Camping At Surveyor's Lake!

We decided to go to Surveyor's Lake as a family for a little vacation. Everyone was pretty excited about going. Before we went I was busy getting the trailer clean and figuring out where the stupid mice were getting in. We had sprayed all the holes (or so we thought). But I kept catching a mouse in the trap under the sink almost daily. It was kind of disgusting. But we finally figured it out and we went two days with no mice. The good thing was we were catching them as soon as they came in. So that's good! Cadence decided that she wasn't afraid of mice and would put a glove on and carry it away. Yuck! Crazy girl!

We got everything packed up and ready to go and we left first thing Monday morning. Oh I should mention that we were putting things in the trailer Sunday night and I went into the trailer quickly and smashed my baby toe so hard against the couch. It hurt so bad. I could hardly even walk. I thought I broke it. It was so painful for the whole trip. I finally taped my toes and that helped. I ended up getting an xray of it 4 weeks later, because it was still killing me. It wasn't broken though. But that didn't explain why it hurt so bad. Then 6 weeks after that I had the chiropractor look at it and he told me to lay down. Then without saying anything he grabbed it and yanked really hard. I felt it go pop, pop, pop. It kind of surprised me. But he said it was just jammed in, and that the swelling should start coming down and it should feel better. The thing is, after that I could actually move it. I couldn't before. So crazy. It's just the baby toe, but it still caused a lot of pain! Ha ha!

Anyways, back to our camping story. We had everything ready and pulled out of our farm by 9:30am. We were loaded to the hilt. We brought the kids bikes and scooters along too. They were all so excited to be going somewhere we've never been. We drove for about 2 1/2 hours and stopped at Sparwood, BC for lunch. We ate in our trailer and then walked over and saw the World's Biggest Truck. DJ was super excited about that. He couldn't eat his lunch fast enough. All the kids had fun checking it out!

Richard and the kids at the World's Biggest Truck!

Abbi standing in the wheel!

DJ in the wheel!

Walking right underneath the truck!

Me and the kids with the truck.

Then we continued on. It took about another 2hrs before we got there. We checked in and found our site and set up camp. It was a super hot day, so we decided to go head down to the lake once we were ready. So away we went. We just spent a few hours down there. The water was nice and we all had fun playing in the water. It's a lake that no motor boats are allowed on. It's just a small lake and it has lots of turtles in it. That's what we were told but we didn't see any while we were swimming.

Then we headed back for supper. The campground had no electricity so we brought our generator. We were only allowed to turn them on during specific times, 9-11am and 6-8pm. So I always made sure that we used it during those times.

We had a really fun time. In the evenings we would relax and I would read my book and the kids would ride their scooters and bikes everywhere. Then they would come back to our campsite and do some crafts. They made friends and had fun playing with them! It was just a relaxing place to be.

DJ with his necklace he made himself!!

Brianna chipping away at this stone, trying to get fossils out.

Cadence giving it a try and she's wearing her necklace that she made too!

DJ playing in the dirt. He was so dirty!! Ha ha!

Cadence reading the instructions on how to make a cra

One night me and a few of the kids went back to the beach and started walking around in the water. The kids cried out and I looked and saw a turtle. It was the coolest thing ever. So we had so much fun walking along and looking for turtles. Most of them were at the bottom of the lake. But then they'd come up for air. It was seriously, the coolest thing EVER! We had a blast watching for turtles!

Most of the days were really hot. So we'd have breakfast and then pack our stuff up and go to the beach. Then we'd set up a spot and just have a blast at the beach. I took my floaty and had fun floating in the water. The kids would come and join me once in a while too. The kids would play in the sand too. The Quapp family was there too. They are also from Magrath and have some kids the same age as ours. So they had a blast playing together. That was kind of nice!

Abbi rowing around the lake in the dingy!

Brianna and DJ swimming together.

Brianna and DJ playing in the boat!

Cadence and I were floating around, finding turtle beneath us!

Abbi floating around on the boogie board.

Still looking for turtles.

All of us floating around finding turtles.

Cadence taking her doll to the edge of the water.

