Sam's Birthday and a couple of A.W.O.L frogs

Our Sam man had a birthday last week!    We were so very thrilled to get to celebrate this 10 year old of ours, but we were also so very tired of all the parties we've been having.   

It's hard, partying all the time, you know?

In our family though, we alternate between "friend Parties" and "Family Parties" and unfortunately for me - this happens to be the year for friend parties.  

I tried to talk Sam out of it, suggesting alternative ideas, offering to pay HIM what I would have spent on a party ... all to no avail.  He wanted his friends and that was that!

About four days before his birth date, I finally buckled down and faced the reality that there was one more party to plan and worry about enjoy;)  Luckily, we had the most genius, last minute idea EVER!

...Wallys Beach!!!

If you've never been to Wally's beach before - well...you've obviously not come to visit us.  It is where we take all of our family when they come to visit and we can't think of anything else to do.  

It's fun.

It's laid back.

It's sandy.

It's.....

...usually much much wetter than this!

When we arrived with Sam and his friends, we were shocked to see just how low the water had gotten.   You see that pile of rocks, right there?That used to be covered in water.
 (In fact, just a few weeks earlier, we had been paddle boarding on that very spot!)    You can see the trees off in the distance that mark the Island that the kids often talked about swimming out to.   Of course, on this day, all it took was a dry, hot, sandy stroll  -and they were there.   Crazy!!!

Thankfully, there was still some water to be enjoyed.

We recently heard someone refer to Wallys beach as Cardston's Caribbean.   It's a suiting nickname.   

We spent a chunk of Sam's party playing in the sand, swimming in the water, soaking in the mud and catching frogs!  (the receding water has made for great swampy areas - perfect for frog hunting!)

As an extra effort to make Sam's party fun - John was equipped and ready to feed us all burgers or hot dogs, watermelon and more!  Mmmmm....

It ended up being the most relaxing birthday party we've ever thrown.   How could that me?

I was inwardly super thrilled when, on the way home, as I was buying them slurpees before dropping them off, I heard one kid tell Sam, "This has been the coolest birthday party ever!" 

VICTORY!!!

Listen up parents - I seemed to have figured out the key to throwing a successful party and I am willing to share it with you now:

1. zero planning

2. marginal effort

3. Mud

4. Water

5. Sand

6. Slurpees

It really was a pretty fun day and I enjoyed watching Sam with his buddies, all of them are such fun boys!

If I had to point out any negative part of the day it would be that many of them returned home with frogs in tow.  

 Nate had one stored up in a paper cup and I really don't know when he decided to not care about it anymore, but I've not seen it since taking this picture.   One friend of Sam's apparently brought several home in his water bottle.   We didn't know this at the time, but figured it out much later that day as we were cleaning out the van and found a piping hot bottle of water under the back seat.   (it was gross and quite frankly a tragic way for a bunch of frogs to die.)   Jessica actually brought two frogs home, made a Tupperware container cage for them and took loving care of her new found pets for the entire day!    We were relieved to find that at least someones frogs had survived.  

Sadly, the next morning we woke up to Jessica's confused exclamations that her two frogs had gone missing.  A few things I'd like to point out at this time:

1.  A Tupperware container is NOT a cage

2.  I have said it before and I'll say it again - we are not a PET kind of family.

3.  There is not a thought more gross to me then to wonder where, in my house, those two frogs could be.  Sometimes, as I fall asleep at night, I worry that I'll wake up in the morning with one of them staring me in the face.   

Oh for the love - that day had been almost perfect.

Now, please excuse me while I go search for some missing frogs!;)

The Meadows

Nestled in a charming little valley just below the majestic Chief Mountain is a happy little chunk of land (owned by a few very cool people) called "The Meadows."  Our friends, Curtis and Mandi, have a trailer here and this past week we were invited to join them for a day of fun!

