We Love Christmas!

I love to be downtown to see the lights come on the day after Thanksgiving, This year someone that Ray knows told us about a celebration and lights at the Grand America Hotel so we packed up the kids and left to see what it was all about.. Well we had the best time ever. We didn't think it would be inside so it was a lot colder than we thought it would be but they had all kinds of things to do.

Lots of HOT CHOCOLATE, Scones and the roasted flavored almonds yummy...

As long as Dax had a drink he was a happy man.

They did a tour of the Hotel so we went in to get warm. This is looking out of the Presidential Suite.

They also started the Angel Tree. This tree was FULL of elderly people that just wanted a blanket. It made me stop and think how very grateful we are to have a nice warm home and family that loves us and helps us along the way.

They also had a place to decorate gingerbread men so we did that too.. the kids had more fun eating the candy. (Ray that is)

We had to wait in line to have our picture taken with Santa to bad Dax HATED IT....

They also had an auction of Gingerbread houses for JDF (Juvenile Diabeties Foundation)

This is the inside of one of them I could not believe the work that went into them.

We had a lot of fun that night can't wait until next year. It was the perfect way to start the Christmas season.

8,9,10 Off to Brithish Columbia,Victoria Island, Sidney, Seattle ,Yellowstone and Home.

OK so this is the last of the trip... We decided since we were there we should drive across to BC see all that we could then come home.

What a fun place to see the weather was PERFECT and the sights were incredible.

I just have never seen flowers so big and beautiful maybe I am just jealous I don't have the Green Thumb that they have, I loved the flowers so much

We had to get on 2 different Ferries to see the Islands so this is on our way to Sidney.

I was scared to death to drive the car on the ferrie. They are mean and if you don't go or do just as they think you should they yell, Yes I did get yelled at because I left to much room in between our car and the one in front of us.

Sidney is the cutest place it was amazing to me to see just how big the Islands are even surrounded by water. I guess I need to get out more.

This transfer took 4 hours so we took lots of pictures we saw lots of jelly fish and a few seals on our journey we also met very nice people who told us alot about the Islands.

Friday Harbor is a little Island with LOTS of money and we found out lots of people go there on the weekends to party and play.

It was so pretty I could live there, I don't think I would like the ferrie travel all the time though

On to Seattle it was a little bit cold this day but it did end up being nice as the sun burned off the fog.

we spent a long time in Pikes market place WOW I could have just pulled up a chair to people watch it was great.

We were there on Labor day with a Million other people but that didn't stop us we still had a ball. The fish market was the best. If you have no idea about what it is about go here. http://www.pikeplacefish.com/

We couldn't come home without stopping in Yellowstone. This was the second time we have been there this year I still love this place. We had a Awesome trip and this was the perfect way to end it I can't wait tell next year. Oh Where will we go...???

Jasper day 6&7

Jasper is such a pretty place and the funniest if you like to hike and really be in nature. There was so much to do here we only scratched a very small part of it.

All the water around here is this color because they are ALL glacier feed.

You can see all the glaciers just driving down the road they are all different in size this was a big one..

Lots of water falls to this one was so long it was called Bridal veil.

This is at Athabasca It is the name of the river that makes up these falls They are incredible to see, they are also very noisy They put off so much mist that the ground is always wet.

This picture is looking down at where the water comes out after it falls.

It truly was a incredible site

On the way to Jasper is the columbia ice field

looking back at the Athabasca glacier.

The water coming from this Glacier is about 100 years old. it was so blue and crystal clear. people brought their water bottles up to the glacier and were filling them with the water.... I was NOT that brave but Ray did try it out of his hands and said it was great.

This is the ice explorer that took us to the glacier.

I was nervous when it was time to get out.... not as scared as Bill and Jeanette though..

Standing on the Glacier was pretty awesome I must say.

More water and all the signs say around this part "This is NOT a playground" so of course we had to get our pictures by it... Please notice who is NOT in the pictures.

The animals there as I have said before are so friendly this one wanted to go home with us.

These pictures are from a hike called the 6th bridge it is like uncle toms cabin if you have ever done that in Yellowstone you just keep going DOWN, DOWN, DOWN don't get me wrong I love the going down but I know I have to come UP, UP, UP.... that is the hard part.

We didn't make the all the way it was getting to dark and we were afraid we would have a hard time coming back up in the dark.... there is always next time.

The town of Jasper is the smallest of the towns we saw but the flowers are just a big and pretty as they can be.

Jasper was and still is a rail town so this train is in the middle of town.