August Long Weekend in Waterton!!

We decided to go camping with Megan and Chris for the August Long Weekend. We were having a hard time finding any place to camp. But then I found us some spot at Waterton Springs. It's the campground just outside of the gates. We've camped there before and had a lot of fun. So we left on Friday. It was so hot out that day too. I spent all day packing and getting ready to go. It didn't help that I wasn't feeling that great......at all. Richard had to work late. So we he was going to meet us up there later. Megan called and said they were leaving Lethbridge, so I got the kids in the truck and away we went into town. We grabbed a snow bob, cause we were dying of heat. Then we pulled out on the highway just behind Megan and Chris.

We followed each other up there and pulled in at the same time. We helped each other set up and then Megan and Chris headed into Waterton for supper. I was exhausted by this time. I was going to take the kids in for supper too, but the thought made me more tired. So I made an easy supper and we ate in the trailer. It started to rain a bit. After we walked around a bit and the kids rode their bikes. I was so tired, I sat on a chair and watched them play. I put them to bed at a decent time and sat outside reading my book waiting for Richard to come. He didn't get their till 10:30pm. Then I went straight to bed. So tired!!

We got up at a good time and got ready to go. We were going on a hike together as a family and with Megan and Chris. We had to be at the Tamarack before 10am. Well Waterton was insanely busy. So we made it there just after 10am. We missed the first shuttle bus but were one of the first to get on the 2nd. We all sat in the two back rows! The bus took us to our trail head along the Cameron Lake Road. It was closed to all other vehicles. We were going on the Forum Falls Hike.

We got to our trail head and away we went. We picked this one because it's not too hard. I think it's about 4km both ways. So it's a ways but very doable! The kids were loving the hike. I'm glad we went with Megan and Chris it made it fun too! We passed quite a few people. We stopped a few times to take a breather.....then we kept going.

This was just as we were starting to hike!

Loved the lighting in this picture. Abbi looking at Brianna (her hair looks so cute)!

Our cute little family on one of our breaks!!

Walking into BC!!

Just as the kids were starting to ask how much longer we made it to the sign where it said Forum Falls 250m. They were so excited. On the way there we found an out house. So we all took a turn using it before we got to the Falls.

Richard and Brinna!

Abbi and Cadence waiting by the out house!! Ha ha!!

Chris and Megan!

Then we made it to the Falls.  I had promised all the kids a chocolate bar once we got there. We enjoyed seeing the Falls and eating our treat. A few crossed the water and made their way behind the Falls. I kept telling the kids not too, cause then their feet would be all went. But Abbi and Cadence decided to do it anyways. We had a few complaints about their wet feet on the way down. Silly Girls! It was so pretty there.

We made it to Forum Falls!!

So pretty with the sun shining through the trees!

Abbi made it behind the Falls.

DJ beside the Falls.

DJ and Cadence both beside the falls.

Cadence ran over there and went behind the Falls too!

Seriously so pretty!

Then we started heading back to the main trail. We got there and I remembered that there was kind of a picnic area a little bit more  up the trail. So we walked there and found and it and sat down to have our lunch. It was relaxing and our lunch was delicious! Ha ha!

Hiking to our picnic spot.

Cadence and DJ eating their lunch.

Everyone sitting around eating our picnic lunch!

Then we parted ways with Megan and Chris. They were continuing on to Wall Lake. We decided to go back on down. The kids were getting tired.....well so was I!! So away we went. We only had a few incidents on the way back. Kids crying about wet feet and their wet socks bugging them! Cadence fell and scraped herself. Richard just picked her up and kept walking. Which she thought was kind of funny! Then kids whining about being hot and tired. Oh and all of the sudden, Richard told us to start singing. So I started singing and song and everyone sang with me including Richard. I thought it was so cool. We were making fun family memories. Then to find out later, he saw a fresh bear paw in the mud on the trail. It freaked him out and he decided we needed to be loud. Ha ha ha!!!! It worked though, we sang quite a few fun songs. The kids loved it!

And we were ready to start back!

Abbi and Cadence by a cute little tree!

Cadence's wet socks and shoes were really bothering her. So her dad was helping her out.

DJ ad I on one of our rest stops!

Cadence fell and her dad picked her up and carried her!

Then we found a cool bridge and decided to take a little break. We were all really tired by this time. So it was perfect timing. The kids had fun throwing rocks off the bridge into the water. We sat there for a bit and then continued on our way. We finally made it back to the trail head. Where we had to sit and wait for our bus. About 10 minutes later, Megan and Chris came walking out of the trail. They were tired too and decided to come back with us!

