Oh Canada

I have been dreading this post. There are so many things I want to remember, but have to keep it at a reasonable length. It will be long, with details you probably won't want to read, and the pictures are all over the place. I'm just saying...

A week ago we arrived home from the greatest place on earth. (I know I use that term loosely, but this is seriously the greatest place on earth) For the past 26 years, excluding two, I have spent July 1st on a farm in the lil'est town ever, Hillspring, Alberta, Canada with THE coolest people ever. And they all happen to be blood related. We are a pretty sweet family, I have to say.

Most nights began harmless. Sitting in the large living room of the 14 bedroom lodge, talking. The conversations would usually escalade quickly, leading to rolling on the ground belly laughing after Joe would make a dry comment or Melissa with an impression of someone. Many impressions of poor Peter Breinholt were made throughout the trip. We may have been drunk from the home-made, yeast-filled, root beer made for the anual root beer contest, or endless popcorn Aunt Collette would serve us, but anything after midnight was the funniest thing I ever heard. I yearn to be back, re-sculpting my six-pack from all the belly laughing.

As if any of you want to hear all that. I just want to remember the funniness.

I've always dreamed of living a simple, quiet life up there. I always daydream while driving up there, through the country. My favorite thing to do after entering the great country is pop in my burned copy of "Fumbling Toward Ecstasy" (One of my top 5 "if I were stranded on an island what cd's couldn't I live without") and take everything in. My favorite song, Elsewhere, plays and every word fits my mood. Exactly.

'I love the time and in between
The calm inside me
In the space where I can breathe...'

Aaahhh...my heaven.

We did everything we do every year, and it was perfect. Perfect and so fun.

Alright, alright. Enough of that. I took some pictures, but not nearly enough of my family. A lot of other people though. I need to work on that. Bad.

The first day we got there we joined everyone down at the river bottom for some weenie roasting. One of my favorite traditions.


This is at the river bottom. Also where we go tubing.


July 1st goes something like this:
pancake breakfast
4 minute parade
4 hour program
beef and beans at the park
races at the park
do whatever we want. I think bridge jumping went on that day. Or tubing? Can't remember.
roman candle wars with the boys
fireworks

Here's me and Coop at the program. I find that I take WAAAY more pictures with my point and shoot. So you'll get a lot of them :)

ALL the sexy ladies at the parade.



Coolest parents ever. And my cool sister, Jax.

Dave regretting marrying into this madness...


Onto...dun dun dun...the roman candle wars. Pretty much all the boys/men/guys, whateva...go into this field and try to hit eachother with roman candles. We all watch and laugh. Seriously, we are so weird.



Preparing.

Torturing.

We may get bored and start taking pictures



Lastly, the fireworks just as good as any fireworks show you'll see anywhere, put on by my cousin


I had fun taking pictures of random kids. Meaningless to you, but fun for me.

sweet kendall

katie eating ice cream

tracie and skylie

more skylie


beautiful neighbor menenite girl

silly boys

Aaahhh...my sweet baby and aunt Jackie. I want to devour Reese's face in this picture.

sweet Cooper pondering

dreamy little summer

and of course, my camera's favorite subject, Skylie.

oh wait, this is my camera's favorite subject. Her eyes are so sparkly in this picture. I love them.


I had to add this picture of me and melissa at the bar we ate at on the way up.


Uncle darryl took us boating. And once again no pictures of my own family. Sickening.





Alright, alright...I promise I'm done. This is a huge burden off my chest. Blogging/thinking about blogging is starting to suck the life out of me. Why must I stress?