Birthday Celebrations

Excitement was in our house for weeks prior to last Friday's celebration of Gideon's 7th birthday. He received a birthday card at least a week earlier from a dear cousin in Florida, then waited eagerly the week of his birthday stating "I should be getting some mail this week as it is nearing my birthday." Little did he know that the cards were piling up in mommy's closet awaiting the actual birthday. The night before, we set them out on the living room table along with our gifts for him. Early that morning, Gideon was delighted to observe the cards and gifts.

"I've always wanted my very own Bible!" Peter gave Gideon a pottery tea cup he had made at his art class at the local Arts Centre.

Uncle Scott can be assured that Gideon continues to have a love for hockey.
Gideon is happy that he is loosing and gaining teeth as the months go by. We enjoyed part of the afternoon at a local lake.



Swimming, birthday cake and more Lego! An enjoyable time for all.

Kananaskis National Park

Enroute to Lake Louise for a mini-vacation as a result of Albert having a conference to attend there, we were blessed to view God's majesty, power and Creation glory.

"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah55:12)



"The high mountains are for the wild goats" (Psalm 104:18)


"You cause the grass to grow for the livestock" (Psalm 104:14)





We arrived in Lake Louise to this spectacular view of the Lake from our Chateau bedroom window.

Lake Louise

We were blessed with the opportunity to discover and explore Lake Louise and area for three days while Albert enjoyed a conference at the Chateau with members of the Alberta Planning Association.

The lighting was spectacular on the Lake as the sun rose in the morning....




and at noon as the boys enjoyed jumping from rock to rock along the pathway beside Lake Louise.....








Strolling at dusk along the Lake was an incredibly beautiful experience of the majesty of God's creation.
"Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty...The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them" (Psalm 104:1,8)

Monday - Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park boasts towering rock walls, spectacular waterfalls and 28 peaks over 3000 metres in height - it's no wonder that the word "Yoho" is a Cree expression of awe! The park was established in 1886 as another national gem along the Canadian Pacific Railway.





We viewed the entry and exit portals of a railway engineering marvel. The Spiral Tunnels, completed in 1909, reduced the original railway grade of 4.5% (the steepest of any in North America) to a grade of 2.2%. The boys are enjoyed the exhibits showing how the tunnels work and produced their own sketches.

Kicking Horse Pass - click on this picture of the plaque and read about the usual reason for the Pass being named "Kicking Horse Pass".




"Meeting of the Waters" along Yoho Valley Road near Field. There is a marked contrast in the colour of these two merging rivers. The milky colouration of the Yoho River is caused by glacial silt from nearby glaciers. Glacial silt in the Kicking Horse River has settled out in a series of upstream lakes leaving clearer water.

The boys enjoyed the majestic rocks and the beauty of the setting. We sang "Land of the Silver Birch" as a means to ward off any bears in this remote location, while sketching the majestic beauty of the mountains, river and trees.




We head into the town of Field and enjoyed some warm hot chocolate and a mocha latte -yummy and warm!

Tuesday - Icefields Parkway

Banff National Park: Icefields Parkway

Named for the mighty glaciers that flank its west side, the 230 km Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is one of the world's most spectacular drives. The road traces the Continental Divide and is a World Heritage Site.

We had the priviledge of driving part of the Parkway and seeing the rugged peaks and turquoise lakes which dominate this part of God's creation.









(Crowfoot Glacier)










We stood in awe of this creation beauty and praised our God in song:
"Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God."









(Bow Lake & Bow Glacier)

Bow Summit and Peyto Lake , 42km from Lake Louise - we took a short uphill walk past meadows of alpine flowers to a view of glacial-fed and brilliantly turquoise Peyto Lake.












Although it was only a short uphill walk from the parking area, we were out of breath given the elevation! It was certainly worthwhile!










Bow Summit -highest point in the Parkway, with remarkable view of Peyto Lake.












The lake's teal colour is light reflected by suspended glacial sediment.









While enjoying the spectacular view, God blessed us with a rainbow above the lake (faintly seen to the left of Peter). God's promises are forever sure and we praise Him.

A tidbit of Canadian history: Peyto Lake is so named after William "Wild Bill" Peyto, mountain guide and Banff's first warden.









Explorers and fur traders crossed the river at Saskatchewan Crossing where Howse, Mistaya and North Saskatchewan rivers meet.

After a few hours in the car, we decided to return to the swimming pool, hot tub and steam room at Lake Louise rather than proceed further to the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier. Next time we hope to go there with Daddy and complete the Icefields Parkway Driving Tour with Airstream in tow and enjoy the Interpretive centre and and icefield walk.

At dusk, we took a stroll along Lake Louise, from the Chateau. The lighting was intriguing as the sun set behind the mountains and the moon reflected on the lake.