Camping in Kananaskis

We had our week in Kananaskis this year WITH OUT ANY MICE visitors!!! Woohoo!!!!!

We had been up in Fort McMurray on Sunday morning and decided to drive to Fort Saskatchewan, switch vehicles so we could take the trailer and be in Kananaskis that night. It was a long day and our sweet Mr. P set up things in the dark with his head lamp but we were able to wake up in the mountains and start our week there together.  Mt. Kidd in Kananaskis was one of the first places we went the summer we got our trailer and we have returned every year since!  We have a blast there!

We set up a little pin hole paper view so the girls could see the eclipse, the best contrast was to be just before noon and it totally worked....honestly Graham and I were probably more excited about it then the ladies. Neat to do it together as a family though.  We have been listening to these pod casts called 'Wow in the World' and listened to one on the eclipse, super interesting. 

We drove down the road a bit to where we had family pictures last summer and it was stunning there again this year!!! We let the women go in the ice cold mountain water and the pup had fun exploring.  It was one of those blissful afternoons, chill and in a beautiful spot.

Great paved roads for biking. 

Great parks for playing. 

The girls and the pup, oh my heart!

Great interpretive program.

 

~ Mrs. P

Legislature Pools

One of our very favourite places to go in the summer are the Legislative Pools.  With holiday's, family reunions and art camps over we were finally able to hook up with the Moch ladies and it was lovely! The weather was absolutely beautiful!!! Also super cool is that Graham came to join us later in the afternoon.  He has never been able to come with us so it was so nice!

Bathing Beauties

Sometimes you meet people and you dig the family, Moch's are totally one of those families. Adore them! The smilies on the girls and watching them play is awesome.

~  Mrs. P

Hudkins Family Reunion

The 2017 Hudkins Family Reunion will go down as the frog reunion.

We left a wonderful week in Jasper as a bunch of Hinkos and travelled east to join a bunch of Hudkins at our family reunion.  Lots of extended family togetherness!!!

Frogs and football, the girls were happy and Mr. P was happy.

Watching the littles play together was certainly a highlight. I have fond memories playing with my cousins, those big football players.  Way back when, I would take them over to the park by Gramma and Grampa's house, now the next generation of cousins are playing at the park.  Time flies.  Family is a constant, a constant support...lots of love for everyone we were able to spend time with.  Love for those who couldn't make it.

These big cousins of mine, I am the near the top of the oldest in this crew. When I look at these pictures my heart beams for these people. I have watched them all grow. Those boys in the back are all great men, my lady cousins and sisters beside GnG are women I admire.  I truly love these two photos Graham snapped as we tried to get a decent cousin photo, five cousins are missing and that is sad but such is life.

Uncle Garth arranged for some of the littles to do a skit that shared family history.  The history of Gramma and Grampa's courtship and who were Christina & Orland Hudkins, lots of good stuff.  Leaving imprints on the next generation of WHO WE ARE!! At the reunion we clebrated GnGs 60th Wedding Anniversary, such a milestone.

Something pretty special we also celebrated was that Gramma Hudkins turns 80 this year!!!! Wow, what a woman.  These two violin playing beauties practiced together so they could play Gramma 'Happy Birthday', it was pretty rad!

 

Lots of togetherness, lots of celebrating and lots of love a the Hudkins Reunion.  I think the saying goes, "all because two people fell in love".

~ Jenny

Jasper with the Hinko peeps

Months and months ago we the Hinko peeps planned a family get-a-way in Jasper.   When things went crazy with my dads health this spring, we feared that our mountain vacation would be very different.  Being there together was almost surreal actually, being together.

We decided to be a little crazy and went white water rafting!!!!!
It was pretty intense and yet cool.  They level rafting 1-6 and this was a 2.5, it was pretty much the max of what I was comfortable doing. Everyone enjoyed it and I am actually kinda proud of us all. My parents waved us off and welcomed us back.

Each evening we hit up the hot springs and it was lovely.  My parents and siblings stayed up at Miette Hot Springs and we camped down the mounting at the Pocohonatas Camp Ground in our trailer.  We had dinner at my parent's cabin each night and then changed into our swimsuits.  We would visit, laugh and the kids would swim.  Some blissful moments, crazy too with everyone but blissful!

The girls might say the highlights were the animals, they are animal lovers after all.

We checked out Athabasca Falls and goodness do we live in a beautiful country!

A little Pyramid lake before we left the mountains.....oh can't wait until we get to go again.

Our final night we had a little family devotional and the nerd that I am had to get everyone this sign.  We CAN DO hard things, we can do hard things as a family! We have the Lord and we have one another.





 
~ Mrs. P