Feeling at Home

I recently had to stay up until midnight (which I rarely do) to secure tickets for my family to go to the temple together. (Covid has certainly changed the way that some things are done.)

The last time I'd been in the temple was January 2020.

Between that time and now, I have struggled with a post surgical complication, endured an autoimmune flare, returned to university, quarantined four times, felt lost, wandered through a pandemic, and been called as the Young Women President.

I've really needed this place.

Being inside felt like coming home.

I felt that peace and  stillness that I can't find anywhere else.

And for the first time in my life - 

my whole family got to share it in with me!

Welcome to the family "Radar"!

We have a dog!!!!

Two weeks ago, I received word from our breeder that our dog had been vet checked and was ready to go.  The kids weren't expecting him for two more days, so I knew this would make for a fun surprise for them. 

Rachel S and I decided on a meeting place and I slipped out for a moment to "run an errand."

This dog is soo darn cute!

I picked him up and immediately brought him home.  He and I went straight to my room where we played and got to know each other without the kids trying to hog him from me;). I think he and I bonded. 

Eventually Jess came into my room, (I knew she would) and freaked out to find Radar already home. Do you see that tear? That's what 6 long years of hoping, scheming and wishing looks like.

Nate was just as delighted to meet this little guy. 

While introducing him to our backyard, we called him "Radar" for the first time and he immediately perked up and looked right at me, in response.  

It was a sign. 

We really can't get enough of this little cutie.  He has already gained a few pounds, looks more grown up, and is testing his boundaries (and his new teeth) on every one of us, but we love him to bits. 

Even John admits that he is pretty darn cute..."for a dog."

Welcome to the family Radar!

Piney Point - Hike #7

One night, towards the end of spring break, at around 11:00 pm, Sam came to me and asked if I could join him on a hike the next day.  He wanted Jess to come along, and insisted that we leave bright and early.  

I agreed to his plan, not really believing that he'd wake up in the morning still wanting to go, so imagine my surprise confusion when at 6:00 am I came out of my room to find him loading up his hiking backpack.  (Jess was on the couch, trying her darndest to wake up.). Part of me wanted to put a pin in this whole "early morning hike" idea, but something told me to just go along with it.  

I am glad that we did. 

While Sam drove west, I consulted my AllTrails app to get a sense of where we should go. We found a sweet little hike to Piney Point (near Pincher Creek) that looked promising. 

For the first 1/2 hour this hike was all incline as we tried to climb up an ice packed trail, but the rest of the hike was really very pleasant and "Piney Point" offered a lovely view of the foothills around us.  

I often marvel at the friendship these two share together. 

They are the closest in age, and definitely two peas in a pod. 

We decided to take a different trail back to our van, and as a result we got to walk right alongside Beauvis Lake. You may not be able to see it clearly, but both Jessica and Sam are hiding in this tree.  (Sam is right at the top!)

It was nice to get out of the house, to breathe mountain air, and to enjoy our own little "Carpe Diem" moment, together. 

 Man, I sure am glad that I went.

Spring Break- All that we did get to do

Spring break was definitely more quiet than spring breaks in the past. 

Due to covid restrictions we were unable to have any family over, nor were there any trips to Bryce Canyon, or Utah, BUT...

💙we did get to watch conference and celebrate Easter together. Thing egg decorating, ham dinner, and hours and hours cuddling on the couch.  Sigh...

💚We did get to visit "the Farm."

Chad's family filled our tummies with yummy BBQ, and we got to gather some giant rocks to take home for an outdoor project. 

💛We did do a lot of yard work. (Like...a lot!)

We put the rocks we gathered from the farm to good use and built ourselves a fire pit!

💜We did take turns laying out in the hammock. 

💙We did let the kids get together with friends a time or two.  (Shhh....it was essential)

💚And...drumroll please...we did meet our puppy, soon to be called "Radar."  

Rachel S gave us permission to go to her home and get to know our future pet, just a little bit early. 

We fell in love with him instantly. 

A week later Radar would be home with us and we'd hardly be able to remember life without him.  

Who woulda thunk it;)

Wishbone Trail Hike #6

A few weeks back, John, Jessica and I decided to walk the Wishbone Trail in Waterton.

The weather was warm(ish), our schedules were clear, and I was just hours out of my mandatory quarantine, so why not?! 

We had been walking for all of 5 minutes when we suddenly heard (from the thicket several yards away) a series of low yelps, howls and yipping, that we knew could not be coming from any domestic canines. We wondered if we were listening to a family of coyotes, yet I'd grown up hearing coyotes and this wasn't quite the same. 

With all of my heart I hoped and hoped that it was wolves.  We stood there for awhile and just took the sound in, and then suddenly...it stopped.  Everything went eerily quiet.  

We swore we'd never forget the sound of those dogs and then continued on our way, looking back often in hopes of maybe seeing something. And wouldn't you know it, a few minutes later, as we came into the clearing and headed towards the lake, we did!  

We saw three large dogs racing for the very trees we had heard puppy sounds coming from. 

Big coyotes?  Wolves?  

I had my short lens on my, so we really couldn't tell, but I'll probably always insist that what we saw were wolves. (And don't you dare try to convince me otherwise!)

I sure love looking at Lower Waterton Lake from this perspective.  

On a hot summer day, this will totally be the place to come to!

This was one of those "breathe in deep and love your life" kind of mornings.

We finished this small hike/stroll with a very grateful heart. 

