Heading East ...

June 2,2017

Mike and I headed to Alberta ... I was spending the weekend with the grandchildren ...

and Mike was heading to the town of Mossleigh ...

for a weekend Trap Shooting Tournament ...

Nathan and Alana were at work ... so I gathered up the gang ... 

and before we left the ... the kids received a little gift from my friend Dagmar ... a special clip for their iPad cords ...

We drove into Okotoks to take Craig to his Art Classes ...

then James ... Ella and I ... went to go shopping at Costco ...

The two of them were a big help ... part of the time ... until we were in the toy and outdoor sections ...

They could not resist sitting in the huge chair ... 

Two hours of shopping and playing ... it was time to pick up Craig ...

We ended up going to the park ... to wait for Nathan & Alana ...

as we were going to a birthday party ...

The kids had a blast ... almost making me sick ... with all the spinning ...!!!

We decided to go for a walk along the river ...

and of course stopping to pose ...

so grandma could take a few pictures ...

 

A Day to Celebrate ...

June 1, 2017

It was a special day for Alana ...

this was her Commencement ceremony at Mount Royal University ...

Congratulations on receiving your diploma ...

“ Bachelor of Business Administration”

We are so proud of you and what you achieved ...!!!

 

An evening of celebrating with the family ...

 

 

Wood ... Then Pool ...

May 31, 2017

Another day of getting a few loads of wood ...

On our last trip down the hill ... we blew a tire ...

Guess there was a little too much weight on the truck ...

We were able to drive it into the field ... where all the logs were stacked ...

Mike then nursed the truck up to the shop and changed the tire ...

The ground was so soft  that there wasn’t any damage to the rim ...

After Mike was finished with all his jobs ...

He decided to go for a swim ...

It was still a little to cold for me to jump in ...

Mike pushed the solar blanket out of the for now ... we were waiting for the straps for the blanket to be delivered ...

The pool reel will be installed later ...

Mike enjoyed floating around the pool ... it was so relaxing for him ...

after busy day ...

 

 

Let’s Surf ...

May 19, 2017

Daigen and Nixon couldn’t wait to hit the waves ...

Ian and Kendall decided to take the boys surfing for the weekend ...

with the Waves of Impact group ...

It was also Kendall’s birthday so they decided to celebrate it with the boys ...

in Galveston ...

The boys had a great time surfing ...

Chilling out on the deck with mom & dad ...

after an awesome day of surfing and playing in the water ...

 

Happy Birthday Kendall ...

happy you were enjoying your weekend ... !!!

 

A New Light ...

May 29, 2017

Today we were going to install a new solar light for dads special place ...

I went into town to bring mom out here for the afternoon ... it was dads day of birth ...

On my way to town ... I was brought to a stop...

when a gaggle of geese were crossing the dirt road ...

We decided to take the quads up to dads ...

This was the first time mom has gone for a ride on my quad ...

She was surprised how comfy it really was ... 

Once we arrived up the road ... we stopped and hiked up to the top of the mountainside ...

Mike proceeded to install the new light ... we decided to get a flat solar light ... 

as the animals kept knocking done the other one ...

We loved the new light ... a glimmer of light that can be seen from down below ... 

When we were finished with the light installation ... and made our way back home ...

Mike fired up the BBQ ... to grill up some burgers ...

It was a beautiful day to enjoy our meal out on the deck ...

of hamburgers loaded with all the fixings and a bean salad ...

The best part for me ... was the fresh Rhubarb pie for dessert ... 

looks like Oma was happy to sink her teeth into it as well ...

We spent a lovely afternoon together ... !!!

 

After our dinner ... I drove mom back into town ...

It was wonderful to spend this special time together ...

On my way back home ... making my way up our road ... 

I spotted a turtle on the side of the ditch ...

I stopped the car and took a few pictures ... 

and continued to watch as it made its way into the grass ...

 

 

 

 

Loading Logs ...

