Touring in the Rocky Mountains again.

Hi all in the land down under. I believe you are having a very mild summer, we also are having a fairly mild winter, not to much snow, yet! We are in the Rockies with Tim, Kate Elijah, Josh and Jane. As you can see in the above photo there is plenty of snow here. This is actually a photo of Simpson Lake near the town of Banff. Every turn is a photo opportunity and a quite hard to describe. Photos don't do the magnificent scenery justice. The guys and Jane have got a fair bit of skiing in over the past week. The skied at the Famous Lake Louis ski resort and I think that was a high light for them. No injuries and lots of new skills learnt. Josh has been snowboarding and has mastered it quite well. Jim, Crystal, Erin and Carly joined us for the weekend which was lovely. Pity they had to go home and back to work and school.
This photo is taken in the Fairmont Hotel in Banff. I think this hotel is on every tourist brochure advertising Canada. How cute is Elijah. He has been so good it is really unbelievable. He is happy all the time and happy to go to anyone. He didn't like the snow at first but today he had a little play on his own in the snow. Maybe he did this because Phil and I wanted him to keep walking.
Yes you read this right. This was on the way to drop the guys of skiing in Lake Louise. Cold isn't a word to describe -30. It was a clear, sunny day and the skiing was fantastic, though.
While skiing was happening Kate, Elijah and Myself went shopping in Banff and had lunch at the spaghetti factory. Elijah was just a delight as the photo shows. I am going to miss them so much. We have had a great holiday and will never forget the beautiful mountains, frozen lakes and amazing picture opportunities we have enjoyed.

The girls also managed a trip to the Patchwork shop in Canmore. Didn't we have fun and I think they will have to restock the shop after we had been there. The shop is call the Sugar Pine Company in Canmore, take a look as it has some beautiful fabrics. We even got Jane interested and she brought some beautiful things.

Tim, Kate and Elijah go home on Monday and Clayton arrives on Thursday, I suppose I have to take him to the mountains as well. Its such a hard job!!!!
Well till next time, enjoy the warmth in Oz.

Lots of love Tina

Winter is so much fun

Elijah and Grandad (Phil) checking out the truck. What a great photo, not real clear but the moment was certainly grasped in the photo. This photo was ment to be last but Im still trying to sort out this blogging. So forgive me. The blog actually starts after the ice fishing photo. Ha ha

Hi to all in the land down under! I hear it is hot and that there has been a bit of rain in varies places. Fantastic!!!!

Tim, Kate and Elijah arrived the day that Kylie left. There were lots of tears at the airport that day. I am so loving having the kids visit, Clayton is coming on the 1st of February, how fantastic is that. I am already wondering how I am going to say goodbye to Elijah. He is so gorgous and so happy. Kate and Tim are having their 2nd baby in June. How exciting.

We went ice fishing last weekend. It was a perfectly beautiful day. Around -8. The above photo is of Tim drilling a hole in the ice and the black tent thingys is what you sit on top of the hole to see the fish swimming below, you sit in them to fish. Egg shells are put in the hole and as they sink you can see how deep the water is. The photo below is of the actual hole, as you can see the ice is around 12 inches thick. We were walking on a huge lake where we also went snowmobiling. Tim was so excited he got to drive a pick up truck on the lake.

What a beautiful photo of Jane with a fish she had caught. How exciting!!! No she didnt keeep it not quite big enough!! Jim also caught one, and has a "one that got away" story.

The boys and Jim's toy. Tim, Josh, Phil and Jim, next to the pick up Tim drove on the ice. What an adventure for everyone. The girls went home early to put Elijah to bed. He doesnt like the snow too much. It is like one big white beach to him and he doesnt like having to put on the snow gear.
Josh and Tim went skiing and snowboarding yesterday to keep there hand, or legs in for the ski trip to the rockies. Yes once again I have to sacrifice a week of my time in the Rockies, sigh. We are going to Banff for a week. Crystal, Jim, Erin and Carly are coming with us for the weekend. Which will be a lot of fun. Then we will stay on till the end of the week. We are all excited to have a week together in such a beautiful place. Phil has taken a week off as well. I am certainly taking time to smell the roses and am thankful for the days we can have together in such a magnificent place. God is so Good.

Well till next time. Enjoy the warmth and remember to smell the roses!!!

Im sorry to most of you that I have sent you Christmas cards and to some gifts, but it appears nothing has arrived in Australia yet. I sent some in early October but they havent even arrived. So hopefully you will get them before next Christmas. ha ha

Lots of love Tina

Happy New Year

Hi all in the Very Warm Land down under. Hope you enjoyed the Holiday break we were thinking of you as you greeted the New Year 18 hours earlier than we did. No we didnt stay up, we were too tired after our trip to Jasper.

The above photo is of Josh and Jim, yes we had a Barby in the snow. Delicous steak and salads, so we wouldnt get home sick. Josh even managed to share a beer with Jim, no ice cubes needed.
(okay guys I know you dont put ice cubes in beer but it justs adds to the story) After supper and a quick round of cards we headed off ice skating on the pond in the night time. Off course I didnt skate, someone had to mind the handbags. Everyone was quite good on the skates except poor "old" Phil, who hasnt skated for at least 15 years. Phil is the one on the ice it is called "bum skating" a new craze that he started. ha ha Actually he did fantastic and there was something special about skating in natural surroundings. It had snowed so that made it even more perfect.

Okay, this one is of the Kylie, Jane and Phil on there way up to a higher skiing hill. Note the amazing rockies in the background. Josh missed this ride. I warned them not to put their toungues on the metal poles. ( Tim we did remember that stupid movie). This is the ski hill at Jasper called Marmot.
Too many heads together doesnt make light work!!! They are trying to take a photo of a snow flake. Some of the flakes are as big as 10cent peices or bigger. They are standing on a frozen lake called Patrica Lake. I have photos of the lake on earlier blogs. It is so incredible to think this was a large lake and now people cross country ski and ice skate on it now. You can see the snow falling in this photo.
This is Athabasca falls. Well it is actually Athabasca frozen. Sorry bad joke. It was the most beatiful site I have seen. (well since the last one anyway). There is still a little water coming over the falls but the rest is frozen. It is almost unbelievable to think that a waterfall can freeze up so much. There are lots of stalagtites of ice, making a winter wonderland.
It is back to work for Phil this week after having 9 or so days off. Kylie has gone with him to experience the Truckie world. They are headed to Vancouver which is a breathtaking drive on the other side of the rockies. They will enjoy having this time together.

Josh and Jane are back to work this week. Tim, Kate and Elijah arrive on the 10th Jan. just half and hour after Kylie flies out. Really bad timing, but Edmonton airport doesnt give too many choices for available flights to the USA.

Have a great week and I look forward to sharing the hundreds of photos already taken just over the weekend.

See ya Tina