tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50486953473694348552024-02-07T22:54:34.796-07:00Active Kids Active Family911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-39488715431181009002014-02-06T20:02:00.000-07:002014-02-06T21:30:08.193-07:00Five Ways to Enjoy the Olympics as a Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi are set to begin and watching the Olympics is a great way to get your kids inspired and excited about different sports. There are lots of different ways you can get your kids excited about the Olympics and sport in general. Here are five ways to enjoy the Olympics together as a family:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw3NIO0zkvN_83NR0jS5ZJJS0sCJl5s6SYL6I9-tXeJD6mA0fcKnvFJAkNwupWacTAxIKooZugu1Bd17VOsTSCb9MFADv_Rczk40s_VjIKWbQopwtFDNpABI2Fekn8DjNDBGBcnw_bg/s320/IMG_5240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw3NIO0zkvN_83NR0jS5ZJJS0sCJl5s6SYL6I9-tXeJD6mA0fcKnvFJAkNwupWacTAxIKooZugu1Bd17VOsTSCb9MFADv_Rczk40s_VjIKWbQopwtFDNpABI2Fekn8DjNDBGBcnw_bg/s320/IMG_5240.jpg" /></a>1. Have your own mini torch relay. Make torches out of paper towel roll tubes. Cover them with foil or decorated papers. Cut out flame shapes in yellow, orange and red to glue into the top of the tube. When the torches have dried, get a group of kids together at a neighbourhood park and run your very own torch relay. Kids love this. It gets everyone outside being active, and after seeing the torch relay leading up to the Olympics and watching it be brought in during the Opening Ceremonies, it allows the kids to act out what they see. I can't help but remember back to 2010 and being part of Canada's torch relay... it truly was one of the most special experiences of my life. If you want to read about it, the link is<a href="http://shazza911.blogspot.ca/2010/01/part-of-vancouver-2010-olympic-torch.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.<br />
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2. Watch the Opening Ceremonies together. This is an amazing opportunity to teach you about countries all over the world. Bring out a world map or globe and as each country enters, help your kids find where that country is in the world. You can talk about the clothes the countries are wearing, how many people are representing those countries, what the flag looks like, and other facts you might know about different places, like the languages they speak, major cities or attractions in those countries as well as foods that are from those places. Your kids can try to draw their favourite flags. The Olympics are all about bringing the world together and setting differences aside to compete in sport. Maybe your kids will want to learn more about some of the countries prompting a trip to your local library to find some books.<br />
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3. Do a bit of research on your national team. Find out which sports your country has athletes competing in and bring up the biographies of some of those athletes when those events are on. It makes the athletes seem more down to earth and helps kids relate to them. By sharing their stories, it helps the kids root for someone they know something about. Figure out which sports your country has the most potential for. If athletes are consistently in the top ten in the world for their sport, they are definitely someone to be watching, and more likely you'll actually get to watch their performance. Sometimes the media coverage is very heavy on the favourites and they may not show every athlete competing so be aware of that when you are watching. And check out a variety of sports too. I know in Canada we are known as these crazy hockey obsessed people, but personally, I'd skip hockey to watch speed skating, skeleton, freestyle skiing, cross country etc. I love all the winter sports and the Olympics are the one time in four years that every one of these sports gets their moment in the spotlight, so I'd take those over hockey any day (I know, that's very uncanadian of me). Canadians can find the latest news as well as athlete bios at the <a href="http://olympic.ca/" target="_blank">Canada Olympic</a> site. Canada is sending the largest team ever this year with 221 athletes on the list. Americans can learn more about their athletes at the <a href="http://www.teamusa.org/" target="_blank">TeamUSA</a> site. If you are rooting for another country, a simple google search should help you find what you are looking for. You can also check out the official <a href="http://www.sochi2014.com/en" target="_blank">Sochi Olympic </a>site as well which has a schedule of events, medal counts, news and more. There are also several apps available which will help you plan your Olympic experience.<br />
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4. Get out and try some of the sports you see. This is the time when these sports are in the spotlight and many of them have chances to check them out. It gives them an opportunity to recruit new athletes to their ranks at the beginning levels. Your kids may be really excited after watching something new, so allowing them to participate in that new sport might encourage them to be more active. Check your local clubs and see if they have any dates to check a sport out. Lots of places will offer beginning workshops for sports, that include needed equipment, so your child can try things like cross country skiing, skating, downhill skiing, and depending on where you live, maybe luge, or bobsled. Or, check out a local competition in some of these sports. Watching other kids competing could inspire your kids as well. There are so many different sports in the Olympics and some we don't see every day. Find out what's in your community. And, don't be afraid to try the sports along with them. Skating and skiing are two sports that are great to do as a family. You can also find books at the library on the different sports to teach your kids a bit more about them before or after they try them.<br />
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5. Get in the Olympic spirit. Host a get together to watch a particular event. Have a potluck where everyone brings something from a different country participating in the Olympics. Kids get to try new foods and root for their favourite athletes. Encourage everyone to wear their country's colours. Send the kids out to play outside. Have some mini winter sports set up outside for them to try. Check out this link from <a href="http://rainorshinemamma.com/5-olympics-inspired-backyard-games-for-winter" target="_blank">Rain Or Shine Mamma </a>with backyard Olympic themed games. If you are in Calgary, you can also head over to Canada Olympic Park and experience Sochi Fan Central put on by <a href="http://www.winsport.ca/index.cfm" target="_blank">Winsport</a>. There are screens set up to show various events, an results board, marshmallow roasts on select evenings, Russian food and drinks, and a chance to send wishes to the athletes. And if someone has a birthday anytime soon, make it an Olympic themed party... medals and cupcakes all around... like the folks at <a href="http://www.moosefish.com/cgi-bin/package_display.pl?packageID=1824" target="_blank">moosefish</a> did for their five year old.<br />
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The Olympics are fun to watch. There is something for everyone. So help your kids to learn about different sports as well as learn about different countries. It is a great event to enjoy as a family and to help inspire new active sports for your family to try. So have fun, and go Canada (everyone else too, but especially Canada)!!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagF1Dwr-RFVmwpsxzn0ye7nDz6vgPggDEvvae1kgh0mOOAGHFDW_5kgMfi7R1jy-G-fJ7R67mn5PlJFAuz-ZgicAwEQ4ttSjxomTpAwi5M3Dpnub1eJWj-jzWrQGNAWpE7Eaxzpcv595j/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagF1Dwr-RFVmwpsxzn0ye7nDz6vgPggDEvvae1kgh0mOOAGHFDW_5kgMfi7R1jy-G-fJ7R67mn5PlJFAuz-ZgicAwEQ4ttSjxomTpAwi5M3Dpnub1eJWj-jzWrQGNAWpE7Eaxzpcv595j/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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This past weekend, we were out in the mountains for some fun and adventure. Lots of activities kept us busy, but the most interesting was definitely the <a href="http://events.mec.ca/node/10979" target="_blank">MEC Ice Climbing Festival</a> which took place from January 31st, through February 2nd, 2014. The Ice Climbing Festival was part of <a href="http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Festivals/Winter/SnowDays" target="_blank">SnowDays</a> taking place in <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx" target="_blank">Banff National Park</a> from January 10th to February 9th, 2014. Right on Banff Avenue, there is a massive ice wall that is truly a site to see. However, even more fun than watching the climbers, was actually checking it out first hand. My seven year old son was curious and wanted to try, so I went along for the adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYV3J9978eYFuWRZ3-b71pHGjHK0i7oVQ6zd7o3U3J9wzGayXUcdVCk3t4XcBIP_5v00bIkHOWnqRcoIvN7oOO3UqXqXeA6hVKqv3AIqfgjbvMiBdJ6AjxXTTNtpUyQrbb88p5nYyg2Rn/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYV3J9978eYFuWRZ3-b71pHGjHK0i7oVQ6zd7o3U3J9wzGayXUcdVCk3t4XcBIP_5v00bIkHOWnqRcoIvN7oOO3UqXqXeA6hVKqv3AIqfgjbvMiBdJ6AjxXTTNtpUyQrbb88p5nYyg2Rn/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg" height="320" width="263" /></a>We had a bit of a wait, as the wall was quite popular, and such a great way to check out a sport we might not have otherwise. Sebastian has been climbing since the age of four, but to date, only indoors, and certainly has never tried ice climbing. He is even in a climbing group right now, so trying out ice climbing was a natural progression for him. We got ourselves signed up, and soon enough were getting geared up to go. </div>
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So what exactly is involved in ice climbing? Well, certainly some more gear than your traditional climbing. We were used to harnesses, chalk bags and climbing shoes. Aside from the harness though, everything was new to us. Big fancy climbing boots, crampons, ice picks. It was a new adventure. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap9mO8TeYr-cVGmJ-REvFckWICgSiSIPJWXpT6T-84vewRA-dxJnqFM8f6H0W8KJIEz3FbJJkZpWYqIsakRw7WVPtjpQLaPeXrev5daSikrUVmxBS-oDtZBL4P5brQMAxWCmWwwxcvfXF/s1600/IMG_0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap9mO8TeYr-cVGmJ-REvFckWICgSiSIPJWXpT6T-84vewRA-dxJnqFM8f6H0W8KJIEz3FbJJkZpWYqIsakRw7WVPtjpQLaPeXrev5daSikrUVmxBS-oDtZBL4P5brQMAxWCmWwwxcvfXF/s1600/IMG_0027.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Sebastian wasn't quite sure what to make of the ice picks. The best way I could explain it to him was that they were sort of an extension of his arms. Whereas in rock climbing, he used his hands and feet to find holds, this time he was using the picks and spikes on the end of the crampons. It made more sense to him when he thought of it like Inspector Gadget. "Go go gadget arms, " he said as he held up one of the ice picks. Careful buddy, those are sharp points on there!! From there, he knew what he had to do. We were all geared up and watching the people in front of us. The weather was quite chilly and the sun was going down, adding even more of a chill to things. We waited patiently, while Sebastian was shivering away. </div>
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Now, the ice wall itself was something truly unique. At forty feet tall, it is quite the site. It is constructed by allowing water to drip down and freeze. Each night more water is added. Quite neat how they replicate what happens in nature. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj9dqPleu_jr2y_y12Eh048UyZDcTffxf8Kt1SxJVfpA8z2k3mCEgjJ7bu6nGr9-ZA600nd7D-RrqjeBl_LIGhIDjSgtNpSsIRDBoWjfchW5IcnZLVyNJcCUwDtdAhATroS5KY-6zCjIb/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj9dqPleu_jr2y_y12Eh048UyZDcTffxf8Kt1SxJVfpA8z2k3mCEgjJ7bu6nGr9-ZA600nd7D-RrqjeBl_LIGhIDjSgtNpSsIRDBoWjfchW5IcnZLVyNJcCUwDtdAhATroS5KY-6zCjIb/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Soon enough, it was our turn. Sebastian got tied in with his belayer (who were all from the <a href="http://www.climbersaccess.ab.ca/" target="_blank">Climbers Access Society of Alberta</a>). He was excited but also a little nervous and scared. Everyone was so encouraging giving him pointers and tips. However, he was amazing. And, before long, there I was on the route beside him. It was tricky, trying to get your feet to stay in place, and find places for your arms as well. My biggest issue was the fact that my hands were freezing. I was wearing gloves, which didn't really do much for my super cold fingers. About half way up, I decided I was ready to stop. I looked over at Sebastian who was climbing away, and higher up than I was. It was perfect. I could descend back down, and he would be able to say he climbed higher than his mom. He was beyond thrilled at the climbing, and came down like a pro when he was ready. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPyVdbu-mB1Y-tZeMqtdo2IbI7biNX2zVzo9nVc9n_7UeBwWqJHNiOnzfkLs-ONcjzCE4QyIF3yx2LM7ixojLXyH3LdyOvNCEDFaXOIVDrCtGnwTxg5t1GkrmQyDb-6ZfStB0herUvWtO/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPyVdbu-mB1Y-tZeMqtdo2IbI7biNX2zVzo9nVc9n_7UeBwWqJHNiOnzfkLs-ONcjzCE4QyIF3yx2LM7ixojLXyH3LdyOvNCEDFaXOIVDrCtGnwTxg5t1GkrmQyDb-6ZfStB0herUvWtO/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
It was an amazing experience, and I'm so grateful I had the chance to try it out. It's been on my list of things to try for years (literally, like twenty or more), and now I knew what it was like. Would I go again? Definitely. Would I try it more formally on natural ice somewhere? Probably. Today we were slowed down by our gear choices. Basically, we sort of stumbled across the opportunity and weren't quite dressed the best for it. There is a lot to be said about wearing proper gear, and this was proof positive that better gear would have made for a better experience.<br />
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We both had a lot of fun though, don't get me wrong. But the next time we try ice climbing, it will be in snow pants, with warmer mitts, and a different jacket. That way, we won't be shivering.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiddwoBn2bAVzhYyr8XtPmoT75POsk2sJlBaLOdcAi6xhOPgAVpzSlIAb4yv2KPRaoUp6y8RetW1bMmpqaPj4DMrYaSG595jqGPcaV5NzNrUE1khrmWjIXQseR6LN3O-CLe48Skvg0nJs/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiddwoBn2bAVzhYyr8XtPmoT75POsk2sJlBaLOdcAi6xhOPgAVpzSlIAb4yv2KPRaoUp6y8RetW1bMmpqaPj4DMrYaSG595jqGPcaV5NzNrUE1khrmWjIXQseR6LN3O-CLe48Skvg0nJs/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" height="640" width="562" /></a></div>
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After our climb, we headed for hot drinks, and talked about the experience. Sebastian loved it, but went on to say next time he climbs he's not going to go when it is cold out. So, we chatted about the kind of gear we should wear, and how good gear makes all the difference.We will be sure to look this event up again next year as it was really neat, and it would be nice to check out some of the other events that went along with the festival. Like a formalized course, or watching the competitions. Lots of ways to learn more about ice climbing. So thank you <a href="http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp" target="_blank">MEC</a> for supporting this truly unique event and bringing it right to the heart of Banff Avenue... we had a lot of fun and learned a lot too<br />
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-44887502919387254482014-02-01T22:31:00.000-07:002014-02-01T22:31:54.430-07:00Sufferfest Chrysalis Review and Giveaway <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2piT_HmpxatG8nhrk6yLCieT8lkjAz3-v3J_Av7u06-CFptK4zr6qq-ZNyoYdQJtRbQCpMwGSoNz9I4_vvE07_nrpZuv6JA5CQ8sS3epGDo5HbLAb3Q9GYuzeva0wuHHBeovaPFp_kgV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+6.57.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2piT_HmpxatG8nhrk6yLCieT8lkjAz3-v3J_Av7u06-CFptK4zr6qq-ZNyoYdQJtRbQCpMwGSoNz9I4_vvE07_nrpZuv6JA5CQ8sS3epGDo5HbLAb3Q9GYuzeva0wuHHBeovaPFp_kgV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+6.57.48+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Earlier this week I had the opportunity to preview the new
triathlon workout Chrysalis from <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/">Sufferfest</a></span>. If you have
never heard of Sufferfest they produce amazing workout videos for your bike
trainer, something we as triathletes in Canada spend quite a bit of time on.
When I first heard about the new video I assumed it would be your traditional
brick workout, you bike then you run. This workout truly turns that upside down
and provides you with 4 mini bricks. Not only do you get a workout, you get to
practice your transitions skills 6 times, something most of us don’t practice
nearly enough. These <span style="text-align: center;">transitions are short, at only 30 seconds, so you have to
be organized.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN4gwzZuFEG_pJjEbga0-ItymbSbHlPUrHkIGgAec6fSnU_YczRMtxXGnvdrc11NwnHC9sR7c5SR9w_BgtqLHGmoXbNc8DUpHsWAgbX26JtIlLAjsOI8g2TKCupm5ZH7wnc14Qag-pjgG/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+6.59.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN4gwzZuFEG_pJjEbga0-ItymbSbHlPUrHkIGgAec6fSnU_YczRMtxXGnvdrc11NwnHC9sR7c5SR9w_BgtqLHGmoXbNc8DUpHsWAgbX26JtIlLAjsOI8g2TKCupm5ZH7wnc14Qag-pjgG/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+6.59.58+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a>How you plan to dress for the workout is important. First
off, put away your bib shorts, this workout is a mini triathlon, minus the
swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You won’t want that super thick
chamois hindering your run. A tank top of some variety might be handy because
you will be sweating, a lot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have
tri shoes for your bike, it might be a good idea to use them cause your road
shoes are going to slow you down at transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As well get the fans out, one to cool you down and another to simulate
the wind blowing while you are racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To do this video you require a bike and wind trainer (or a stationary bike) and a
treadmill. Lucky for us our pain cave is fully equipped.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMts-uKJGHgl39Ep5VRD7pW6ZT_kqewI2AcHB5StCRHffevaOpqeUly7XARSwHG9UMWIvnstcQYS1L-DvQg7bwtnBVVrXNzoDpqBrlhBzDgAOjouaTTOTcbtagGjF4PzJXAq-O_ZiRjxs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.04.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMts-uKJGHgl39Ep5VRD7pW6ZT_kqewI2AcHB5StCRHffevaOpqeUly7XARSwHG9UMWIvnstcQYS1L-DvQg7bwtnBVVrXNzoDpqBrlhBzDgAOjouaTTOTcbtagGjF4PzJXAq-O_ZiRjxs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.04.22+PM.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the video you get to participate in the Challenge
Roth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The video footage is awesome, and once
you settle in, you practically forget you are just in the basement of your home,
but instead it feels like you are following the lead bike and running with some
of the greats. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGZe8pLsfCmQcxmz7AheiSHIoHvlBrVK20A-jPtpUr8vOefAWuo8t3vW802vkYghvB4aeUnfja9UlRtjetwyepbNkQN0297ROr52szsE08wT5pDcOwQdP9oZ6g0z9v20z0Tt9XnSAixA0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.00.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGZe8pLsfCmQcxmz7AheiSHIoHvlBrVK20A-jPtpUr8vOefAWuo8t3vW802vkYghvB4aeUnfja9UlRtjetwyepbNkQN0297ROr52szsE08wT5pDcOwQdP9oZ6g0z9v20z0Tt9XnSAixA0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.00.58+PM.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
I was a bit skeptical with the layout of the four mini
bricks, but it was a great workout. Every set is different, and tests the legs
right until the end. If you think this video is going to be a walk in the park,
think again. It is tough, and the end will<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
spend you. The variation is awesome, as you never repeat anything
and each set gains in intensity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another great thing about these Sufferfest videos is that
they allow you to set your intensities. This allows you to push as hard as you
feel like or as hard as your coach tells you to. Your treadmill and bike also
get to move, as there are lots of elevation and speed changes on the treadmill,
and on the bike, the cadence varies as well. Oh, and don’t think you will be
sitting in aero for the entire time. Get prepared to stand and push it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxbZT861LPnJi3qPRNKgKxaQt0c7rGrsXmgvcb-ihLkXByz5tD13xoMmsq50nncd1A6ByL_dYxSxCahVZ_nbxRqS8BoAopQANeSWqsoCrU1E-p_0HBJ_WuKrwAL6Mxaw-4aQjUZPQ-9Pk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.00.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxbZT861LPnJi3qPRNKgKxaQt0c7rGrsXmgvcb-ihLkXByz5tD13xoMmsq50nncd1A6ByL_dYxSxCahVZ_nbxRqS8BoAopQANeSWqsoCrU1E-p_0HBJ_WuKrwAL6Mxaw-4aQjUZPQ-9Pk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.00.48+PM.png" height="200" width="320" /></a><o:p> </o:p>The music rocked, and had a steady rhythm, so you can push,
as well as keep the motivation up. There
is never a dull moment during the video. You take it easy in the beginning as they are showing
you the ins and outs of where stuff is and what the different sounds mean. But
after that, get ready, cause you are going to feel the pain. To keep you going
there are great quotes and motivational tidbits through out the video.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp_p36t7KkRPGRyvEArsbWPwDXxqiSmCHJRT3x-QLrKE_LBffGyT4lELNZxAlDUky_RV5vWR1vDaAn9VtMxpxNN0urf58UFPYz9xf6oAlB1kL7bHLyM2H0zmiFrM2Iknv5SzIe-m9kV4M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.07.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp_p36t7KkRPGRyvEArsbWPwDXxqiSmCHJRT3x-QLrKE_LBffGyT4lELNZxAlDUky_RV5vWR1vDaAn9VtMxpxNN0urf58UFPYz9xf6oAlB1kL7bHLyM2H0zmiFrM2Iknv5SzIe-m9kV4M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.07.12+PM.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally I like to have a bit longer of a warmup and cooldown than
the videos provide, but knowing this, I usually just do a bit more before I
start and once the video ends. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAJaq1gcQWrNO_21jFdZK1lxjVw-rC8ev3BR683XY9ywohG_oQjpgXq3_Dc2uFaqIu7uvDIYJoLGZMqrxKx2eiIhPQveI4BwcNR4V6M7CUPyZNrglLJctHz_GYVIojjWrGRl-egiwo2WN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.10.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAJaq1gcQWrNO_21jFdZK1lxjVw-rC8ev3BR683XY9ywohG_oQjpgXq3_Dc2uFaqIu7uvDIYJoLGZMqrxKx2eiIhPQveI4BwcNR4V6M7CUPyZNrglLJctHz_GYVIojjWrGRl-egiwo2WN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-30+at+7.10.08+PM.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sufferfest truly has an amazing product. The videos make you
work. This new one, was so different than I expected, but was a great workout.
