Random bits of summer

Summer has been flying by, so fast we barely took any pictures! We did a lot of traveling around BC and Alberta in July. We left town literally within the hour that Keith got out of school the last Friday in June and headed west. We spent our first night enjoying a good visit with my great aunt and uncle in Grand Forks. We stopped for a lunch visit with friends in Osoyoos the next day before arriving at Keith's brother's place in Mission. While there we made a quick trip over the border for, you guessed it, more visiting in Lynden and Bellingham, Washington. We managed to visit most of the relatives we have in the Lower Mainland in the few days we were there, as well as take a quick day trip into Vancouver for some music shopping, Chinese food, and gelato.


Above: Inside the chapel at Mission, BC's seminary on the hill. There is a beautiful view over the valley from their lookout point, but it was very smoggy while we were there.

Below: Up to the clean, but rain filled skies of Northern BC now. This shot was taken from the Telkwa Pass Road (which isn't really much of a road!)
From the Lower Mainland we ventured north on the longest drive of the trip. We stayed a night in Prince George to visit with friends before arriving in Telkwa, BC where Keith's parents live. As I blogged earlier, it rained everyday. We had lots of time to relax and chat with Keith's parents as well as friends in Telkwa and Smithers. In all we stayed about a week before heading home. It's about a 16 hour drive to Lethbridge from there, so we opted to break it up by staying a night just outside Valemont, BC. We enjoyed our B&B, and the restaurant they recommended eating supper at, The Caribou Grill (yes, they DO serve caribou, but we didn't try it). I found out a couple weeks later the restaurant is actually owned and operated by a relative of mine!
Above: The B&B outside of Valemont. Very quiet, lots of hummingbirds & wildlife, delicious breakfast!

Below: We were exhausted by the time we got home. Stella empathized.

A week at home allowed us to rest up, get a few things done around the house, and re-pack our bags. We first drove up to Sherwood Park to attend my cousin's wedding, then over to Vermilion to hang out with my family and take in the Vermilion Fair. I don't have any good pictures of the wedding myself, but it was beautiful and at least a dozen other relatives took enough pictures for all of us (the power point re-cap was finished within days though I didn't snag a copy myself).

While in Vermilion we did a lot of resting, eating and visiting (can you sense a pattern here?). The Fair always gives us a chance to meet up with family and friends, and of course my Mom's house is grand central station regardless of the time of year.
Above: Sky over the Vermilion River Valley after a thunderstorm. It held off until after the fair celebrations were over.

Below: Keith sometimes gets put into situations I don't think he ever would have considered before joining our family. Here he had to hold a filly while my sister doctored an infected eye and then rigged up a very creatively built eye patch. She may look small, but baby horses are pure muscle and nerves, and Keith had a tense moment when the mother horse leaned over to sniff his head to see what he was up to.
Yes, that eye patch is fashioned form a very small halter and a bra. Unconventional, but effective!
We've been home now since the very end of July and are enjoying not spending much time in the car this month. The baby room is finally starting to look like one and we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of friends who have passed on useful items and advice.

Keith gets back in the swing of the new school year this week with a two day course on the new grade six social studies curriculum (not that they have any resources yet- oh what a surprise that Alberta Learning is behind again). He starts at the school officially next Wednesday, so he'll be in the thick of it in no time.

In between we're trying to make sure our house will be baby ready and enjoying the last few lazy bits of summer vacation. I will try to post later this week to give a baby room update!