There have been no shortage of things to write about since my last post (has it really been months since I wrote something?). Just a shortage of time to put them on paper. The days have been filled with developments, growth opportunities, challenges, and adventures, so I am going to try to bring you all up to speed.
Over the past few months, we have been steadily working through paperwork, home studies, interviews, etc. All to move our adoption process along. But it all takes time and while it feels like we take a step closer with each new thing completed, we’re still waiting in what sometimes feels like the forever wait. So, we have chosen to just live life with our boys and try not to focus on it for now. Making memories wherever we can, which meant summer days filled with beach days, nature hikes, games, a little “camping” in a friend’s camper, and reading books together.
In July, I went away for my annual silent retreat. I had to find a new location this year as the monastery is closing, which was a huge disappointment. I also decided to go for a whole weekend, instead of just a day retreat and it was amazing. I may write more in depth about this at a different time, but for now, suffice it to say that it was a very refreshing time that my parched soul desperately needed.
The highlight of our summer, however, came at the end of August, when we rented a camper and headed west to Alberta for 3 weeks for a family vacation. The past few years under various lockdowns and restrictions have laid heavy and it was so good to get away and completely change surroundings for a while. It was also a lovely time of reconnecting with family and friends!
After the hot, dry summer that we have had, it was disappointing to see that the forecast for our trip was basically supposed to be cold and rainy for the whole time we were going to be gone. It poured the day before we left, which meant packing the camper while dashing raindrops and trying not to slip on the grass (something one of us failed to do and ended up with a nasty gash on the shin to start the trip). We ended up experiencing all 4 seasons on our trip, but for the most part the weather was quite nice and we were able to enjoy ourselves.
All that being said, travelling with 4 boys and living in a small “box” with 6 people for 3 weeks does not come without its challenges. There were definitely some very low points and learning curves, but we learned a lot about our boys and we came away with two very important keys for life: 1) Read the signs and 2) Feed the bears (no, I’m not talking about wildlife). Once we managed to figure that out, things went a whole lot more smoothly.
Towing a camper was a new experience for us and there were a lot of things to learn. Would we do it again? Yes, I think so, but we would do so with a larger vehicle and a slightly larger camper next time. And we might just pick a spot and stay there longer, so we have time to fully explore.
We went north first to see some family and were able to spend a whole week catching up. It was wonderful! I have been so grateful for technology over the last 2 years that has allowed me to stay connected to people, but nothing can replace a good face to face visit or human touch!
After visiting, we drove down to Jasper to enjoy the mountains and do some exploring. Here are some of my favourite pics from Jasper:
There were so many elk! We could hear them bugling throughout the day.
The first afternoon we got there we kept low key and did a little exploring and played at the playground for a bit before bed. The next morning was bright and sunny, even if it was quite chilly, so we decided to take a trip up Whistlers Mountain on the SkyTram. We dressed for winter, but the sun actually warmed us up nicely. The views were…well, you can see for yourself.
We hiked the Maligne Canyon with all of the kids, and even though it started raining once we were on the trail, the kids did amazing and the scenery was breathtaking. There are 7 bridges that cross the river in the canyon and 2 parking lots – 1 at Bridge 1 and the other at Bridge 6. We opted to park at Bridge 6 and head up to Bridge 1. It took us about an hour and a half to hike it with 2 toddlers and they were definitely tired and hungry when we got to the top, so we had a snack while Daddy hiked back and got the car.
When we got up the next morning to head out (we could only book 2 nights in Jasper), the weather had turned colder and very overcast. The cloud cover was so low, we couldn’t even see the mountains around us.
It started raining as we pulled out of Jasper. Next stop was Banff, by way of the Columbia Icefields. Along the way we stopped at Athabasca Falls.
Just before we got to the Icefields we drove through thick fog and sleet, as the cold front that had been hanging over Banff for the previous few days headed towards Jasper. Perfect timing? I think so. I was worried that the cloud cover would make it too hard to see the glacier, but things cleared off for a little bit when we arrived.
Leaving the Icefields, we drove through a snow storm! In August! It was still drizzling when we arrived in Banff, but we hurried to set up the camper, have a snack, and drove to the Hot Springs. We managed to get in just before they closed and enjoyed a lovely soak, which was fortunate since they were going to be closed for the remainder of our stay in Banff. We spent the rest of our time in Banff doing some hiking and sightseeing. One of the hikes took us on a lovely “Art in Nature” walk, which featured pieces by local artists.
Driving into Banff 
View across from our campground
Bow River and Cascade Mountain 
View from our bus stop 
Cave and Basin 
Cave and Basin 
Cave and Basin
After 3 wonderful nights in Banff and the weather warming up more each day, it was time to pack up and say goodbye to the mountains and head to our next destination – Springhill RV Park near Cochrane, Alberta.
We chose Springhill because it was fairly central to all of the family we wanted to visit before heading home, but also because it had this giant play structure where the boys spent many hours. We spent the next few days connecting with family and making memories. We even got to visit the Grandfather Tree – an approximately 300 year old tree near Cochrane.
On our last day before heading in the direction of home, we went to Heritage Village, which was a HUGE hit with our boys and was full of wonderful childhood memories for me to share with them. We had so much fun and could have spent a ton more time there than we did. Looks like we might just have to go back again!
It was time to head home, but there was one more stop to make along the way: Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology! We also stopped to walk up the inside of the World’s Biggest Dinosaur and took pictures from inside his mouth.
By the end of the day, we were all completely spent, had more meltdowns per hour than normal, and we were definitely ready to go home. Just needed a good night’s sleep and we would be setting out for Winnipeg. Unfortunately, some unruly neighbours in the campsite across from us (which resulted in a call to the RCMP) meant the sleep was out, but early the next morning, we hit the road, stopping for one more night in Swift Current, SK before making it home. We pushed through the last day with movies, audio books and lots of snacks, instead of making another night stop as we originally planned, and it turned out to be the best travelling day we had the whole trip! Rolled up in front of our house at 7 pm with plenty of time to unload and get the kids settled before bed. Ahhhh, home sweet home – my own bed to sleep in, a hot shower, and laundry facilities!!!
We had a blast, saw so many loved ones, and made a ton of memories with our kids. It was an adventure and we were so blessed to have been able to see and do all that we did, even including the ugly moments that sometimes come when travelling with your kids. They obviously don’t remember those rough days and are already planning our next trip. And honestly, so am I. Au revoir for now, my friends!
Of Shattered Things 