DJ and Brianna getting warm in their towels.

Silly kids!

Abbi snorkeling around the lake.

DJ taking a break from the water and playing in the sand.

Floating around on the bed.

We had only booked there for 2 nights. So Richard went on line and booked us for 3 more nights. But we had to move our campsite each morning. Not a huge deal. We got pretty efficient at moving camp sites! Ha ha! We were just happy to be able to spend the whole week there! Loved it!

Richard and the kids patiently waiting for the bats to come out of the bat houses.

I stayed long enough to get a picture and then a bat flew right by my head. Then I was done!!

This is what breakfast looks like in the trailer!

One day was a little over cast and chilly. So we decided to go into Cranbrook and get some things at the Walmart. Then we had lunch there. Then on our way back we stopped at the fish hatchery. It was really cool. The kids loved learning more about fish. Then we just came back and relaxed at our campsite.

Abbi flyng around on her bike.

DJ had fun riding his bike everywhere too. He only had a few crashes!

Cadence and Brianna watching their dad figure out the rainbow loom.

He was determined to figure it out!

DJ and Abbi coming back from a bike ride.

I came into the trailer and found DJ busy coloring a picture, as he was sitting in the closet! Ha ha!

Such concentration! So cute!

The kids watching a movie and Abbi made herself comfortable in the closet!

Sometimes it's nice to unwind by watching a movie together.

So funny!

One night after supper we went on a walk around a tiny lake. Someone told us that there were usually lots of turtles around. We couldn't go in the water. We just had to walk around the lake on the path way. We saw so many turtles. It was pretty cool.

Turtles on a log. I believe there are two in this picture.

Richard walking ahead with the girls. We had an extra kid that came with us!

DJ stuck with me!

Look at all those turtles!

A turtle swimming in the water.

And more turtles. It was a fun walk.

In the evenings the kids would ride bikes everywhere. They would go play at this ampatheatre with other kids. There were a few incidents where another kid was not nice to DJ. It always happened to DJ. The problem always ended being was they always thought DJ was way older then he is. DJ is so big for his age. The poor boy got his feelings hurt so bad....plus the boy actually hurt him. Oh I should explain that DJ got a road race ready for his sisters. So he ran over to the theatre to get them. As he was telling them he also invited a boy to come see too. For some reason the boy got mad and grabbed DJ's finger and bent it all the way backwards. We heard his scream from our trailer. I ran over and got there just in time to see DJ do his mad yell and charge the boy.  I got there before DJ could cream the kid. Sheesh. I told the boy that he wasn't being nice at all. I got DJ and took him back to the trailer. He was just sobbing. He couldn't understand why the boy was so mean to him. My heart broke for him. As a side note, the boy did come back in the morning and apologized to DJ. Then they were fine. The boy was 8 and DJ was a LOT bigger then he was. Not sure if that made a difference. I finally got him settled down and the girls came over to check out the race he set up. It was cute. He drew a starting line and a finishing line. He would line the girls up and yell GO! He even had a prize for the winner every time. He was happy that they came over and raced! It was pretty cute!

On Friday we decided to drive back towards Cranbrooks and go to Fort Steele. I've never been, but we've heard a lot of good things about it. So away we went. The kids weren't too sure what we were dragging them too! We got there just in time to go on a wagon ride around the fort. Well we were all hooked. There were so many places we could go explore. We didn't want to wander too far because we got tickets to the Theatre show which started soon. So we stuck around and pet a few horses and explored a few old buildings. One of them was the jail, which the kids thought was awesome! Then it was time for the show.

Ready for our wagon ride.

There's our driver!

Cadence enjoying the ride! I made all the kids wear hats, cause it was so hot out!

DJ loving the ride!!

Richard and the kids by the wagon.

My sad faced family in jail!

Ha ha this picture makes me laugh. This is DJ's jail face!!! With Brianna in the back ground!

Abbi's happy jail face!

And Cadence couldn't stop laughing!

Brianna stuck in the jail!

My four goofy kids acting like horses!

They found a nice donkey that let them pet him!