May 27, 2017

Another day of getting firewood ...

We decided to just cut cants and stack the logs in the field ...

to let them dry ... we would buck them up later ...

We were on a time frame to get the logs off the wood lot ... Mike cut the logs into 9 foot sections ...

Thank goodness we had the tractor to do the heavy work of loading and unloading ...

 

After we cut and stacked a couple loads of logs ...

I ventured down to the garden to start planting seeds ...

I love seeing the apples blosoms on the trees ... 

There was a few wasps loving the blossoms as well ...

It was time to get the seed potatoes planted ...

in the potatoe boxes ...

The growing season has begun ...!!!

 

 

Pool Opening and Firewood...

May 25, 2017

It was a stay at home day ... time to open up the pool ...

Mike brought all the tools needed to get the system running ...

The winter cover removed and we were ready to start filling the pool with water ...

It usually takes a few hours to fill it ...

The water level was reached ... all hoses connected ... it was time to start it up ...

With the warmer weather approaching ... it won’t be long before we’ll be swimming ...

 

May 26, 2017

Today we decided to get out onto the wood lot and start getting firewood ...

Our neighbour who had finished logging in the area ...

had set some stacked logs aside for us ...

We met Larry and Rosa getting their wood supply as well ...

With it being a beautiful Spring day ... I guess they had the same idea as us ...

The woodshed was empty ... so we stacked the green and dry logs in the back ...

where they have time to dry before we needed it for the winter ... 

It was a very productive day ... feels good to get a start on the firewood supply ... !!!

 

 

 

Gone Fishing Again ...

May 24, 2017

We had arranged to go fishing with Rod and Nicole earlier in the week ...

this would be their first time out on a boat and fishing ...

We had left our boat at Premier Lake after the long weekend ...

Even though it wasn’t a very nice day ... we had to go pick it up ...

We decided to leave the camper on the truck ... just in case the weather turned on us ...

and we needed a dry ... warm place ...

We had a great time ... it was a real learning experience for them ... they were so happy to catch some fish ... 

They would love to come back sometime and go again ...!!!

We were getting cold ... so it was time to go ...

Rod offered to help Mike load the boat on the trailer ... Mike backed the truck down the ramp ... 

Rod put on the hip waders to avoid getting wet ... the water was cold ...

Mike drove the boat unto the trailer ... it was tricky with the wind and waves ...

I was grateful Rod was there to help out ... !!!

Our original plan was to have a fish fry at the park ... but the weather turned nasty ... so we decided to drive home ...

and cook them up there where it was warm ...!!!

Mike and Nicole decided they needed some martinis to warm up ...

before dinner was ready ...

We ended up cooking the fish in foil on the barbecue ...

I had penne noodles with pasta sauce and corn on the cob ready to be heated ...

a quick salad was made and we were ready to have our dinner ...

Once the dishes were cleared and kitchen cleaned up ...

Nicole and I relaxed with our drinks in the living room ...

while the guys spent their time in the hot tub ... 

 

It was a busy ... thrilling day ... and us ladies were tired ...

We ended up going to bed early ...

Rod and Nicole were leaving early in the morning for home ...

 

We had a wonderful time and totally enjoyed their visit ...

hoping we can get together again ...!!!

 

 

Guests Arrive ...

May 23, 2017

It felt good to be home again ... we had a busy day getting organized ...

as we were expecting our friends Rod & Nicole ...

They were going stop here for a couple days ... on their way thru from Calgary ...

to there home in Kelowna ...

I love seeing the flowers blooming on my cactus plant ...

Since we were going to have company for dinner ... I thought I would go down to the garden ...

to pick some fresh rhubarb to make a rhubarb pie for dessert ...

Rhubarb pie is my favourite ...!!!

Rod and Nicole arrived later in the afternoon ...

We decided to take the quads touring a bit around our property ... 

We also went up to Oma and Opa’s special place on the edge of the mountain ...

