From My Perspective

I shared Haylee's amazing photos of our explorations but I thought I should add my perspective.  I was either driving or sitting in the backseat because Haylee was always given the best view so that she could truly enjoy the scenery. 

Our first couple of days was with just the girls and we enjoyed trying to catch glimpses of the mountains which mostly chose to hide behind snowy skies.

It was interesting that when we took Cheryl to Lake Louise in the summer a couple of years ago it was raining and now it was snowing.....but always beautiful.

We drove up to Sunshine Mountain to see a couple special snowboarders and stopped for another photo opportunity.

It was pretty cold but these girls were real troopers.  They bundled up and breathed in the mountain air!

Once Ron finished work early on Sunday morning we took off for a few days with him as the chauffeur.

Haylee was always ready to take pictures to remember the moment.

In Radium we found a quaint little motel that overlooked amazing views.

 This handsome guy was out on my balcony enjoying the scenery.

And right next door on the balcony was this familiar face.

When we drove north from Radium the skies seemed to open up and allow the un-forecasted snow to fall around us.

We knew that the mountains were there but they weren't providing us with beautiful views that we knew they could.

I took lots of pictures of the dog sleds when we stopped in Banff so I thought I would share one of mine since it was so exciting for me.  It is amazing to me how loud the dogs are as they anxiously wait for their musher to let them go.  As soon as they start running their focus is on their running and silence takes over.

We spent the next night back in Canmore....one of my favourite mountain towns.  We took a nice walk in the morning along the boardwalk.

Canmore is known for the mountain range called "The Three Sisters."

The rest of our trip was pretty much documented in my last post from Haylee's pictures.  This morning I drove the girls to the airport.  The sky was beautiful.  We saw the sunrise in the east and the mountains in the west.  We said a teary goodbye.  Special friends are a blessing to have....and it is so much fun to share so many memories together.

Now ...back to work for me tomorrow.

Through the Lens of Haylee

Imagine how excited I was a few months ago to get a message from my wonderful friend, Cheryl when she asked if March would be a good time to visit Three Hills.  Of course, any time is a good time to come and visit me! Even more exciting was that she was bringing her daughter, Haylee.  This would be the first time for Haylee to fly and see the mountains.

Thursday - I picked them up at the airport and we headed to Canmore.

There was snow on the ground and the sky was heavy with more.  We weren't getting a clear view of the mountains but on we went into Banff to explore.

 After a good tour of the town we met up with my son for a nice dinner out.  We were bundled up due to the cold and it felt good to get back to our hotel room with a hot tea and to turn on the fireplace. 

 

Friday - we got up and had breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Lake Louise.  Once again the sky was full of snow but we went for a nice walk along the lake.

 I was excited about having Cheryl and Haylee here!

At the end of the lake Cheryl just had to be a kid again.

As we walked back across the lake there was more childish behaviour or some would call it angelic designs.

It is an unique experience making snow angels on Lake Louise. 

After a full day we headed out of the mountains and into the prairies.

 

Saturday - We went for a little drive around Three Hills and tried to get a good picture of the three hills....it always seems to be a difficult job for everyone who tries.

 Sunday - We all went to church and then loaded up the truck again for another trip into the mountains.  We drove to Radium.

In the evening we went to the hot springs and enjoyed an hour of relaxing in the pools.  It was right around -2 degrees C in the air and the water was 39 degrees.  It felt so good.  We spent the night in Radium.

Monday - We decided to head north through Golden, B.C.  It was another snowy day.  We stopped in Lake Louise and we all skied across the lake.  Another new experience for Haylee. 

We also got to watch some dog sleds take off which was exciting for me to watch.

We drove through 1A and then stopped at Johnston Canyon to do a hike.

That night we stayed in a hotel in Canmore and had a great night's sleep after such a good day.

 Tuesday - We went for a walk and explored Canmore in the morning.

We continued in to Kananaskis but unfortunately it was snowing quite a bit so we couldn't get the views that we normally would.

We drove home and settled in for a few days in Three Hills.

 

Wednesday and Thursday - Ron and I both worked and the girls explored Three Hills.  In the evening we went to a missions conference at the Bible College so they could experience a little bit of my life here.

 Friday - We drove to Drumheller so that Haylee could see the Badlands of Alberta.

She can now say, "Been there, done that!"

 

In the evening we went to a concert at the college featuring Tim Neufeld and the Glory Boys.  It was a fun night.

 Saturday - We made a full day of shopping in Calgary with an extra tour of the city by my boy.

 

Sunday - That's today!  We went to church and then Haylee and Cheryl cleaned my downstairs, packed and had a quieter afternoon because tomorrow we have to drop them off at the airport.  It has been a wonderful visit and I have so enjoyed having Cheryl here and getting to know Haylee all over again. 

 

All pictures above were taken by Haylee.  I so enjoyed seeing her smile as she experienced so many firsts.  Can't wait until she comes back! (and Cheryl too, of course!)

 



P.S.  There are so many more stories to tell about our trip.  We had lots of good laughs and talks, saw so much, drove over 2000 km and enjoyed lots of food....some at the restaurant and some we made here.  The best has to be the peanut butter cheesecake....YUM!