My four cuties petting the donkey!

The show was amazing. It was people acting and we enjoyed it so much. All my kids got really into it. It was hilarious to watch. At some points, DJ would squeal and then laugh so hard. It was hilarious. The actors were phenomanol!! They were amazing! Richard was even blown away. We both agreed that it was so good! We came out of the theatre and got some pictures of the actors. It was so fun!

Here are the 7 actors at the Wild Horse Theatre!

Richard, DJ, Cadence and Brianna with the actors! Abbi was too shy!

After the show, we went back to the main building to get a snack and use the bathrooms. Then it was time to head over to the train station, so we wouldn't miss our ride! The kids were all pretty excited about going on a "real" train ride! Truthfully, so was I!! ha ha! We ran over there, and waited in the station, till the train pulled up.

The kids posing by the old train cars.

Our crazy kids acting like a train!

Waiting for the train at the station!! Ha ha.....they all crack me up!

We sat outside for a minute until the kids decided they wanted to go to the back car.

Then we had to give our tickets to the conductor and then we were allowed to board! The kids really wanted to sit in the very last car. They loved that they could stand at the back and see the tracks go by! So we settled back there. It was a fun little ride. Halfway around, they stopped and we got out to see the pretty view. Plus they blew out the steam in the engine. That was a cool thing to watch. It kind of freaked our kids out, because none of us expected it and it was very loud and looked crazy (all the steam). But we explained what was happening and then they were fine!

DJ giving me an awesome pose!

The kids looking out the back of the car!

A cool picture of the fort from the train!

The conductor announcing that we were leaving.

This is at the halfway mark where they had to blow the steam out!

The kids and Richard watching.

Cool view from the look out point!

Here we go again!

The kids were getting tired on the way back! Brianna kind of zoned out!

Cadence being goofy!

DJ ready to fall asleep!

We headed back to the station and then we decided to get a closer look of the steam engine. We got to peak inside. Then we got some pictures of our cute little family in front of the train. Of course, DJ was not cooperating! Oh well! It was a fun little ride. It was super hot out that day too and I did not bring enough water. That's why DJ was having a little melt down. He needed water. So we went and bought some water!

Me and the kids by the train!

The inside of the train.

Our awesome family picture with DJ facing the wrong way! ha ha!

After the train ride we wanted to go check out the school. DJ was too hot to walk, so Richard gave him a piggy back ride! What a good dad! We got to the school and the teacher ushered us in and told us to take a seat. We were kind of surprised. I didn't realize that there was going to be a "real" teacher. So everyone sat down (except me......I was taking pictures)! She was going to give us a spelling test. She explained how everyone had to answer her. We had to stand up by our desk and recite the word and then spell it. She asked Cadence first, and Cadence stood up and just stared at the teacher with fear in her eyes. It was hilarious. The teacher was a great actor and did sound very strict. So I went up and whispered in Cadence's ear the answer. Hoping the teacher wouldn't get made and she didn't. Another family was in there with us. The dad tried to help one of his daughters, who was probably 13, and the teacher got upset and put him in the corner of the room with the dunce hat on. It was hilarious. My kids got a kick out of it all. Then we came outside for recess and she showed us how to play the stick and wheel (that's not what it's called!). So that was fun!

DJ getting a piggy back ride from his awesome dad!

The teacher getting after Richard for wearing a hat in the school!!

Picture of the school room.

Cadence wasn't too sure about this teacher!

Abbi standing by her desk and spelling her word.

DJ stood up and wouldn't say anything until I whispered in his ear.

Brianna stood up and spelled her word!

Richard got a really hard word! It was kind of funny!



The teacher showing us how to play the game. Abbi is giving it a try!

Way to go Abbi!

DJ and Richard giving it a try too!

Cadence and Brianna having fun trying.

Brianna helping DJ!

Good job DJ!

We then walked over to the plumbing store. Of course, Richard wanted a picture underneath the sign. Then we went in to see what they were doing in there. They were making things out of sheet metal. It was very cool to watch. The kids all picked a whistle that we bought for them.

Richard and his girls under the plumbing sign!

