It's Over. Carefree mornings. Coffee on the deck in my house coat. Unbrushed hair and dirty faces. The hot sun. Swim wear as an all day fashion choice. Cooling off in the dugout. Mid day bike rides. Digging in the mud.

So now, mornings are a lot busier. New haircuts make the hair brushing much easier and quicker. Faces are getting washed. Bike rides are on the weekend. Even so, as we dig out cozy sweaters, and everything pumpkin spiced makes its annual debut and begin looking forward to s**w, now is a great time to reflect on the amazing times we've had over the last few months.

And then this happened. Seriously? She's old enough?

Now our mornings are busy. New haircuts mean easier and quicker prep for school. Lunches are going in school backpacks, not hiking backpacks. And the shoes are built for less rugged terrain.

But, maybe it's not over. Maybe it's just new. Maybe there's still time to visit the larches as they turn yellow. Still time to enjoy the bright yellow against the dark green of evergreen trees. Still time to run up a mountain and enjoy the suns last hurrah before its warmth focuses on the southern hemisphere. Still time for a bike ride on a warm afternoon. Still time for coffee on the deck; but in the afternoon.

What have you still got time for? 

Well, at long last, us Canadians get to experience a taste of paradise (also know as summer). Side note: I had to change the word "us" six times as it kept autocorrecting to U.S. Hmm.

I was pretty disappointed, at the beginning of July, to postpone my hike with the kids due to a sick little girl (lethargy, puke and hiking just don't mix).

I am happy to report that I was able to conquer the mountain (and the six kids I hiked with!) last Monday with my dear friend, Cory. Good times were had by all. Well, almost :) haha. Amid questions like, "are you a daycare?" And a lunch time rain (always) we managed to have a splendid day in kananaskis country.

It has been a glorious spring,  and it's already, somehow, SUMMER! Tomorrow is the last day of school,  and the fun will begin!

Here are a few highlights from our springtime adventures:

Mount Swansea. May 15th, 2015. Mine and Dana's 11th Wedding Anniversary. We stayed in Radium. Visit www.radiumvacations.com for more information about how you can stay there too. And we spent the long weekend traveling around and doing fun stuff and some much needed relaxing.

I've asked myself in the past, "Why does Dana need a multi-tool in his hiking bag?" The answer is: Because Beth's insoles are one day going to wear out, and the steel shanks in her shoes are going to start stabbing her in the bottom of each foot simultaneously, and the only way to rip them out on the mountain, is with a multi-tool.  

Lake Louise Tea House Circuit. Ladies Only Hike. 

The Tea House Circuit was wonderful. The forecast was lousy the week preceeding, however we chose to stick with our plan. It turned out amazing! We heard an avalanche, it threatened to snow at a few points (I assured everyone that the white things in the air were nothing but poplar fuzz, and there was nothing to be concerned about), and we had a wonderful time hiking and building relationships. There are many, many more pictures from this spectacular 14.5k hike, but I didn't take them. If you pay attention in the future, you may see some more of the spectacular moments of the day.  

These are just a few wee snippets of our recent hiking escapades, and it really doesn't do it justice. Coming up, we hope we can show you the view from the Nahahi Ridge in Kananaskis! Check in next week to see if we succeeded!