Lake O'Hara

We spent two glorious days at Lake O'Hara with our good friends Mark and Carmen when I was 36 1/2 weeks pregnant. It is considered a backcountry campground but we were spoiled with a bumpy 11 km bus ride up a dirt road to our camp site. Ethan wanted to drive the bus but was actually a little scared once the noisy bus started up. The camp ground was quite nice with filtered running water, a fire pit with chopped fire wood, and two cooking shelters. We managed one 6 km hike up to Lake Oesa with Ethan taking his nap along the way. Ethan was quite the character in the tent at night talking up a storm (not used to having mom and dad right beside him to go to sleep!) All in all, it was a beautiful weekend and we didn't deliver baby #2 in the woods:)

Grandpa & Grandma Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Green and Uncle Adam came for a visit in August. While they were here they helped us build a wall to convert our loft into a third bedroom. We were wishing we had taken more pictures of the process but Ethan was right in there helping everyday wanting to drill, hammer and paint right along side us. We didn't have awesome weather while they were here but we did manage to get out to the park several times and spent a day in Canmore. To see more pictures of the visit see our Picasa album link on the right of the blog.

Cottage 2009

This year we spent two glorious weeks at the cottage. Ethan had many new adventures including motor boat rides (thanks to Papa), canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, watching the sea doo ("more noise!"), and going to town to watch the Chi Cheemaun come in. But by far his favourite thing to do was to wade in the water by the dock and splash anyone within reach. Hours of fun!

To see more cottage photos check out our Picasa album link on the right.

Calgary Stampede

So, not necessarily the pictures you would expect from the Calgary Stampede. Looks more like Canada's Wonderland, but we enjoyed the morning at the Stampede taking in the sights and sounds. Ethan especially liked the horses you could pet. He'd go to pet them and then chicken out...it was pretty cute!

Chester Lake

After a free pancake and sausage breakfast in Canmore to celebrate Canada Day, we went for a beautiful hike to Chester Lake. This hike is ideal for kids and Ethan was able to hike one of the many meadows we came across.

Jo and Karl's Wedding

Our kiwi friends, Jo and Karl, got married in a beautiful meadow on the side of Mt. Norquay. Since it was in Banff National Park they were not allowed to set up chairs, which made it super kid friendly as you will see from the pics. It was the perfect setting for the two of them as they spent almost every weekend either hiking or skiing depending on the season.

Mt. Lady McDonald

This was actually our first hike of the season, and I believe Quinn's first hike ever! Considering it was still shoulder season (April), we had fantastic weather.

The token family shot

Found the perfect lunch spot.

"Not another photo shoot mom and dad!"

Throwing rocks over the edge with Dad (a favourite pasttime)

Nahahi Ridge Hike

Trying to get in a few longer/higher hikes before Sharon's too pregnant to hike anymore! We hiked Nahahi ridge with Kip, Heather & Quinn. Both kids were super well-behaved, and Ethan discovered his love for hiking poles!

Windsor Visit

We spent the May long weekend in sunny Windsor visiting with Grandma & Grandpa and Uncle Adam. There were several trips to the park, and Ethan was an accomplished slider by the end!

Ethan got up close to some goats at Colasanti's, an outdoor center with some fun things for kids to do. He enjoyed petting and feeding the goats, and decided that sliding down the stairs was more fun than the slide.