I wish I had taken a picture of this road from the top as we afraid.  It is crazy steep and I was genuinely afraid that our van would start doing somersaults all the way down.  Once we safely made it down, I wondered if our van would ever make it back up to the main road.  As it would turn out, I soon discovered that this wouldn't be a bad place to be stranded after all!

The Creek that runs through it was so warm and shallow enough for Nate to safely navigate his way through any part of it.    The kids all had a blast splashing and swimming.   Sam spotted several fish just a few feet from him.

...and Jess found that a luxurious mud bath was more her cup of tea;)

Mandi's Dad (who is an amazing local photographer) took John and I on a ride to see the meadows from a couple of different angles.  He clearly knew where all the best views were!  I don't know what was more fun- careening through the forest and up and down hills in the Ranger, or stopping for every spectacular shot we saw.   It was beautiful!

It was pretty fun talking with Mandi's Dad about photography.   You learn a lot listening to him, and occasionally he pulls out one of his cameras for you to test out;)

After supper we went for a walk up that big steep hill we drove down when we arrived.  

And my original assessment was right - this hill was ridiculously steep and we would probably never be able to leave.  Sigh...what a pity;)

We reached the top, just as the sun was starting to set, which made for the pretties, softest light.

I LOVE Chief Mountain!  One of these summers I am going to hike that mountain.  

For now, I'll stick to photographing it;)    I actually am trying to photograph it every month for the next year, from a different location each time.   It has been fun to see it from different perspectives and notice the changes with each season.  

(Curtis and Mandi are such a great couple ever and I love how well our kids play together)

Mandi's Dad didn't just give John and I a ride around the property, he graciously hauled around any kid that was willing, or brave enough, to hop on.   Nate made me laugh because he was initially so worried that the ride would be too fast.   And it was fast, but every time Nate passed by us he was biting on the rim of his hat and grinning from ear to ear.   For the rest of the evening he constantly asked for "another fun ride on that red thing!"

We stayed until after the sun had gone down and just until the mosquitoes really came out.   

It was a perfect day of eating, swimming, exploring and visiting with some of our favorite friends.  

The Meadows is a pretty magical place to be on a Summer Evening!

Parade Day!

I am convinced that John and I are creatures of habit.  

We love our schedule, our routine, and our holiday rituals.   

This became especially apparent to me a week or two ago as we celebrated our local Heritage Days.   

John's sister Sarah (and her son Mala) came up to visit and the day was pretty much set in stone, whether any of us knew it, or not;)

It started with the annual parade.

And, of course, we had to all draw our poop circles.

(It's our favourite part about attending a parade.  You draw a circle on the road with chalk and if a horse poops in your circle, well - you win!  How fun, eh?;)

After the parade is finished, we made our way over to the agridome to watch the annual Mod Bog and Ranchers Rodeo.    It was a sweltering 30 some degrees outside and way too hot for any sane person to want to sit out baking while watching others race a bunch of old trucks through the mud - 

but this is what we do every year.

In the evening we always attend the annual Chinook Rodeo.  

(We love the bull riding and other events, we love the smell of hay and manure, and we love watching our local farmers and ranchers compete.   And, it's just what we do every year!)

The culminating event of the day is always the fireworks.   We always go sit on the hill to watch.   We always sit in the same spot.  We always pick out our favourite fireworks.  

See?  Creatures of habit.

I suppose a few things were different this year.   

For starters, we shared the day with company which is always nice.  Then, thanks to a malfunctioned firework, dry conditions and a strong wind - there was a tense moment in which five grass fires began, putting an immediate halt on the fireworks display.   We'd certainly never seen that happen before.   And finally, we enjoyed the most delectable and unforgettable Huckleberry Cobbler (a recipe of Sarah's) as a bedtime snack.   It was a divine way to spend our annual parade day.

For this reason alone, I am now convinced that it is ok to throw in a little variation every now and then.    Especially if it comes in the form of company and fresh Huckleberry Cobbler!

