We'rrrrrre Back!

Well, we had a whirlwind trip to the mountains and to pick Isaiah up from the plane and bring him home.  We left very early on Monday morning so we would have a full day of fun in Calgary.  We made a stop at Ikea (of course) more on that in another post.  Then we headed off to have lunch with our long time friends.  We so enjoyed catching up with them and seeing their beautiful home!  They are some of the most genuine and hospitable people we have ever known!  Thank you so much Heinrichs for a great lunch and taking time to catch up!
From there we checked into our hotel and the boys did some watersliding and swimming to burn off some energy!  We went to the Olive Garden for dinner which the boys loved!  It is one of our favorite places to eat when we are on vacation because there are none where we live!
Next came the highlight of the trip - picking Isaiah up from the plane!  His flight was late and it felt like for ever as the anticipation kept building.
FINALLY we saw him and it lit my heart up to see my boy return!  His brothers were SO excited to see him as well!
Monday night was an early night - straight to bed after that because it was such an early morning and Isaiah was tired from travelling.  He was able to bless a first time flyer with his window seat and "the little dude was stoked" so that made Isaiah really happy!
Tuesday we got up early and had breakfast and headed out to Johnston Canyon to do some hiking!  The scenery was just amazing!  Here are the boys at the beginning ready to hike!

I always try to take advantage of photo ops that include flowers!  I just love these close ups - look at the bee!

 There were giant boulders all along the hike - perfect for little boys that love to climb!

 Here's Benjamin taking a break and posing on this stump!

 This giant tree was about to hit us when Benjamin (Superman) saved the day by stopping it with his sheer cuteness - um I mean strength :0)

 Here is his side kick - Eli aka Indiana Jones grasping onto an exposed root in an effort to escape the impending doom of falling off the edge of the cliff dangling below his feet.

 Here are 2 of the 3 muskateers sword fighting with tre branches whilst they balance on a toppled tree trunk.

 There were SO many squirrels along the path and they were so tame!  I think each of the boys got to touch one and I was kicking myself for not bringing peanuts or something to feed them!

After our hike we were heading back to Bow Falls for the boys to be able to play in the mountain water for a while when we came across this guy:

Here he is winking at me.  I know he was thinking - "yep, I'm just laying here letting you all admire me displaying the glory of God", and that he was!

The ditches were covered in these:

Of course everytime you see a daisy, what comes to mind is He loves me, He loves me not and let me assure you - HE loves us SO much!  What a great reminder that God created all things for our pleasure and enjoyment!
We drove a little further when we ran into these characters:  a herd of mountain goats!

Its always so exciting for us when we get to see wildlife!
After a short drive we arrived at bow falls where the boys raced out of the truck to play in the water when we were hit by a very cool mountain breeze!  Nevertheless, they were determined to try out the water!  This is the view from the shore - just breathtaking!

 Jacob peeking out from behind a giant piece of drift wood.

 Isaiah!

 Bow falls - the pic really doesn't do it justice.  The amount of water that was flowing down the falls was incredible!

"Brrrrr!  Its cold out here"

 Skipping rocks!

 Now ensues a friendly game of, "I'm so throwing you in the lake"

 A boy and his Mom - LOL!

 Eli using a chalk rock to write on a slate stone!

The view of the town of Banff driving back from the falls.

Time with family is SO incredibly important.  Jesus often drew away to a quiet place or out onto the water where the crowds could not get to he and his disciples so that he had time alone with them.  Just the physiological responses that happen in your body when you have rest and relaxation are amazing.  God created us to enjoy those we love.  This world has so many amazing things to see and do - take time to enjoy them with the ones you love.
While our trip was only 1 night and two days - the time was invaluable to me.  These are the faces that make my heart smile everyday, the faces that make me so incredibly thankful for all that God has blessed my life with, the faces that make me happy every single day that I am alive.

Happy, Healthy & Together!  Never ever forget to count your blessings! Pin It