We spent some time hiking around and admiring the wild flowers ...

We continued driving around ... giving them a tour on our road ...

It was nearing dinner time ... so we headed back to the house ...

Mike fired up the BBQ to grill some steaks ...

the side dishes were prepared earlier ...

We had a lovely evening ... catching up on all the news ...

 

 

 

Last Day of Fishing ...

May 21, 2017

All of us decided to go out on the lake ... to do some evening fishing on our last night in the park ...

Lindsay and Krista decided to come fish in our boat ...

as Rocco and Denise had a full crew ...

It was perfect so that everyone got a chance out on the lake ...

whether they were fishing or just cruising ...

When the sun was setting behind the mountains ...

We made our way back to the campsite ... 

and once again plunked ourselves down in our cozy lawn chairs ...

sitting around the campfire ...

It would be busy in the morning ... with everyone getting packed up to head back home ...

 

 

May 22, 2017

A few of us did go fishing one last time ... after we packed up our campers ...

It was another successful fishing day ...!!!

These 4 ended up finding there way into our freezer ... for us to enjoy another day ...!!!

 

This was the first May long weekend that we had spent camping ...

I am sure it won’t be the last ...

We’re hoping some of our other family members ...

might be able to join us ...!!!

 

We had so much fun ...!!!

 

Eric & Sharon Arrive ...

May 20, 2017

We started this day with another lovely breakfast that was made outdoors ...

We were waiting for Eric and Sharon to arrive ...

to spend part of the day fishing out on the lake with us ...

The weather has been incredible ... it was another warm sunny day ...

and the fishing was amazing ...!!!

 

We had a good time out on the lake ...

We decided to head back to shore and cook up some fish for lunch ...

Eric and Sharon stayed a few more hours ... visiting with everyone ...

before it was time for them to make their way home ...

We were happy that they enjoyed themselves ... here at the campsite ... 

plus seeing how we set up the camper that we bought from them ...

They were also thrilled to be taking some fresh trout home ...!!!

We spent the afternoon just hanging out around the campsites ...

having a great time ...

Soon it was time to start preparing dinner ... and Lindsay had just arrived ...

to take over making his special BBQ sauce ...

Ernie ... Lindsay and Rocco were the Chefs in charge of the BBQ ...

grilling potatoes ... steaks and lamb chops ...

The rest of us made all the other dishes for our meal ...

salads ... corn on the cob ... grilled vegetables ... and more ...

After dinner ... Rocco ... Lindsay and John went get some wood ...

for the evenings campfire ...

 

This was our relaxing evening sitting around ... having a few sociables ... talking about our days adventures ...

and other stories ... which left us in stitches with laughter ...

Soon it was time to call it a night ... the women made their way to the campers ...

the guys were not ready to end this wonderful evening ...

None of us were sure when the guys called it night ...!!!

 

 

Weekend of Fishing ...

May 18, 2017

Camper was loaded and we were off to Premier Lake ...

for the holiday weekend ...

to go camping and fishing ...

We arrived at the park and first of all we launched the boat ...

then made our way to the campsite ...

set off the boat trailer and then set up the camper and campsite ...

Once that was done ... we walked down to the lake to go out fishing ...

until the rest of the gang showed up ...

We spent the evening helping the other 3 families set up camp ...

 

May 19, 2017

We were up bright and early ... a beautiful day ...

the grilled fired up ... coffee brewing ... it was perfect ...

Mike was in charge of frying up the bacon and cooking the eggs ... 

while I set the table and made the toast ...

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast ...

John ... who was camped across from us ...

was the only one up and he decided to join us for a cup of coffee ... 

while waiting for the others to rise ...

The breakfast dishes cleaned up ... and a few other tasks completed ...

before we headed out on the lake ... to fish for a few hours ...

Returning to the campsite for a lunch-break ...

The fish were cleaned and ready for this evenings meal ...

We did go for anther cruise around the lake ... and fishing ...

