Camping Part 2

The second half of our camping trip was so cold!! It was windy and rainy and overcast. So sad!! But we made the most of it and it was still awesome.

She would go around constantly and drink the end drops of pop bottles that were out. So gross! 

So on Thursday morning grandma/grandpa, larry, Lauren and Greg all went golfing so mom, LeeAnne and myself were with all the kids. My mom is amazing. She came up with this game for the kids were they had to complete challenges. (Find five pine cones, find three different flowers, score 5 pts in golf shoes, etc). They got points for each thing, and the person at the end with the most points for $5 to spend at the store and everyone else got $1. So this challenge was go in teams and take a picture with a stranger and with three different number 5's. Pretty funny to watch them run around and do this. So here's the random man Alexis found to take a pic with

In this challenge, they had to build a structure in teams as big as my moms knee and Qs had to be able to stand on it. They ran frantically trying to find things to make a pile!

It took about 1.5 hours to finish, and they loved it. They all ran so hard!! Brooke was the winner, but here they are all holding up their winnings (including Q, who actually ran so hard, also doing what my mom was saying. It was so cute!). I was amazed at my moms ability to think quickly and at how fun she is. None of these were her own kids, but she spent the morning with her nieces and nephew and granddaughter coming up with an awesome way to entertain them. I want to be more like her in ways like that.

That evening was horseback riding!! Q saw the horse farm during the week and would yell "horse! Horse" every time we drove past, so I was excited to take her on one! She was sad when she realized that she couldn't go with Brooke haha

She got up there, no fear at all and talked to the horse the whole time (his name was freckles). She wasn't as over excited as I thought she might be, but she was happy to be up there

Rayne on her horse!

It was so gorgeous out there. People out here often ask me how prairie people function without being near the ocean, or wonder how the ocean isn't my favorite smell. Well, here's my answer. This sight to me is he most beautiful, and it takes my breath away. The prairies are not all flat wheat fields, and these trees and back country grass are beyond beautiful. This smell, the one of the trees and fresh air and flowers; that's my favorite smell. When I can breathe so deeply and can look into the distance and see the sunset - there's nothing more spectacular. I can see God so clearly when I look around out here. My heart was singing while we were out there

I loved doing something that I so loved growing up with Quinnlyn. I need to remember to keep showing her parts of my world, and teaching her the things that are close to my heart. 

She ate SO MANY marshmallows!! She kept asking Uncle Larry for "one moremore pease", and he would give in. I eventually had to hide the marshmallow bag!!

Sitting in her own little camping chair! This was Brooke's when she was small, and all of the kids have used it. Also, look at Alexis here eating her s'more. What a dork haha! 

On Thursday night, which was our last night, it POURED rain at around 9pm! We were all going to call it quits and head in for the night, when all of a sudden grandpa comes out with an umbrella. We all scrambled to get umbrellas and it was awesome! We created a little circle tent around the fire with them and we stayed dry and warm! It was awesome! Worked like a charm

Oops! Out of order! But here's Brooke on her horse earlier in the day :)

Friday morning! Our last day. Grandma said this was her highlight - finally getting some snuggles with Quinny who had mostly ignored her all week, more interested in playing with her cousins! It was nice to see her give Grandma some love too

Walking down to mini golf and I laughed at these three. Without knowing it, they all had different versions of the same kind of bag that they brought along. They must be sisters...

Such cuties!! I have a similar pic from 14 years ago of Brooke and I standing on the same hills on the hole! I'll have to dig it up. These two were so inseperable!

These people. I love them so much it hurts. My aunts and my grandma have done so much for me, helping raise me and always having my back. I moved away almost 10 years ago for the first time (ten!! Where does time go??!) and I've missed so much in the lives of my little cousins and that often makes my heart ache. These are people who are dearest to me and I desperately want Quinny to know them. So weeks like this where we can spend solid, concentrated time together is SO GOOD for my soul! I feel filled, energized, loved and renewed. It's really good to spend quality time with the people who know you best and love you most. It reminded me that I may be far away, but I am not forgotten and that we are immensely loved by a giant family. I miss them already. I just wish Jon could have been with us this week!!!

It's hard to tell, but Q is laughing here because Alexis and I were hugging and being silly. I love this picture because it was a moment where I was fully in the moment and laughing and enjoying being exactly where I was.

Pretty ladies!! Mom and I both won free games so we gave them to the kids since we had to leave in just a few more hours

My back was killing me, so my mom carried Q back. As you can see, she was so happy about it... Not. She was reaching and screaming for me. My mom just laughed and pushed through. I ran ahead and walked with Brooke and mom eventually distracted and calmed her down. Thanks mom!

One last round of catch phrase with the whole family! Grandma and Grandpa weren't so great at it, so it's a good thing that one was on each team instead of both on the same team! Haha!! It was so funny. Even Jace who stutters so much was quicker than them!

I don't have many pics of him, but Uncle Larry was amazing this week. He was SO good with Quinny, and he just looked out for us, as he always does. His similarities to Jon are so plentiful it's shocking. Both are so kind and selfless, always putting others ahead of themselves. They are both joksters and light hearted, and both have a hard time talking about anything serious, including their feelings about deep things. My aunt and I had such an interesting conversation about this, because the fact that Larry never talks about how he feels about anything and just clams right up is so frustrating to her, even after 20 years. It made me realize how important it is for me to keep pushing Jon to open up, not just to me, but to a close friend or mentor or someone. He doesn't have the same open relationship with his siblings that they have with each other because he is just always the jokster, the silly one. He doesn't open up to friends because he feels like he doesn't know what to say, and he would rather listen to what's going on with them. Spending so much time with Larry was so good, but also so eye opening on what can happen if you don't ever verbalize how you feel. I love you Jon, and I think you're the most amazing man. It's just important that you really find someone who you can talk to and trust in confidence.

Driving the motor home 

Bridge! She was funny in the hour before we left - she stood in the center of the circle and giggled like a maniac (overtired because I didn't nap her, wearing her to sleep in the car instead), and dancing and singing and showing off her gymnastics moves. She was hugging everyone and just being really funny. She had everyone laughing pretty good

Lauren and Greg. I love seeing her so happy after seeing her hurt and struggle for so long after Keith. She's the best and she deserves the best.

We said our goodbyes and I cried and my heart broke a little bit. I wanted to get back to Jon, but I so badly wanted to stay behind and be with these people for longer. We weren't even out of the park yet and she was already sleeping! 

We flew out of Medicine Hat at 8pm and our flight in Calgary for delayed and Q decided she didn't want to sleep. So here she is at 1120pm, still awake as we boarded the plane to Vancouver! She fell asleep a little while after this! Here's to hoping that she doesn't think 11 is her new bedtime!! But that aside, she's such a good traveller!! Everytime she does so well. She loves the airplane and is so well behaved when we are on there

Success! I was so happy once she fell asleep! All I wanted to do was eat my sour skittles and read my book! Haha! Jon picked us up and it was so nice to be back together!! The week flew by but I missed him. Sometimes I think my heart is split in two and there are pieces of it in both places. But I'm so glad that I am able to go home and see my family and have the best time, and then come back to a husband who is excited to see me, and missed us greatly. It's a good life.