Cameron Lake Adventures

If we were to chose one thing that our family loves to do together (like really LOVE to do) it would be fishing in Glacier or Waterton.   Sadly there have been a couple of devastating forest fires in Glacier that have prevented us from going down there so we've been forced to enjoy some lovely evenings in Waterton exclusively.   

One particular evening awhile back, we made the last minute decision to fill the cooler with all the fixings for a wiener roast, and drive up to Cameron lake.   Just shy of Cameron lake is a great little pullover/cooking spot called McNealy's.  It has quickly become a favourite place of ours in part because it is just minutes from Cameron Lake, but also because it is secluded enough for us to enjoy the tranquility while we eat.   

I believe (with all my heart) that food tastes better when cooked outside and this meal did not disappoint.   It didn't take long for my little family to polish off a dozen hot dogs and we were back in the van and headed on up the road to Cameron Lake.

Because of the forest fires south of us, there was a smoky hazy that covered the sky, but the weather was good and the lake was calm.

It had initially been very busy when we arrived, with more tourists walking around then I had ever seen!!   Within minutes though of setting off on the water, people began to leave.   When I looked back a short while later to see how far we were from the dock, I could tell there were just a few of us left up there.   I much prefer Cameron Lake when we are the only ones there;) 

We had to divide our family up into two groups which meant there was a girl boat and a boy boat.  (Classy of the guys to take the one with the motor, don't you think?;)

We didn't mind.  Us girls felt invincible in the dingy. (...for the first 30 minutes at least;)

Soon we were smack dab in between both ends of the lake, all was quiet, and I was tired.

And my legs kept cramping up.

And blisters were forming on my hands.

And my elbows hurt.

And the boys had long since past us, leaving us dismally alone. 

I wanted to throw my ores in the lake and yell "stupid, dumb, boring, hate it" until someone came to pick us up.   But Jessica was worried enough and I knew it likely wouldn't be an effective way to handle my frustration - so we rowed on.   

And on.

And on.

And on.

We reached John and the boys at the far end of the lake and watched them fish.   I began to feel my bad mood dissipate as I reminded myself of how much fun these fishing adventures are and how much we love doing things like this as a family.  (Granted, I'm not usually the one doing all the stinkin' rowing but perhaps this was a good chance for me to, you know, walk a mile in John's shoes and stuff like that.)   

Whenever I get to this part of Cameron lake I like to just sit and listen to the waterfalls and scour the shore in search of grizzly bears.   It is so lush and quiet and gorgeous here!   

The highlight of the night came when us girls made it back to the dock alive  Nate caught his first fish EVER!!!    (A beautiful brook trout, which was actually a fairly decent size for him.)  He often called out to us from across the lake to let us know that he'd caught a fish and it was cute to see how territorial he was over it.     But for good reason.  Nate has waited a long time for this fish, his whole life in fact, and we were all so proud of him! 

  

 

John and I both feel hopeful that now that he has experience the thrill of a catch, he will feel more inclined to actually join us when we go fishing in the future.   That's right, no more laying in the van wasting our data plans away watching movies on my cell phone.  Woohoo!

Heritage Park

One day, early in August, I looked at my calendar (for the first time in weeks!) to see that I had an appointment in Calgary in just a couple of days.   John and I debated for probably a total of thirty seconds before deciding that it would be fun to take the whole family!  We had a lot of options when it came to fun things to do.  Calaway park?  The Zoo?   Heritage Park?   

In the end, I got online and searched for coupons.  Whoever offered the best discounted admission would get this families business for the day - so Heritage Park it was!!!  haha

It ended up being the perfect place for these four and offered a little bit of something for all of them.

We started by taking an old fashioned train ride into town. (Fun!)

We got off the train just in time to board this old boat for a ride around the reservoir.  (Double Fun!)

There were canoes and dragon boat racers out on the water, which was fun to see, but I'm pretty sure that Nate's favorite part of this boat ride was being able to walk around and explore every deck.  