It was a beautiful warm afternoon ...

After dinner ... 

all of us gathered around the campfire ...

spending a wonderful evening together ...

 

 

Mother’s Day Weekend ...

May 12, 2017

We were invited to Nathan and Alana’s place for the weekend ...

Nathan was in the TransCanada Hockey Tournament ...

We came to help out ... taking Craig to art class then taking the boys to their dance ...

Now ... I thought the boys looked rather dapper (I know I’m probably dating myself) ...

and of course I wanted pictures ...

which is almost impossible with these two goonies ...!!!!

Finally one that was normal ...!!!

May 13, 2017

Nathan left early for another hockey game ...

We were going to meet him for lunch at the Redwater Rustic Grill ...

along with our friends Vern and Ellen ...

It was an amazing place ... the food was delicious ... 

We had a great time visiting before we were off to the arena ...

to watch Nathan’s hockey game ...

Nathan had a bit of time before his game ...

so the kids were excited that daddy had a game of foosball with them ...

We waited patiently for the game to begin ... 

James figured Oma needed a hat for the game ... so cute ...

It wasn’t long before the cheering area was packed ...

with hockey players and spectators ...

I do believe that Nathan had the biggest and loudest cheering section ...!!!!

AND 

that’s what led them to another victory ...!!!

 

May 14, 2017

Happy Mother’s Day ...

It was a beautiful day ... Oma... Alana and I were sent outside to relax ... 

the kids were going to make breakfast with Grandpa ...

First of all ... we were served coffee ... it was heavenly ...!!!

We could here the crew working in the kitchen ...

it was heart warming listening to their conversations ...

It wasn’t long before we were served our breakfast ...

“Poached eggs in cut-out toast with bacon” 

We enjoyed it when the kitchen crew joined us for breakfast ...

After we were finished eating ... 

the kitchen crew cleared the table and proceeded to clean up the kitchen ...

It was a wonderful morning ... 

After breakfast when the dishes and the kitchen were cleaned ... 

we had heard that Nathan’s hockey team had won the tournament ... yipeeee !!!!

Nathan was on his way home ...

Ella and James wanted to go for a bike ride to the park ...

they rode ahead as I walked behind them ...

Once we arrived at the park ... Ella spied up a couple of kites laying on the ground ...

There were some girls there and they did not know who the kites belonged too ...

We soon figured out why they were left ... the kites were ripped ...

but that didn’t stop the girls from trying to fly the ...

We managed to do a bit of a fix on them ...

The girls working together and some help from James ...

they were able to get them up in the air for a short time ...

James climbed up on roof of the play centre ...

just in time for me to get a picture of him with the kite flying up above him ...

Soon it was time to go back home as Nathan would be there ...

 

 

Our day continued with special activties ... Oma and I loved the pampering ...

Nathan and Alana were in charge of dinner ...

Nathan was the Master Grill Chef and Alana the Master Kitchen Chef ...

together they made us a delicious steak dinner with all the fixings ...

The grandchildren were in charge of setting and clearing the table when we had finished ...

After dinner and to Oma ... Alana and I’s surprise ...

we were showered with cards and gifts from everyone ...!!!

They sure knew how to pull at our heart strings ... cards were so heart warming ...

 that they brought tears to our eyes ...

We felt so special and loved ...!!!

 

 

Earlier this morning ... the boys and grandpa moved the double bed out of the bedroom ...

Mike and I had picked up a bunk bed with a double bed frame on the bottom ...

from our one trip to Eureka ...

Nathan thought it was a great idea to have one in the extra room ...

Later on in the evening after dinner ... the guys worked on putting it together ...

Once it was built ... everyone took a turn on checking it out ...

It gives the kids extra sleeping are when they have their sleep overs ...

or when grandma ... grandpa and Oma come for a visit ...

the boys can bunk together ... giving us their rooms ...!!!

 

We had a wonderful time with the family ... 

Thank you for everything ...!!!