crossing the country with kids

Chilling at Rowan's Ravine, SK. Family reunion with Chad's side of the family. We camped in the tent trailer, got eaten by mosquitoes, had a campfire and wonderful company. Glad we could be a part of it.Next we were off to Winnipeg,MB. Home of several family members including my Nanny. Along the way we had to make some pit stops for the kids, with Averi just being potty trained we needed to stay consistent. Took a loong time to arrive but we made it.

The weather was lovely, the mosquitoes were brutal but we had a great time visiting everyone. By the time we left for Whitemouth,MB I had a horrible bite over my left eye that was swelling by the day. Turns out it was infected but 2 days of antibiotics and the swelling had gone down. We hit the Hinrichs farm just east of Winnipeg and Averi got her first taste of Cows. We walked into the barn and she held onto dad for dear life. She slowly warmed up to the idea and was soon letting the calves lick her fingers. Besides the cows, Averi got to feed the chickens and collect eggs (hard to tell a 2 year old that they will break if you aren't gentle), and also picked a bucket of raspberries to eat. We had a wonderful time and we are so lucky the kids have the opportunity for this experience.

From Whitemouth we were back on the road headed to St.Paul, AB, home of Chad's parents. We stopped in many small towns along the way, including Neepawa, MB where their famed Lily festival was taking place. A great spot to stretch our legs and see a new town.

That night we stayed in Saskatoon,SK. It was great because they had a swimming pool and Averi was excited to make good use of it. We all had a good sleep and got back in the car for the second last leg of our trip. We made it to Grandma and Grandpa's just in time. A storm blew through the area and we stood watch at the door. Man, did the rain come down.

Finally we were on our way home. The end was in sight and we were all happy about that. In total we spent 1 day 20 hours in the car out of a total 8 days. The kids were wonderful, and if we HAD to do it again I know that we could. I think next time we will fly though ;)

A real water fight

So it turns out I married a big kid! After the stampede parade we came home and Chad had got a wonderful huge pool. It was quickly filled with ICE COLD WATER! Thought it would feel great to sit in since it was so hot but the feeling never returned to my feet and I wasn't interested in brain freeze. The kids were quick to jump in though and the water guns were quick to appear. The 2 girls from next door came over, Bella and Emily; Austin was here with Averi, and Skyler and Ethan came from the other side of us. They all took turns trying to spray the adults and finally Chad decided it was time to bring out the big guns.


Chad's backpack sprinkler was a riot. The kids laughed as they were getting sprayed sideways cuz they couldn't figure out how it was spraying them. Then they would run into the toy house to hide but with them all being crammed in there, Chad had ample opportunity to soak them all. Everyone was having a great time, the adults because the beer was flowing easily and the kids had a blast in the water. I sure hope the rest of the summer is this much fun.

The Stampede Parade

July 9th was the official kickoff to the stampede, with the parade being at 9am. Austin and Grandma joined Averi Bradley, Neile and I and we made our way downtown on the train. As only 6 of the millions of people who packed onto the train, it was too much for us! The kids enjoyed the ride as Austin has not been on the train before and Averi loves to ride it and talks about it all the time. We went down to 9th ave and were lucky enough to get a great seat on the sidelines. I packed the blanket so we had something to sit on, and the kids enjoyed strawberries and hot chocolate while we waited for the parade to start. The morning started chilly in the shade but in no time at all we were all cooking on the asphalt.
As the parade went on the kids got excited. Averi because Neile went and got her a balloon, and Austin because he got to see the army tanks up close.

It was really stinking hot by 10:30am and the kids were starting to get restless so we decided it was time to head home. BAD IDEA!!! We were crazy to think we could get on the train. We decided it was a better idea to head to the water park where the kids could play in the water and cool off. A few hours of that and we made it home with orders to Chad to buy a pool on the way home from work. It was a good time but next year I hope the weather isn't so hot.