Then on to the place where you could pan for gold. We weren't going to pay the $20, to pan for real gold though....we're kind of cheap! Ha ha! But all the kids got to pan for fools gold. They were allowed to get 3 or 4 big pieces and keep them in a special vial the guy gave them. He showed them how it was done....then let us try it. The kids thought that was a blast too! They had so much fun finding the big pieces of fools gold.

The old prospector showing DJ how to pan for gold.

The girls all giving it a try!

Richard showing DJ that he has a big piece of fools gold!

I really wanted to get our Old Time Pictures done there. But every time we went by they had the sign up saying they were doing a session. So we walked over there again and the lady happen to walk out. I asked her if they had time to do our pictures. She said to come back in ten minutes and they would let us know. By this time it was 5:30 and the place closed at 6pm. So we stayed close by.

We went over to the blacksmith to see what he was making. Richard and DJ could of stayed there all day. They both loved it. The guy was really good and very talkative and answered all their questions. DJ was just in awe over what the guy could make out of metal. It was pretty cool to watch.

Watching the black smith! He was pretty amazing at what he did!

I went back across the street to see if they could do our pictures. They said yes, so I ran and got everyone. But the problem was they only took cash. We had our cards. Richard ran down the street to get some cash from a store, but they had all closed. The people were very nice and said they would take a cheque from us this one time! Phew!! They started handing out clothes to us and getting us all ready. It was DJ's turn and I noticed he was filthy dirty from the black smith. He had black feet, hands and face. Oops. But they didn't have running water. So I had to run him across the street and lift him up into the water trough! Ha ha! He thought that it was hilarious. I got him nice and clean and carried him back so he wouldn't get dirty! Then they took our pictures! It was a blast. We found out that DJ was really in his element in the old time clothes. He loved it. So did Cadence and Brianna. Abbi, not so much. She hated the dress. She was not happy until the lady gave her a pistol and then we got a smile out of her! So funny! They were so nice! They stayed open an extra hour for us. We were the last ones out of the fort!

We said good bye and walked ourselves out! We stopped and got a picture of DJ driving the old School bus, with his sisters in it! Ha ha! Too funny! It was a really fun day. It went by so fast. We could go again and do all the things we missed. It was a blast.

DJ being the bus driver for his sisters!

Walking out to our vehicle! It was the last one in the parking lot!

Good bye Fort Steele!

Yup I was there!

We were all tired and hungry when we left, so we went into Cranbrook for dinner. Then we headed back to our trailer. It was our last night there. We packed up Saturday morning and headed home. It was a really fun week. We want to go another year.

First Boating Trip!

Well to be fair, it was our second boating trip. Our first time we went it was really windy out but we wanted to see how the boat worked. It was perfect. It was a fun day to play on the beach and go for a boat ride. It was fun. So this was our first time actually doing things behind the boat. I should back up a bit though and talk about Mikah and Shaylee first.

They came home with us from the Pitcher Reunion. They came to church with us on Sunday too. It was kind of neat because they came to Young Woman's with me and I was the one teaching that Sunday. They loved being in a room full of girls. Plus they knew some of the girls so that was a bonus too! Sunday night all my kids and Mikah and Shaylee slept in the trailer. They really wanted too. They had a fun sleep over!!

Monday morning it was really cloudy so we decided to go to Lethbridge and get the kids school shopping done for their clothes. Mikah and Shaylee were excited to help them. I took DJ and my girls stuck with their cousins. It worked out perfect. We got a lot of shopping done. Plus I was able to save a lot of money too. We were able to hit all the sales. We most of it done that morning. We stopped for lunch and finished up. It was perfect!! Thanks Mikah and Shaylee!

When we got back from shopping it was warm enough to go bridge jumping. So we all did after we had supper. It was very refreshing! Everyone had fun. DJ didn't actually jump but he would float down with me. Then when we got back everyone got changed and the kids decided to sleep out in the trailer again. So we made some popcorn and they had a movie night. They came in just around 10pm asking if I could take them bridge jumping again. It was Mikah and Shaylee's last night with us. So we decided to be a little crazy and go!! They had so much fun. I didn't jump, but I did take some pictures. They didn't work out that great, but I got a few.

