100th Stampede - A Rainy Afternoon on the Grounds

Well we finally made it down to Stampede but we picked the rainiest day of all! So it was a whirlwind and we didn't get nearly as much in as we would have liked. So next year we should plan for two days at least!

Getting out of the rain to check out the police car

Calgary Stampede Round-Up Party

Brian got some tickets to the coveted Calgary Stampede Round-up Party July 11, 2012 so we arranged a sitter for the night, donned our cowboy gear and headed out for a good party and concert. The bands were 54-40, Mathew Good (or is it Dave Mathews? I can never get them straight) (don't ever invite me for name that tune, you will surely lose!) and The Tragically Hip 

Ready to Stampede!

Sunny Summer Days

I finally got the pool set up, not that there was much use for it during all the rain in June! But once we were back from camping in Vernon, Grady couldn't wait. 

In fact the conversation went like this:

Me: just got out of bed after a lovely sleep in courtesy of Brian

Grady: "Mommy you need to set up the pool"

Me: "I am just going to get dressed first"

Grady: "No, set up the pool then get dressed - that's the deal!"

I went and got dress first if you are wondering :D Brian leveled the pool spot for me so this year we were able to fill it full, which is nice as Grady is that much taller. I don't how many more seasons it will last us but we shall see.

Stella was in town from Germany so of course we needed to have her over for a pool play date!

Ellison Provincial Park BC Camping

We got out on our second camping trip of the year at the end of June. We were meant to be gone June 24-July 2 but mother nature had other plans a sent a mudslide west of Revelstoke. We decided to wait an extra day and hope for the best Monday morning. It mostly worked out in our favor. The road did open eventually but we were stuck in Golden for about 3 hours.

This camping trip we headed out to interior BC to enjoy (we hoped) the sunshine on Lake Okanagon at Ellison Provincial Park just outside of Vernon BC. We were meeting the Martin family 1/2(ish) and joining the Payne and Freckleton families who were lucky enough to leave on Saturday and miss the mud slide.

Excited to go camping!

John Janzen Nature Centre and Tegler Discovery Zone

I have been lax in posting lately because I have been busy with Hippo Hug sewing up a storm. But that doesn't mean we haven't taken time for fun too (just not much time for blogging). Recently on a trip to deliver some weighted products to a nursing home we took time out to visit the John Janzen Nature Centre and Tegler Discovery Zone

What a great place! You can climb inside a beaver dam and meet this guy...

Calgary Zoo Inspire Members Perks

As per routine ;D I am over at Family Fun Calgary today talking about what we have been up to at the zoo with our new memberships.

Here are the pictures you didn't see there:

The penguins (finally!) don't have a regular line up and since we had a penguin lover with us we had to pop in before the tour started.

Little Dance Stars get to go to the Calgary Tower

As you know Grady was enrolled in Dance this year from November to June. We got to see a little of what he was learning earlier in the year but he was most looking forward to showing off at the year end recital. We happened to plan a camping trip at the same time so we asked Grady if he would rather go camping for an extra night or do his recital. He chose recital so we got ready for it. (on a side not had he chose camping fate would have been on our side and we would not have been delayed 1 day by a mudslide)

With our little star about to leave for the backstage doors

Calgary Stampede Centennial Parade

As soon as Grady heard Stampede was starting up again he started asking to go the parade. Last year we were lucky that Grandma wanted her glimpse of HRH's so much she got up early to get good seats. But none of us was that keen this year! When Brian got home the night before and told me people already had chairs set up on the route I should have gone with my instinct to drive down and put some out for us. We arrived on 6th avenue between 5th and 6th around 7am and it was already two rows deep. We grabbed where we could and had a decent view although Grady had to sit/stand on someone's lap to see.

My cowboys!