a summer to remember.

Summer 2017 is winding down, as much as I hate to admit it.  The first few leaves have fallen, the weather is undeniably cooler, and you can't go out in public without being bombarded with pumpkin spice everything. I love fall, really, I do... I'm just not ready for it. I'm never ready for it. I wish that summer would last forever, or at least longer than 2 months.   

Though I'm sad to see my favourite season go, I take comfort in the fact that we truly made the most out of this summer.  We made so many memories and went on so many adventures. Aaralee is almost 4, and I know that years from now, she'll remember bits and pieces of this summer. Hopefully she'll want to bring her own kids on the same adventures, just like I did in this summer of sweet nostalgia. 

 

It was a summer of birthdays. Briley's birthday, my birthday, Niko's birthday, and in just a week, it will be Aaralee's birthday! 

It was a summer of Canada.  Canada 150 made us all extra patriotic, and I am forever grateful to call Canada home... even with its lack of eternal summer.

It was a summer of roadtrips. 

Our first trip in early July took the girls and I to Calgary for a quick little getaway with my mom. 

The first day, we drank ridiculous milkshakes at Regrub.  

The next day we explored Banff National park. 

The final day, we took the girls to Calaway Park and they had the time of their lives riding every ride that they were tall enough to go on. Aaralee even braved the log ride, though she vows to never do it again.  

Our next road trip took us 6 hours south, to Ryan's family reunion. It was a huge event, for a huge family. On the way home, we detoured to Waterton Lakes National Park, a first for me! 

Our next roadtrip took us to Mt Kidd for a weekend of camping with some of our best friends. The weather was perfect, as was the company. The girls had a blast and asked to go camping "every day!" 

We took a break from road trips for a couple of weeks to save up the time and energy required for the longest journey yet. My mom, the girls and I drove all the way to Vancouver and spent a week touring the coast and the Okanagan.  

I ran my first half marathon in Vancouver, after a summer full of training.

We went on the Sea to Sky gondola, wandered Granville Island, and dipped our toes in the ocean.

We played at the beach, built sand castles, and discovered Aaralee's love of the water. 

We went wine tasting and ran through vineyards and orchards.

And finally, we made a stop at one of my childhood memories... the Enchanted Forest. Things that I find dull as an adult are suddenly magical again once I rediscover them with my children. 

Our final road trip of the summer brought us to Lake Louise, where we camped with Ryan's parents.  It was a beautiful weekend, and on our hike to Larch Valley my amazing daughter's hiked a large portion of the uphill trail all by themselves. 

Though a great deal of our summer was spent away from home, we still managed to have fun when we were in town. 

 We splashed at spray parks. 

We played at normal parks.

 We went to K-Days for an extra dose of midway food. 

We spent time with our best friends. 

 We bought a zoo membership so that we could see the animals on a regular basis.

We took our first trip to the ER when Briley dove headfirst into a fireplace. It wasn't our favourite memory, but a memory nonetheless.

We had lunch dates and playdates, spent mornings strolling the farmer's market and taking long walks along the river.  All in all, it was a summer to remember.  Though the days are dwindling, I'm not going to say goodbye to summer just yet. 

We still have sunny days to enjoy, evenings to spend at the park, and one big birthday to celebrate. I'm holding onto summer as long as most of the leaves are still hanging onto the trees.