Having a little break on the bridge.

Waiting for our bus to take us back.

Richard took a little nap!

Cute little lake with Cadence!!

Pretty flowers with a bee on it!

The bus came a little early. He took us to the end of the road where there was a 5 minute hike to a cool little lake. So Cadence and I decided to go on it with Megan and Chris. It was so pretty. Glad we did it! Then it was time to get back to the bus and head back down the road. It was a fun hike, but we were all pretty hot and tired by the time we got back.

When we got back to town, it was so busy. We had parked our vehicle right by Emerald Bay. So we decided to stay right there and play in the lake. The girls all changed into their swim suits and played in the water. I just waded in, up to my knees. It felt so good. We had fun sitting in the shade and cooling off. Lisa and Shelly met us there with Lisa's kids. Then my parents met us there too. It was a fun way to visit and stay cool!

Cadence swimming in the cold lake!

Hanging out with cousins and Grandma Spencer!

Megan and Chris relaxing!

DJ and Grandpa Paxman looking for cool rocks!

And he found one!

Cool rock DJ, it matches your hair!

Grandpa and Abbi both swam out in the lake and ducked their heads under. Now they are warming up!!

Before we headed back to the trailer, DJ kept asking over and over if he could go inside the haunted hotel......aka the Prince Of Wales! Ha ha!! He's always wanted to go inside. So we stopped and went in. He thought it was so cool. We took a few pictures too!

My 4 cute kids in the lobby of the Prince of Wales!

Dark shadows of my kids but you can see the cool view out the windows!

Leaving the hotel!

We then headed back to our trailer. Megan had offered to watch our kids that night so Richard and I could go on a date. But we were so tired that we just felt like staying at the camp. So we all cooked supper together of pancakes, eggs and bacon. It was delicious!

Megan was making the pancakes!

Then the kids played some card games with Grandma and Grandpa Paxman. They stayed the night with us in Megan and Chris' trailer. It was fun having them there with us! Then we roasted marshmellows and had smores. I had all my kids go have a shower and get clean before they went off to bed! We all fell asleep quickly that night. It was a good day!

Sunday morning we got all ready for church. Mom and dad left early to save us some spots. I was taking a while to get ready. We got there 10 minutes early, but luckily mom and dad had some spots for us near the front. The church was packed. Then they had speakers outside and chairs set up all around the church outside. They had over 500 people there. So crazy!! We came back to the trailers after sacrament meeting. Then mom and dad took off for Kalispel. I had a nap. I was exhausted. After my nap we went for a drive up to Red Rock Canyon.

It was really packed up there. But we found some parking spots and went for a little walk. We just walked around in the water. That's what the kids like. I was tired and didn't want to walk far. The kids had fun splashing and then they all ended up getting all wet! We had some very grumpy and tired kids. So we came back to the trailer after. We just hung out and enjoyed ourselves!

Taking shoes off and trying to decide if they were going to get wet!

Abbi went down the little slide!

There goes Cadence!

Brianna's, "ITS COLD" Face!! ha ha!!

DJ had to find cool rocks! His favorite thing to do!

Cadence ducked her head under the cold water!

Brianna went down!

Cute kids looking down at the water.

Such a pretty view! I love it!

Richard and the kids!

There's Megan and Chris too!

For supper we had taco potatoes. The kids and I got the potatoes wrapped in tin foil and put them in the fire pit. It worked out perfect. It was a delicious supper. I love taco potatoes and so does my whole family. Then we just had a relaxing evening and we put the kids to bed early. I went to bed early too. I was planning on getting up just after 5am to go hike Bears Hump with Chris and Megan to watch the sun rise. Not sure what I was thinking but I've wanted to do this for a while. This was the perfect opportunity. Wake up then a 5min drive and then hike.

I woke up and got ready and went outside. Away we went. We started hiking and it was a little spooky. So we told Chris to be loud!! I was having a hard time talking because I was puffing so hard. Seriously I was having a really hard time going up. Didn't help that I felt like I was getting sick. We took lots of breaks. But we finally made it! Yay!!

 Sat there and took lots of pictures and watched the sun rise. It was so pretty up there. Plus there wasn't very many people around at all. I'm so glad I decided to go with them. It was so cool. Now I can say I've hiked Bears Hump and watched the sun rise! Ha ha!

We were probably up there for almost an  hour. Then we headed down. It was a lot quicker going down. We got back to our trailers just after 7. I crawled back into bed and went back to sleep till after 8. Then we had breakfast and packed up and away we went. It was a fun time camping with Chris and Megan!!