It totally changed things up and had my legs working in ways they weren’t used
to (yeah, my legs were stiff for two days afterwards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125826391805048723noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-38694475360569504262014-01-29T21:57:00.000-07:002014-01-29T21:57:34.014-07:00RACE REVIEW: MEC Calgary Race Series, Race One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoOwa-Ef6FEUnv9sJbWRi7KbsgSk7zwUo6wY3N9yvg45C3DSgSgAV9IMc2fdmt1TuDXyN8INJOIEggHiwndrTrPmAFj8vZmxRmJ6_UsJmOyzzdqqtvTLxpoRHR73hOCNWaxDLrfHP6A/s1600/mec2a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoOwa-Ef6FEUnv9sJbWRi7KbsgSk7zwUo6wY3N9yvg45C3DSgSgAV9IMc2fdmt1TuDXyN8INJOIEggHiwndrTrPmAFj8vZmxRmJ6_UsJmOyzzdqqtvTLxpoRHR73hOCNWaxDLrfHP6A/s1600/mec2a.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a>This past weekend, I was able to participate in the first MEC race of the year. MEC offers a series of races throughout the year including running or walking events, starting at various points in Calgary, as well as biking events. This race featured a 5k, and a 10km. The price point of the race is $15 and includes a chip timed event, post race snacks and prizes for kids. As someone who seldom seems to wear his race shirts, I was completely fine with a race that didn't give me a shirt. I was after a timed event. Unknown to me at the time, the race also includes an opportunity to shop at MEC for a discount of 10% on a specific day for a specific time. Since we are known to frequent the store on occasion, this was perfect!!<br />
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I didn't have time to get my number ahead of time, so arrived early and picked it up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiGBX16yCV360BeT81qPQWGnFueo4UcC_zfZEjB-iGSDFtXZ1n1dfGOhdDTEltUb_2q7hQP5_Y-DIE_QWkX70Skc5DzOjYwEgp262MDpD1g9TOij3tm1-5HlQ3GfWeiCHnxySIKXnSw/s1600/mec1a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiGBX16yCV360BeT81qPQWGnFueo4UcC_zfZEjB-iGSDFtXZ1n1dfGOhdDTEltUb_2q7hQP5_Y-DIE_QWkX70Skc5DzOjYwEgp262MDpD1g9TOij3tm1-5HlQ3GfWeiCHnxySIKXnSw/s1600/mec1a.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a>The weather was great on race day, and things were well organized. There was a good turnout and I was ready. I've been doing a bit of a running streak lately, and this was my first race since I got momentum going. I have to say, I was totally impressed. The run attracted people of varying abilities and some of them were fast!! The path was definitely icy in places and I was amazed at how the ice did not seem to slow down the front runners. People were supportive of one another and it was a beautiful run. As someone who is more a middle of the pack runner, I was perfectly within my groove for the 5km. The fastest 5km runner finished in just over 18 minutes and the slowest 5km time was 1 hour 6 minutes. This event is definitely family friendly. The 10km race was just over 36 minutes for the fastest and the slowest time was 1 hour 13 minutes.<br />
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At the end of the race, there was water, an electrolyte drink and Clif bars in a variety of flavours to munch on. There were kids out at the race as well, and I know I'll get my boys out there for one of them. This time, they were busy with their own exercise in the form of Kung Fu.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHISyeeG41hgMlbgY-SFZtqGX1v-FAXLLl6meY2-idRM8Ijm3z3-MqnBCT4MrUu7t5JFcpSui2fJi6bLyfTs7eotOq9P9Qa_f7rkXIn7CifSGbBAMBFTOZgTiRe2HIypXfKLE8JFesHQ/s1600/mec3a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHISyeeG41hgMlbgY-SFZtqGX1v-FAXLLl6meY2-idRM8Ijm3z3-MqnBCT4MrUu7t5JFcpSui2fJi6bLyfTs7eotOq9P9Qa_f7rkXIn7CifSGbBAMBFTOZgTiRe2HIypXfKLE8JFesHQ/s1600/mec3a.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
The race was a lot of fun. I left feeling inspired. I want to do the next one. And the one after that. I might even want to do the marathon. It is a first this year for MEC to offer a marathon. And it is very tempting… But I'll maybe just hold that thought for now...<br />
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Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125826391805048723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-70490056959031179112014-01-28T14:01:00.000-07:002014-01-29T22:00:47.174-07:00Speed Skating Trial: Calgary Olympic Oval<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33OcEEPPaxo4dlEVtieoNpPXhA1nRkn0Z3E0hW5AiK4L4E25qdpdnH6oChX-HgrcjDFcqbFTB5094N9Allr4XqVrf3aZOjYCeOLUudzDwO5hXj2PdDxl9h9mY-Y-3Uhx-PCNpn41r4A/s640/blogger-image-439981119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33OcEEPPaxo4dlEVtieoNpPXhA1nRkn0Z3E0hW5AiK4L4E25qdpdnH6oChX-HgrcjDFcqbFTB5094N9Allr4XqVrf3aZOjYCeOLUudzDwO5hXj2PdDxl9h9mY-Y-3Uhx-PCNpn41r4A/s640/blogger-image-439981119.jpg" /></a>On the weekend, spur of the moment, I took my little guy skating. He had been asking to go skating for a few weeks and life has just not allowed that to fit in just yet. But this weekend, I was off of work and we had no particular plans so that became our plan. First I looked for the kid skates we had, only to discover they were too small. But I didn't let that dissuade us. I packed up my skates and off we headed for the<a href="http://oval.ucalgary.ca/" target="_blank"> Calgary Olympic Oval</a> with helmets, mitts and my skates packed. Now, the oval is definitely not the cheapest place to skate in Calgary, but it is one of the neatest places to skate in Calgary. After all, you are skating on ice that Olympians from around the world have skated on. Ice where our national team trains. Ice that helped us earn all sorts of medals at world championships and Olympics. The training home of Clara Hughes, Cindy Klassen, Catriona Le May Doan, Jeremy Wotherspoon and so many up and coming skaters. It really is a special place to skate. Sullivan was excited, but so was I. Many years ago, I was in speed skating and eventually went on to coach skating as well. It was lots of fun, and I have many excellent memories from those younger days. Just walking into the oval brought back so many memories!! </div>
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Now for the prices. It starts with parking. There are several different lots to choose from at the university and prices range from $4 to $20 depending on where and how long you stay. There is a link on the oval site with parking information and directions. </div>
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Next, when you enter the oval, you must pay admission for skating. The cost for an adult is $6.75 and kids aged 6-17 (or seniors) is $4.50. A family rate of two adults and kids under 18 is $18.00. And further to this we needed skate rentals for my little guy. The<a href="http://oval.ucalgary.ca/40_skate_shop" target="_blank"> Skate Shop </a>rents both hockey skates and speed skates. My little guy went for the speed skates. The cost of skate rentals is $5.50.So paid for skating and then headed down the stairs to grab his skates. </div>
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Sully was loving this. He had skates to wear, and a helmet. Helmets are mandatory at the oval now, and I asked ahead if my bike helmet was okay, and was assured it was. So, next we headed down the stairs to access the ice via the underground tunnel. Kids love tunnels, and Sully definitely was excited to be in the tunnel!!</div>
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54eYHvmEs9RO-vlkpVhVmbw5BOUbcYOdi7CrSaVKfrZVNSPsiuwvUwm04daZdj8qjQOQdAtBk17SCSgKrOKtKAqr1iOKKjQPDPsGYaUfR1gCYyyXcWwnKsUrbMNnRhY3ZhNghlD7Euw/s640/blogger-image--1199115179.jpg" /><br />
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Sully anxiously waited while I was getting my skates on...</div>
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The both of us excited to hit the ice... (and yes, my Ironman sticker is still on my helmet!!)<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QHNPwOdxnBpIjVQZPiKxddiYHbi8PmYG62ioh38zUOQVfB7hzqsfilM-8KdXReTuJWAjfzNYHHfPOs7bQZusIWn5ZVDMUUtEmakCRgVEbSb5zJD2H4hH4lZcLU1z2NiKgMP4sTM8gg/s640/blogger-image-1924769017.jpg" /><br />
He was so excited to actually get on the ice... a bit scared of falling, but didn't let it stop him...<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlJFPDNEGZeD9zAio6ptE8nehXw5de9Hk6Lp_xapCdr7FAtxbDrEZglEaJYBiF-sKJQM7NfdhQw-tYa4CHqU73m8GGNz_bgjexbx3ehovlezw_hZBQS8KwOtPiz_lzKLqK3DUBrLvtg/s640/blogger-image-71748516.jpg" /><br />
He tried out the balancer a few times, I also held his hands a few times, and he also gave it his best on his own without anything to hold.<br />
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Stopped for a flood break. He was fascinated by the zamboni of course!!<br />
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And skate he did... there were a few falls, but every time, he got back up again (with a bit of help)... but he was just so excited to be out there skating. Such an amazing attitude he had through the whole thing.<br />
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When we were done, I asked him what he thought... he said two thumbs up!! It was fun, but the thing I am most proud of was his incredible attitude towards the whole thing. It was new for him, but he was so excited to be trying, and truly, that sort of attitude will get him far in life if it is how he continues to approach new things. Nice work my little guy!!<br />
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Only a bit of helmet head to contend with.<br />
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All in all, we had a great time. It was nice to have some special time with just my youngest as normally we do things as a family. He had such an amazing attitude and asked the next day to go skating once again. It truly was a fun afternoon with my little guy. Next up, maybe some skating lessons to encourage him along even more... either way, I'm looking forward to skating with him again soon!!<br />
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-22017185071808038822014-01-18T17:04:00.000-07:002014-01-18T17:04:20.706-07:00A Perry the Platypus & Penguin Cake<div>
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Birthdays are always a fun time in our family, and among the favourite part is cake time. The kids come up with some crazy ideas some times. We have created all sorts of cakes over the years. The ones that stand out the most are the Harry Potter cake, and the the Cookie Monster cake. This year, the request was for a penguin cake. Soon however, it became apparent that not just a penguin would do, and that the cake needed to include Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb. <div>
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This year, I decided to make the actual cake out of Rice Krispie squares, so out came the marshmallows, margarine, vanilla and cereal. We made a recipe and a half to create the iceberg snow hill for the penguins to be playing on. As the recipe cooled, we began to shape it, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7SYhAGJfVB2ATyPfWlntG_-3NBT5AYbxZ-dQCCPirM2lOUphhI5wdUUpAIqkot5AW53N1l6D9SEnUs3d6spU7110VW2TtHwb08D-q2evW-Ub1CfGLYgMtxckZv_7xgzOxr7WnIR-sw/s1600/IMG_9988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7SYhAGJfVB2ATyPfWlntG_-3NBT5AYbxZ-dQCCPirM2lOUphhI5wdUUpAIqkot5AW53N1l6D9SEnUs3d6spU7110VW2TtHwb08D-q2evW-Ub1CfGLYgMtxckZv_7xgzOxr7WnIR-sw/s1600/IMG_9988.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>and once it had cooled completely, we iced it. Next up was building an igloo out of mini marshmallows, which were stuck together by dipping them in icing. Knowing the kids would want some, we filled the igloo with marshmallows so when the time came for eating the cake, we would have enough for everyone. </div>
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The actual characters were made separately from the cake. They too were made with a Rice Krispie square base. This time, it was a half recipe and it was cooked slightly longer so that the squares would dry harder. From there, the sculpting began. With margarine covered hands, I went to work building the shapes of penguins and a secret agent Perry. Jeremy worked diligently mixing the fondant into all the needed colours, orange, black, brown, yellow, turquoise, and white. Once the characters had dried, I began covering them with the fondant. The eyes we found at the local store, so used the candy eyes as is. Normally the eyes would have been made from fondant, but since we found these pre made candy ones, we went with them.</div>
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The characters were placed on skewers and then the skewers were put into the cake. Sullivan thought it was perfect. He said it looked like a real artist had made the cake. He named the penguins and said good night to them before he went to bed. </div>
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We were happy with the end result, but most importantly, Sullivan was happy with his cake, and truly, that is what mattered most!! And, the kids at the party thought it was super cute, and really, five year olds can be a tough crowd, so to have the approval of all the kids meant we had succeeded. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Birthday Sullivan. Thanks for being the incredible little boy that you are. Every day I am grateful to have such a cute little adventurer in my life!! Enjoy being five bud, it's going to be awesome!! Your potential grows exponentially each year, and I see a lot of camping and hiking in our future!!<br />
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-53902546056014202712014-01-14T21:48:00.000-07:002014-01-15T01:52:22.312-07:00MEAL TIME: Taco Tuesday, Meatless Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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As parents, it is very important to us to at least attempt to give our kids good wholesome food choices. With one child who is essentially a vegetarian, and another who is going through a picky phase, mealtimes can sometimes be tricky in our house. We are always on the lookout for new ideas of ways to incorporate protein that isn't just about processed fake meat. Jeremy was telling me the other day about a vegetarian website , he came across, <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2012/06/12/layered-raw-taco-salad-for-two/" target="_blank">oh she glows</a>, where there was a recipe for taco salad. He was remarking about how the "meat" was made with walnuts. It sounded interesting. Fast forward to today, as we were discussing dinner, we decided to have tacos. I told him we should try the walnut ones he had read about. And away he went... first thing he had to do was soak the walnuts. They soaked for about 3 and a half hours. From there he worked through the recipe for us to have tacos...</div>
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Walnut Taco Meat</div>
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2 cups of walnuts soaked</div>
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2 teaspoons of chili powder</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin</div>
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1 teaspoon of taco seasoning (we buy this from <a href="http://www.silkroadspices.ca/products/taco-seasoning" target="_blank">Silk Road Spices</a>)</div>
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1/4 teaspoon of black pepper</div>
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1/4 teaspoon of salt</div>
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1. Soak walnuts for about 2-4 hours.</div>
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2. Place all ingredients in a food processor.</div>
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3. Pulse food processor to blend ingredients together. Pulse until walnuts are chopped and take on the resemblance of taco "meat". </div>
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4. Serve with your favourite taco toppings.</div>
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From here, it was time to eat and we ate tacos the way we always do. We had hard taco shells, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, taco sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, a spicy yogurt dip, salsa and cheese sauce. We helped the boys create the tacos they wanted. Sebastian and Jeremy had a discussion earlier about what the taco meat was and Sebastian was very receptive to trying it. Sullivan was a little cautious at first and didn't want to try. A bit of discussion and the promise of a cookie for dessert, and he agreed to give it a try. The end result was both boys gobbled up the tacos. We chatted after dinner about what the meat was. There was no trickery involved and they both willingly tried. Sebastian thought it was fantastic, and Sullivan said he liked the walnut meat, but that he also liked the traditional meat. </div>
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The meal was a resounding success and everyone, adults included loved it. Truly, there was a bit of a nutty essence about it, but it really did taste like tacos usually do. We might soak the walnuts just a bit longer next time, but that's the only thing we'd change. Tacos have always been popular, and this was a great way to add protein without meat. Walnuts have many health benefits, so it was a great way to eat the tacos. Based on tonight's success, I know we will be returning to this taco "meat" several times in the future!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqM_dtEK_R7fhHQll-4kvsIx3avdjatCYtvMVQFg6GjgQmQxth9gRbX4NpouvRAPNRBkuwsXyFFh4W8dzoJRZZNAeAsYtNeMniQOg9XnMRTHbn9hw_9Y1JreQ1sxfTq-8TJwgeQ_AZ0Q/s1600/IMG_9982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqM_dtEK_R7fhHQll-4kvsIx3avdjatCYtvMVQFg6GjgQmQxth9gRbX4NpouvRAPNRBkuwsXyFFh4W8dzoJRZZNAeAsYtNeMniQOg9XnMRTHbn9hw_9Y1JreQ1sxfTq-8TJwgeQ_AZ0Q/s320/IMG_9982.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-1131292474788772122014-01-07T02:39:00.000-07:002014-01-07T02:39:19.274-07:00Hike Review: Jura Creek <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXZ92v9Ya9Dwmz5X-ONnsRGN4Tt3Vg565aCSUn-MBa1OtZ1l4ZftdjMqJ074lv1zuPBACZJGMod9auCMHwZeiFPa5k2i3tQWL9KCxGSCD4d62MRnSShJD2g6pZ0dyXBeIejN9EwyvgA/s1600/IMG_9953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXZ92v9Ya9Dwmz5X-ONnsRGN4Tt3Vg565aCSUn-MBa1OtZ1l4ZftdjMqJ074lv1zuPBACZJGMod9auCMHwZeiFPa5k2i3tQWL9KCxGSCD4d62MRnSShJD2g6pZ0dyXBeIejN9EwyvgA/s320/IMG_9953.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>This past week we headed out on an adventure planned by the mister. Yes, that's right, Jeremy took the lead on this one. We've been chatting about checking out Jura Creek for over a year now, as we've heard amazing things about it as a winter snowshoe destination thanks to Tanya and her fantastic post last year, at <a href="http://www.rockiesfamilyadventures.com/2013/02/ice-ice-baby-winter-canyon-hiking.html" target="_blank">Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies</a> and then seeing pictures from this year. With the plan in motion, and the day set, Jeremy got us packed and ready to go. He rounded up all the snow pants, mittens, jackets, snowshoes, snacks, drinks, etc. It was nice to see him getting it all figured out. So while he was getting organized, I served up some homemade buttermilk biscuits, fresh from the oven, mmmmmmmm.<br />
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So, off we went. The first thing we noticed, as we began the drive out there, was that there didn't seem to be a lot of snow on the sides of the highway. Given the mountains of snow that Calgary has gotten lately, it seemed so brown out there. That's okay, there would be more once we were closer to the mountains, we were certain. But, as we got closer, it became rather apparent that it might not be the case. We arrived and parked on the side of the highway. The winds were fierce but it was eight degrees out, so a pretty nice morning. We decided to just carry the snowshoes, again believing we'd be putting them on shortly into the hike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj9aKJDpT76Ote16zj_CwGhnxWGbAofztQtm6Nm810my8ML8fxwbTHlnGgwo8NdlMVNu687hcQ_9_SeXSIhCU_1DGU4g2WQOV3oDFJ2LZzj3Kcwu9OhghVRiy3qyWSJRySuXGH3q5vQ/s1600/IMG_9922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj9aKJDpT76Ote16zj_CwGhnxWGbAofztQtm6Nm810my8ML8fxwbTHlnGgwo8NdlMVNu687hcQ_9_SeXSIhCU_1DGU4g2WQOV3oDFJ2LZzj3Kcwu9OhghVRiy3qyWSJRySuXGH3q5vQ/s320/IMG_9922.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>The first part of the hike was just following the creek bed, until we arrived at the entrance of the canyon. We started into the canyon, and quickly decided the snowshoes were just not going to be needed, so ditched them to collect again at the end of our hike. The snow was quite windswept and packed down, so they really weren't needed. Cleats might have been nice to have as there were a few slippery sections. However, we did just fine with out them.<br />
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From the moment we started in the canyon, the boys were sold. It was like being on an adventure somewhere, and the kids had so much fun climbing around and exploring. They loved sliding around on the ice, climbing up the steep snow banks and sliding down, "curling" with ice pieces on the smooth ice.<br />
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Eventually we stopped for a snack. It was <a href="http://clifbars/" target="_blank">Clif Bars</a> all around and different flavours too.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7obXI7Tcb5tFtA5UZhgbWHjDmmr0mB_zYHvFH9lPfVItSc2-oebK6kslUgjb5DW3reAg41cdRJEyK-hLwO6JNTJTeF_2MYj4JSM0VBxoMCn5C_9YMLRIUMEBiFMiH2W2XUgLbeICrA/s1600/IMG_9939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7obXI7Tcb5tFtA5UZhgbWHjDmmr0mB_zYHvFH9lPfVItSc2-oebK6kslUgjb5DW3reAg41cdRJEyK-hLwO6JNTJTeF_2MYj4JSM0VBxoMCn5C_9YMLRIUMEBiFMiH2W2XUgLbeICrA/s320/IMG_9939.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>Sully went for the Chocolate Chip Coconut, Sebastian had the Chocolate Peanut Crunch, Jeremy had the Cool Chocolate Mint and I had the Macadamia White Chocolate. And to drink, we had some water, and some <a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/products/apple-cinnamon-exercise-hydration-mix-limited-edition-holiday-flavor" target="_blank">Skratch Apples and Cinnamon</a>. It is an exercise hydration mix tasting very similar to a hot apple cider. And it stayed super hot in the thermos. It was nice to have a hot drink when we stopped.<br />
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We continued on for a bit more and soon enough it was time to start heading back. It was a bit more of an adventure on the way out since it was a gradual downhill, so we needed to be a bit more careful with our footing etc. And again, cleats would likely have helped, but we certainly were better equipped than the next group we saw wearing dress shoes? Really?? Well, at least one of them anyhow!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaYc-X59vvhxCXIFLdpThUqgNaipXBxcu5rw_C5j8ZlPleQDO1B0SipBbGoIz9GYkI99Po5xqRDVLF3oAzX6-OmA557hPKvmnOjPsoJX9eXD35L2LHjXPmf7HeTZh1TB2FEEK4_JcXw/s1600/IMG_9950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaYc-X59vvhxCXIFLdpThUqgNaipXBxcu5rw_C5j8ZlPleQDO1B0SipBbGoIz9GYkI99Po5xqRDVLF3oAzX6-OmA557hPKvmnOjPsoJX9eXD35L2LHjXPmf7HeTZh1TB2FEEK4_JcXw/s320/IMG_9950.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