March Madness

Nate and I were quarantined for two weeks in March. Two weeks! In some ways, this was a real challenge for me, but in other ways (like when I think of all the university work I got done) it was exactly what I needed! Nate was a trooper and tried his best to attend "online school."  He set up this tent all by himself and spent a lot of hours in it, with his classmates. (He takes his quarantines seriously, y'all!)

The weather was nice in March, we felt motivated to develop a corner of our yard a little bit.  John and I have a friend who offered us some deadfall for a project, so we drove down to their charming little Beazer homestead and chose the two logs that would make us these benches.  All that is needed is a fire pit!

Grandpa turned 78 years old in March! 

I've never hated COVID more than on this day.  This guy deserves a party. A parade, even!

Instead, he had to settle for angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries. 

I've been trying for two months to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, which has danced for outdoor enthusiasts several times over the past little while.  On one particular night, when the forecast was looking particularly promising for Northern Lights, I actually managed to stay up late enough to see...

...only to find that the sky above me was much, much too cloudy. 

That's pretty much the way it goes when you want the sky to put on a show;)

I've decided that only crazy people stay up until 1 or 2 am to stare at the sky.  

I wish I was more like them.

Eighteen Years - Celebrating Tenant #1!

I can't even.

I mean, how am I writing a post about my daughters 18th birthday?

How has this happened so quickly?

I remember, about 13 years ago, sitting in church, wrestling with four rowdy kids (all under the age of 6) and feeling frazzled, and tired, and anxious, and so, so overwhelmed.  After the meeting, a man who had patiently endured the trial of sitting in front of us, turned around, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, "Cherish this time.  It'll be over before you know it."  

Perhaps sensing that I wasn't quite buying it, his wife chimed in, "Yes. You really are living your future 'Good old days.'" I can not tell you how many times I have thought of that conversation throughout the course of this girls life. 

💛In my most anxious moments, I've tried to remember ... these are the "good ol' days."

💚That night I went downstairs to check on her and found that she had cried herself to sleep again (curse you junior high drama) ...the good ol' days.

💙The day she got behind the car for the first time and we ended up ON someone's front lawn, high centred on a pile of snow... the good ol' days.

💜The blue hair, and the purple hair, and the dark brown, but shaved hair... the good ol' days. 

💛The hours she's spent shut in her room reading, and painting, and sewing, and sometimes studying...the good ol' days. 

💚First dates, school dances, good days, bad days, great games, and all the firsts she's had along the way...all a part of our "good old days."

I hope she knows that the past 6570 days (and counting) really have been so, so good, and we are so in awe of who this girl is becoming. It was never her job to make us proud, but she certainly has.

For her birthday week, we made a "girls trip" to Lethbridge (crazy, I know;) and a late night caper out to the "White Church," which is something we've always wanted to do.

 

Apparently this is something everybody around here does at some point, and it is best done late at night?

I'd better be honest and admit that we went on her birthday, but ended up being too spooked to get out of the truck, which is soo not very "Carpe Noctem" of us.

We made a brave return to the White Church the next day, just before the sun went down. 

Happy Birthday, Abby!

Welcome to life as an adult. 

It's about to get wild!!

Hike #5 - Miner's Pass

 Remember how I'd set the goal to do 52 Hikes in 2021?  

For the first five weeks, I really nailed it and I've honestly love winter hiking. (Old scenes look brand new, when covered in snow!). Unfortunately, here we are already half way through March and Hike #5 was the last hike I did. ...Back in February! 

I'm a few weeks behind, but whatev's.

While John and the kids went skiing Powderkeg, last month, I drove down the road to Blairmore and enjoyed a little hike up Miner's Pass. It's a charming little walk along a creek that ends at a Waterfall that reminds me a little bit of Cameron Falls.

It was so cool to stand on the ice and feel the water running beneath me. 

It's no coincidence that this hike was done solo.  We were at the end of a week long break from school and I was craving some alone time. (And nobody wanted to do another "dumb winter walk" with me)

Sigh...I'm pretty sure I'm not going to accomplish my goal of 52 hikes this year, but I look forward to trying! 

Feb Fun

February Highlights:

Quarantine Baby!  As of today, we've experienced 5 different Quarantines in the last 5 weeks. Like, what?  (John and Sam are the only two people who have managed to not get dubbed as a "close contact" at any point.) Nate and I finished our isolation yesterday and will return to school tomorrow.  Jess has one.more.week.to.go. 

I completed my first University English course last month.  Passed it with a C+ (gulp) and then started three more courses two days later. This has been a bit of a hit to my ego, as apparently good grades don't actually come easy.  I'm trying to step it up this time around, but I am crossing my fingers (just in case) that Cs really do get degrees. What are the chances someone will be wiling to hire a dumb teacher?

John and the kids when skiing last month.  We try to get out once a year, which is just enough to keep them at a level where they can hold their own on basic runs.

This year we tried a different hill (Powderkeg) in Crowsnest pass and I actually really liked it. Granted, I wasn't the one skiing, but I really, really love the Crowsnest Pass.  I was more than happy to let the kids play, while I explored the area.

I had to snap a photo of Nate one day while we were at Costco.  It is hard to believe that masks have been a part of our daily life for a whole year now.  I'm amazed at the examples of resilience and patience that I have seen in my kids. I mean, no samples are offered at Costco anymore, yet they are still willing to don a mask and come help me shop. 

The biggest Highlight of February came when I got to watch Sam be ordained a Priest, and Nate a Deacon.  I mean - how sweet are these men!  I love each one of them and am so grateful for the role they play in my family and in my home.