 A parent could get sea sick just trying to keep up with him! ;)

As soon as our boat ride finished, the kids headed straight for the old time fair, which consisted of all sorts of fun ring toss style games that are designed to suck every last penny from you and old fashioned rides.    My favorite ride of the day was the Caterpillar ride, which consisted of a line of cars that could hold 1-2 people in each car.   The cars would race around a track that went up and  down small elevations.  What made it cool though is that part way through the ride, a vintage green curtain unfolds and expands over the entire train of cars giving you the feeling that you were actually in a tunnel.   It was the kind of ride where you could steal a kiss or two from the person next to you and nobody else would ever know.   Lucky for me, John was sharing a car with me so we did our best to take advantage of the opportunity;)  Carpe diem, you know?

All of the kids enjoyed the swings and I love this picture of Abby and Jess.   It depicts perfectly how well my kids get along when we go places like this.   It doesn't matter if we are camping, hiking, at the mall, or taking in an amusement park.  If it is new to them - they are so full of happiness and excitement.  It's contagious and just spills out of them in a lovely and harmonious way.   

It's bliss. 

Us girls insisted on riding the Ferris wheel.  What a charming ride!

I had to sit alone though because Jess and Abby wanted to share, so I had the opportunity to listen to them scream behind me every time one of them leaned forward just a tad too far.  It was so relaxing;)

I was actually really enjoying the ride (so long as I stayed completely still;) until I noticed this sign posted on a part of the contraption.  The numbers 1905 & 1922 stood out to me and made my heart race.  Suddenly the realization that I might be sitting high up on a 100 year old ride had me feeling a little panicky and I longed to be with my boys down on solid ground.  

They were hardly mindful of the danger I was in though as they were all too busy snacking on a large order of fries.  Of course the ride ended just fine and all was well, but later in the day when Jessica asked if we could ride it again, I did my very best to dodge that bullet!

The rest of our time was spent meandering through the streets, buying candy at the old Claresholm General store, attending school in the old school house and touring through old homes, many of which belonged to some of Alberta's prestigious settlers.   I could have looked through those homes all day long!   The kids enjoyed stumbling upon a evolving re-enactment involving "Earnest" an entertaining criminal who somehow managed to evade the RCMP every time. 

I'm pretty sure John and I would have loved growing up in this era:)

We spent most of the day here, only leaving for a picnic lunch.   Even when it was time for my appointment we decided that I would leave for it and then come back to them here.   The kids did NOT want to leave!!!

The park closed for the day just as a massive storm loomed over us menacingly.  

We hurried to a nearby shopping mall to have dinner in the food court and watch the storm roll by.
Even though it was barely after 5, the city seemed so dark and many mall patrons stood at the windows anxiously watching the sky.  (They'd apparently had a tornado in Calgary the week before)

One last stop at the Lego Store for some window shopping and wishing and we were on our way!!

As we drove home John and I basked in the perfectness of the day.   It was just so fun to be away from everything that had been distracting us and weighing us down and just play.   For the kids, it was a day full of things they rarely get to do.   Carnival rides, boat rides, train rides, restaurants and more.  

Definitely a day to remember!!!

Party Hardy Part 4 - The Extended Version

Towards the end of July, after cousin camp and shortly before Rachel was to leave, we went to Stirling AB for two days to celebrate the lives of John's Grandpa and Grandma, who both bast away a couple of years ago.  John's Grandpa would have been 100 years old this year!

We gathered at the church in town where, for two days, we enjoyed yummy food, fun games and lots of mingling!   This picture shows some of John's cousins as they tried to line up in order of age.   (John was, for the most part, the only one from his particular family that was able to attend this event, so there are at least 7 cousins missing;)    It was cool to watch John catch up with so many of his relatives and listen to them share stories and reminisce.   Johns Aunt Elaine arranged a beautiful slide show that consisted of many of Grandpa and Grandmas photos.