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All in all, this was a fantastic hike. It completely lived up to everything I've heard about it, in terms of it's unique landscape, it's easy accessibility from where we were parked, and certainly kept my active little boys busy and interested the whole time. So although we didn't get to snowshoe, as Jeremy had planned, we had a fantastic time, and really, we can plan a snowshoe trip for another weekend!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR17MMleUKLcnD4bOrasoRbYaVV3d7l5djXESxFl67slirDO_PNsXWl7T8GmfpU9YDe4icnp85X4bEnPLuXusx8TszS1B-zRMQTcKyXyr7l437hHm0HMrxNp1MQalnfH1ZhxIvBoNog/s1600/IMG_9960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR17MMleUKLcnD4bOrasoRbYaVV3d7l5djXESxFl67slirDO_PNsXWl7T8GmfpU9YDe4icnp85X4bEnPLuXusx8TszS1B-zRMQTcKyXyr7l437hHm0HMrxNp1MQalnfH1ZhxIvBoNog/s320/IMG_9960.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><br />
So what do do after our hike? It was time for a late lunch. Our absolute favourite place to lunch in Canmore is<a href="http://www.labellepatate.com/" target="_blank"> La Belle Patate</a>. If you want to try an authentic poutine, this is definitely a place to seek out. It's on the north side of the highway in a more industrial area, but that doesn't stop the people from flocking there. The food is fantastic. There is lots of choice. The poutines have a perfect amount of cheese to fries ratio. The staff are friendly. My kids love the Mr. Potato Heads they can play with while they wait for their food. It's been featured on CBC and rightfully so.<br />
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And after our lunch, we had one more stop to make. Hot on the heels of Christmas, with cash in hand, the boys were excited to check out the toy store. Canmore has a great little toy store called HiJinx right on Main Street. They have a fantastic selection of toys and my boys both came away with something special.<br />
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It was a fantastic day and we're already planning the next one!!911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-87399185073651273642014-01-03T06:00:00.000-07:002014-01-03T06:00:05.001-07:00SOUP TIME: Sweet Potato Peanut Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">I truly love experimenting with different soups. And, I have become somewhat good at seeking out and finding new recipes that might appeal to my kids. My favourites are soups I purée. Truly, you can hide almost anything when you purée it. Not that I'm specifically trying to hide anything, more so just trying to make sure my kids get a variety of vegetables in their diet. We are an active family so I want my kids getting high quality fuel going in.</span></div>
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Soups are one of the easiest ways to accomplish that, especially when dealing with a child who claims the only vegetable he likes is carrots while the other one is a self proclaimed vegetarian. We do still use chicken stock or bouillon in soups but easily this could be adapted with a vegetarian stock.<br />
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Yesterday we tried out a new recipe. I had sweet potatoes and wanted to make something with ingredients I had on hand. A quick internet search led me to <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-sweet-potato-soup/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> on the allrecipes.com website. The reviews sounded good, and for the most part we were good to go. My jumping off point was this recipe but missing a couple ingredients we changed it up and created a masterpiece. We added more peanut butter, and substituted Pico de Gala for the tomato and cilantro. Initially I was going to skip adding this to my bowl, but figured I would give it try and wow, it really did go nicely in the soup!!<br />
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So, if you are looking for a fabulous sweet potato soup, give this one a shot, you won't be disappointed!! This recipe will definitely be used again in our family.<br />
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Spicy Sweet Potato Peanut Soup<br />
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1/2 cup sour cream<br />
1 lime (zest needed for sour cream, juice for soup)<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
4 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
2 Tablespoons butter<br />
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped<br />
6 cups of water<br />
1 1/2 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger<br />
6 Tablespoons peanut butter<br />
salt to taste<br />
1 cup Pico de Gala<br />
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1. Zest the lime, set aside zest. Juice the lime. Set aside juice.<br />
2. Combine sour cream and lime zest. Put in fridge… flavours meld together while the soup is made.<br />
3. Chop and dice the onion. Chop and mince the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes.<br />
4. In a large pot, melt butter, add onions, then garlic. Allow the onions and garlic to cook, make sure heat is not too high.<br />
5. Add sweet potatoes, water and Better than Bouillon. We sort of do this by feel. Make sure the potatoes are covered, add a little bit more.<br />
6. Add in cumin, pepper flakes, and ginger. Cook until potatoes are soft. About 20 minutes.<br />
7. Puree the soup in a blender in two loads. Return soup to pot.<br />
8. Whisk in the peanut butter and lime juice. Salt as required.<br />
9. Serve with the sour cream, and a spoonful or two of the Pico de Gala.<br />
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So, enjoy, and let me know what you think. And if you make any changes, please share because I'm always looking for ways to change up different soups!!<br />
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-25439981848644182152013-12-31T12:17:00.001-07:002013-12-31T12:20:40.948-07:002013 Active Family Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year I like to look back and see what has been accomplished. It might be big stuff, but it doesn't have to be. Now that I have this blog going, it seems like the perfect place to take a look at what we did as a family. And this blog alone is big for us. It got started in the summer and although I wish I had more time to work on it, it is started and I'll continue to try and improve it offering lots of ideas on being active as a family. I included links to several previous posts if you were wanting to read more about some of our adventures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGFQh0xcI5evYn6U6vBvJWVDjHjlGfjCSP9EaKvLbAtFqzrGnikSMznaSrL8qSG8yE8VyrxbAEQ8EFDa8i-ijRE2ctpMmyo65w3q2He6c33FuWd2Ju7F-ukxEmzhtyo5qarAL1acw7Q/s1600/IMG_4852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGFQh0xcI5evYn6U6vBvJWVDjHjlGfjCSP9EaKvLbAtFqzrGnikSMznaSrL8qSG8yE8VyrxbAEQ8EFDa8i-ijRE2ctpMmyo65w3q2He6c33FuWd2Ju7F-ukxEmzhtyo5qarAL1acw7Q/s320/IMG_4852.jpg" width="320" /></a>For the parents, it was something of a break year in terms of any racing or anything like that. Jeremy became an Ironman in 2011, I became an Ironman in 2012, so for this year, we laid off the big races and focused more on being active as a family. We had a few moments though, including the Calgary Police 5km, <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/race-review-melissas-road-race-banff-ab.html" target="_blank">Melissa's 10km</a>, and the <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/11/race-review-castaway-cay-5km.html" target="_blank">5km on Castaway Cay</a> that were just for the parents. And outside of the usual, for the first time ever, I was published in a local magazine. Calgary's Child has printed two of my articles. Click<a href="http://www.calgaryschild.com/family-fun/1486-getting-active-this-winter" target="_blank"> here</a> and <a href="http://www.calgaryschild.com/family-fun/1533-creative-escapes-from-winter" target="_blank">here</a> if you want to check them out. Very excited for that opportunity!! I will work hard to continue along this writing path, as I absolutely love it!!<br />
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The year began celebrating Sullivan turning four, and what better way to celebrate than making Star Wars cookies from his new Star Wars cookbook. Sully was sick for his birthday, so sadly his party ended up being cancelled.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL1IJk0vn56L4BWQDOjf-oHaauj3oM2CsZxaGRAjOmHsxQq0IcZ64yKFV9RxUOvPjLKpwUJQLXqtMM224ZtG-7iUM5pA23ZNQ9lIG2pjJ03bq8yjQrzkt2cWSZ8HXh8X0Ywap9DdTLQ/s1600/IMG_2917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL1IJk0vn56L4BWQDOjf-oHaauj3oM2CsZxaGRAjOmHsxQq0IcZ64yKFV9RxUOvPjLKpwUJQLXqtMM224ZtG-7iUM5pA23ZNQ9lIG2pjJ03bq8yjQrzkt2cWSZ8HXh8X0Ywap9DdTLQ/s320/IMG_2917.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRw6IDTnAM0WtrHOjM_4xpeNviytWPRrbJDwRAXz4RP2hwzpJzhwb2X18RmPDxN_qU1Vk-Bs5xMpg-gCTxiWsAzujECO7Wyr_E1VFcA3Ct_eX3iFY48a796Ey2NGKSSdIFSc9jX-9QQ/s1600/IMG_2922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRw6IDTnAM0WtrHOjM_4xpeNviytWPRrbJDwRAXz4RP2hwzpJzhwb2X18RmPDxN_qU1Vk-Bs5xMpg-gCTxiWsAzujECO7Wyr_E1VFcA3Ct_eX3iFY48a796Ey2NGKSSdIFSc9jX-9QQ/s320/IMG_2922.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Lots of outdoor time with snowshoeing as a family, and tobogganing. The boys love being out in the snow!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_rZxX7YeZDh3I6XaxLoQLqddU_cdlUebClXkGruWpuWg18AafK7V0iOPi3JBxINPfIjcU_UZHxvKGyskQFE8QBqOO76tD5geu1LhCpfcso6MJa7zn-OY9nFibhoTR74ZuiXpoWc-zQ/s1600/IMG_3049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_rZxX7YeZDh3I6XaxLoQLqddU_cdlUebClXkGruWpuWg18AafK7V0iOPi3JBxINPfIjcU_UZHxvKGyskQFE8QBqOO76tD5geu1LhCpfcso6MJa7zn-OY9nFibhoTR74ZuiXpoWc-zQ/s320/IMG_3049.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR64TVuNxahrVF1aLWNvA4zO1cTiLIMGkWiPsVSclZn-dIceSJZwYEkEuwF3VJAFaieKdUtnjt_3V8dTXH_8tgQxeMRN8fDSUQ8cu35Kzpp20GUwiJr5ZHybXGtRafoFPyd0bjdPucow/s1600/IMG_3039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR64TVuNxahrVF1aLWNvA4zO1cTiLIMGkWiPsVSclZn-dIceSJZwYEkEuwF3VJAFaieKdUtnjt_3V8dTXH_8tgQxeMRN8fDSUQ8cu35Kzpp20GUwiJr5ZHybXGtRafoFPyd0bjdPucow/s320/IMG_3039.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
The boys also got to have winter carnivals at their respective schools. Bonhomme Carneval visited both schools even!! And lots of visits to the zoo as well as Sully is especially fond of the penguins. And let's not forget Starbucks dates. Sully and I especially enjoy those!! And climbing. Lots of trips to the wall at Cardel, and Sebastian also gets to go to Mount Royal for climbing. They have a super tall wall there that he has mastered many times!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuI2lBndd6PT_7xgGhentTGIQFyJK95T5Bx1A792vbNeCF9XKKzBeUfhfIK9atKkasdqN3hyphenhyphenl7RE6XTHnd1jslnDsyTUx01bOVi-iD46MHuVVUHx_fi67wKCHekY63ggCr2c4kfZO5A/s1600/IMG_2954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuI2lBndd6PT_7xgGhentTGIQFyJK95T5Bx1A792vbNeCF9XKKzBeUfhfIK9atKkasdqN3hyphenhyphenl7RE6XTHnd1jslnDsyTUx01bOVi-iD46MHuVVUHx_fi67wKCHekY63ggCr2c4kfZO5A/s200/IMG_2954.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJe55xeADf6Xdqg7SfkYPoZy0pURdoYHsXjxSDVNwRPh7WR_iwdzfGClRuTEhRFFWbjJLA8wU7Jr_1NPJy9hT9UcManuOp7HanuZY_IBJMZX6o0Y1fLHohZzX4ScB5mLz44XCEvK5qhw/s1600/IMG_3305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJe55xeADf6Xdqg7SfkYPoZy0pURdoYHsXjxSDVNwRPh7WR_iwdzfGClRuTEhRFFWbjJLA8wU7Jr_1NPJy9hT9UcManuOp7HanuZY_IBJMZX6o0Y1fLHohZzX4ScB5mLz44XCEvK5qhw/s200/IMG_3305.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LIC_4Ivaq6R_D9xpzfFVsK58sf60HPvmre0dcZx-6XusNxPXFG1AejTUR5h_I_FlDnZ_iVmnizWflTP-kqh93ScO-Py49lXZTbXDbLHQdcLaXgh6N1svXfm1-El2s2zEta52Y9jF-g/s1600/IMG_4943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LIC_4Ivaq6R_D9xpzfFVsK58sf60HPvmre0dcZx-6XusNxPXFG1AejTUR5h_I_FlDnZ_iVmnizWflTP-kqh93ScO-Py49lXZTbXDbLHQdcLaXgh6N1svXfm1-El2s2zEta52Y9jF-g/s200/IMG_4943.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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Soon enough, Sebastian was turning seven. He went to the Calgary Tower with his best friend and we had dessert at the top of Calgary. Can't believe these kids are growing so fast!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd9k3E8U-BWJkph0qsczIQVMZlcOdRWwSLQQnQK3RGOS0mKbBXv4NYmBMWVVHv7F5bfulT4JfyL3BVKL_HsYsIPVBYVRFAWXd9jEngdMAQbWKxioWfBuLYNe1PrFPKTkGuguNcsiQEw/s1600/IMG_3197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd9k3E8U-BWJkph0qsczIQVMZlcOdRWwSLQQnQK3RGOS0mKbBXv4NYmBMWVVHv7F5bfulT4JfyL3BVKL_HsYsIPVBYVRFAWXd9jEngdMAQbWKxioWfBuLYNe1PrFPKTkGuguNcsiQEw/s320/IMG_3197.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M9OHsY_thjarFmdpXLrN3HPAm9pvvmpDHI201QVDQZLgWyMR4m7xtlkwtyMejLf083HQ6FEU_DfMyqFTbSa0zcISpbV4_c4S_5XTPzXXOsAbkb66ES7tEbk-hSaoUeq0hWe2GtEX_w/s1600/IMG_3212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M9OHsY_thjarFmdpXLrN3HPAm9pvvmpDHI201QVDQZLgWyMR4m7xtlkwtyMejLf083HQ6FEU_DfMyqFTbSa0zcISpbV4_c4S_5XTPzXXOsAbkb66ES7tEbk-hSaoUeq0hWe2GtEX_w/s320/IMG_3212.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Sadly, in April, Cronos, our beautiful dog, became ill. He had started slowing down, but soon, wasn't eating much, no matter what we offered him. Several visits to the vet, and some testing, and still no answers. He got sicker and sicker, and soon stopped drinking even. We were faced with some very hard choices and sadly, had to <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/08/on-loss-of-pet.html" target="_blank">say goodbye to our puppy</a>. We had more than seven amazing years with Cronos, and so many wonderful memories. He was a fantastic dog, and so good with the boys. Sebastian was especially devastated by this. Our house is definitely not the same without that big dog around. We planted a special tree in our backyard for him. Someday I am sure we will adopt another dog. Never to replace Cronos, more so because dogs are such incredible creatures and life is just so much better when you have a furry friend in your family!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb36E0YJs1OXDVXMiLMF16Cr4zcyqY3AKwMl4p71f7ORdkLZZ5VjaqPhmvo2yCMZkXoMReZsrXNQ-CgKQvF5ppZZpYOZrniArlUjz3oLSzUHml_ox_aCinSs3ZtGO4uG1PuhssTKnZPg/s1600/IMG_3809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb36E0YJs1OXDVXMiLMF16Cr4zcyqY3AKwMl4p71f7ORdkLZZ5VjaqPhmvo2yCMZkXoMReZsrXNQ-CgKQvF5ppZZpYOZrniArlUjz3oLSzUHml_ox_aCinSs3ZtGO4uG1PuhssTKnZPg/s320/IMG_3809.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcPw2G0IbmBPi7dMW3Xqu4aNoTy93kDwYxhCfZp7PGQQn4OZW1QaFNKCs3kYiipjCU_fp7CRno5VpP02SWLQnZ9ExntHVWMnqyOgOaxSlxvceNHxv5CAkgH33AY-VCImbAo7uyCCvYQ/s1600/IMG_3398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcPw2G0IbmBPi7dMW3Xqu4aNoTy93kDwYxhCfZp7PGQQn4OZW1QaFNKCs3kYiipjCU_fp7CRno5VpP02SWLQnZ9ExntHVWMnqyOgOaxSlxvceNHxv5CAkgH33AY-VCImbAo7uyCCvYQ/s200/IMG_3398.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
The family race season started with the first ever Fire Run. It was a shorter run, 3.43km (in memory of the 343 firefighters lost on 9/11. Even with the shorter distance, Sully was not that keen to participate and it took a lot of coaxing to get him to the finish. Racing as a family can be very mixed that way!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IXkRKAF86mvBEoxPL-_X_Q1hoZ1MSQufJJOo6LUFrh2afqkdIw98rtRrnr-wQPJqPb71lH2pWAIK3Avjn5FKwIJzMnHn_afpBhuYyg_6ihrR9IC5zPk9A8vphOBtiqQmWBEhM1luTw/s1600/IMG_3377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IXkRKAF86mvBEoxPL-_X_Q1hoZ1MSQufJJOo6LUFrh2afqkdIw98rtRrnr-wQPJqPb71lH2pWAIK3Avjn5FKwIJzMnHn_afpBhuYyg_6ihrR9IC5zPk9A8vphOBtiqQmWBEhM1luTw/s320/IMG_3377.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KPL57G_FAnsE-Pn_YwklVM6xDHxD7V-lUC__x34Eil4ETQt0LH1t7TVgZpChsDaIQC3djd5HoTKt9hb_neiLfEzmM14WFnNBqwNIwOuYtH3j9TE8ivAgTTBhJgh6fObaRszFDCS6tg/s1600/IMG_3421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KPL57G_FAnsE-Pn_YwklVM6xDHxD7V-lUC__x34Eil4ETQt0LH1t7TVgZpChsDaIQC3djd5HoTKt9hb_neiLfEzmM14WFnNBqwNIwOuYtH3j9TE8ivAgTTBhJgh6fObaRszFDCS6tg/s320/IMG_3421.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a family, we did the Mother's Day 5km race, raising money for Neonatal Intensive Care Units in our city. I am always grateful to all our family and friends who donate to this very worthy cause. The event purchases the equipment that the units are most in need of. Oh, and a special thanks to my work people who buy the baking I bring in to help raise extra money for this cause. This is always a special run for us, and it's fun to write on our shirts, NICU SAVED MY LIFE, PROUD PREEMIE PARENTS, NICU SAVED MY BROTHER, etc. This year, Sebastian had a photo of himself pinned to his back. It is rather common to see pictures like this, and so nice to see how well these kids are doing now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXhX7g-vBgVWkvxyo1CuszitW0OuK-fEsORnz5fcUR7o4qeDPlPq_orZZNWOCaJBCfExvy-xpsneV633SF2jXhAEaGKiaUDEAXAYOxZjKJhtXKNO_QCa8eo9n2rt4902qMj-Uzp5Y-Q/s1600/IMG_3521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXhX7g-vBgVWkvxyo1CuszitW0OuK-fEsORnz5fcUR7o4qeDPlPq_orZZNWOCaJBCfExvy-xpsneV633SF2jXhAEaGKiaUDEAXAYOxZjKJhtXKNO_QCa8eo9n2rt4902qMj-Uzp5Y-Q/s320/IMG_3521.jpg" width="240" /></a>On the heels of the Mother's Day run, was the Kids Marathon, and 5km race under the Calgary Marathon umbrella of races. Sebastian's school ran a kilometer every day for six weeks leading up to the race, so that on race day, all the kids had completed 41km of running, so that the race that morning would be the kids completing a marathon. In our family, Sebastian and I ran the 5km together, Jeremy ran the 5km with Sully in the stroller, and Sullivan ran the kids marathon. It was a great morning with beautiful weather and we had a lot of fun. Even better, Sebastian's school ended up winning $2000 for having the most people registered based on the student population. That was a huge accomplishment made possible by having so many families participating together and being active. </div>
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Sully had his day surgery in May to get tubes placed in his ears. Several severe infections last year, and some speech issues, it seemed a good choice for him. They seem to have had their desired results. No ear infections to date, although our poor little fish of a kid is no longer supposed to be swimming and dunking his head under water. It has also had a huge impact on his speech. It sure is tough though, to watch your kid head in for surgery. He was such a trooper though, and made his very own version of what happens when you go for surgery picture show. </div>
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The flood came along in June, and aside from a half day to collect belongings, school was cancelled or the remainder of the year. Sully graduated from his french immersion preschool and Sebastian finished grade one. Several events were postponed, places closed etc, but aside from issues such as these, we, as a family, were not directly affected by the flood. Work kept us busy!! The devastation our city and surrounding area went through was incredible. Homes lost, bridges taken out, a large number of trails destroyed in the parks out in the mountains, and the Calgary Zoo sustained some pretty major damage as well. </div>
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Summer was incredibly fun. We went out to Canmore for the Canada Day parade, headed into Banff, where we stumbled upon some cake and the very cool <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/08/parks-canada-xplorers-banff-edition.html" target="_blank">Park Xplorer booklets</a>, which the boys had a lot of fun completing over the summer including geocaching and all sorts of adventures. The boys did a couple of day camps. Originally they were supposed to do a zoo camp, but that changed because of the floods. Some brainstorming, and we managed to get the boys into camp at Cardel, including a swim camp for Sebastian. Sebastian also had a week with his physio group (incredible camp exposing the kids to all sorts of amazing activities like white water rafting, low ropes, canoeing, climbing, gymnastics, etc) while Sully did Pedalheads bike camp. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLDNn8G4fgXROxv9XRiRAw6kv9NWNcq8aqrgyA3pi9jeDGBXiSNrsGr5AON7utgmEiUCpG91cRscf4PR5xRUI_vwt6nlZOu2aVHlkczjX8iL6yeN7Y2umoX2hfOi1PGXMYGotXD-itA/s1600/IMG_3716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLDNn8G4fgXROxv9XRiRAw6kv9NWNcq8aqrgyA3pi9jeDGBXiSNrsGr5AON7utgmEiUCpG91cRscf4PR5xRUI_vwt6nlZOu2aVHlkczjX8iL6yeN7Y2umoX2hfOi1PGXMYGotXD-itA/s200/IMG_3716.jpg" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguka_B4HDuQFRkGYysD4_IZuafxRlFZwdNEnvPrC9Pw-Dh-hOIdvDfqRajzglb0nTjFOKUoZNRWXBj58lyAWg28mHa6fQGGB29p-iEziHu6xw5t1xYjvm-9qOJdjINXRLzSSw6ML6yBA/s1600/IMG_3893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguka_B4HDuQFRkGYysD4_IZuafxRlFZwdNEnvPrC9Pw-Dh-hOIdvDfqRajzglb0nTjFOKUoZNRWXBj58lyAWg28mHa6fQGGB29p-iEziHu6xw5t1xYjvm-9qOJdjINXRLzSSw6ML6yBA/s200/IMG_3893.jpg" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jsj-Oc6YiJ63L7Qj6XH-CmGcrhzmEdK_5hMnWS3mhO1Ri7OZ4TnvCRs4MiUue8z_jkOkCM6ArZetDFtOxVZ6yhG8lbUk3cG960RK3bRFCL333qA2RwW_5csKxxIjmSixQFz2L9hI2Q/s1600/IMG_4318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jsj-Oc6YiJ63L7Qj6XH-CmGcrhzmEdK_5hMnWS3mhO1Ri7OZ4TnvCRs4MiUue8z_jkOkCM6ArZetDFtOxVZ6yhG8lbUk3cG960RK3bRFCL333qA2RwW_5csKxxIjmSixQFz2L9hI2Q/s200/IMG_4318.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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We also did a bunch of hikes including a special hike with our neighbours up <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/sulphur-mountain-6-ways-to-have-fun.html" target="_blank">Sulphur Mountain</a>. Four boys, lots of snacks, view at the top, and a gondola ride down. It was a fantastic day with fantastic people!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2coRlT0MZz01zi_2WdcJ6mnhHcWny_Z_PSzPLVFOeJN5howRkJfnAroVSQBhrE-P55dQ3GJuuxSLnKglC_upk4RgxoLOMLvx-LLfHl5RX9d4WsUErQcCcBO7R318WOYd9kNsTRRYkXg/s1600/IMG_4359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2coRlT0MZz01zi_2WdcJ6mnhHcWny_Z_PSzPLVFOeJN5howRkJfnAroVSQBhrE-P55dQ3GJuuxSLnKglC_upk4RgxoLOMLvx-LLfHl5RX9d4WsUErQcCcBO7R318WOYd9kNsTRRYkXg/s320/IMG_4359.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also spent a lot of time working on biking. This summer, Sully transitioned from his run bike to a two wheeler. It was a little bumpy in the beginning as he tried to figure out pedals, and there were some tense moments and a few standoffs, oh, and a little bit of bribery, but in the end, he is now proudly riding a two wheeler. After mastering this, he went to <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/08/today-i-went-to-bike-camp-pedalheads.html" target="_blank">Pedalheads camp</a> to practice his amazing new skills. Big brother Sebastian, went to a bigger bike complete with handbrakes and gears. A lot of research went into choosing that bike, and we worried we might have given him a bit more bike than he could handle, but from the very first day, he's been in love with his MEC Dash bike that he named Fang. He did a few epic rides this summer including from our house down to the zoo, and the entire <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/rails-to-trails-epic-rides-with-kids.html" target="_blank">Rails to Trails </a>path from Kimberley to Cranbrook in BC. It was a very successful year for the boys on their bikes. I am betting this summer will bring even more opportunity to bike together as a family!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC_M18JIe5-1v-kRFq9UMjjmW87g9vqDQu0CCjh7-VgEiJhdHg9WUHGeLyEOo7-YjnYgLnjblXZalSAzrcPfWMtpyDx2HDsQdWP8evi0cUDYZ4KzYOeDWWxbMb_cOmgEtHfHed6yoFQ/s1600/IMG_4078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC_M18JIe5-1v-kRFq9UMjjmW87g9vqDQu0CCjh7-VgEiJhdHg9WUHGeLyEOo7-YjnYgLnjblXZalSAzrcPfWMtpyDx2HDsQdWP8evi0cUDYZ4KzYOeDWWxbMb_cOmgEtHfHed6yoFQ/s320/IMG_4078.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5ujLwmsH7JqOx99mL_2wIjFPGRYt4cXO5UnnTTRW1ki0wDqgBEHHBwJ2HQMDW6h0OzN4OLilbyrqKV16LG203PIzxa3uPCPgJheYUt5U7E-dFstUU2Lb1JKHwptTJxzQtXanDPLxdg/s1600/IMG_4177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5ujLwmsH7JqOx99mL_2wIjFPGRYt4cXO5UnnTTRW1ki0wDqgBEHHBwJ2HQMDW6h0OzN4OLilbyrqKV16LG203PIzxa3uPCPgJheYUt5U7E-dFstUU2Lb1JKHwptTJxzQtXanDPLxdg/s320/IMG_4177.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVnj3M0Ukzx86QvhG8jN7q3k7jnjBQxI0Un-GD2pCH3pxqP_UAqSjgc5PDtHQIyacI-XDetbCFuOcJ3p3E87F-4Bbufr8jdExmKoEh6xYEBx1YZ40SGC4D-tM_nE6W-B4VinCG6ufOQ/s1600/IMG_3920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVnj3M0Ukzx86QvhG8jN7q3k7jnjBQxI0Un-GD2pCH3pxqP_UAqSjgc5PDtHQIyacI-XDetbCFuOcJ3p3E87F-4Bbufr8jdExmKoEh6xYEBx1YZ40SGC4D-tM_nE6W-B4VinCG6ufOQ/s200/IMG_3920.jpg" width="150" /></a>August had the <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/race-review-ride-to-conquer-cancer.html" target="_blank">Ride To Conquer Cancer</a>. This was my third year raising money for the ride, and because of the flood, there was an opportunity to switch riders, so Jeremy rode in my place. Having lost his dad to cancer, it meant a lot to him to be able to ride for his dad. The boys and I went out cheering the riders and had lots of fun making posters for our cheering. We visited the camp and had a chance to catch up with a few friends and the rest of our team.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojRSY-2wh3Z-80vtVnqxw_B8ZP_PpFdLsRbTZu-9WoXxeNvNFT1vTVeql3aiXLVL3jfrAXEySX2nDHXrs2hHUrXASvic_BmvVXtG0TLhb1U_fAIBbyaPiiMDB7PzU3ghus_8nRMxUpA/s1600/IMG_3844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojRSY-2wh3Z-80vtVnqxw_B8ZP_PpFdLsRbTZu-9WoXxeNvNFT1vTVeql3aiXLVL3jfrAXEySX2nDHXrs2hHUrXASvic_BmvVXtG0TLhb1U_fAIBbyaPiiMDB7PzU3ghus_8nRMxUpA/s320/IMG_3844.jpg" width="320" /></a>The boys and I also did the <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/08/race-review-color-me-rad.html" target="_blank">Color Me Rad</a> 5km run. This was an event with no time attached to it and we had such a fun time. The boys loved getting color blasted and doing the color blasting as well. Sully did the whole five kilometres, loving it the whole way. The allure of the colouring was super effective to keep him moving without any complaints. We were a messy bunch after that race though!! Truly, it was a lot of fun, and they talk often, about doing it again next year!!</div>
