Headin' South

It's been a while since the last post.....been a tad hectic around here, which I think is a good thing. The past few weeks have involved a ton of good things going on, so I'll try to hit a few of the highlights.

With me going on my annual golf trip (more on that later) for the week of the 14th, it made sense for the whole family to head South with me, to spend some time with Andrea's Mom and Jim at Waterton. So the weekend prior to leaving, I spent the weekend with the family in Waterton, enjoying some amazing hospitality, some amazing meals, and the always amazing scenery. And, as we typically seem to find, the weather was perfect the entire trip.....almost no wind, and not too hot. Kate and Lauren enjoyed MANY hours at the new park, ice cream most every day, and even a quick trip on the lake. The annual shopping trip to the Tamarack Outdoor Store had us set up well with new hiking shoes, some new t-shirts, etc. It's pretty much like having a mini-MEC in Waterton, and it always has some new, neat stuff. Both girls loved their time with Granny and Jim, and we even made it thru without breaking ANYTHING. Those with a 3 and a 1 year old realize how big of an accomplishment this is. Although, Kate did take down Jim's laptop at Christmas, so maybe she has done her share of damage for the both of them! Andrea's Sister's family also came out for a night, and we were able to celebrate Kaleigh's 10th birthday.....wow....we are really getting old!

On the Lake....with the Prince of Wales Hotel in the background

Kate Taking the Wheel

Mountain Shot from the Lake

Cutline Showing the USA/Canada Border

Hangin' on the Shore & Throwing some Rocks

The Cousins on the Shore

Kaleigh and Lauren on the Slide

Kate on the "big girl" swing

The week of the 14th marked the 10th Anniversary of me going on the Kokanee Classic Golf Trip.....a 5 day get-away for me and 31 other golfers. Some are friends, some are co-workers, and some are customers, but it involves an excessive amount of golfing (8 rounds in 5 days), too little sleep, and likely a few too many beverages. The trip has been going on for 14 years now, and is a true highlight of my year. Of course, upon returning, I am done with golf for a while, but it really is a great week that is always filled with some great stories!

Kokanee Springs Hole #1

Low Hanging Clouds (and a bit of rain)

Keeping the important stuff dry......

Andrea and the girls then returned to Calgary for a quick couple days, taking over the Payne Household (Pat was away with me on the golf trip, so it worked out well for the wives and kids to catch up). Kate had a fantastic time playing with Kaleigh and Carson.....she now is a HUGE fan of Barbie's and make-up. There were rumors of Kate wearing lipstick and Carson sporting some blue eyeshadow, but it has yet to be confirmed. Jill even relieved Andrea of the girls for a few hours, so she could sneak out and do some shopping at a real mall (those that have frequented the Peter Pond Mall in FMM will understand just how much this time means). There were a couple nights of "old favorite" dinner spots......Sea Fish and Chips, and Karma for a good Indian feast. I returned late on Friday night, we all crashed for one more night, then packed up and headed back to FMM on Saturday. But not before a quick stop at Waskatenau to celebrate Jared's 14th birthday, and for Kate to fall in love with Sydney's XXXXXXL playhouse on the farm.

Carson, Ben, Kaylee, Kate, Mad Dog, and Lauren