snapshots....

Which way now???

Abby and Susie don't seem to agree on which way to go at this point:

...but we did make it to the next cache, which Susie found - it was a touch one to find though as it meant going for a lot of off-trail hiking through some very rough ground (bushwacking!!! lol!) but we did get there and it was a lot of fun!!):

Cache 2!!!

This cache was a real cute one!!!  It was a big bug!!!  Neat huh???  

First cache of the day!!

This was the first geocache we found today and BOY was it a big one!!!  I think it was the biggest cache we had ever found!!  Lloyd found this one!!!

Stick mad!!

Sam is crazy about sticks!!  He always has to pick up a stick for a gun or sword or walking stick when we are out on the trails...but THIS stick......THIS stick is surely a little big ;)

Stay out of the stores - HIKE instead!!!!

We love hiking - we've always enjoyed walking - I always have - even when I was much younger I loved nothing more than hiking on Dartmoor in the UK or through woodlands or whatever.  When the children were younger we always found places to walk with them and they've all grown up spending weekends and trips walking and hiking in woodlands etc...today we spent several hours out hiking trails and 'bushwacking' (lol this word is new to us and we keep laughing about it but it seems to be used a lot in geocaching so we've started using it).

Tonight I was looking online for some info on health benefits and hiking so I could log the info into my fitness journal instead of the info off of my treadmill - and I came across THIS GREAT ARTICLE!!  It talks about how great hiking is for you - not just regarding calorie burning and cholesterol and blood sugar levels, but in preventing depression!

I particularly thought this quote below was interesting (although not surprising in my opinion and experience - I'm not big on malls or shopping in general unless there is something I need):

"In fact, they found that taking a hike in the countryside reduces depression, whereas walking in a shopping center increases depression. Results from the 2007 study showed that 71 percent reported decreased levels of depression after hiking, while 22 percent of the participants felt their depression increased after walking through an indoor shopping center. Ninety percent reported their self-esteem increased after the nature hike, while 44 percent reported decreased self-esteem after walking around the shopping center. Eighty-eight percent of people reported improved mood after hiking, while 44.5 percent reported feeling in a worse mood after the shopping-center walk."

I can definitely agree with the fact that after an afternoon in a mall I feel nothing but stressed from crowds, the over-stimulation of lights and noise and the feeling that I've wasted time, money and energy. After an afternoon spent outside hiking I come home rejuvenated, relaxed, happy and feeling good about myself from all that fresh air and exercise and like I've done something good for my children.  Today we spent time listening to Grouse drumming, owls hooting....we watched woodpeckers on the ground, squirrels running....we hunted geocaches and traded items...we investigated old wasp nests....we learned about old trails that lead up to the North West Territories.....we looked for signs of Spring....we burned up al those calories from Easter treats.....we laughed, we climbed, we took turns with the gps.  We all came home in good moods.

Don't judge!!

Love love LOVE THIS POST about not judging other Moms!!!  I think it says exactly how I feel about everything :)

Mickey and Minnie curl for Alberta!!

Our wonderful friends Val and James took part in their annual 'Jugspiel' competition yesterday - they go curling with milkjugs!!  From what I can gather they have teams and have to dress up in costume - then in between their games they basically drink and eat - and of course the more they drink the funnier the games get!!!

Vals team chose to go as Disney characters - and while  their friends were Snow White and Prince Charming, Val made these AMAZING Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes!!!  Aren't they wonderful????  I know they were stressing Val out more than a little this week - but the end results are soooooo GREAT!!!  I really do think she did a fantastic job!!!

Val - Sam will expect you to do the housework in this dress from now on ;)  

ps.  If I have any of these details wrong Val please correct me in the comments ;)

On the quad bike!!

This year Sam is big enough to ride the small quad bike on his own - he can reach the pedals and control it well all on his own and does a great job!!!  :)  He was sooooo proud!!!

Girls enjoying being back on their quads...

Rosie the scruff!!

Oh you should see Rosie!!  She is SUCH a mess!  And soaking wet EVERY day - the pond is no longer frozen which of course means that Rosie is in the pond swimming every day - her most favourite past time!!!  As soon as the ice is gone you will find Rosie in the pond swimming!  This is why she is such a scruff!!!  

The above picture shows Rosie's second favourite past time - Lloyd hitting the ball with the baseball bat - so the dogs have to run for MILES to get the ball :)  Amber is NOT a good retriever lol - she is more of a dumb blonde ;)  Rosie is a great retriever though!!

SEE!!!  THIS is what Rosie looks like most of the time, and is why she almost always looks such a matted mess - she is constantly in our mucky pond:

Amber has more sense and won't go in it ;)

Dust bath....

I can not believe how dirty Kitty was after he went rolling in the dirt....sigh...

The annual egg hunt!!!

It was sooooo WONDERFUL not to have snow and not to have wet ground this year!!!  It meant that for once we were able to hide eggs EVERYWHERE!!!  We hid them all over our acreage - so the children spent ages hunting through woods and fields for all the plastic coloured eggs that we had filled with little candies and treats.  We try and hide some in high places and more difficult places for the older ones and some in easy places for the littler ones.  

They'll get to eat their candies after dinner when we all curl up and watch a family movie together.  Firstly we have our big dinner - this year Lloyd chose Roast beef and yorkshire puddings.  It smells yummy!!

Tomorrow Chris is having some friends over and they are having another egg hunt together!!!  

I hope you have had a lovely Easter Sunday - and have a wonderful Easter Monday too!!  I hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing, that the sun shines down on you :)  

Relaxing in the sunshine

Sam came out to join us on the deck after brunch....he was a little hyper from all the chocolate and candy he had ingested lol!!  He didn't sit still for long ;)

Easter Day Brunch...

Once the children had hunted their BIG eggs (they get one each and they are hidden inside the house) and had settled down with a craft and activity/ movie etc etc....Lloyd and I went outside and enjoyed a lovely quiet brunch together in the sunshine.  It was a lovely sunny day and our back deck is a lovely sheltered sun trap :)  

Eggs, toast, croissants and jam and hot cross buns!!!  Orange juice and coffee...YUM!!!!

We did this last year too and it was hard to believe how fast the last year has gone and it was already a year since we had enjoyed this while the children played Jelly Bean Bingo inside and coloured eggs the last time!!!!

Time flies so fast!!!