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Our summer vacation consisted of a road trip down to Medicine Hat, out to the <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/08/far-off-beaten-path-great-sandhills-of.html" target="_blank">Sand Hills of Saskatchewan</a>, the Red Rocks of Alberta, water parks, a movie, visits with grandparents, lots of bike rides, a quick stop in Lethbridge to check out the train bridge and pick up Jeremy, some time in Kimberley for the Rails to Trails bike ride, some mountain biking, a visit to the Sullivan mine, checking out the gigantic cuckoo clock, and some camping. We spent time at Takakkaw Falls in Yoho and did some hiking to<a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/11/hike-review-laughing-falls-in-yoho-bc.html" target="_blank"> Laughing Falls</a>, biking and just loving the great outdoors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0kdTuZYgUfoeJ4_IWEkWPQHWD7mwfm1yDl3hqz_u4B7K50978aNJRAebXN-NFvJkPUNgqExjNo4BDwCC10Dikfqw8eOcFO5u3zEZf01S2uCkGU2kHLIvXFyFOgSAIBsGkqRqODfb8Q/s1600/IMG_9194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0kdTuZYgUfoeJ4_IWEkWPQHWD7mwfm1yDl3hqz_u4B7K50978aNJRAebXN-NFvJkPUNgqExjNo4BDwCC10Dikfqw8eOcFO5u3zEZf01S2uCkGU2kHLIvXFyFOgSAIBsGkqRqODfb8Q/s200/IMG_9194.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7RhmLctEtxjp2OLMpX3-5DMchemE4M4iF_owhiiwRrvKwjiRqyjFY9Wu5vtn4AoLxAaZ3dg31X5hqTMQ1lRoeakDBQUoypm-y9Rd8kUyoOBYeVtU-QZ38Z_BzxazFBWf-7UaOosX9Q/s1600/IMG_3976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7RhmLctEtxjp2OLMpX3-5DMchemE4M4iF_owhiiwRrvKwjiRqyjFY9Wu5vtn4AoLxAaZ3dg31X5hqTMQ1lRoeakDBQUoypm-y9Rd8kUyoOBYeVtU-QZ38Z_BzxazFBWf-7UaOosX9Q/s200/IMG_3976.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadR5XFnq3S0gye7SeSG5RcGDjkM4ZgpMmqWCMv8Ha80Ux7OZEXw5egiZ6o6axTnphUfKJcUD-7FS2s44VwGqNObIKWosGVMdjc5zNSx5TXVoaDEYI0QzYy39BaF55zGtgibQmCG830A/s1600/IMG_9141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadR5XFnq3S0gye7SeSG5RcGDjkM4ZgpMmqWCMv8Ha80Ux7OZEXw5egiZ6o6axTnphUfKJcUD-7FS2s44VwGqNObIKWosGVMdjc5zNSx5TXVoaDEYI0QzYy39BaF55zGtgibQmCG830A/s200/IMG_9141.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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School started in September and we now have a grade two and kindergartener. Both kids are at the same school and it's been lots of fun watching them grow and learn. They did a session of Kung Fu, and Sebastian especially loved it and wants to do it again. Sullivan remains unconvinced, although I have tried to warn him, that even if he doesn't do it again, he still will have to go and watch, and that is not nearly as fun as participating!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhaOOT6z-MQfOmHPKMIbzA6TVUfuD5Nsp2KVaB3cGtbjf8XA1IiRyZs9sQN7QOWe9WrBQ6D81Y67OPvpKT-DQFeSX8gJVk3ptOakus9jyUYxgiN-HB1SrcVoWWXorQZZSt9rRA3TKhA/s1600/IMG_4461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhaOOT6z-MQfOmHPKMIbzA6TVUfuD5Nsp2KVaB3cGtbjf8XA1IiRyZs9sQN7QOWe9WrBQ6D81Y67OPvpKT-DQFeSX8gJVk3ptOakus9jyUYxgiN-HB1SrcVoWWXorQZZSt9rRA3TKhA/s320/IMG_4461.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLiIDwmUiH-76RMm8aT3R06xgEwkptn_Oq31PIdbEmp9DU22Qcj8PjcKfKMaGQxZ5ZHlyH8VrIXQIS0YX7iZN-z53u74E-xPryk34csZJ6LKbBPJ0MUKlEs2Pj_oi-P8reM-TYW7ZPw/s1600/IMG_9315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLiIDwmUiH-76RMm8aT3R06xgEwkptn_Oq31PIdbEmp9DU22Qcj8PjcKfKMaGQxZ5ZHlyH8VrIXQIS0YX7iZN-z53u74E-xPryk34csZJ6LKbBPJ0MUKlEs2Pj_oi-P8reM-TYW7ZPw/s320/IMG_9315.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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In October, we went on a long awaited trip to Florida. The boys were so excited to be <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/11/airport-survival-guide-10-ideas-to-help.html" target="_blank">flying on airplanes</a>. We had an amazing trip, spending time at Walt Disney World, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter,<a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/11/all-aboard-disney-fantasy.html" target="_blank"> a Halloween Cruise</a> aboard Disney Cruise Line's Fantasy, and the added bonus of a certain grandma who came to spend a few days with us (boys were super excited). Some of the highlights included the boys getting decked out as pirates on pirate night and fireworks out at sea, the costume parade on Halloween night, trying Butter Beer, exploring various attractions including Expedition Everest (Sebastian's favourite), Star Tours (Sully's favourite), The Tower of Terror (my favourite), and Toy Story Mania (Jeremy's favourite), Pirates of the Caribbean (Grandma's favourite), parades, especially the Main Street Electrical Parade (loved by all of us!!), being part of the Jedi Training Academy, swimming at the hotel pools and onboard the ship (especially loved was the Aquaduck water coaster), and character visits of all sorts.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPJr0E9Vgm1fL6lVm8m7zK-9fkpDLVUmuxZ2I8OE3Qvxv6ZUc9ZTyYUB1VYlUo6NRX58hkjidDhRPY-mI4qw2lKRBuJkPcgUpSpAB3AUPmUzA_FhgxWEyFUm2HXbd7DHJ47WoPrdX5w/s1600/IMG_9754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPJr0E9Vgm1fL6lVm8m7zK-9fkpDLVUmuxZ2I8OE3Qvxv6ZUc9ZTyYUB1VYlUo6NRX58hkjidDhRPY-mI4qw2lKRBuJkPcgUpSpAB3AUPmUzA_FhgxWEyFUm2HXbd7DHJ47WoPrdX5w/s320/IMG_9754.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuZUkaKM3TQqzX5IKKg11F9X6vxTMw8OKellWGqwmyFibVJ2_Oc8HMvu509A2fu6aOBF9vsN8EArCb1xf2CK5tXHOeEKoTVeUGJ9y8ZcEQ2NTwphnFvz1idJTWA15HpB6L4DdmLCtXQ/s1600/IMG_9766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuZUkaKM3TQqzX5IKKg11F9X6vxTMw8OKellWGqwmyFibVJ2_Oc8HMvu509A2fu6aOBF9vsN8EArCb1xf2CK5tXHOeEKoTVeUGJ9y8ZcEQ2NTwphnFvz1idJTWA15HpB6L4DdmLCtXQ/s320/IMG_9766.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWvz36U-Q9CUdo-03Vnt_Tq_HDcGpOGklZs8H1ls5zA48FT6GcivnAvBDAHRl8n-6folmDDU8EqucodcMYLcK5xS-xZjNZvodoloRjReiEy__ltGEC0zDeCNVwsjzgZOpGuKrOplLhg/s1600/IMG_9607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWvz36U-Q9CUdo-03Vnt_Tq_HDcGpOGklZs8H1ls5zA48FT6GcivnAvBDAHRl8n-6folmDDU8EqucodcMYLcK5xS-xZjNZvodoloRjReiEy__ltGEC0zDeCNVwsjzgZOpGuKrOplLhg/s320/IMG_9607.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgA7TnxipLSIVhTVpU7F-MnSyI3r5deA5h81Xe58RDY7zS_aG4Ua3cp6vGCT8KWsM4QMROsoyqNbL2eoPwCDl1je_77ni7T9ZJWTOG4eaFsKNo6fZAQ6LGoXxQJDVFIHIGZGEGb9fhg/s1600/IMG_4892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgA7TnxipLSIVhTVpU7F-MnSyI3r5deA5h81Xe58RDY7zS_aG4Ua3cp6vGCT8KWsM4QMROsoyqNbL2eoPwCDl1je_77ni7T9ZJWTOG4eaFsKNo6fZAQ6LGoXxQJDVFIHIGZGEGb9fhg/s320/IMG_4892.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm4CXrttP7k1fSj8Z5ZmOwtJllLPFZiWeTqLBnKCzCCWhansJlz1uQ6DUfB-EyaJUTRv_svadQOky0Vu1hKh0cw-SMYMscZKqmT51S1bdjWy7fLDhUku_pT59rHzIFnRlzyeffVd-MQ/s1600/IMG_9833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm4CXrttP7k1fSj8Z5ZmOwtJllLPFZiWeTqLBnKCzCCWhansJlz1uQ6DUfB-EyaJUTRv_svadQOky0Vu1hKh0cw-SMYMscZKqmT51S1bdjWy7fLDhUku_pT59rHzIFnRlzyeffVd-MQ/s200/IMG_9833.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt2oQieptW2n8JmOsqoWyo-HLBiwduTQWGdXHWBgBg6Z3Hib5tFapZcxLga08717B42lGT8AYkq27u0KB5mVwR8BjbdlnHGcaS9YzpDVN5h_UBdXkEhu54SYlMPOFCVIa3ZmIL-KBBw/s1600/IMG_4923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt2oQieptW2n8JmOsqoWyo-HLBiwduTQWGdXHWBgBg6Z3Hib5tFapZcxLga08717B42lGT8AYkq27u0KB5mVwR8BjbdlnHGcaS9YzpDVN5h_UBdXkEhu54SYlMPOFCVIa3ZmIL-KBBw/s200/IMG_4923.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMu2E3Y9KE7QrNGnD-IBsk_htr8LEEX8BDMfN3ope2keLq4jdZk-zhLPKTEqNydW3W22ZivLpsoy8k6Fne93aeakx5NB2Jc8Wo2vjAP4lXhCKVWyOIX6SyWosEZdPBqpqe7gI3I1Aug/s1600/IMG_4699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMu2E3Y9KE7QrNGnD-IBsk_htr8LEEX8BDMfN3ope2keLq4jdZk-zhLPKTEqNydW3W22ZivLpsoy8k6Fne93aeakx5NB2Jc8Wo2vjAP4lXhCKVWyOIX6SyWosEZdPBqpqe7gI3I1Aug/s200/IMG_4699.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Soon enough there was lots of snow and the boys have spent hours outside building<a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/12/tunnels-and-snow-forts.html" target="_blank"> tunnels, forts</a> and the like.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbOpAvAS1FqoNSieehb6ix7ZzE_uw5oI_9ndJoiCvVReT3Ci4PHLKaMJODagKVFOkvl5qwnFxw4bosgp4Pg6jXapBQaQ84DxzLm3HrWAVBK-AqV6E0Bp65YN65mR5Gy7kuFcP1z2a3A/s1600/IMG_5056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbOpAvAS1FqoNSieehb6ix7ZzE_uw5oI_9ndJoiCvVReT3Ci4PHLKaMJODagKVFOkvl5qwnFxw4bosgp4Pg6jXapBQaQ84DxzLm3HrWAVBK-AqV6E0Bp65YN65mR5Gy7kuFcP1z2a3A/s320/IMG_5056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We checked out the opening night of the lights at Confederation Park which were complete with fireworks!! Lots of fun except for the part where Jeremy almost got hit by a car… look both ways before crossing, and make sure the cars actually see you!! Scary!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfO-webvCZZ2QZq7uP7T2AsFNKaVD7QRnBDYb02N46Dr8edVYdBm6ZhhQ1JAawNahK5proxiqVFtxbU9eI5_usIznMbKLCw09LvXDUhyphenhyphen4PA-qEPYNXLEKF3TueDiZOfCOXMH-lBGLfw/s1600/IMG_5023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfO-webvCZZ2QZq7uP7T2AsFNKaVD7QRnBDYb02N46Dr8edVYdBm6ZhhQ1JAawNahK5proxiqVFtxbU9eI5_usIznMbKLCw09LvXDUhyphenhyphen4PA-qEPYNXLEKF3TueDiZOfCOXMH-lBGLfw/s320/IMG_5023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We were treated to a beautiful Advent Celebration with the boys singing so nicely with their respective classes.<br />
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And Christmas was such an amazing time of year this year. The boys were so excited for so many parts of the season. We had fun grabbing our tree from the grocery store and walking it home (my version of being a lumberjack) and subsequently decorating it. Setting up the nativity scene. Making a gingerbread house, complete with german shepherd guard dogs. Designing our yearly calendar was fun. All kinds of Christmas baking including cherry flips, nanaimo bars, sucre a la creme, butter tart squares, lemon squares, and decorated chai spice sugar cookies. Finding perfect gifts for people... including autographed Chris Hadfield books!! Lots of visits with family and friends, hosting Christmas dinner. A fun filled Christmas morning, complete with my favourite Creme Brulee French Toast for breakfast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyenAF_NnZem7bu-dOsia-tEOzEnQ5xhbCjGnSshNyVbZCT6LFfhu6JsWnP4V2dZGF1Zw04pcQQVC8m-gzQgA4yPrjUDoo1usKhYktvSjumJ3sgFTrUDzQiFHuPQmIq1g1fe1TekY9uQ/s1600/IMG_5007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyenAF_NnZem7bu-dOsia-tEOzEnQ5xhbCjGnSshNyVbZCT6LFfhu6JsWnP4V2dZGF1Zw04pcQQVC8m-gzQgA4yPrjUDoo1usKhYktvSjumJ3sgFTrUDzQiFHuPQmIq1g1fe1TekY9uQ/s200/IMG_5007.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsDECs5D_WyyWAPRCr5SXP7KanR_ShfH8-TE2OadbX2gbv0w0MY4m6dHk1FhP7MLLsZemwnFYF6j5Kc1NYfwCZnQyB1H2dyaWIU6p2gC59ajQS3x2IYPxxhxednZrwH_Mvmmulk0pEw/s1600/IMG_5011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsDECs5D_WyyWAPRCr5SXP7KanR_ShfH8-TE2OadbX2gbv0w0MY4m6dHk1FhP7MLLsZemwnFYF6j5Kc1NYfwCZnQyB1H2dyaWIU6p2gC59ajQS3x2IYPxxhxednZrwH_Mvmmulk0pEw/s200/IMG_5011.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUxXRRFnS58KeS4uiTQZ-uEIzumVy5hcZFbw7oSzvMgHcAL4YNdo14P3bBw8AbMZV5N4aL2uVd24ZNumIMnO8Bq4zveqWspJWY5N1R84djtxecLN-VlQ3DW7tfE6XIS4ynG8BsvEenA/s1600/IMG_5037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUxXRRFnS58KeS4uiTQZ-uEIzumVy5hcZFbw7oSzvMgHcAL4YNdo14P3bBw8AbMZV5N4aL2uVd24ZNumIMnO8Bq4zveqWspJWY5N1R84djtxecLN-VlQ3DW7tfE6XIS4ynG8BsvEenA/s200/IMG_5037.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We are truly grateful for such a wonderful year. So many great memories made. And now it is onward to 2014. Jeremy is signed up or Ironman Calgary, which is a half ironman. Sebastian will be busy with all sorts of activities, and Sully is hoping to take skating lessons. I don't have a particular plan yet, but maybe, just maybe, I'll start plotting and scheming and figuring out a way to do another Disney race... I love those... a lot... and there will be a pretty significant birthday coming up for me in 2014, so maybe... we shall see. Otherwise, I foresee a summer filled with biking, hiking and camping…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6g7gRGONPsO3H3Ltgh3Ms_7Xxd2140RTbJv9RVzqbMMwg4voyPeAVRHbFPLu_QCeCEq8QSBffBl6Vnqk4t4LTJD7wQQkPgD3RGNlAHcogbxc9nSbc-UuPJrd5oriUOl4pJtavKYx-w/s1600/IMG_4291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6g7gRGONPsO3H3Ltgh3Ms_7Xxd2140RTbJv9RVzqbMMwg4voyPeAVRHbFPLu_QCeCEq8QSBffBl6Vnqk4t4LTJD7wQQkPgD3RGNlAHcogbxc9nSbc-UuPJrd5oriUOl4pJtavKYx-w/s400/IMG_4291.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What are your goals for 2014? Any special trips or events planned? Start figuring out the details of your dreams so they can become a reality…<br />
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From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!</div>
911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-77237974949592871032013-12-17T10:56:00.000-07:002013-12-17T11:30:54.204-07:00Tunnels and snow forts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCRYafODl3EXgbGczyFogd-qpveCQ2HsF4vojHRP5jUxY7PQZOa7RcgLaL9w6Tg_0v4u3u7ERn2FF78Bkhdu09cFmBcyz9e8EjA0mU3yrJ_Ka5OmIgjJUpngdHV3aRNrJ8a-231nam07u/s1600/snow+tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCRYafODl3EXgbGczyFogd-qpveCQ2HsF4vojHRP5jUxY7PQZOa7RcgLaL9w6Tg_0v4u3u7ERn2FF78Bkhdu09cFmBcyz9e8EjA0mU3yrJ_Ka5OmIgjJUpngdHV3aRNrJ8a-231nam07u/s320/snow+tunnel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We were gifted with a lot of snow recently, and some freezing cold temperatures. And by freezing I mean the part where schools stay inside for recess, and generally nobody has anything nice to say about the weather. But, one little boy in our house, could not have been happier. With huge drifts in the backyard, he had a plan. He wanted a tunnel. He spent the drives to and from school, figuring out what he would do to make this happen. He asked about tools he should use, and where would be the best place to build this tunnel. I was more than happy to offer advice, just not quite so quick to offer my help. My freezing cold threshold is about minus ten, and anything after that, I can often be heard questioning why we live in a place that can get this cold.<br />
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It took him two days, but he got his tunnel built. He was so proud of himself. He made a plan and he executed it. He shovelled, he burrowed, he worked his way from one side of the drift to the other. And he wasn't afraid to be out there is the especially cold either. He suited up well. What was he wearing you might be wondering? He had on his North Face winter jacket, his Helly Hansen ski pants and balaclava, his KEEN boots, mitts and snow goggles from Gordini. He was out there for about an hour but was perfectly warm. We checked in on him multiple times, and even that was cold, brrrrrrrr.<br />
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As the weather warmed up, he wanted a fort to go with his tunnel. He even started hauling out pieces of wood from the garage to serve as a roof. So, this is where I came in, and helped him get a bunch of boards up to be his roof. He was, again, extremely excited to have executed his plan. This time, his brother got in on the action, but only after the fort was built. The two of them played out there for hours. They only came in because supper was starting to get cold. And then were treated to a hot chocolate to go with their meal.<br />
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So how exactly do you make the most of a blizzard and snow? Here are five ideas to inspire you and your kids this winter:<br />
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1) Dress appropriately for the weather. Good gear goes a long way to keeping kids active on even the coldest days. Truly, it was close to minus thirty and our son was out there and had to be told to come in. He was covered from head to toe, with no exposed skin. In the especially frigid temperatures, it is especially important to make sure that there is no exposed skin. Frost bite can set in very quickly, especially with any sort of wind present, so being well protected is extremely important. As it warms up, there is a bit more freedom in this area, but on those really cold days, don't take any chances!!<br />
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2) Give your kids ideas, drifts are especially cool for digging in, and tunnels don't even take that long. It's important to check on them frequently, but let them be creative and try and figure out a way to make their ideas come to life. If you don't have drifts in your yard, check your neighbourhood park and see what the snow left behind there. It's a great way to get lots of kids from the neighbourhood in on the action as well.<br />
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3) Join the party. With Sebastian, he needed help when it came time to transition to the fort, so I was out there, all geared up, helping him build his dream. In previous years we have built forts with the boys, and spend considerable time packing snow into bricks and building the walls for them to play in. It's a good workout for the parent and shows that parents have fun in the snow as well.<br />
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4) As the weather warms, build a snowman, or encourage your kids to try. In years past, we have done all the snowball making. This year, the boys went out and built a snowman on their own. They were so excited and it was a huge accomplishment for them getting the balls on top of each other and ready for the carrot nose. They also found sticks for arms, rocks for eyes, and used a toque to finish off their snowman with a hat.<br />
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5) Plan a fun snack for after an outdoor session like this. A hot apple cider, or a hot chocolate with "snowman poop" (mini marshmallows) make for a quick warm up after some time outside.<br />
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Winter can sometimes seem daunting to adults who deal with traffic tie ups, vehicles getting stuck, shovelling out after a blizzard, but if you take time to get involved and help your kids enjoy the season, you'll realize that there are some pretty awesome parts that winter has to offer. And that is without even leaving your own house!! Imagine how much more fun you'll have when you go out snowshoeing, skating or skiing… so many ways to enjoy the season, but start by having fun in your own backyard!Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125826391805048723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-42430221991262143982013-12-03T13:13:00.000-07:002013-12-03T15:18:25.587-07:00SNACKTIME: Pizza Puff Muffins<span id="goog_500031333"></span><span id="goog_500031334"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-XBorKSUDCWBw92ambebsP1by7BhR56TbBSNHLpqU9hJJxhITQfoH7QbtKVV_WYm6ruePveup34qX6-LcrzuvINfRZOunc8El8GsKRdyi9mMz2_vCmjHTI64aLhCO4YIkP1b-K5oSgHq/s1600/IMG_9885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-XBorKSUDCWBw92ambebsP1by7BhR56TbBSNHLpqU9hJJxhITQfoH7QbtKVV_WYm6ruePveup34qX6-LcrzuvINfRZOunc8El8GsKRdyi9mMz2_vCmjHTI64aLhCO4YIkP1b-K5oSgHq/s400/IMG_9885.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A few years ago, we stumbled across a recipe for <a href="http://www.thesweetslife.com/2011/07/pizza-puffs.html">Pizza Puff Muffins</a> from the Sweets of Life blog. We were "vegetable" day for kindergarten and this seemed a great way to bring veggies to the kids in a fun way that might get better buy in than just traditional cut veggies and dip. They were a hit, and it's been a go-to recipe for our family ever since. Of course we had to make the recipe our own and instituted a few changes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahx6V53k8qibI32WhBa9FoGTfAKNCDtWat-DBNfFzDlNrCmFOyBYNdugaXToMLU9PY77WEBweY0z_DCAglVjBcgMaZWiBRdlypl4Nm_0Wmje5IsdxHQ3b6UXmcoJM5faOlwvrzvbAET6o/s1600/IMG_9876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahx6V53k8qibI32WhBa9FoGTfAKNCDtWat-DBNfFzDlNrCmFOyBYNdugaXToMLU9PY77WEBweY0z_DCAglVjBcgMaZWiBRdlypl4Nm_0Wmje5IsdxHQ3b6UXmcoJM5faOlwvrzvbAET6o/s200/IMG_9876.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
And funny enough, we've almost always made them vegetarian, probably to honour the fact that the first time we made them, that's what we did.