Brianna, Mikah and Shaylee up on the bridge.

Brianna watching. It took her a bit, but then she finally jumped! Way to go Brianna!

Coming up from the canal.

DJ and Cadence just came to watch.

Everyone lined up on the bridge.

Cadence watching in her jammies!

They all ran at the same time and jumped. That's why it's blurry. I still thought it was a cool picture!

Cool picture of the sky!

Our crazy group that went night bridge jumping!! We miss you Mikah and Shaylee!

They left us Tuesday afternoon. We met my mom at the highway and she took them to Cardston. They were leaving with Trayden and Chase the next day to meet their mom and dad in Chilliwack, BC. We sure loved having them around in the summer. We all missed them when they left!

On Thursday, Brent called and invited us out to go boating. So me and the kids got out to Wally's Beach and set up a place on the beach and waited for Brent, Megan and Chris to come. It was a perfect day. Hot and no wind. Perfect for boating! Brent's friend, Dallin Fromm came with his cute family. He has two boys and DJ thought it was great that he wasn't the only boy! The water was pretty low, so when we were ready to do something, we'd head out to the middle of the lake and take turns. It was a fun day.

Abbi, Cadence and Dallin's boy flying in the air!

Cadence was hanging on for dear life!!

Abbi was having a blast!

Cadence not so much. She was done with the craziness. She was starting to cry here!

So Brianna switched her but first she made Uncle Brent promise he wouldn't go as crazy.

Megan showing us how easy it is to wake board!

Dallin's son (can't remember his name) and DJ watching Dallin wake board!

Dallin wake boarding.

Then he did an awesome wipe out!! ha ha!

Chris just about made it up on the wake board. So close.

Me flying across the wake on my slalom ski.

I love skiing. So much fun!

Abbi laying on her tummy on the knee board.

DJ hiding under the dingy while Uncle Brent was trying to shoot him with the water gun!

Playing in the muddy sand!

 Cute Cadence in her pink hat!

Keira going for a stroll on the beach!! Ha ha!

Me helping Abbi get up on skis.

Cool picture of the scenery (Megan had my camera!)!

And she's up! She popped right up!

Then she fell backwards!!

Me and Abbi in the water. She was OK and wanted to try again.

She's up again. This time she stayed up for about 10 seconds.

Then she crashed!

Brianna decided to just go on the Ezee ski!

Another pretty picture of the mountains.

Cadence being a goof on the Ezee Ski! She likes to be silly on it!!

DJ on the Ezee ski!

DJ was being a little grumpy that day but I didn't think anything of it. That is until he had a total melt down and started screaming at his Uncle Brent. That never happens. Brent pulled DJ on the ezee ski and DJ flipped out. I was in the lake, cause I help DJ to get going. Anyways, I could hear him screaming. Brent stopped and was helping DJ in but he started screaming louder and was refusing to come in the boat. Brent just bent over and grabbed DJ's life jacket and lifted him up. DJ isn't a small boy at all, so that probably wasn't an easy thing to do. Then I saw that Brent slipped, but he caught himself. Well DJ just kept on screaming. Then Brent came back and got me in the boat. It didn't really help, DJ just kept screaming. I was trying to calm him down and ended up getting after him and told him to stop screaming. That didn't help either. Sheesh. I apologized to Brent. I felt so bad. He was really good about it. DJ finally calmed down and we ended up packing things up and going. I took him to the doctors the next day and sure enough, he had an ear infection. The crazy kid, just won't tell me when he's not feeling good. I always find out by the way he's acting. He ended up feeling miserable that day (Friday). I got him some medicine and he basically stayed on the couch the whole day. He was running a fever too. But the next day, he perked up and was feeling a bit better.

Anyways, other then DJ having a melt down, it was a fun day. I'm glad we went out and took advantage of the weather. It was so much fun. I loved getting up on my ski. We missed last year, because the boat was broken. So it had been a few years. But I popped right up! So much fun!