Quite the climb......

By the time it came to climbing up THREE flights of these steps (yes this picture only shows ONE flight of them) we were hot and tired and did I say HOT??? It was 28c!!!! but Sam and Abby raced ahead so i could take a picture of them.....It had been worth it to see the Chinese garden and I didn't want to go through the Shaw centre.....

We headed back to Telus Plaza and had an ice cream each in the cool of the food court....then walked over to the City Centre Mall to do a little shopping before Lloyd called to say he had finished work and we could head home :)

it was a busy day but we had a lot of fun exploring downtown :)

Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

After lunch at the wading pool and cooling off, we heading to the riverfront park.....we wanted to have a look around the Chinese Garden there. By the time we got there we were soooo hot!! Abigail cooled off in the shade and we sat in there and had some water to drink....

The garden was very beautiful and peaceful and is right beside a beautifully scented rose garden too! We were the only ones there!

City Hall wading pool fun.....

After the parade we headed to Churchill Square to cool off in the wading pool by City Hall.....Lloyd dropped by during an early lunch break to say hello :)

The cool tanks!!!

Sam LOVED these tanks....we see a lot of army vehicles driving along Highway 14 but these tanks were up close and the road was vibrating and the tank with the big gun turned round and pointed the gun right at US!!!!! :) It was WAY cool!!! :) Sams face was sheer delight to see :)

Enjoying the parade!!!

Parade pictures....

At the parade!!!

A few days ago my friend Tanya messaged me and asked if I'd like to meet her downtown at the Capital Ex parade - well I didn't even know it was on this week!!! So I checked with Lloyd that I could get a ride with him and figured it all out, and yesterday we headed into downtown Edmonton to watch the Capital Ex parade!!

sadly Tanya had a Neuro appointment and ended up having to go for IV's, so we couldn't meet up at all - but we both managed to see the parade - Tanya saw parts of it - at a totally different place to me!!!

That aside, I got a really great place to watch the parade - close to the start and ride by the curb - and we had our towels to sit on. Lots of snacks and juice boxes. We were entertained with clowns and mascots coming by to say hello - things being given out - like frisbees and noise makers, flags and tattoos. Police cars and motor bikes coming by and waving. Then finally the helicopters and jets did a fly over twice to mark the start of the parade!!!! Very LOUD and exciting - the kids LOVED that!!! :)

The parade was really good (we've never been before so have nothing to compare it to except the crappy carnivals back home in England which take place on cold damp nights in October or November or something in the dark!!!!) so this was lovely!!!! It was a bit TOO long though as it lasted well OVER two hours and so the kids got a bit bored in the end so we stopped watching after the Chans model agency display bit.....we then headed to get something for lunch before the parade ended and the crowds hit everywhere. We then went over to the wading pools for a while and played there in the heat and cooled off. Lloyd came and joined us for a while on his early lunch break.....

The boys - what they've been up to!

Well, we've been a very small family this week! A family of FOUR!!!! Susannah has been at camp - and the weather has been great for her! I hope she has been having a fabulous time! We go to pick her up tonight and there will be a display of her horse riding skills as well as a family BBQ :)

Christopher has been working 12 or 13 hour days this week. He works for the boss on the acreage for several hours and then comes home and showers quickly and heads off to the golf club until close (10pm) . He comes in at 10pm and eats - often the first real meal of the day and then collapses! He seems to be enjoying it though!

Today he has a day off though BUT was up before 6am and went downtown with Lloyd to meet some girl at the library....he's registering for his Summer Camp and maybe checking out A Taste of Edmonton......

Laurence slept over at his friends - the twins on Wednesday night, then headed to the mall on Thursday evening to meet some different friends (from school) and went to see the new Harry Potter movie. He got home late last night. When he has been home, he has been out with friends on his bike....dropping by to pick up cans of pop or freezies.....

So thats what the older boys have been up to......

Playground fun and a walk around the lake...

Farmers Market......

On Wednesday evening we stopped off at the Farmers Market in town and had a stroll through the stalls before walking around Broadmoor Lake - it was a gorgeous Summer evening. We stopped at the playground for a while too.

If you're wondering about Abigails outfit - well, she is in a 'Fancy Nancy' phase and so is wearing 'fancy' clothes to go anywhere. I give in when it really doesn't matter - like on trips to the farmers market ;)

Broadmoor Lake...

Sherwood Park has so many lovely parks and lakes for Summer walks. We really are so lucky!! So many places to ride your bicycle, in-line skate, walk your dog, run, walk with a friend or alone, sit and read, sit and draw or paint, people watch, take photographs.....

Parks here are so clean and tidy and safe - they aren't like that where I come from - I hope people appreciate that!