They are a fantastic snack, and go over really well with kids and adults alike. I'm not sure if it is because it's pizza in a mini muffin size, or because you get to dip them in pizza sauce, but either way, they are fabulous. And you are limited only by your imaginations on the toppings you can put in. Pick your favourite pizza and add those toppings. Ham and pineapple. Pepperoni and mushroom. Or vegetarian, like we make.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWmMaa0-5jg1pOPlpHNH9u98kjRrJQ8XpFUIjqe7IsIuoWB9dWfKRdg9vbiR5x4H2hWHHbUE6jU80BVyvAWR5bP4pWyorsIPsKJK4MmzMOUqoXE1jQMzEfmfRDfHL5POvMxlS_cXMIyZx/s1600/IMG_9877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWmMaa0-5jg1pOPlpHNH9u98kjRrJQ8XpFUIjqe7IsIuoWB9dWfKRdg9vbiR5x4H2hWHHbUE6jU80BVyvAWR5bP4pWyorsIPsKJK4MmzMOUqoXE1jQMzEfmfRDfHL5POvMxlS_cXMIyZx/s200/IMG_9877.JPG" width="200" /></a>Most recently we made them for the teachers at our school on parent teacher interviews and got rave reviews on them. So, if you are looking for a fun way to get veggies into your kids, try these out. You will be glad you did.<br />
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<u> Pizza Puff Muffins the Active Family Way </u><br />
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano<br />
1/2 teaspoon black pepper<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQnHMFhTRa6enjbP1OfbMXX4yu54_9DcYZqHoUpiohG-F33P1HmdYmDzAgRgMce-C6yUH0_VnYF8TkDjIljuAM71LQYwykR2c8MLMw2irZz5Eq83lo4U3xKeSkfLFtQFUxFxpwCLW1c9N/s1600/IMG_9879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQnHMFhTRa6enjbP1OfbMXX4yu54_9DcYZqHoUpiohG-F33P1HmdYmDzAgRgMce-C6yUH0_VnYF8TkDjIljuAM71LQYwykR2c8MLMw2irZz5Eq83lo4U3xKeSkfLFtQFUxFxpwCLW1c9N/s200/IMG_9879.JPG" width="200" /></a>1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1 1/2 cups milk<br />
1 cup mushrooms diced<br />
1 cup peppers diced (today it was a red pepper)<br />
1 cup pineapple tidbits, chopped in half<br />
1/2 cup black olives sliced and diced<br />
2 cups mozza cheese grated<br />
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated<br />
Pizza sauce (for dipping baked muffins)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3tKEu_6c-hGcMJW0TgbVNsnxO-d5ZbT39JVlo7iTKRUG3PFjKsWE-syjp0lptlYTxfeX33D7dI_pHsiH3hqildrG61b_Y2YlcGCC7F2yg_wdlReQ8E_dq1m_ymZLREhNJhH-I8WMi4Us/s1600/IMG_9880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3tKEu_6c-hGcMJW0TgbVNsnxO-d5ZbT39JVlo7iTKRUG3PFjKsWE-syjp0lptlYTxfeX33D7dI_pHsiH3hqildrG61b_Y2YlcGCC7F2yg_wdlReQ8E_dq1m_ymZLREhNJhH-I8WMi4Us/s320/IMG_9880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Whisk dry ingredients together, add milk and eggs. Add mozza cheese and pizza toppings. Let sit for ten minutes. Spray a mini muffin tin. Divide among the muffin tin, top with the parm cheese and bake about 25 minutes at 375F. <br />
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They taste especially good when they are served warm. Enjoy!!<br />
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<br />Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125826391805048723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-21460212284046966252013-11-22T06:56:00.000-07:002013-11-22T06:56:00.511-07:00#Outdoorfamilies Instagram Contest <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
There is an amazing contest on right now until November 26th, 2013 on Instagram with an incredible list of prizes to be won put together by a fabulous group of #outdoorfamilies bloggers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8zu9v5f40zFTZCHHy_qT-_R4krKRTK1FAAAGw2JbvvAFN544K43mksCnLebQRCANT63qKSQmXmCH0TqWXwQSLM3ViSGFGBxgHJpngsBC1sOHp4_uzp97qCwBFxoigKFrz0Jyr5uEdA/s1600/1403637_10202415323606664_1111954650_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8zu9v5f40zFTZCHHy_qT-_R4krKRTK1FAAAGw2JbvvAFN544K43mksCnLebQRCANT63qKSQmXmCH0TqWXwQSLM3ViSGFGBxgHJpngsBC1sOHp4_uzp97qCwBFxoigKFrz0Jyr5uEdA/s640/1403637_10202415323606664_1111954650_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are all the details: </div>
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Enter to win the #outdoorfamilies giveaway! Simply share a picture of you and your family doing an outdoor activity on instagram and use the hashtags #outdoorfamilies and #thankfulforfamilies. Contest runs from November 19-26. You can share a photo daily (up to 7 total photos) and winners will be chosen at random and announced on Instagram by each participating blogger on their blogs. </div>
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<b>Giveaway entry rules:</b></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>Must be a resident of US or Canada</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>You MUST follow all the blogger participants on Instagram listed below to be eligible to win any of the prizes: @mtnmamatales @adventuretykes @adventurousmoms @katespiller @jennifer_fontaine @alyssa_kidproject @chasquimom @velomomjen @kathydaltonslc @goadventuremom @meghanjward (look to our posts in Instagram to link you up directly!)</li>
</ul>
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<li>All photos must be originals and taken by YOU (a reposted photo will disqualify you!)</li>
</ul>
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<li>All photos must be tagged with BOTH #outdoorfamilies AND #thankfulforfamilies and submitted by 10 pm MST on November 26th.</li>
</ul>
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<li>All winners will be chosen randomly from all submitted entries at the end of the week and announced on each of the blogs after November 26th. Comments will also be left on the winning photos to let you know you won.</li>
</ul>
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<b>What you can win:</b></div>
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<b>**All prizes with the exception of one (noted) will be open to both US and Canadian residents**</b></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>A pair of Oakiwear waders for your child</li>
<li>An Ambler kids' hat</li>
<li>Nikwax Products (Sandal Wash, Freshbase and Polar Proof)</li>
<li>Snowstoppers Nylon Mittens</li>
<li>Spyder Mini Cubby Long Ski Mittens and Bob Skates from Mountain Baby</li>
<li>An Outdoor Wine Glass Set and pair of snack trays from Grasshaven Outdoor</li>
<li>Kowalli Baby Carrier Cover</li>
<li>$150 Gift Certificate to spend at any retailer on the ActiveJunky.com Site</li>
<li>HABA sand toys</li>
<li>Bandi Bands </li>
<li>From Honey Stinger - 2 boxes (choc and van) of the new kid's waffle -<strong> US ONLY!!</strong></li>
<li>Education Outdoors board game </li>
<li>Hero Kit - First Aid or bike repair kit</li>
<li>Ducksday Rain Suit</li>
<li>Easy Rider Chair from Travel Chair</li>
<li>A Children's Outdoors Book: "Watershed Adventures of a Water Bottle" by Jennifer Chambers</li>
<li>Winner's choice of one pair of shoes from Hi-Tec</li>
</ul>
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<b> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu4tFCL6UyFgqfOgHi0QOXHzrFL_afr12ZW0phS5TEzvofJ2YFYhtPovPHqizCExPWnRNkXJzL1qB1oD93WUWNGksBnVTB4qgDrvoE3RERTcUpAUp2E7_vYzSeXPVWQHDTuBv9VsOtg/s1600/1396985_10202415287245755_1432207510_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu4tFCL6UyFgqfOgHi0QOXHzrFL_afr12ZW0phS5TEzvofJ2YFYhtPovPHqizCExPWnRNkXJzL1qB1oD93WUWNGksBnVTB4qgDrvoE3RERTcUpAUp2E7_vYzSeXPVWQHDTuBv9VsOtg/s640/1396985_10202415287245755_1432207510_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Participating Bloggers (who worked hard to round up these great prizes!):</b></div>
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<b>*Make sure you check out all of these great blogs!*</b></div>
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>Adventure Tykes: <a href="http://adventuretykes.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://adventuretykes.com</a></li>
<li>Adventurous Moms: <a href="http://adventurousmoms.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://adventurousmoms.com</a></li>
<li>The Adventures in Parenthood Project: <a href="http://adventurousparents.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://adventurousparents.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/outdoor-family-bloggers-community/christmas-gift-posts/573616149358444#" role="button" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Chasqui Mom: </a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FChasquiMom.com&h=RAQF-f9bK&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://ChasquiMom.com</a></li>
<li>Go Adventure Mom: <a href="http://goadventuremom.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://goadventuremom.com</a></li>
<li>Mommy Hiker: <a href="http://www.mommyhiker.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.mommyhiker.com</a></li>
<li>The Kid Project: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fkidproject.org&h=oAQF4EQsx&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://kidproject.org</a></li>
<li>Tales of a Mountain Mama: <a href="http://talesofamountainmama.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://talesofamountainmama.com</a></li>
<li>Velo Mom: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FVelomom.com&h=AAQEkkWan&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://Velomom.com</a></li>
<li>Wild Tales Of: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwildtalesof.com&h=qAQGoG9ON&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://wildtalesof.com</a></li>
</ol>
911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-45494753635383889162013-11-21T11:40:00.006-07:002013-11-21T11:40:52.992-07:00All I want for Christmas… Gifts for the Active FamilyThere is a lot of choice out there when it comes to camping, outdoors, hiking, biking and just being active in general. With a seven and four year old, we had a busy summer, but with Christmas just around the corner, it's time to share some ideas for gear we think is just great. Being in Canada, and being an active outdoor family, we tend to find ourselves at <a href="http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp" target="_blank">MEC</a> quite often. Really, it is just an all around fantastic place for gear, and all of these items actually came from there. I have included their prices since that's where most of this gear is from!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5027-619/gsi-bugaboo-camper-cookset/?f=10&q=bugaboo%2Bcamper" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Bugaboo Camper from GSI Outdoors</a><u> and <a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5031-132/gsi-destination-kitchen-24-set/?f=10&q=gsi%2Bdestination" target="_blank">The GSI Destination Kitchen 24 Set</a></u><br />
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This set is perfect for a family of four. It is a cooking and dining set rolled into one. GSI classifies it under car camping, but as we begin backpacking with our boys, it was the perfect choice. It contains a set of four plates, four bowls, four insulated mugs with lids, a frying pan, a large pot with lid that doubles as a strainer, a smaller pot, handle and bag to carry it all. It got put to good use this summer. The thing that makes it double well for backpacking with kids, is how everything nests together. My boys loved picking out what colour their stuff would be each meal. Truly, the only thing really missing is cutlery. A great add on is the Destination Kitchen 24 Set which would be more of a car camping item but includes a cutting board, knife, grater, flipper, scrubbie, utensils for four, condiment squeeze tubes and more. MEC sells the Bugaboo Camper for CAD $90.00 and the Destination Kitchen 24 Set for CAD $44.00</div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/4014-191/msr-denali-tyker-snowshoes-kids/?h=10+50006+50052&f=10+36+50006+50052" target="_blank">MSR Denali Tyker Snowshoes</a></u></div>
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Two years ago, my boys got these snowshoes for Christmas from their grandparents. They have done as well for two seasons and will soon be into their third season. My older son has done especially well with them, loving the chance to just stomp around in the snow. He has worn them on several hikes in the mountains. They are tricky to get on initially, and the boys have needed help from an adult for this, but once they are on, they stay put. The kids love being outside and doing something other than hiking. With the youngest almost five years old, this winter should see even more days in the snow with them! MEC sells these for CAD $60. </div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5022-319/garmin-edge-500-bike-computer/?f=10&q=garmin%2Bedge" target="_blank">Garmin Edge 500 Bike Computer</a></u></div>
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We have had this Garmin for several years now and it has been there through a multitude of training rides including two Ironman events. GPS makes it perfect for outdoor rides. It works well indoors also, matching up with several different power meters as well providing data while riding indoors on a trainer. It can also track your heart rate. All in all, it is a fantastic piece of electronics that has been integral to training in our household. MEC sells this for $266.00, although to get the most out of it, you will also need to purchase a heart rate strap and power meter. It is also nice to have on rides with the kids to have an idea of how far we've gone and how long we have been riding etc. </div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5034-271/mec-dash-bicycle-kids/?f=10&q=dash" target="_blank">MEC Dash Bike</a></u></div>
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Earlier this year we needed a new bike for our son who was turning seven. He needed a bigger bike, but we also wanted to make sure it was a bike he would love and use. His previous bike was quite heavy so we put in some time and research to find a bike that would work well. We settled on the the MEC Dash, and went to check it out. The bike offers gears and handbrakes. We weren't sure if our son could handle these additions, but from the first time he got on the bike, he has done amazing. He affectionately calls his bike Fang. He's used his bike on paths, gravel, dirt, going up and down hills and has been incredible on it. At only seven years old, he has some pretty epic rides completed including the<a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/rails-to-trails-epic-rides-with-kids.html" target="_blank"> Rails to Trails </a>ride from Kimberley to Cranbrook in BC. Although it is a bit pricey, knowing it will be passed onto his little brother after we wanted something that would be durable and last. After one biking season, the bike is in near perfect condition still. It has even been put on a trainer a couple times so he could do training rides in the basement. Available for CAD $290.00</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZz_vDmeal4Mrm6_ubWBtGpznCSKpBno8pPODY9oRqDT5vEkujeYDYYo02S2XL4VB_1q7MyqE0iIIap4Y7Y1VBD0dXa5vlCR7he5eiuKmJaG-KbGK_FhXL-_rZy-_zXRJKLFFLBJ8JMg/s1600/IMG_4075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZz_vDmeal4Mrm6_ubWBtGpznCSKpBno8pPODY9oRqDT5vEkujeYDYYo02S2XL4VB_1q7MyqE0iIIap4Y7Y1VBD0dXa5vlCR7he5eiuKmJaG-KbGK_FhXL-_rZy-_zXRJKLFFLBJ8JMg/s320/IMG_4075.jpg" width="264" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46sw0gIsapmm_0zudUI7vazRDP7eLeiSkl1KT7QBHtJgFo7G9vAVhmHfa7FFKHRQ6dFiXS7EkLEeLQulwaD4-OFc6KucgmoV2wSdDfSwVb-Ga7QewE8Dg0rJ9T-bnOoGbs_FWWltRPA/s1600/IMG_3953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46sw0gIsapmm_0zudUI7vazRDP7eLeiSkl1KT7QBHtJgFo7G9vAVhmHfa7FFKHRQ6dFiXS7EkLEeLQulwaD4-OFc6KucgmoV2wSdDfSwVb-Ga7QewE8Dg0rJ9T-bnOoGbs_FWWltRPA/s320/IMG_3953.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5001-339/msr-dragonfly-stove/?h=10+50130+50035&f=10+50130+50491" target="_blank">MSR Dragonfly Stove</a></u></div>
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We have had this stove for years. It has done well through all sorts of camping and lots of backpacking trips. It is a bit loud, however stuff cooks quick and it can also be well controlled to offer a simmer option as well. The fuel used in it is flexible as well. It is a great stove that packs up small so it works well for multi day backpacking trips. One reason I like it, is I prefer that it hooks up to a fuel bottle and not just a one use canister. So, as long as you don't mind a jet engine taking off while you cook, it's a great choice for a stove, having been very dependable for many years and still going strong!! Currently sells for CAD$135.00. </div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5012-533/keen-newport-h2-sandals-kids/?f=10&q=keen%2Bsandals" target="_blank">KEEN Sandals</a></u></div>
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These are a staples in our family. The sandals basically are three season shoes in our family. They are great for hikes, the beach, splash parks and pretty much every day wear in the summer. There are tons of other footwear choices as well, but as the husband and I both are in need of new sandals, and because sandals make me think of warm weather, they are on the list of favourites. As well, the husband is asking for new bike shoes, and I think he should get the KEEN commuters as they truly are a versatile shoe allowing a clip in option but also the freedom to walk around at a destination. There are tons of other KEENs out there as well and I recently <a href="http://activekidsactivefamily.blogspot.ca/2013/09/we-are-keen-family.html" target="_blank">wrote about some</a> of the ones our family uses. Kids Newport Sandals are CAD $59.00 and the Commuter II and Commuter III are both CAD $119.00. </div>
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<u><a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5031-513/deuter-fox-30-backpack-kids/?f=10&q=deuter%2Bfox" target="_blank">Deuter Fox 30 Backpack</a></u></div>
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Last year for Christmas our boys got these backpacks from Santa complete with a hydration pack. Both kids were super excited to have a pack that allowed them a hydration system. The pack is a little bit big for the four year old, but fits the seven year old perfectly. There is room for all kinds of gear. Owing to the part where it was a bit large for the four year old, we didn't actual use them for a backpacking trip last summer, but we will be this summer. As a daypack, it worked extremely well and there are all sorts of adjustments that can be made to make the pack fit your child properly. We will review it again this summer once we've had a chance to take it on an overnight backpacking trip. The pack has been updated since we bought it and the new version is available for CAD $90.00. </div>
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All of these items we got at MEC and a recent visit to the store has our Christmas list getting longer for this year. There are all sorts of gear reviews out there with gift ideas from a variety of other outdoor bloggers. If you are searching for the perfect gift… here are some great gift guides to help inspire you this holiday season… many of these blogs have some incredible giveaways going on right now, so it is a great time to check them out. I included their twitter handles as well. They are all amazing #OutdoorFamilies bloggers from across Canada and the USA...</div>
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<a href="http://rainorshinemamma.com/five-great-christmas-ideas-for-the-outdoorsy-kid/" target="_blank">Five Great Christmasy Gift Ideas for the Outdoorsy Kid</a> including a really neat art set for kids that's designed specifically for the outdoors via @rainshinemamma</div>
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<a href="http://braveskimom.com/a-skiing-familys-letter-to-santa-gift-ideas" target="_blank">A Skiing Family's Letter to Santa</a> with lots of incredible ideas for families who love to hit the slopes and some are applicable to other activities like the bungee cord for a phone, so it doesn't get lost or dropped in the snow via @braveskimom</div>
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<a href="http://cragmama.com/2013/11/an-all-weather-gift-guide-for-all-year-adventures/" target="_blank">An All-Weather Gift Guide for All-Year Adventures</a> this guide mentions the importance of good footwear and they have great taste because their favourite footwear company is KEENs just like ours!! via @cragmama</div>
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<a href="http://akonthego.com/blog/holiday-gifts-for-outdoor-conscious-families" target="_blank">Holiday Gifts for Outdoor Conscious Families</a> which includes a whole list of awesome books to consider, some for kids and adults. I think my list for Christmas is growing!! via @AKonthego</div>
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<a href="http://talesofamountainmama.com/2013/11/best-gifts-for-outdoorsy-families-2013-giveaways.html" target="_blank">Best Gifts for Outdoor Families</a> I think my favourite on this list is the slippers and they come in every size up to adult and they look so toasty warm via @mtnmamatales</div>
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<a href="http://www.akskedaddle.com/2013/11/the-10-essentials-gift-guide-for.html" target="_blank">The 10 Essentials Gift Guide - For Outdoor Mothers</a> I have to say the knee high socks are an awesome idea as is the First Aid Kit, something we always carry on hikes but have mostly used it to help random strangers via @AKSkedaddle</div>
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<a href="http://www.goadventuremom.com/holiday-gift-guide/" target="_blank">Holiday Gift Guide</a> This is a very comprehensive set of ideas for all ages, and includes a bunch of stocking stuffer ideas as well. I love the moustache soother, the beautiful wool wrap, but I think my favourite from this guide is the straw that is a water filter via @kathydaltonslc</div>
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<a href="http://www.rockiesfamilyadventures.com/2013/11/snow-warm-outdoor-moms-christmas-wish.html" target="_blank">Snow Warm! An Outdoor Mom's Christmas Wish List </a>If you love being outdoors but still want to show your feminine side, how about a down skirt. I'd never considered this, but after reading about it, I think it's a must have…and there's another recommendation for KEENs on here too!! via @MountainmomYYC</div>
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<a href="http://bring-the-kids.com/category/christmas-2013/" target="_blank">The Ultimate Outdoor Gift Guides</a> The beautiful part about this blog is that there are several gift guides for all ages, so you can find ideas specific to who you might be buying for. The items that jumped out at me were the trick kites, the microscope and telescope, the all season waterproof boots and the slacklines (I think I need to do some more research and learn a little more about these… they look fun!!) via @Bring_The_Kids</div>
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What's on your outdoor list this holiday season?911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-77252623378133806452013-11-21T09:08:00.000-07:002013-11-21T09:09:00.030-07:00Hike Review: Laughing Falls in Yoho BC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5S1iL_7aMTbYjdB0LAdm8ssompedXkd9dj_cBFpU2ZzJFv78B-qxmsgKGwk4M380vxUKwcyu7D7jjyUHGcJTKdiRKZoMxQ2H26b5FAR_ZhyR5rwdNJHDo3LP_at2ghw3HoLbVKffZA/s1600/IMG_4186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5S1iL_7aMTbYjdB0LAdm8ssompedXkd9dj_cBFpU2ZzJFv78B-qxmsgKGwk4M380vxUKwcyu7D7jjyUHGcJTKdiRKZoMxQ2H26b5FAR_ZhyR5rwdNJHDo3LP_at2ghw3HoLbVKffZA/s400/IMG_4186.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
On a summer trip to <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/index.aspx" target="_blank">Yoho National Park</a>, we included a day hike to Laughing Falls. Hiking with our boys, who are seven and four, I wanted to choose a hike that wasn't too challenging yet allowed them to see some great stuff along the way. Laughing Falls was a natural choice since we were camping at Takakka Falls.<br />
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The hike is a 4.8 kilometer hike with almost no elevation change. There are two sets of waterfalls to look at along the way, and another small detour to a lake. Lots of distractions on the way with kids. We also had some fun snacks to enjoy along the way.<br />
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We left shortly after breakfast with our lunches packed. Each boy carried their own pack complete with hydration system. They got these packs for Christmas and truly they will become their backpacking packs. For this hike, they really weren't carrying much, their water. Sebastian had a bit more in his pack because we gave him his and his brother's rain gear to carry. Jeremy took the snacks, and our rain gear.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sICj7fGySreDe0azXX_ONGSpiiUSK2h5IPbtQ8f9oACA5CdiVpERYfAn66HJ9gWk9wHwYXSYeJXpF_lcEhtOw7f59d0rn_dM29IM-5OCTgV8I11mb2t_L3SbCALzJrut-M96ekxqEw/s1600/IMG_4156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sICj7fGySreDe0azXX_ONGSpiiUSK2h5IPbtQ8f9oACA5CdiVpERYfAn66HJ9gWk9wHwYXSYeJXpF_lcEhtOw7f59d0rn_dM29IM-5OCTgV8I11mb2t_L3SbCALzJrut-M96ekxqEw/s320/IMG_4156.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQBRwCTpB5LmQ0Q2dBlkJu0T4MI9KGmiVMHS6MzoOU0ZGyRdU0BObRppt6thSabKWR2Et4Uq6OWvYnUfMarwLskK9ki9avn3KdAWZHw8LvpOwm9zer1ad8QFhx-N_LREfbyLWoom8-g/s1600/IMG_4163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQBRwCTpB5LmQ0Q2dBlkJu0T4MI9KGmiVMHS6MzoOU0ZGyRdU0BObRppt6thSabKWR2Et4Uq6OWvYnUfMarwLskK9ki9avn3KdAWZHw8LvpOwm9zer1ad8QFhx-N_LREfbyLWoom8-g/s320/IMG_4163.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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The hike is fairly flat, most of the way. We started out with a bridge or two to cross and these are always popular with the boys. Soon enough, we'd reached the turnoff to the Angel Staircase Falls, and went to check those out. Shortly after that, was the one hill in the middle that seemed to last awhile, but that's when I came in to sing... "this is the hill that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend, some people starting climbing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue climbing it forever just because, this is the hill that never ends...", and then you keep repeating. The boys thought this was awesome and sang along with me.<br />