Because John's Dad had to leave after a couple of hours (to embark on a trip to Alaska!) he put John in charge of the rope making station.   Max had been sure to walk John through it the night before just to make sure he'd be able to make one the next day.   I think John was impressed and pleasantly surprised with how well his demo went.   He managed to successfully make a rope, convince us all that he was an expert at it, and then make another one for good measure!!! ;)

They needed lots of hands and help to make such a long rope.   

Perfect for a game of Tug-a-war!!

The next day we all needed to be at the church before 10 to get ready for the parade.   Everyone was to be in it!!   

Our "float" consisted of a group of people walking in front with a banner that read:  

"The Lyman and Mildred Hardy family says...."

Behind those kids a truck pulled a trailer with all of Lyman and Mildreds kids on it.  That banner continued the message with, "Stirling - Thanks for our Heritage"

And then behind that was this semi pulling all of Lyman and Mildreds Grandchildren, Great Grand children and Great Great Grandchildren, with a banner that finished, "We have shared it with the World!"  All those who had travelled for missions or any other reason were encouraged to bring a flag representing where they have gone.   

It was a pretty powerful though and this was an impressive enough site to earn the 1st Place entry!!  

As a result, we got to be the first float in the parade:)   haha

John made me (and everyone) laugh because his flag was by far the largest one on the float.   What would else you expect though considering he served his mission in Texas! ;)

After the parade we had a final dinner together and let the kids do some zip lining before leaving for home.   It was a fun couple of days and I'm glad we were able to go.

The partying didn't end there though!

Because there was so much family in town for that reunion, many of Kendal's siblings remained for another week longer.    Jewel and her Mother in Law Deanna were so gracious and invited my family to join them one day at the Magrath campground.  

 My kids enjoyed the water slide built in the hill and I loved watching Jewel and her in laws.   

They are a laid back group of people who are full of fun ideas and just genuinely seem to love being together.   Unlike I had done, no one seemed to be fretting about meals or other hosting logistics.  

I took that as a sign that I could probably relax a little when company comes and enjoy the moment a little bit more.

Clarke and Deanne pulled out some balloons and had each of the kids write a thoughtful message or a wish for someone down on a peace of paper.   The messages went into a balloon which was filled with helium.   My kids and I didn't stay long enough to see this done, but later that day they all gathered together to release their balloons.   I love this image of dozens of happy wishes going out to others!   

I think this is the key to happiness.   Family and sharing goodness with those around us. 

No wonder it was such a joy filled weekend!!!

Party Hardy Week 3 - Cousin Camp

How could I be so far behind on my journal when there is SO much that has happened this summer!!    I have been so tired and too busy, that's how.    We had company for essentially all of July and as soon as they left, even though the fun continued, I experienced a burn out of epic proportion.   It started with a cold/ear infection and quickly became a near pneumonia type illness that has taken weeks to recover from.   So, I've simply been archiving all of the other summer experiences we've had for a later date when energy returned and I could record it all.   Sadly, my energy returned right as I became the worlds biggest procrastinator!!!   

So- here I am now, digging back to over a MONTH ago when my sister hosted the 2nd annual Cousin Camp for all of my siblings kids.    Just like last year, this three day camp was hugely anticipated and without a doubt, one of the summer highlights for my four kids!   

It started on July 13th and went to the 15th.  

I always love to see what effort and organization goes into this event.   (How could it not when Jewel had 15 kids between the ages of 2 and 15?!)    Each of the older cousins were put in charge of 2 or 3 younger kids for the duration of the camp.   These groups took turns cooking and doing other chores (in theory) and I hope they actually were helpful!

It was so fun to watch get texts and messages from Jewel about some of the fun they were having.  

They had an evening talent show called "Cousins got Talent"  which always seems to be full of hilarity and sweetness.   They went down to the creek one day, rented the pool another, and did lots and lots of crafts!  Jewel had even arranged a "secret cousin" activity in which they occasionally deposited a treat, note or gift for their assigned cousin over the course of the camp.   It sounds like it was a lot of fun for the kids!

