Long Week!

The last weekend of July started with camping 25 minutes away from Olds at Westward Ho Campground with Ryan, Nicole and Hunter. Unfortunately this is the only picture I took. Gracie thinks she's pretty big cooking her own hotdog :) We had beautiful weather and wish we would have packed bathing suits as there were a ton of people swimming in the river. The girls had to play in the water in shorts and t-shirts.

We arrived back from camping on Sunday afternoon. I bathed the kids, packed the car and left for Medicine Hat 2 hours later. Unfortunately I did a poor job of taking pictures on this trip as well!

Grandma Shirl took us swimming in her boss's pond-turned-pool. The day was hot and the water felt great. I think Ally would have swam all day if we had let her. Too bad Grandpa Don was working. The kids had a great time feeding his fish in his beautiful pond although they did ask him if he could turn his pond into a pool and then they could swim with the fish.

What a beautiful backyard!!

We also went to visit Grandma Vi and Grandpa Ralph. Ally loves their garden! This is a great picture of their cherry tree.

Grandma let me take a picture of her! All three gals look beautiful!!!!

Of course, we also spent tons of time with Grandma Shelley as we went to the parade and took Ally on the Midway rides with Cousin Josh and Aunt Amanda. Ally and Josh were so fearless on the rides! Sadly, none of us took any pictures. Ally spent a fun afternoon making paper dolls with Grandma Shelley and picking berries from her garden.

We also went to the Redcliff splash park with Nana, Papa and Aunt Janae. It was a busy week!

We arrived home on Saturday afternoon and left Sunday morning to meet Warren at Hunter Valley. We arrived to rain and MUD. I wasn't sure I would even get into the place they had chosen to camp it was so muddy. We stepped out of the car and were almost eaten alive by mosquitos. But, while Grace and I hid in the trailer, Ally got her chance to ride on Warren's dirtbike with him.

In front of this mud puddle is a bigger mud puddle. A highlight of the time we were there was watching our friend, Jeff, drive his 1 ton truck (which had an eight inch lift) back and forth thru the various mud puddles until he actually got stuck. Of course all the guys were standing in the pouring rain, egging him on. Then, they pulled him out. Grace and I watched from the trailer. I took a picture but it was too dark. Oh, the joys of camping in the bush :)

We arrived home on Monday afternoon and that night, Ally said in her prayers, "Please help Mommy to not take me anywhere ever again." I know she had fun but sleeping nine out of ten nights in three locations might have been too much!