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After the big hill we were alongside the river, and of course that meant a few stops to throw rocks, check water temperature and just explore. Soon enough we were at Laughing Falls and began eating lunch. It's a beautiful set of falls, and after lunch we took a bunch of pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTR8WaXSFipaAEyRixTMStOZESdjrkWPatAl5bCXxNuFOvGr9ZLJJwWjl6SWfp88hh-x25_7ZUTV2L13U8OZw40RzVqkJbYrgLZCdwJDeNYZ1m7skv3nERWFilnZJcZFFLXl65LKAKA/s1600/IMG_4175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTR8WaXSFipaAEyRixTMStOZESdjrkWPatAl5bCXxNuFOvGr9ZLJJwWjl6SWfp88hh-x25_7ZUTV2L13U8OZw40RzVqkJbYrgLZCdwJDeNYZ1m7skv3nERWFilnZJcZFFLXl65LKAKA/s320/IMG_4175.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbcOThye0yeuj41sRp6INyZTP7RFdqMC4kBHGmoHyuOVRfffo8YwR9SEZjcuIBGuwNYmuEv9-fI0_Zqmw9z26RF06aAMiXG9Mx4wbZVCkmvXZrI_bH53PLnx2cPrZ4KEO_Mw9GTdRig/s1600/IMG_4179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbcOThye0yeuj41sRp6INyZTP7RFdqMC4kBHGmoHyuOVRfffo8YwR9SEZjcuIBGuwNYmuEv9-fI0_Zqmw9z26RF06aAMiXG9Mx4wbZVCkmvXZrI_bH53PLnx2cPrZ4KEO_Mw9GTdRig/s320/IMG_4179.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Next up, it was time for more rocks in the river. I don't know what it is with kids and rocks, but they sure do love tossing rocks into the river!! And at Laughing Falls, it is one of those points where the glacier water meets the river water, and it looks really neat!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU18Q9pjcZgvS0lcU6Erv8BmUyZgQy9d1EpptmQDzD-YQKgmnmFeTT7ZwT9aGYOVCYsuXnkWF5_HolDP8uTwu4ZGvbOGcM888EGo1faXw_5shVs3XdBUjYdm1O5KHYlAc7NxGKQU_nmw/s1600/IMG_4195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU18Q9pjcZgvS0lcU6Erv8BmUyZgQy9d1EpptmQDzD-YQKgmnmFeTT7ZwT9aGYOVCYsuXnkWF5_HolDP8uTwu4ZGvbOGcM888EGo1faXw_5shVs3XdBUjYdm1O5KHYlAc7NxGKQU_nmw/s320/IMG_4195.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Of course boys had to check out the bathroom!! Not nearly as fancy as the Takakka Falls ones, but the kids were fascinated.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLnNPdsn_T_FAAtO_5ctaZitFoazqjrcZIHdDVtKZw846xbLksYyqUpc23r9ikDOG0sXfZklBhyphenhyphenl5vD9s5A-SNxpavMIITp2RrogbIiSVfEiKh9uKcdTNCKI29aXmqnZA8rlHPs_SSw/s1600/IMG_4188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLnNPdsn_T_FAAtO_5ctaZitFoazqjrcZIHdDVtKZw846xbLksYyqUpc23r9ikDOG0sXfZklBhyphenhyphenl5vD9s5A-SNxpavMIITp2RrogbIiSVfEiKh9uKcdTNCKI29aXmqnZA8rlHPs_SSw/s320/IMG_4188.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhW9cLiH3dNtEqXYUdZbUYv6EIkrmg6LRldxU4jtmicp1ul2PxUe05Vutk7lx4uTdqq7Oj972lLqtV9jsuDB-FUoZLA2Loyb4D5v4S8xiisClbAJFS5nwq5u6ZNH-50QP_hNx7yO5rw/s1600/IMG_4223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhW9cLiH3dNtEqXYUdZbUYv6EIkrmg6LRldxU4jtmicp1ul2PxUe05Vutk7lx4uTdqq7Oj972lLqtV9jsuDB-FUoZLA2Loyb4D5v4S8xiisClbAJFS5nwq5u6ZNH-50QP_hNx7yO5rw/s320/IMG_4223.jpg" width="240" /></a>Soon enough we were back on our way back to Takakka Falls. It was a great hike, although on the way back, it took a bit more effort to keep the four year old engaged. We stopped at the lake, which was fairly dried up actually, and we stopped at the Point Lace Falls. The last kilometer was the hardest for my little guy. We sang songs, and did our best to keep them moving. It was a long day for him, but he made it. He was very excited to be back!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzyIeXCBZM2TRyxv5XP8bUiE-IeVomUkUVsVI_moFgnykDRStomfeJn-_z3myfDN2VuCH5L8PCe89Dil6FPgIdt-gBs5-ZDrXvxtatG9Kiuphml1ncuo7TDnslmdPGQM2YOhc2Wk15A/s1600/IMG_4217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzyIeXCBZM2TRyxv5XP8bUiE-IeVomUkUVsVI_moFgnykDRStomfeJn-_z3myfDN2VuCH5L8PCe89Dil6FPgIdt-gBs5-ZDrXvxtatG9Kiuphml1ncuo7TDnslmdPGQM2YOhc2Wk15A/s320/IMG_4217.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSSWpopgRditDG-l-JGyVD8PiXeDfVmaupXgPNYTS_yXbb7UHSjIXQlkftTUXPeG79pZhSFflNIxO5gyb7zfmY_BBw_GxR6P0w9Pe16ez1gqsjjaXRVW48cZH8ygomMVJWWetaOb6Tg/s1600/IMG_4209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSSWpopgRditDG-l-JGyVD8PiXeDfVmaupXgPNYTS_yXbb7UHSjIXQlkftTUXPeG79pZhSFflNIxO5gyb7zfmY_BBw_GxR6P0w9Pe16ez1gqsjjaXRVW48cZH8ygomMVJWWetaOb6Tg/s320/IMG_4209.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Soon enough we were making supper, and by the time that was all cleaned up, we went for a walk and everyone was back to full energy again.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY6Aptt835OFJ2Z5BFjmwezsFxjiWdhisxEZ2iDH7qlCdeRjNIIJ9lCRDjA_qPwGtawsXJV_UEyJnET-TCCYCS0X35ACoOSZf5yUkY-tBgtibrTipXv7rhvyqHlAN61ZKSvFW2yb6cA/s1600/IMG_4230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY6Aptt835OFJ2Z5BFjmwezsFxjiWdhisxEZ2iDH7qlCdeRjNIIJ9lCRDjA_qPwGtawsXJV_UEyJnET-TCCYCS0X35ACoOSZf5yUkY-tBgtibrTipXv7rhvyqHlAN61ZKSvFW2yb6cA/s320/IMG_4230.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQSVGs9cQeSUDDuY0W52gv_WxiP7FZX6W5_Uk5yMbeKrPHb_QqFik27xrBzWCtyFeh9xqcg3So54aFYH3hwJaCVwoqC1yMPr0oe0TwvC7rRsYYv0WtK_b5oy47xinGBHez_Jj3sqRhA/s1600/IMG_4225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQSVGs9cQeSUDDuY0W52gv_WxiP7FZX6W5_Uk5yMbeKrPHb_QqFik27xrBzWCtyFeh9xqcg3So54aFYH3hwJaCVwoqC1yMPr0oe0TwvC7rRsYYv0WtK_b5oy47xinGBHez_Jj3sqRhA/s320/IMG_4225.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Next year, I hope we will do a backpacking trip with the boys in Yoho Valley. Truly, Laughing Falls would have been a great place to camp for the night and the boys easily could have done it, but this trip was more about a base camp experience.<br />
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All in all, this is a fantastic day hike, that can easily be built into a multi day adventure in Yoho Valley. With four sets of falls to see setting off from the parking lot. It can also be lengthened to include Twin Falls, which is home to a little tea house, but that would be a bit much for young kids as a day hike, perfect for eager adults though!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXDj9Uj7VG0aO0Evl4ItMguNe0neNGedOOrTwa0d43Ae9rOCrUMMeaoYhN4Pg0aH3Z6ZbWt8uWWYSK747_pz25vlHEC5TgZneSfMPLMvA3X-awWnLlnOG-Q7_aV4y-Pc0fpJYD-5e-g/s1600/IMG_4172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXDj9Uj7VG0aO0Evl4ItMguNe0neNGedOOrTwa0d43Ae9rOCrUMMeaoYhN4Pg0aH3Z6ZbWt8uWWYSK747_pz25vlHEC5TgZneSfMPLMvA3X-awWnLlnOG-Q7_aV4y-Pc0fpJYD-5e-g/s320/IMG_4172.jpg" width="320" /></a>911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-1181810856920066222013-11-18T09:57:00.000-07:002013-11-18T09:57:07.265-07:00Race Review: Castaway Cay 5kmSeveral years ago I ran my first run at Disney's Castaway Cay. It was a rather informal 5km very early in the morning. We were told of the route and out we went. It was a beautiful way to see the island, and get a bit of exercise in before a family day at the beach. Times have changed a bit and the Castaway Cay 5km is a bit more of an event now.<br />
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The run was listed as an event for ages 12 and up. Although both the boys have completed several 5km's, given the heat, I wasn't too keen on pushing them to do it unless they wanted to. We presented them with the option of Scuttle's Cove and the dig happening there, or doing the race. Both boys picked the dig.<br />
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We showed up to register for the run and were told we needed to have photo ID. Jeremy ran back to the cabin to grab that. We were issued our numbers, they went over the route and then it became a matter of waiting until we were cleared to go ashore. We were wearing our awesome <a href="http://www.sugoi.com/can/" target="_blank">SUGOI</a> brand champion shirts.<br />
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We eventually got the all clear and off we went. It was about a 15 minute walk to get to the start line, and those of us with kids had to stop at Scuttle's Cove and register the kids and then needed to catch up with the group again.<br />
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There was a clock at the start when the race began, along with some water to grab before the race began. </div>
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Soon enough, we were on our way. The 5km covers a good portion of the accessible parts of the island,</div>
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going out along the bike path towards a look out tower,</div>
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then along the airstrip towards the adult only beach at Serenity Bay. </div>
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It loops back through the bike path again, before turning back to the start line. The route is well marked </div>
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and with the briefing onboard the ship, we had no issues finding our way around the 5km.<br />
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It was quite warm, even in the morning, and I was grateful for all the water stations along the way. </div>
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There were two water stations on the bike path, another at the turn around at Serenity Bay and another at the entrance of the bike path, with the race organizers there to cheer us on and make sure we knew where we were going.<br />
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At the end of the race, we got a finisher's medal.</div>
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The race itself is not a chip timed event or even official timed in any capacity. The clock starts when they say go, and at finishing, a runner can glance and see what their time was. So, for anyone obsessed with these technical details, bring your own watch. But, if you are there for what it is, a chance to run in paradise, surrounded by ocean and trees, then, this is the run for you.<br />
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There is some merchandise available for purchase as well with the Castaway Cay 5km logo on it. And there are photographers available to take photos of runners with their medals with the beautiful ship in the background as you board the ship again to change into your beach attire.<br />
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So, although this is not an official sanctioned race, and you won't qualify for anything based on your performance, it is a fun event, and definitely worth bringing your running shoes onboard the ship for.</div>
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-71752502548869754392013-11-13T13:41:00.000-07:002013-11-13T13:41:05.767-07:00All aboard the Disney Fantasy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlOqM75JSEGReBO-iu9w9qTC8vHlzi_vz7NbFlP6-ndjUwHl-cAy1dkmDYJ-NoktpjeY_rHvWIxe5kE42DH9dLWiBQRbH-HvkBFtjQT_z_s9LLFl5iqYmSPo5HMD0ZEEuw0Rl9gm9DQ/s1600/IMG_9651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlOqM75JSEGReBO-iu9w9qTC8vHlzi_vz7NbFlP6-ndjUwHl-cAy1dkmDYJ-NoktpjeY_rHvWIxe5kE42DH9dLWiBQRbH-HvkBFtjQT_z_s9LLFl5iqYmSPo5HMD0ZEEuw0Rl9gm9DQ/s400/IMG_9651.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
We recently returned from an amazing vacation that included a seven night cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy. It was a fantastic vacation and we all had a lot of fun. So much fun in fact, that my four year old told me he didn't like Kung Fu anymore. Questioning him a bit more, it is not that he doesn't like Kung Fu, but that he'd rather be on vacation. After a chat about how vacations are a special thing that only happens every once in awhile, he reluctantly agreed to go to Kung Fu and once again enjoys it. But real life aside, we had so many wonderful things to recollect about our trip.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwilepQ0TmgoGWBNmgDbwNfya2JkbLGY1LgzXM-yNeyGdAcGa5s7Mg4g_AuOrdeqQ_xhdx0n9_P2kMGnr68X0tQVe2ivFcSTLVfRdMVagWrsgdfX-L6WjDnlVO1SO4gNrpe6Y2Fddu2g/s1600/IMG_9603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwilepQ0TmgoGWBNmgDbwNfya2JkbLGY1LgzXM-yNeyGdAcGa5s7Mg4g_AuOrdeqQ_xhdx0n9_P2kMGnr68X0tQVe2ivFcSTLVfRdMVagWrsgdfX-L6WjDnlVO1SO4gNrpe6Y2Fddu2g/s320/IMG_9603.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The morning of the cruise, our bags were picked up from our room at the All Star Movies and we had some time to explore our hotel before our motor coach left to take us to the port. I really appreciated that we were at a Disney hotel at that moment as it was nice not dealing with our luggage. Truly, the next time we saw our bags was when they were delivered to our cabin on the ship. The bus ride was nice, and the boys enjoyed the cartoons that were shown before the information video about the cruise and what to expect. It was time for a nice relaxing cruise. Of course, with two young active boys, I'm not sure how much relaxing we got in!!<br />
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When we arrived at Port Canaveral, we had our carry on bags with swim suits. We went through security (much like at an airport with bags scanned and metal detectors etc). As Castaway Club members (meaning we had previously sailed on a Disney cruise), we had a special line to check in at. There is a short health questionnaire and then passports are checked and each traveller receives their Key To The World card. It is a room key, a charging key, a photo pass key etc.<br />
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First glimpse of the Disney Fantasy<br />
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The Disney terminal at Port Canaveral.<br />
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Time to check in...<br />
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The boys were excited to explore the ship, so off we went. We grabbed some lunch at the buffet called Cabanas, we checked out the pools, the mini-golf, the kids club, and finally our stateroom. There was a small gift waiting for us as Castaway Club members. A backpack, some Mickey crackers and a keychain. Our room was on deck six and included a verandah. I've done many cruises over the years, and definitely prefer having a verandah. It is so nice to go out there when arriving or leaving ports, and even at night, it's nice to go out, listen to the ocean and just watch the stars and search for other boats or bits of land. When the ship is docked, it is truly gigantic. The Disney Fantasy can hold around four thousand guests. Truly, it is large. Yet out there on the open water, with ocean as far as the eye can see in every direction, you quickly realize that as large as the ship is, it is nothing compared to the vastness of the ocean.<br />
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Computer lab in the kids club.<br />
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Andy's room in the kids club.<br />
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Welcome gift for Castaway Club members and the fun towel origami.<br />
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The next seven days were filled with excitement. We rotated through three different dining rooms with our amazing servers. Each was a completely different theme, our favourite being the Animator's Palete. The food was great quality with lots of choices. Kids have their own menu including a special each night along with the usual kid fare of chicken & fries, pizza, mac and cheese, etc. We encouraged our kids to try a variety of things although some nights were better than others.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHrfYS_HYUoGSj88CJVcNjvhm05NHi1hZeo-vUrcHYBhORchI4avLgCkqcaHuZzh9iBragg7ogUMbcB6vwBaBXt9wqSq8j_ZV4_xTgHpNd5kSepSyATZgC1WCBOCsqJb84Y6ENonGvA/s1600/IMG_9588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHrfYS_HYUoGSj88CJVcNjvhm05NHi1hZeo-vUrcHYBhORchI4avLgCkqcaHuZzh9iBragg7ogUMbcB6vwBaBXt9wqSq8j_ZV4_xTgHpNd5kSepSyATZgC1WCBOCsqJb84Y6ENonGvA/s320/IMG_9588.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKypbMM92LB7qoMiBLff-gaxWmDv5DpR2-gMJSKQFazqFNUEQFOODSmMo8EbKDrfbCygYCnMtuBZi7tfP0XtomKvDvqzl5d20ZhgOWlBFo0rmVdJKsrj8CO7JlCnKrO_4KOCfGxL9vA/s1600/IMG_9584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKypbMM92LB7qoMiBLff-gaxWmDv5DpR2-gMJSKQFazqFNUEQFOODSmMo8EbKDrfbCygYCnMtuBZi7tfP0XtomKvDvqzl5d20ZhgOWlBFo0rmVdJKsrj8CO7JlCnKrO_4KOCfGxL9vA/s320/IMG_9584.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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The shows onboard are fantastic, although we only caught a couple of them, as the boys much preferred swimming, so we used the show times to fit in extra rides on the Aquaduck. Both boys loved the Aquaduck, which is a water coaster where guests are seated in a rubber raft while they slide along the route, including a section that juts out over the side of the ship, a couple fun drops, lighted tunnel etc. The whole trip lasts around one minute. The boys had their imaginations in full swing pretending to be in a time tunnel and all sorts of other things. Sebastian would holler and cheer the whole way. It was a lot of fun. And speaking of pools, the boys also had fun in the Aqualab, Nemo's Reef, on the Mickey Slide and in the Mickey Pool. Lots of different areas for them to explore, and both at an age where they are welcome in all of them. Of all the swimming though, the Aquaduck was definitely the favourite.<br />
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Characters abound on the ship as well, although I can honestly say, that the wait times were considerable compared to our last trip on the Disney Wonder. With so many more guests, but not really any more character appearances, it was bound to be a longer wait. Sebastian didn't care too much about seeing characters, but Sullivan had lots of fun, so the two of us checked out all kinds of characters. We saw everything from the traditional Mickey, Goofy, Chip, Dale, etc, through to Phineas & Ferb, Jake from the Neverland Pirates, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and even Pinocchio. There were a few that we missed as well including Jack Sparrow and Pluto (two of my favourites), and of course, the princesses. Having two boys however, they really had no interest in princesses.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XKcB4WIrJMuCiGoB00A_JJftv3o2dMFvfXuKAyLtsYmYz6uxrd2RHbUTDlbNibGX1rVv1iebk78SobV8mZ_FRvwgoeiS3SMlkbZXkp480NaQZa45-SoQ_0_2MFWgyNNX_lZfS2AiJg/s1600/IMG_9557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XKcB4WIrJMuCiGoB00A_JJftv3o2dMFvfXuKAyLtsYmYz6uxrd2RHbUTDlbNibGX1rVv1iebk78SobV8mZ_FRvwgoeiS3SMlkbZXkp480NaQZa45-SoQ_0_2MFWgyNNX_lZfS2AiJg/s320/IMG_9557.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW5R53WtZcPr-8_wFxywhHfyX2UgdlIvLNgEUExyBJ6C2GFCCp70gVXuAMf5MqSmiV-AMx5lMDsawvzMd47kCu1Ou20DnlkaL-6fEQuEDlIUYCHXTIw9mOapGa01nXUJlelaojTNlSA/s1600/IMG_9698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW5R53WtZcPr-8_wFxywhHfyX2UgdlIvLNgEUExyBJ6C2GFCCp70gVXuAMf5MqSmiV-AMx5lMDsawvzMd47kCu1Ou20DnlkaL-6fEQuEDlIUYCHXTIw9mOapGa01nXUJlelaojTNlSA/s320/IMG_9698.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Another favourite on board the cruise was the Midship Detective Agency. Both boys had a lot of fun with these mysteries. This was something we have not seen before on the Magic or Wonder, but something so super cool. Throughout the ship, there are different pieces of artwork adorning the various stairwells. It just so happens, that many of these art pieces double as part of the detective cases to be solved. Kids get a badge and a map, and set off on their mysteries. Holding the badge up in front of some of these art pieces reveals special clues and things the detectives have to do to figure out who the culprit is in the different mysteries. There are two easier mysteries and a harder one as well. The harder one features the characters from the Muppets and had all sorts of extras to find, like Pepe's cabin door. These were so much fun to do. And it is not always the same culprit either, so the mysteries can be done more than once. My boys have even pretended to play the mysteries at home.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2HU8neDaRV0QdfuJM_kdVWXZl0SFZokNvelPqFeQ7-UcnPzFGOwv3Q5S4EtBpykI5B2BY5YE4bxsP5hUOuo6OyLzefAhxIrQxseyIGTJ23Ny3al-jtTODOiOzNUKOwV10-4NsEAYYg/s1600/IMG_9565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2HU8neDaRV0QdfuJM_kdVWXZl0SFZokNvelPqFeQ7-UcnPzFGOwv3Q5S4EtBpykI5B2BY5YE4bxsP5hUOuo6OyLzefAhxIrQxseyIGTJ23Ny3al-jtTODOiOzNUKOwV10-4NsEAYYg/s320/IMG_9565.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln4tGfiG2spBzFhF5lXsxCwno-oZkcuNjPCxoq5I9quZ-yI4_2l1pzo_4ejNJXYFx1sf0SaRpLoKXFJKNDFcerxcqgOnLsJEn_-sBvQEGDXg84brlzTTNUt3zvpVf4CpnY6BwJPJnew/s1600/IMG_9780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln4tGfiG2spBzFhF5lXsxCwno-oZkcuNjPCxoq5I9quZ-yI4_2l1pzo_4ejNJXYFx1sf0SaRpLoKXFJKNDFcerxcqgOnLsJEn_-sBvQEGDXg84brlzTTNUt3zvpVf4CpnY6BwJPJnew/s320/IMG_9780.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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The ports were lots of fun. On our particular cruise, we stopped at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Castaway Cay. We had a couple excursions booked and had fun on those exploring a turtle farm, swimming with dolphins and checking out stingrays. The excursions were lots of fun and allowed the boys (and us parents) to learn more about some exciting sea creatures.<br />
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We also enjoyed the movie theatre onboard, watching several different movies in both 3D and regular formats. Some of the movies shown on our cruise included: Planes, The Lone Ranger, Ironman 3, Monsters University, Wreck-It Ralph etc. Popcorn is sold outside the theatre for a small fee.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cBca_PY_tI1JnDNi1lwuZln9KO1-YbfD4J4NpfL5a6AKJqjGR_orzrorDPINFm0_O57oaTJ3xFtTYZJJ_NAe5YwDw1Hw7OMhEpx3pdEL4Vi4cmt9gWdU0t7QqKtUpW9ZaBSO8Bnscg/s1600/IMG_9572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cBca_PY_tI1JnDNi1lwuZln9KO1-YbfD4J4NpfL5a6AKJqjGR_orzrorDPINFm0_O57oaTJ3xFtTYZJJ_NAe5YwDw1Hw7OMhEpx3pdEL4Vi4cmt9gWdU0t7QqKtUpW9ZaBSO8Bnscg/s320/IMG_9572.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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One of the highlights of any Disney Cruise is the Pirates IN the Caribbean party, complete with fireworks at sea. Pirate night is fun, and that was the night our boys went to the Pirate League and were transformed into pirates. We enjoyed the show, fireworks and a bit of dancing, and a special buffet before retiring for the night.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvgtF33X-7-B-zbCUZCzXALH_dGJDa-C3AF-UP2oR1Xr4YTIMwnGleu-roy23eFNyiUyC8PBgm3t9jpWsUnXyWpt4aGnfLvDLo1NvZrLVaZT5yKqtjHFP_ficbxLW0gsH9dPbNfgpug/s1600/IMG_9754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvgtF33X-7-B-zbCUZCzXALH_dGJDa-C3AF-UP2oR1Xr4YTIMwnGleu-roy23eFNyiUyC8PBgm3t9jpWsUnXyWpt4aGnfLvDLo1NvZrLVaZT5yKqtjHFP_ficbxLW0gsH9dPbNfgpug/s320/IMG_9754.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA_lsEThynEvBjA7ftqbgxUZbv2Q3UyiI4aIipK5EMA_378z4AAhERj3Zy1vyzP4G06ht6XGhzpL7TC2IE0zOPLpZ4ZKk4AaN0kYpcvUMLhpwdEHdMk4aBh2nPF0RO6I7wG5zxo_GNw/s1600/IMG_9765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA_lsEThynEvBjA7ftqbgxUZbv2Q3UyiI4aIipK5EMA_378z4AAhERj3Zy1vyzP4G06ht6XGhzpL7TC2IE0zOPLpZ4ZKk4AaN0kYpcvUMLhpwdEHdMk4aBh2nPF0RO6I7wG5zxo_GNw/s320/IMG_9765.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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Halloween also proved to be a fun night as well. The boys were super excited to dress up. In the afternoon, a bag with candy in it was delivered to the cabin for each boy. We dressed up for dinner, with Sebastian being Tonto from the Lone Ranger, Sullivan being Captain Hook, and myself as Jack Sparrow. Jeremy just couldn't figure out what he wanted to be, so he just dressed up for dinner and Sebastian said he was dressed as a waiter. We enjoyed dinner, and eventually headed up for the Deck Party. The boys had fun going across the stage in the costume parade congo line. It was neat seeing all the classic characters dressed up as well, like Chip and Dale, as cops and robbers. Lots of candy on the ship as well at different places and with different cast members.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15okWm-xWMMofxwqWes4MEdlO45B-8sWJ2XaytJ1QwX-lEgRrczP77K4zmtgg89749Zcds46Cg3ps429nwpEc08nysCcc2VdjN0tHxbF4S_BC0k2nf26JHQJ9exTImG4b9zwtuwK5ng/s1600/IMG_9782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15okWm-xWMMofxwqWes4MEdlO45B-8sWJ2XaytJ1QwX-lEgRrczP77K4zmtgg89749Zcds46Cg3ps429nwpEc08nysCcc2VdjN0tHxbF4S_BC0k2nf26JHQJ9exTImG4b9zwtuwK5ng/s320/IMG_9782.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtN_CsSgVALt6z_hK2mRk8vDTMucWayoobyAe2qoEy4DfKo4TGa8YSB-wISxTSq3xR8DoXKUyakl2e0GgwvMzwBwOm1mUyatgJtgV9z-gUzHI-erZRBiBlAwNqW5jmhuQPB41gGZCJQ/s1600/IMG_9809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtN_CsSgVALt6z_hK2mRk8vDTMucWayoobyAe2qoEy4DfKo4TGa8YSB-wISxTSq3xR8DoXKUyakl2e0GgwvMzwBwOm1mUyatgJtgV9z-gUzHI-erZRBiBlAwNqW5jmhuQPB41gGZCJQ/s320/IMG_9809.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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By far though, the favourite day was the day spent at Castaway Cay. Time in the ocean, time on the beach. Even time for mom and dad to do the Cataway Cay 5km in the morning while the kids checked out Scuttle's Cove on the island. It was a great day. Lots of sun, and lots of time just soaking up the nice warm weather. We floated on the water, we built sandcastles, we checked out the waterslides. Truly, the day was just perfect.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqPmIVmYXu98SsQRv0nR1YHqZ5tpdIS1cCaPmgHNKOn5G955B3598TO1oYMiGMmGr4FIsfJBhA0y-y6oHrsFhaw5sem7TFjwmoyjVNPehyK75mSOVZOg-LxslWEMsKEADzR0zqmDjWA/s1600/IMG_9816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqPmIVmYXu98SsQRv0nR1YHqZ5tpdIS1cCaPmgHNKOn5G955B3598TO1oYMiGMmGr4FIsfJBhA0y-y6oHrsFhaw5sem7TFjwmoyjVNPehyK75mSOVZOg-LxslWEMsKEADzR0zqmDjWA/s320/IMG_9816.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYn4-U8FuhywC8Wuk6Wb8ME9JmlPL4epsHBmMXiuGdLJ7ClIL0HahZHpy8NCJDdc47breAoU8QhzQRcaKu2YWPVDB18qkTESOzNsaMt7DMpIhWlWsUuMbnHp9GU1CiIHusaOCu15knA/s1600/IMG_9821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYn4-U8FuhywC8Wuk6Wb8ME9JmlPL4epsHBmMXiuGdLJ7ClIL0HahZHpy8NCJDdc47breAoU8QhzQRcaKu2YWPVDB18qkTESOzNsaMt7DMpIhWlWsUuMbnHp9GU1CiIHusaOCu15knA/s320/IMG_9821.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Debarkation day was okay. It was an early morning. Pretty much, eat breakfast, have one last look around, and pick up any pictures you might want before getting off. This would be one more time, when the number of people on the ship makes for long lines. It was quite crowded leaving, and it actually took close to an hour to get off the ship and through customs and immigration. The highlight of this day though, was my mom came to pick us up. Both boys were absolutely thrilled to have grandma there. Each were talking about all the different rides they wanted to take her on.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1roNXhnz6p7G-NQcJABW6SF7DFkYHB-YDAWAWAbYSOEgZcySBA6DGVWXmVmThUg7n9n6EfTpiqNmetmNnzI5jqQ4YoQYSzwwpFY2Bn8xaPVxmWp7ZQjcNpTjBvOkJKgZ_-OJPWd8_w/s1600/IMG_9845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1roNXhnz6p7G-NQcJABW6SF7DFkYHB-YDAWAWAbYSOEgZcySBA6DGVWXmVmThUg7n9n6EfTpiqNmetmNnzI5jqQ4YoQYSzwwpFY2Bn8xaPVxmWp7ZQjcNpTjBvOkJKgZ_-OJPWd8_w/s320/IMG_9845.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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All in all, the cruise was amazing. The cost of a Disney cruise is definitely higher than other cruise lines, but on a vacation that doesn't happen every day, it is definitely worth the difference. We had an amazing time. There will be more posts coming with aspects of our vacation, in part to capture what happened, but also to allow my awesome readers the chance to learn more in case a Disney vacation is in your future. After all, I am something of an expert when it comes to all things Disney!<br />