When Jewel sent me this picture of Jessica snuggled up to Nala I knew Jess was a happy camper!  Doesn't she look so content and happy?   (Not sure what Nala is thinking, but Jess was clearly in heaven;)

   

This cousin camp is so much more than fun and games and crafts though.
My kids came home with fun little socks to where, with a note attached to them, reminding my kids to "follow in their footsteps."  I could tell she must have spent some time talking about Grandpa and Grandma and I can imagine evening conversations that her and Kendall may have had with our kids about gospel related truths.   One day they spent some time at the temple.   While the older kids did baptisms for the dead, the younger ones waited outside.   I have no doubt that Jewel used this as an opportunity to try and teach them all about the temple and what this place means for family.   

I felt immensely grateful for her that week and for what she was really doing.   She was forging deep relationships with these kids, drawing them together, reminding them of their Grandpa and Grandma Rausch and teaching them all that their Grandparents would have taught if they were still around.    Perhaps most importantly though, she was creating memories for these kids that I have no doubt will bond them together for years and years to come!!  

She must have been exhausted at the end of those three days but it was truly AMAZING and I am so grateful to her for it!!!!   

Unlike last year (when John and I snuck away for a couple of days of camping while the kids were at Jewels) we still had company with us.   For the most part I spent the time without my kids catching up on all that I'd neglected over the past weeks and playing with my nieces and nephews who were with us.   John and I did find one day though to steal away to Waterton for a day hike.   

Bertha Lake was a fun hike for sure!   

The hike to Bertha Falls is one of my favorites and this year we did that twice.   John found a cool way to get right up in the falls which offered up an amazing view of the water cascading down beside us.   I loved this trail this year because of the Lady Slippers that we discovered!   I just love those beautiful, dainty things and it was a highlight for me for sure.

Past Bertha Falls though is a pretty spectacular hike that takes you through a meadow (that happened to be full of wildflowers at that time) and then up a fairly steady incline with lots of switchbacks.   The reward at the top is the fabulous Bertha Lake!   Our initial plan (because the hike tired me out;) was to just find a spot to sit and eat/fish.   However, John was oh so determined to scout out the best fishing spot he could, so naturally that meant walking around the entire lake!   Meh - what's another 2.4 kilometres when you are already exhausted?  haha.  

Actually, I think I could hike all day, so long as I am allowed to stop occasionally to take a photo or two.  Or ten;)  

The most exciting moment of the day, for me at least, was when I found this Spotted Saxifrage sticking out of the rock up by Bertha Lake.   I'd noticed this flower in my flower twitcher last year and loved the colorful pattern.  Jessica and I have been searching for this flower ever since and I was elated to finally find it.   It was surprisingly much smaller and daintier than I was expecting but definitely beautiful.   Saxifrage actually means "stone-breaker" which I think is a pretty cool title for something so small and unassuming.    

As John and I began our decent, a dark thunderstorm rolled in overhead, which helped quicken our step and speed up the hike back to the truck.   We got poured on for a good half hour and decided to wait out the last of the storm while we ate Mexican food at the Taco Bar.   By the time we finished our dinner, the dark clouds had moved on, leaving a clear (albeit breezy) evening sky.  
Naturally, we took this as a sign that there was time to do a bit of fishing!  

John had brought the boat in the back of the truck this time as I wasn't sure I'd be able to gracefully help lift that thing onto the roof of the van.   (In fact, I was sure I would not be able to;)   I got a kick out of this though as we drove past dozens of large trucks pulling their boats on actual trailers.  

 The words "You might be a Redneck if....." kept coming to my mind;)   

It was a beautiful evening for sure.  No fish were caught, but I always enjoy being out in nature with John.   At one point we saw a bear exploring the shoreline of Emerald Bay.  I was a little bit nervous, but John didn't hesitate to row the boat as close as we could so that I could get a better shot of it.   (Which I couldn't, but not for lack of proximity;)

It was a lovely day and one that left me feeling rejuvenated and fulfilled.   

Nature can do that, like nothing else!