Recent Memory Lane

So it's not my "turn" or anything (ahem dad ahem), but the other day I was perusing through my journal and--do you love journals? Mine has evolved over the years. They started out with a lot of gushy mushy angsty boy loving, and slowly over time turned into this, what I find, engaging mixture of thoughts and events. Probably helped by the fact that I get to it so infrequently that whenever I do I always have something interesting to mention. And so leafing through the past few years of them has become a real treat. I'm always like, "Ooh, I'm such a poet! Why can't I be like this in real life?"

Anyway, so I was perusing through my journal and I landed upon the "family vacation" entry. And I loved remembering all the details, so I thought it would be fun to share with all of you. Here, for your reminiscing pleasure, is that entry:

"Well, the family vacation has ended. The visit was lovely. Brad met us on the road just outside Lethbridge so we spent all our time with him there. The first week we hung out at my parents', going to the pool, and the park, and the pond, and Cardston. We took pictures at the temple and ate at the pizza place Brad and I went to after getting married. Mom and Amy and I went shopping and for dinner, and later dessert. Mom got new Birkenstocks and I got a new wallet. It is fun to not worry about money! The Swensons arrived on Sunday as we were all gathered at the Bennetts' place, and on Monday I took Becca and the kids on a nature walk while Alex drove to Calgary to pick up Laurel from a trip.

The cottage was fabulous in my opinion! The play structure kept the kids mostly downstairs, which is good because the main space, with vaulted ceilings, was extremely echoey. On Wednesday we played in the ravine at the river, and had a visit from Ben Raymant. Thursday, under wildfire smoke skies, we drove to Waterton and climbed Bear's Hump, then visited the town. Friday just the adults (and Finn) spent the day in Lethbridge while the grandparents watched the kids. We shopped, and had lunch at Montana's, and went bowling. It was pretty fun. Saturday Brad set up targets and the kids shot the pellet guns, and in the afternoon we had the Bennett clan over and sang happy birthday to Roysten. Sunday was Roysten's baptism, and Monday those that were left (Leslie and the Swensons had gone) went to Wally's beach, which had almost no water but some truly excellent MUD!

And every night the adults gathered to eat junk food and play games, or sing songs and play instruments, or just chat. That was perhaps the best part!

And every morning, exhausted and underslept, I would gaze admiringly over the ravine with its sandstone walls, and the rolling hills and valleys, with a herd of grazing cattle dotting the distant plains. It was lovely."

I hope you enjoyed that trip down recent memory lane. Where are we going next?