<br />911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-59328208304883061382013-11-06T10:10:00.002-07:002013-11-06T10:10:18.334-07:00Airport Survival Guide: 10 ideas to help make travel with young kids easier
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today marks the beginning of a special journey with the
kids. It has been in the works for a long time, and finally we got to leave. Of
course travelling with kids is an adventure all on its’ own. Navigating through
airports, getting on and off planes, making connections; it can all seem
overwhelming. So what strategies are there to get everyone to a destination in
one piece?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever we have the chance to travel, I work hard to think
through packing in a way that makes sure there is always something to occupy
the children. From books, to markers, to electronic devices I’m ready to keep
them entertained. Lots of chatter about what we were doing helped, but once the novelty of the trip has worn off, it is important that the kids are occupied. Busy children, are better behaved children. So what do we
bring along? Here is our air travel survival kit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Snacks. Bring along something for the kids to
eat. For us coming from Canada, and going into the USA, snacks generally need
to be prepackaged. There are all sorts of rules about crossing the border,
including no fresh produce, meats etc. So, unless you are staying within your
country, leave the fresh stuff at home. For us, we bring along Clif bars. They
are a great portable snack that packs a lot of nutrition into a small package.
Protein, carbohydrates, and most of it is organic ingredients as well. Another
popular one in our family is Sun Rype fruit bars. They are 100% fruit and
vegetables and come in a variety of flavours.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU8nZKr8iAcOeqh4PIu9LiDVVB5E3R7RcwK8Fu7nJXhyVk4_7xDti5JLvruwQvDos1EJkMIldx1MXFOXHLc6hPejjXiNXURiTP-xa-PyI_ce2RGeTeDuKUWM7X59_DHDp9hDiQKihjA/s1600/IMG_9870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU8nZKr8iAcOeqh4PIu9LiDVVB5E3R7RcwK8Fu7nJXhyVk4_7xDti5JLvruwQvDos1EJkMIldx1MXFOXHLc6hPejjXiNXURiTP-xa-PyI_ce2RGeTeDuKUWM7X59_DHDp9hDiQKihjA/s320/IMG_9870.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Drinks. This is a tough one. It would have been
my number one, except that really, you have to buy the drinks after you get
through security. Travelling can be tough on the body, so staying hydrated is
an important way to keep healthy. With the limitations on liquids going through
security, there is really no way to deal with this other than keeping some cash
on hand, to get a drink from some sort of vendor. Try and stick with water and
juice so that you and your kids are getting fluids from a source that isn’t
just empty calories. Recently there have been news stories about this changing in the near future, so perhaps soon bringing along a refillable water bottle will once again be part of our plan. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Tablets. Load up your electronic device with
some brand new games. Choose something they enjoy but is new to them. As I type
this, my older son is playing on the iPad, with a new game with lots of levels. There are also all sorts of games out there that have educational value. My youngest is four, and he loves the apps that let him draw his letters and numbers. Depending on the age of your kids, you can also load up a few shows or movies.
It helps pass the time and keeps them busy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Books. Choose a couple of new books, or books
that match their reading ability. For this particular journey, our kids are
missing school, so it was important to me that we continue our reading routines
and practice with new words. You can load some books onto a tablet, along with the interactive books, but the old
fashioned hard copy is a nice break from the technology, which only have so
many battery hours.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Activity books and markers. Bring along some
sort of colouring book or activity book for the kids to colour and be creative
with. If they are older, a journal is a good option. Encourage them to write
about the journey or draw a picture of what they have been doing. Everything is
an adventure to capture; the plane taking off, the pilot flying the plane, what
the earth looks like from way up in the sky, so many things to remember. As
well, a blank piece of paper can be used to play tic tac toe, the square game,
hangman and various other instant games to keep you both busy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. A small stuffed animal. Let your child bring
someone special from home. As exciting as travel can be, it can also be
stressful for the little ones, so having that someone special from home gives
them something that is familiar as the scenery around them is constantly
changing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbuSOElv6TSdLtgUhL4iGm7a3NwMc7JikvQ0YI24LKcyL12X28c-Zr2ciYWJ7GslJJ0pMBOgfJ7hSe-_yiVn-aQtN7PXJ91wutVCxbwpqK13JUA3L9xdSB5kNs1ulOHexhnX9KhOn4g/s1600/IMG_9868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbuSOElv6TSdLtgUhL4iGm7a3NwMc7JikvQ0YI24LKcyL12X28c-Zr2ciYWJ7GslJJ0pMBOgfJ7hSe-_yiVn-aQtN7PXJ91wutVCxbwpqK13JUA3L9xdSB5kNs1ulOHexhnX9KhOn4g/s320/IMG_9868.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Something new. Stop by a toy store or a dollar
store and grab something new for them to play with. It doesn’t have to be anything
crazy, but something that is different can be exciting, and another thing to
help pass the time. Kids have a short attention span, so having a bag with lots
of different activities helps keep them occupied on long flights or long waits
in connecting terminals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. A list of games to play with your kids. I spy.
Simon says. Word games. Things that get you interacting with each other while
you wait. They can be great for standing in lines as well. My kids love finding
things I tell them to look for, “what now mom, what should I find?”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. While waiting at the airport, let your kids be
active. Travelling is a lot of work for little ones. Confined to a seat for
hours at a time, so while at the airport, take an active break. Get them to do
ten jumping jacks. See if they can hop on one foot for ten steps. Then do the
other foot. Jump up to the sky. Incorporate movement rather than just sitting
at the gate. Or name them, stork stand, airplane, gorilla crouch etc. It will
go a long way to help them when they are confined to their seats on a plane
(which is when those electronic gadgets come in especially handy).</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Gum.
I didn’t realize how much the landings would bother my seven year old. His ears
were not happy. We grabbed a pack of gum at our connection and talked him
through how to help his ears with the pressure change.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, these are some of our strategies. Of course it is also about keeping everything as compact as possible, so depending on the trip, there may be more or less included. I’m always looking for
new ideas though. Is there anything that is a must in your carry-on when
travelling with young kids? Any activities you include that other families
would benefit from? Please share!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-58956454104397940802013-10-26T07:18:00.001-06:002013-10-26T07:18:35.752-06:00Gone on vacation...So I have to apologize for not having any new posts. Our family is on vacation. We are at the Happiest Place On Earth. I know it isn't as adventurous as races or nature but we are certainly staying active. I'll have a bunch of posts about the trip coming up upon our return but until then I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts. Life has been extremely busy leading up to this trip and now that we are busy on the trip, the posts will be sparse for the next week or so and then we will be back and I'll be updating things much more regularly. In the meantime, here is a glimpse into our vacation...<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIP_T7ql39a5C_mdcBKfuSeG4YbLrSHcKJUATsR0MuK7oUpPoBGHkMyrx6A3bS7pUzodWtOagFV_OquGt5OgEx92roCqRJkxwdt1NRC_coYyYegmpSifH7Mf7ocopTTbeQWoJ5JHlFQ/s640/blogger-image-1339844721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIP_T7ql39a5C_mdcBKfuSeG4YbLrSHcKJUATsR0MuK7oUpPoBGHkMyrx6A3bS7pUzodWtOagFV_OquGt5OgEx92roCqRJkxwdt1NRC_coYyYegmpSifH7Mf7ocopTTbeQWoJ5JHlFQ/s640/blogger-image-1339844721.jpg"></a></div>At Disney's Hollywood Studios</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JVvLWXqPSJB3fXBD6l3OEt7NUrttWHzoMlsB541WFAVRtsGZmQWPFbILogAXETeONjTHhVShL4g8b6RL8-s3kI3m5MLACd8VzkNUYMwFFgAvt3crbnyI6dLrUyeHMJceM8zAXKlpyg/s640/blogger-image--1969667061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JVvLWXqPSJB3fXBD6l3OEt7NUrttWHzoMlsB541WFAVRtsGZmQWPFbILogAXETeONjTHhVShL4g8b6RL8-s3kI3m5MLACd8VzkNUYMwFFgAvt3crbnyI6dLrUyeHMJceM8zAXKlpyg/s640/blogger-image--1969667061.jpg"></a></div>Wilderness Explorers at the Animal Kingdom</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJijW7yIBI5hU7kKGtmq84VyuVFBzAAGhFioH7K05evs9oCGIGApb-t8jmgf3KxVfvBOe9KfJXrD7GJbbbSXZtPxaMMnZzn5QVK6YvipKttzpOcv3DDSUC22cV_SoyapPh0LmIYsJMg/s640/blogger-image--1123357537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJijW7yIBI5hU7kKGtmq84VyuVFBzAAGhFioH7K05evs9oCGIGApb-t8jmgf3KxVfvBOe9KfJXrD7GJbbbSXZtPxaMMnZzn5QVK6YvipKttzpOcv3DDSUC22cV_SoyapPh0LmIYsJMg/s640/blogger-image--1123357537.jpg"></a></div>Checking out Cinderella's Castle</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhGo4vyq-vg89RwTmIePZTg7kVcfRFU7O-cudsv1cf8lj_qR4rb7K7YRXgU4fBOg0zDtJe_NxRicyEm-hWOYThEZMONQrsQJRY_e-UAHDnhNXo5gsoAGQpCGIV8E4xNOB_vHJsA6B4w/s640/blogger-image--1977683948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhGo4vyq-vg89RwTmIePZTg7kVcfRFU7O-cudsv1cf8lj_qR4rb7K7YRXgU4fBOg0zDtJe_NxRicyEm-hWOYThEZMONQrsQJRY_e-UAHDnhNXo5gsoAGQpCGIV8E4xNOB_vHJsA6B4w/s640/blogger-image--1977683948.jpg"></a></div>Sampling some Butter Beer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter</div><div><br></div><div>So it's just a glimpse. I have lots of hints and tips for a trip with kids to write about so stay tuned for that!! I know it's a slight departure from the usual active family posts but hey, active families sometimes travel so I think it's only appropriate to share our knowledge, especially since I do have quite a bit when it comes to vacations of this sort...</div>911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-23196918839335758382013-10-10T19:49:00.001-06:002013-10-10T19:49:50.229-06:00Adventures in the world of the Tooth Fairy...Life is busy with two young boys. Most recently our seven year old has started losing some of his teeth. Now, this process has been a little bit slow coming. In part, I think because his teeth took awhile to come in. Then, when he was three, he tripped and fell and well, let's just say he caught the fall with his teeth, and that pretty much cemented his top two front teeth into his mouth. The marks are still on the chair his teeth landed on. Ouch.<br />
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Fast forward to kindergarten and grade one. Day after day, child after child, tooth after tooth started to fall out. Sebastian asked about his teeth. There was not one bit of wiggle. Anywhere. Around his birthday, he finally had a loose tooth. Imagine that!! His two best friends both lost their front teeth, and it looked like Sebastian would soon be following. Except, that he didn't. Nope, that tooth stayed wiggly, but that was it. No more action on the tooth front.<br />
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It got wigglier. And then there was one on the bottom and one on the top that were both wiggly. So we tried a few different things. Corn on the cob, raw carrots, and anything else we could think of. Again, there was nothing. So now we had three loose teeth and that was it.<br />
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Grade two started, still wiggly teeth, but they weren't budging. And then, one day, the loosest one on the top gave way, and was soon hanging on it's last proverbial thread. It was sideways ways now. We brushed it a bit tougher, nothing, ate some more corn on the cob. Nothing. And then, one night as we went to bed, while brushing our teeth, the loose one on the bottom came out!! Seriously?? That wasn't the one hanging sideways and making for a really goofy smile!! It just fell out!!<br />
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Sebastian placed his tooth in his little train for the tooth fairy. And the next morning, a crisp five dollar bill was left in place of the tiny lost tooth. He was so excited. Mostly, he could hardly wait to tell his friends, because now he too, was part of that rite of passage with a nice gap in his teeth.<br />
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Of course with all those wiggly teeth, it wouldn't be long until the next one gave way. I didn't think it would be the next morning though. Sebastian comes up to me, all nonchalant while I'm making his breakfast and says, "here mom!" while handing me his tooth. Did you want jam or honey with that?<br />
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The tooth fairy was a little more original that night, leaving a note, and a boys adventure book, complete with secret codes and all sorts of things that boys would find fun to do and create.<br />
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Fast forward to the next week. Sebastian takes a bite of something and the other top tooth is now hanging by a string. Seriously, it looks like it is hanging sideways. I actually worry he might swallow the tooth as it looks like it's ready to give at any second. It is a sensitive one though, and Sebastian won't let us near it. "No brushing it hard mom!". Every morsel of food that is consumed, is craftily done so without any contact with this tooth whatsoever. Sensory issues. Such a treat.<br />
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It is now time to switch the calendar over, and Sully helps me with this. He sees the "lost a tooth" magnet and puts it on October 9th. I tell him there is no way the tooth will last that long, it's practically falling out already.But Sully leaves it on the 9th. I seriously wonder if he'll lose it in his sleep, or something similar. He lasts the whole week, and weekend, and now we've moved onto the next week. I have now accepted the fact that his tooth is there to stay forever more.<br />
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And then bedtime routines begin... Sebastian somehow manages to break his glasses. It is an accident. He is so upset with himself, that he knocks his knee into his mouth, and dislodges the tooth. Now there is blood gushing everywhere, and the tooth is dangling even more. He pulls it out, and now we control the bleeding. Sully watches the drama unfold and then pipes up, "Sebastian lost his tooth today, I guessed right!".<br />
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The tooth fairy came again that night (we're keeping her busy!!). This time she left a little note for each boy, along with a little bit of change. Bonus prize for Sully was a dollar, just for guessing right. And both boys just treasure their little notes!!<br />
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There is another loose tooth. On the bottom this time. And the top adult tooth is already pushing through, along with a molar at the back on the bottom. The tooth fairy said to take good care of your teeth. I hope he listens.<br />
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Until next time... we play from the adventure book and wait for the next one to fall out...911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-23253099778596299532013-09-30T07:00:00.000-06:002013-09-30T07:00:05.832-06:00We are a KEEN family<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDoFqyQOm0RanVsChAVGoBlGclRzhzhK6Cio2CqxThLHeoxhDpFGb9ZMPcz6IuKIWA__X6s05AheMHz0oMfnE6yx4RJt7-Oqq0IXAqzgBRqp7XRAGxX43CwvGOkf5aC9YUWabgpalvA/s640/blogger-image--1980898082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDoFqyQOm0RanVsChAVGoBlGclRzhzhK6Cio2CqxThLHeoxhDpFGb9ZMPcz6IuKIWA__X6s05AheMHz0oMfnE6yx4RJt7-Oqq0IXAqzgBRqp7XRAGxX43CwvGOkf5aC9YUWabgpalvA/s640/blogger-image--1980898082.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now that school is back in session, we've had to reorganize our footwear. As I started going through our family's footwear, a trend started to emerge. The shoes that were taken to leave at the school were both KEENs, <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/youth/shoes/jamison" target="_blank">Jamisons</a> for the older boy, and hand-me-down <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/youth/shoes/alamosa/gargoyle!pompeian%20red" target="_blank">Alamosas</a> for the younger one. And then there were their outdoor shoes, <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/youth/boots/alamosa%20mid%20wp/chocolate%20brown!tawny%20olive" target="_blank">Alamosa Mids</a> for the older boy and another pair of hand-me-down Alamosas for the younger one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G7ztn68aglcXB2ER1VvcMltq7alZGuGGz6PXgIbyQQzdttsTHwDc3rmX-f-aXeZdNwCVEhmuRXUV48Gmu-V-l6XDPEKhBW8Bvv5WuX69iXFYjOwVrpPTxOjcQzx4_P4CR62tO5NkPQ/s640/blogger-image-1972866157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G7ztn68aglcXB2ER1VvcMltq7alZGuGGz6PXgIbyQQzdttsTHwDc3rmX-f-aXeZdNwCVEhmuRXUV48Gmu-V-l6XDPEKhBW8Bvv5WuX69iXFYjOwVrpPTxOjcQzx4_P4CR62tO5NkPQ/s640/blogger-image-1972866157.jpg" /></a></div>
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Although, with the beautiful weather, the younger one still preferred his hand-me-down red <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/youth/sandals/newport%20h2" target="_blank">Newport</a> sandals, with or without socks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVs3xKclXT5x7avzyM8WSmScxoOfC5cj1IegihU_rM4k1sYIm03915C4wF1Z8WR2k4mYJ_u5YROiScaZtlF0dUnCZEZHKBhXa3Xl8MXtWOmpNULk9eEuKoH5VqJmNG6Ua9J9DspqovQ/s640/blogger-image-1255237585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVs3xKclXT5x7avzyM8WSmScxoOfC5cj1IegihU_rM4k1sYIm03915C4wF1Z8WR2k4mYJ_u5YROiScaZtlF0dUnCZEZHKBhXa3Xl8MXtWOmpNULk9eEuKoH5VqJmNG6Ua9J9DspqovQ/s640/blogger-image-1255237585.jpg" /></a></div>
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Perfect for bike riding...</div>
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Or even super hero duties...</div>
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But it doesn't stop there... the older one has Kalamazoo winter boots... Which are awesome for snowshoeing...<br />
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And exploring in the winter...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajmCjkTxR-JMdO6WT2lOvT-5cYtfTs_87vjLQpNhmK2Mm_u_SZJOEcdZTwarLBpIhb6xyZTRIZq0PvTedtebBRNmzYtwFsExe0U9DT57w8YPpx_KpJc9oQbxT1ttR2VbTq545xBok-w/s640/blogger-image-1037915339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajmCjkTxR-JMdO6WT2lOvT-5cYtfTs_87vjLQpNhmK2Mm_u_SZJOEcdZTwarLBpIhb6xyZTRIZq0PvTedtebBRNmzYtwFsExe0U9DT57w8YPpx_KpJc9oQbxT1ttR2VbTq545xBok-w/s640/blogger-image-1037915339.jpg" /></a></div>
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And then there are the adults. Jeremy has <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/men/trailhead/voyageur%20mid/raven!tawny%20olive" target="_blank">Voyageur</a> boots and <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/men/waterfront/newport%20h2/raven!aluminum" target="_blank">Newport</a> sandals. Both of which have seen many hikes...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCFg4n2cxTmMMRiTd89voWbFuWzjDiT7KH8tP81-1rXDglSGYroBnSrMjnrwVjFcMbZEFplU7HmSvX8XuVRhkWhOlk76tOM0W_16fgvZMrPWKdjjUnIxqeqiCjAa9IyQVjlMeRXtd6g/s640/blogger-image--2114435849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCFg4n2cxTmMMRiTd89voWbFuWzjDiT7KH8tP81-1rXDglSGYroBnSrMjnrwVjFcMbZEFplU7HmSvX8XuVRhkWhOlk76tOM0W_16fgvZMrPWKdjjUnIxqeqiCjAa9IyQVjlMeRXtd6g/s640/blogger-image--2114435849.jpg" /></a></div>
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And myself, well, yeah, I have a few choices too. My favourite are my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/women/waterfront/newport%20h2" target="_blank">Newport</a> sandals. I wear them every day. I love them. They are my favourite footwear choice. They go everywhere... even to the Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5OLh0W_-QI1nqAEnX5efwAak_2o4OvdVBSKMvUtZDwQX5xuw-7WNl24nq8s7iyhTNZmiXYoa0Lhm0nrjH6I6lqQOGtvGV2lD2rfxyDItSaY-be_QeNIYw7zKfDCrufJXl_llY2lzdg/s640/blogger-image-1087981201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5OLh0W_-QI1nqAEnX5efwAak_2o4OvdVBSKMvUtZDwQX5xuw-7WNl24nq8s7iyhTNZmiXYoa0Lhm0nrjH6I6lqQOGtvGV2lD2rfxyDItSaY-be_QeNIYw7zKfDCrufJXl_llY2lzdg/s640/blogger-image-1087981201.jpg" /></a></div>
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And, they will be worn until they make my socks wet and it is too cold to go without socks. But I also have my newest KEENS, my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/women/trailhead/marshall%20mid%20wp" target="_blank">Marshall Mid WP</a> boots. They are fantastic. They are comfortable. They serve many purposes. They are great every day boots, but they double as sturdy enough for all sorts of hiking as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dIweqEFNZ1-ePOz2FcXzLw6Fy-ZwcdjwpRpjvvJO2T87jWvAd0RlSfqw2hD-7zEGYGDgPC8DEtt-hEHtFk2KMrrv3n6E9UMoSSzKy6yD56X4N-STABBtSyiPbMFl6ThI7v2whACeHg/s640/blogger-image--444353343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dIweqEFNZ1-ePOz2FcXzLw6Fy-ZwcdjwpRpjvvJO2T87jWvAd0RlSfqw2hD-7zEGYGDgPC8DEtt-hEHtFk2KMrrv3n6E9UMoSSzKy6yD56X4N-STABBtSyiPbMFl6ThI7v2whACeHg/s640/blogger-image--444353343.jpg" /></a></div>
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And when the snow hits, that's when the fun really begins. I have my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/women/blvd/bern%20baby%20bern%20boot/oak" target="_blank">Bern Baby Bern</a> boots, for a stylish night on the town, or my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/women/trailhead/hoodoo%20ii" target="_blank">Hoodoo</a> boots for those cold winter days while the kids are playing on the playground, or for snowshoeing out in the mountains. And probably my favourite pair of KEENs of all time, are my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/ca/en/product/shoes/women/pedal/commuter%20ii" target="_blank">Commuter</a> bike sandals. Those clip sandals have gotten me through many training rides, working towards some pretty epic rides. I have worn them through the 2011 and 2012 Alberta Ride To Conquer Cancer covering over 200km each year, in some pretty rough weather. And in the summer of 2012, one of my biggest accomplishments to date, I finished Ironman Canada, doing the entire bike portion in my KEEN sandals. Truly, my feet have a real affinity for KEEN footwear. </div>
