listening to the sound of loons float across the water."  

Yup, you can be jealous if you want.  In fact, you really should be, it was absolutely dreamy;)  

The rest of the evening was spent fishing with the kids (in the boat and from a dock) and entertaining Nate by taking silly photos together.   

Both Abby and Jess caught fish that night.  Abby brought hers home to eat some time soon, but I couldn't quite get the hook out of Jessica's fishes mouth and I was feeling kinda sad for the poor thing dying in my hands - so I threw it back.   When John found that out he totally got mad at me and said something about how it was just going to die in the lake, why would I throw it (and our fly) into the water - but you know what, I just couldn't watch the thing struggle anymore.    

John knows better than to tease about it now, but Jess has not stopped telling me that I owe her a fly!

We really really REALLY needed these two nights.   

We're back home now, and "busy" is in full force, but even looking at these pictures gives me a quieter more peaceful feeling.   

I'm looking forward to going back!!!

Celebrating the True North

Canada Day was a fun day for us.  Here were some of the Highlights:

* Watching the parade in Raymond

* Enjoying delicious cinnamon buns purchased from a bake sale

* Drawing "Poop circles" on the road before the parade.   (A little game we learned from Kendalls family.   If a parade horse poops in your circle- you win!)  

* Watching Jewel, Kendall and ALL of their extended Fairbanks family in the parade.   

What a HUGE group!!

* Getting pizza from a yummy new pizza place in town

* Visiting the card home (I love museums)

* watching movies all afternoon

* BBQ chicken salad for dinner

* Attending a Party in the Park in the evening.  

* Cotton Candy, Hot Dogs, Pop, and oodles of leftover parade candy 

* Finding a new favourite spot to watch fireworks

* Getting home close to midnight and everyone falling into bed, exhausted but happy after a day of celebrating the BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

Feeling Pretty Grateful!!!

That time I tried to relax...

Whoever said Summer was relaxing - never knew me.   Or had four kids.   

I remember the moment this week when summer vacation officially commenced.  It was at approximately 12:15 on Tuesday afternoon, and began the moment 4+ kids came barreling through the front door.   They dropped their backpacks, coats, lunches, and every remnant from their desks/cubbies in the front entryway and dispersed making all sorts of demands, and leaving little scattered trails of chaos in their wake.   

One of them wanted to set up a lemonade stand (because despite the fact that it wasn't even very hot out- it was freakin' summer, so why not?), one of them wanted to have three friends over (not one, not two... but three), and the other two plunked themselves down in the office right smack dab in front of the computer.  (I knew at that moment that if I didn't do something to derail that train- that is where they would spend the entire summer!) 

This all happened within a span of ten minutes, and then things got really busy!!!  haha.

In an effort to curb the lack of control I was feeling, I sat down at my computer and began to make up a Summer "to do" list/schedule.    I calendared every appointment, meeting, holiday, commitment that I knew of.  I calendared every family visit we are anticipating, and I calendared every activity we hope to accomplish as a family.    Then,  I made a list for John ...and one for each of my kids.   I scheduled his fencing jobs, made a list of their piano songs that need to be mastered by the end of August, wrote out a list of books they each must read....that kind of thing.

Shortly after all that list making,  I came to the realization that there is a distinct possibility that I may have OCD tendencies.   ...Maybe.  

Usually I like being this way, feeling organized and stuff, but this time - it was just stressing me out and I knew there was only one thing to do, so I picked up the phone and booked an appointment with a new hairdresser in town.   Is there anything more relaxing than a head massage and fresh highlights?   I think not!

I showed up almost on time, plunked myself down in her chair and told her that I'd love a trim and perhaps a "few low lights,  with a tinge of red in them."   I sat back and left her to work her magic, all the while I could hear her prodigy son playing classical music on the piano upstairs.    (Ever had your hair professionally shampooed while listening to Chopin?    If not, you really should,  it's lovely.)

Anyways, things seemed to be fine and I felt relaxed (ur...semi relaxed) as she began to blow-dry my hair.  Strangely though, the dryer that my hair got...the more purple it began to seem!   I wasn't going to panic, because surely, surely my hair had not just been dyed purple.  I probably just needed to get outside where the lighting was better.    I paid her, thanked her, told her how much I LOVED it and ran to my van where I was finally able to really inspect things.

Yup - purple hair.   

I HAD PURPLE HAIR!!!!

 My mind instantly went to all of the things I had going on over the next couple of days.   Ward temple night...Grad ceremony the day after...company was coming for dinner...and here I was with PURPLE HAIR!     

For the next two days, as I struggled to find a hairdresser (on grad weekend) that could squeeze me in and fix things, this purple hair of mine consumed me.    I wandered around town with a hoodie secured tightly around my head, I avoided everyone, I had no patience,  and heaven help the soul who dared call me with a request.   I mean, didn't they know I had PURPLE HAIR!!!   

So much for relaxing!  

Now, here is the moral of this sad, pathetic little story.  In the end, things turned out alright.  

 Due to my appearance, John didn't let me attend our ward's temple night with him, so I no longer had to worry about that.  Nor, did I go to Grad with him the next night either, much to his relief.   And as for the company we were expecting for dinner?    Well... I was able to find a hairdresser (last minute) who worked on my hair from 6:00-10:45 pm- so I ultimately missed out on that too.    Luckily, (because I'm so hospitable;) I had left a meal in the crock pot and a note with my daughter telling them to "come on in and enjoy the meal!"   Not too classy, I know, but the point is - it ALL WORKED OUT.    It ALWAYS does!!!

WHY can't I just tell myself that right off the bat?   

Why worry?  Why stress?

I have a friend, who I admire so much, who is going through something more stressful than anything I could ever imagine and despite all that weighs on her, she has chosen to live with the phrase "Let's Just Do Today" as her mantra.    Let's.Just.Do.Today.  I mean really, how beautiful is that?   

I was reminded of the importance of that this week as I worried, and fretted about summer logistics, and hair logistics, and every other logistic that just doesn't really matter.  Not in the end.   

So I'm going to start summer all over again, and I plan on enjoying the whole summer one blessed day at a time!  

Even the days that are a little more purple than others!!

Waterton Wildflower Festival

Some friends of ours were camping in Waterton for the week (last week) and on Monday night, John, I and the kids went out to join them for dinner.   It was their daughter Olivia's 12th birthday AND it was also Day 4 of the Waterton Wildflower festival - two PERFECT reasons for us to get out there and enjoy a beautiful evening!!!

We went up to Lost Horse Creek, where Shauna threw together a delicious Taco dinner.   

The kids explored, quoted "The Lego Movie" incessantly, whittled sticks, and paired off in little groups.   (ninjas over here...spy kids over there...)   

Thanks to all of the rain we'd received the week before, the rivers and creeks were RUSHING!   

...And the mountainside was BRIMMING with wildflowers!!!   

It was a perfect evening, spent in a beautiful place, with some of our favourite friends!!!

Not a bad way to kick off Summer, if I do say so myself!