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We truly are a KEEN family. Every day, every member of our family is likely to be wearing a pair of KEENs at least once. I knew we liked KEENs, I just didn't realize how much!! Our family owns at least fourteen different pairs of KEENs. They truly are a fantastic company and we've been wearing them for years. Literally!! My first pair of KEEN sandals was a birthday gift back in 2005. I took them on the West Coast Trail with me. They were fantastic. They were the shoes I brought for camp after the long days of hiking. They've been everywhere. And the best part is, they are very durable. They last for years. </div>
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And for the kids, all the pairs that my oldest have worn, have been passed down to our youngest. They are well used by the older one but are still in nearly perfect condition by the time the younger one is wearing them. And the sandals are fantastic. With protected toes, even the clumsy moments of early walking and running kept our little ones safe. As well, our one son needed heel cups at one point and KEEN sandals worked perfectly for them in the summer. </div>
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But it goes further than that. The KEEN philosophy. Their HybridLife mantra is all about getting out there, exploring, playing, being active. They create products that help make that easier. I've done tons of day hikes in my Newports. Some with some pretty impressive elevation gain. And they were great. My kids too use their KEENs for all things active. </div>
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Over the years, we have worn all different colours and styles. Nearly all of my footwear choices come from KEEN. I love that they are comfortable, versatile and even stylish. And so stylish you can even design your own now. On the USA site, there is an option to <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/custom.aspx" target="_blank">build your own</a> KEEN sandals. </div>
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Truly, we are a KEEN family. We have so many wonderful memories of things we have done while wearing our KEENs all over the world. And I know, there are many more memories to make. So if you are looking for some amazing sandals, shoes or boots, take some time and check out what KEEN has to offer. They truly have something for everyone!! </div>
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And nothing is more exciting than a new pair of KEEN shoes at your door!!</div>
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-87277510023826094912013-09-29T17:17:00.004-06:002013-09-30T16:28:31.002-06:00Race Review: Melissas Road Race, Banff AB<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Every year in September, <a href="http://www.melissasroadrace.ca/" target="_blank">Melissa's Road Race</a> happens in <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx" target="_blank">Banff National Park</a>. It is a popular run with a choice of 10km or 22km distances. The race sells out very quickly and unless you are on the ball, chances are pretty good, if you don't sign up the day registrations are accepted, you likely won't get in. Of course there are always people who end up trying to sell their race bibs, and that is how we got a hold of numbers for this year. A change in process this year, racers now have to pay $5 to make any changes to the race bib. This can be a change in name, or if a person wants to drop down from the 22km to the 10km (there are no switches the other way). </div>
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From the moment I learned of this race, when I first started running, I knew I wanted a shirt. I saw all these runners the Olympic Oval in Calgary wearing Melissa's shirt, so I knew I had to find out about this race and do it. The race is well organized and truly, the backdrop is nothing short of spectacular. On a cool Saturday morning, I most certainly needed my awesome <a href="http://www.sugoi.com/can/" target="_blank">SUGOI </a>brand champion jacket (with matching shirt underneath of course). </div>
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This race is one we have done multiple times. As mentioned above, the race sells out every year. Parks Canada sets a limit on the number of participants. It's a busy start line.<br />
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As we cross the river, and head down Banff Avenue, Cascade Mountain is there in full view. </div>
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Running up Tunnel Mountain truly is pretty.<br />
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By far, the best aid station of the course was on Tunnel Mountain. I could hear the cheering and music well before I saw these awesome people, with their equally awesome signs, cheering on all the runners.<br />
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One of my favourite moments of the race is coming around the corner and seeing the amazing <a href="http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/" target="_blank">Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel</a> in the distance. "Surprise Corner" really is a fantastic surprise. And by this time, it's all downhill.<br />
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It is truly a magnificent hotel. </div>
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The sound of water can be heard and then finally there is a bird's eye view of Bow Falls.<br />
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A few years ago the 10km run course change and now includes running alongside the river. It is very pretty and even better, it took out some of the congestion and a hill that used to be part of the run right near the finish.<br />
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All in all, this is my favourite race. Every time I do it, I love the scenery, and how well organized it is. I love that you get to run along Banff Avenue. Over the years, the number of aid stations has increased, so even with the huge hill on the 10km, there is more than adequate water stations along the way. I can't speak as much for the 22km, but I would suggest bringing nutrition along as the aid stations just have water. The race entry also includes a long sleeved t-shirt, a coupon for 50% off at Melissa's Restaurant, and a post-race beer ticket.The lines after the race for snacks and beer are long, but they keep moving. They also have lots of prize draws if you are present to win. The race is always on a Saturday, and starts fairly late in the morning (10:30am). For me this is especially fantastic, as we don't have to wake up super early.<br />
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The last few years, it has become something of a date for us. Both my husband and I have participated in the run, and the boys hang out with their grandma. We go for lunch afterwards and it really is a great day!!<br />
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This year (and last year too), we went to <a href="http://www.nourishbistro.com/" target="_blank">Nourish Bistro</a>, which is a vegetarian restaurant in Banff. They recently moved to a new location on Bear Street. Their food is amazing. It is always so hard choosing between their nachos (with 27 ingredients... seriously, they are fantastic) or one of several other amazing dishes from their menu (my favourite is the poutine made with a curry sauce and chutney...it's that good). They also have several vegan options and gluten free options as well. Their smoothies and drinks are amazing as well including some incredible teas from the <a href="http://www.banffteaco.com/" target="_blank">Banff Tea Company</a>, which, after yesterday's chilly race were especially appreciated!!<br />
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Melissa's Road Race is a fantastic event. Although in the last few years it has served as a date for my husband and I, times may change... There were some kids in the event on the weekend. I chatted with a young girl of eight years old and a boy about nine who were both running with their respective parents. I have been wondering when to introduce Sebastian to a 10km event, as he has asked over the years... maybe this will serve as his first, next year... or maybe I'll find one that's a little bit flatter for him...<br />
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<br />911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-34386514567238836572013-09-23T08:30:00.000-06:002013-09-23T08:30:02.907-06:00Rails To Trails: Epic Rides with kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Kimberley BC is home to a beautiful trail connecting it to Cranbrook. It's called the <a href="http://www.tourismkimberley.com/content/northstar-rails-trails" target="_blank">NorthStar Rails to Trails</a> and basically the project involved converting a no longer used railway right of way into a pathway to connect the two municipalities. </div>
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The trail is approximately 25 kilometers in length, and leaving from Kimberley is primarily a downhill grade. We headed out with our boys to check it out this summer. With two adults and two kids of different biking abilities, we knew we would not all be doing the same distances. And, in the end, all four of us, did totally different distances. </div>
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We started out early in the morning and there was a chill in the air. Very quickly, the boys were complaining that they were cold. At the 3 kilometer mark, Jeremy and Sebastian headed back to the car to grab jackets. Sully and I continued on. All sorts of wildlife to see as we rode including several deer, a fox and a hummingbird. I've never seen a hummingbird before like that. Neat. I also have never seen a fox. The colouring is what made me believe it was a fox. I've seen lots of coyotes before, and this was definitely not a coyote, so I'm saying fox!!</div>
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They caught back up to us at around the 4 kilometer mark and we continued on for another kilometer or so. Sebastian was much happier in his fleece jacket. </div>
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At about the five kilometer marker, it was time for Sullivan to turn back. Sebastian still had lots left in him, so I continued on the trail with him and Jeremy turned around with Sullivan. Sullivan rode the whole way back. They took many breaks, but he made it the whole way. Amazing to know my four year old was able to ride more than ten kilometers on his own, when he only just began on a two wheeler pedal bike this year!!</div>
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Sebastian and I continued to ride, passing all sorts of things, including several road crossings. We came across a bathroom even, which was great as Sebastian was in need and it allowed us to keep going. As we got to the ten kilometer mark, I needed to know how he was feeling because we had to make a decision to turn back or continue on. He was happy to keep going, so the plan was for Jeremy to meet up with us in Cranbrook. </div>
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As it got warmer, the layers came off. I became the carrier of all things, and Sebastian was now happily riding in his brand new tri suit from Gromet Sport Gear, along with his favourite jersey from Primal Wear. </div>
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It got warmer still and he wanted to take his jersey off. He was so excited to be in a tri suit, just like his dad has!! It was comfortable and fit him well. </div>
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We continued, on this beautiful ride. Crossing over the river, and then came to a large uphill, which we jokingly said, was the hill that never ends. Now the beautiful part about this trail is, because it was a former train right of way, the hills are all at nice grades. We plugged along and made it to the top, and continued on towards Cranbrook.<br />
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The trail was fantastic, and getting to the end, was truly impressive, given that I was riding with a 7 year old. And really, when we reached the 25km marker, he had actually gone 31 kilometers because of his out and back to grab the fleece jackets.<br />
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The trail was very impressive. Beautiful landscape throughout. Lots of wildlife to see. Including a huge number of grasshoppers. On parts of the trail, the number of grasshoppers was almost a bit much, however, given the heat, it was too be expected I suppose. Every kilometer was well marked, so no surprises on how far you'd gone. Doing the trail in reverse would definitely be more of a challenge as the whole way to Cranbrook was basically downhill aside from the one big hill after the river crossing.<br />
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An example of what the right of way looks like where it is not paved over<br />
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All in all, this was a truly great ride. Both boys had an incredible day and did well. Sully napped after his epic ride and they met up with us at the Cranbrook end. It was a bit tough finding the parking at that end, as it was not particularly well marked. Jeremy brought treats, which was well appreciated after the great ride.<br />
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Thinking of an epic ride with your little ones? Here are a few things that worked for us:<br />
1) make sure you have the clothes for the weather. We started out pretty early, and although it was sunny, it was still pretty cool. We ended up going back to the car to get sweaters for the boys. If we didn't have the sweaters with us, that would have been the end of the ride.<br />
2) have adequate hydration. Make sure you have enough fluids to get through a ride, and make sure you are stopping frequently for sips. If it is especially warm out, you might want to consider a drink solution that contains electrolytes of some kind. I say this a lot, but it's because we love it, <a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/collections/drinks" target="_blank">Skratch Labs</a> makes an awesome natural choice for a hydration drink that contains electrolytes. The same goes for snacks. Have nutrition available for you and your kids that gives them good energy for the ride. And maybe agree to something special you'll go for after, always a treat!!<br />
3) Keep in mind how your child is feeling. What have you done lately? If yesterday was a long hike, today might not be the day for a long bike ride. In our case, we had a nice relaxing day, the day before this ride. As a result, the boys did great. The next day we tried to do a more basic ride, but because this had been such an epic day, they wanted nothing to do with it. Our lesson was learned.<br />
4) Match the abilities of your kids to the ride. With us having two adults, we were able to split up and allow each child to have an amazing day on their terms, even though we did the beginning of the ride all together. Both boys felt good about their rides, while neither was pushed beyond their abilities.<br />
5) Have flexibility in your plans. If things are going well, great, but if things take a turn and suddenly you have kids that no longer want to be there, make sure there is a way to get them through, or a way to cut the ride shirt. The flexibility really helps make sure the ride is enjoyable.<br />
6) Have fun!! We all had a great time on this ride, once the boys had their sweaters on. Chatting and talking up the ride helps make it enjoyable for everyone. Make sure you build up your kids' self esteem. Tell them what they are doing well, offer them hints on things that maybe aren't as strong. In the end, you'll have kids that feel like they can conquer the world. And if they believe in their abilities, they will be more open to feedback where they maybe need some help.<br />
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An epic ride is fun. It's a great feeling to do a long ride for both parents and kids. The same can be said for hiking and other sports. Make the most of your time outside together and enjoy those moments. And don't forget to take a picture here and there as well!!911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-50264719962341221402013-09-18T09:00:00.000-06:002013-09-18T11:12:37.307-06:00Yoho National Park: Takakka Falls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClulNpRAeBNkHj40-SDohRKWduuSogQVR30QGth6Gfy2Mp6rdUkkNDGEx9KjSh1gjc_wnJlEpQtoy6Wz6F6lkjYxWSach8KQ0fJL_lYTcmb1pOss9BJBn-yf0hGf0pme47Adm2AozdA/s640/blogger-image--1182728145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClulNpRAeBNkHj40-SDohRKWduuSogQVR30QGth6Gfy2Mp6rdUkkNDGEx9KjSh1gjc_wnJlEpQtoy6Wz6F6lkjYxWSach8KQ0fJL_lYTcmb1pOss9BJBn-yf0hGf0pme47Adm2AozdA/s640/blogger-image--1182728145.jpg"></a><br>
Earlier this summer, we had the chance to go camping in <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoho/index.aspx" target="_blank">Yoho National Park</a>, located on the eastern edge of British Columbia. It is a beautiful park with a bit more rustic feel than its' neighbour Banff National Park. We chose to camp at Takakka Falls. I wanted my kids to have the chance to camp in a place a bit off the main path. This campground is a bit unique because although it is not accessible by car, the distance between the parking lot and the camping sites is only about 500 meters. Even though it is classified as a front country campground, because the sites are walk-in, it has more of a back country feel. Yoho campgrounds are all first come first serve, so we aimed to arrive early afternoon to beat the after work crowd that might try for the same spots.<br>
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It was lightly raining when we arrived and we began walking around looking for a spot. There was really not much to be had (it was a Friday). Then, we spotted a group that looked to be taking down their site. Lucky for us, that is exactly what they were doing and so we were able to take over their spot. Several other groups came around looking as we were setting up, but found no spots. If you want to camp there on a weekend, definitely try and get out as early as you can. <br>
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It had been several years since I'd camped at Takakka Falls, and I have to say, the campground was incredible. There are food lockers located throughout the site, along with a small building to store your food caches in (since this campground is in the heart of bear country). There is a solar powered water filtration system so the water is potable and available at a central location near the bathrooms. The bathrooms were clean, and included toilet paper and hand sanitizer. There was firewood available and most sites had fire pits in addition to a picnic table. There is also a kitchen shelter building, perfect if the weather is not cooperating. Camp sites are spread out nicely and although you certainly have neighbours, we never really were bothered by them, and hopefully the same was true of us.<br>
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I began getting our tent set up with lots of help from my seven year old while Jeremy was bringing the gear to our site, in the carts provided by the park. Soon enough, we had everything good to go and got dinner going. I was super excited about using my brand new Bugaboo Camper set. It was a birthday present, but totally neat with pots, pans, plates, bowls and mugs all nested together in the largest pot. But more on that another day. All in all, it was an early night and with no cell service whatsoever to distract the adults, we truly had to live in the moment.Our visit to Yoho was just fantastic!!<br>
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Sully carrying his pillow to the campsite (the beauty of Takakka Falls sites are you are close enough you can bring in some luxury items, but far enough from the cars that it's like being in the back country).<br>
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It was really nice having a fire.<br>
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Boys had fun with meals and ate fairly well. They also loved hot drinks in front of the fire.<br>
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The main trail also served as a road for the Parks Staff, and was perfect for bits of biking with the boys. My youngest mastered his two wheeler this summer after a lot of hard work on his part and mine. It was nice to give him opportunities to use those new skills. My oldest mastered handbrakes and gearing this year, and is just in love with biking, so he is thrilled with any chance he gets to hop on.<br>
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The boys loved sleeping in the tent. It was great being able to tent as a family and the boys loved their sleeping bags. For Sully, this was the first summer he got to use his. And both of them did great with sleeping in the tent. Only thing I didn't realize, was one of our foamies has a slow leak in it... really need to get that fixed!!<br>
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We spent the next few days enjoying all this beautiful valley had to offer. Hiking in every direction!!<br>
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So lots of hiking was done, including, of course, Takakka Falls, one of the highest water falls in Canada. Although you can see the falls from the campsite, it is actually a short little hike away for the up close and personal view<br>
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Bridges always go over well with the boys!!<br>
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Boys had fun checking out the model of the Yoho Valley...<br>
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So many pretty things to see, in every single direction...<br>
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Lucky to have someone come along to help capture the whole family in one shot!!<br>
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If you are looking for a bit more of a rustic camping feel, without having to give up all the comforts, Takakka Falls is a great option. It is basically car camping without the car. As long as you are willing to haul it in the 500 meters or more to your site, you can bring anything you want. There were people who had all sorts of different shelter type options. Dining options are a little easier as well, again because you aren't limited to what you can carry on your back. No trailers allowed though, since the road is closed to all but Parks staff. </div>
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The park is not nearly as busy as Banff, but truly as beautiful. We met lots of people travelling from Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, and of course, Canada. </div>
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Stay tuned for a post about our hike to Laughing Falls...</div>
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911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048695347369434855.post-70265132339263318222013-09-16T06:00:00.000-06:002013-09-16T06:00:00.628-06:00I was a guest blogger for Ronald McDonald HouseOkay, for the first time ever, I got to write a guest post on another blog. It was for the blog of Ronald McDonald House here in Calgary. Although I've never personally stayed at a Ronald McDonald House, what they do for families with critically ill kids is truly incredible. After the very rocky start we had with our oldest son, I can only imagine how much tougher that experience would have been if we had been from outside Calgary. Luckily, Ronald McDonald House is there to help families from out of town. They offer so much for families with a critically ill child. From accommodation, to a therapy dog named Asha, programming for families and kids, even a teacher to help kids and siblings keep up with their school work while staying at the house.<br />
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Please check out the article I wrote at the link here:</div>
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<a href="http://ourrmhblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/on-paying-it-forward/">http://ourrmhblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/on-paying-it-forward/</a></div>
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Although the post is not specifically related to being active with kids, it is an organization whose mission it is, is to help families and children, so it seemed worth sharing here!! I am passionate about showing my kids the importance of helping others. Anytime I volunteer at Ronald McDonald House, I always talk to my kids about what I am doing there. I love volunteering there, and have been organizing my work people to make dinner there for several years. It's a unique way to volunteer as a group. We make dinner to serve to the families staying there. Check it out. There are Ronald McDonald Houses all over the world and all sorts of ways to volunteer at them. Everything from front hosts, to helping at charity events, to cooking and baking. It is an amazing organization and I love all the different ways there are to help!!</div>
911shazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694654818566115508noreply@blogger.com0