We had a beautiful summery day! Full of exploring adventures, and misadventures, as Ezra likes to say.

We went to Chochrane to get Ed's new, and first BMX bike. He scoured kijiji and found this one that turned out to be perfect. Custom salt parts, oddesy wheels. It suits him so well.

Since we were there we wanted to explore somewhere new. We went to the Cochrame ranch. The have a beautiful old house that was originally built as a home and the area's first hospital combined. They had the most  wonderful collection of georgous old toys. I love old houses like that all whitewashed with slat walls and wide wooden window frames and white lace curtains.

The boys found a 'Waldo' hidden amongst the displays and won a prize.

Then we walked out into the grounds. Theres a beautiful little stream and georgous big cottonwood trees. We climbed up a hill to a rocky ridge. There was a great big statue representing the cowboy who settled the area. It was a wonderful bit of high rolling foothills ranch land, preserved with the town growing all around it.


We followed the rock outcroppings, which Edmund parkoured along to some fun stairs back down to the path and then after a hot walk made it back to the stream and the shade of big  pine trees on the other side. The boys picked me flowers the whole way. They are darling and sweet to me!

Ezra suggested 'Pooh sticks' on the little bridge and we played with sticks and then green leaves that showed up better in the water.
We crossed the stream and walked along the trail weaving around trunks and over roots right next to the stream.

We came to a tree that grew horizontal right at the edge of the water and grew up and across the stream. Ed and Ez looked at me with a 'please' in their eyes. And I said yes! The water was shallow so even if they didn't make it I knew they'd be fine.  Ed went first, he ran across the trunk and hopped down on the opposite bank, easy peasy. Ez went next, walked across and all was well. Then Edmund wanted to come back across along the trunk again. He lifted himself and hung on with arms and legs. Then it was an effort to swing himself around up  onto the trunk. With some help from Ezra he got up and was back across. Then Ezra was left to try the same moves on his own. He hung onto the tree and walked himself down the bottom of the trunk with his arms and legs around it. Ed ran back to the bridge to get around and help him. Ezra kept walking himself closer and closer and lower and lower along the bottom of the trunk untill his shirt was brushing the water. Ed was back by now but Ezra was too far for him to reach. I stepped out onto the trunk to help and suddenly he could hold on no more and was as far as the water would let him.
"Take my shoe!" He said. And I pulled it off.
"And my wallet!" He somehow got it from his pocket while clinging to the bottom of the tree. As soon as I had it and pulled off that shoe too. Down went his feet into the stream and he was standing thigh deep in the water in his socks!

A great little adventure for them! The little boys got to sit on the trunk and dip their toes in while the big boys wrung out the socks and then we carried on. And what presence of mind for Ezra to save his wallet! It's a good leather one from Dad.

Just before we met a couple who were letting their dogs cool off in the water. Ollie was hiking along a bit above the pathway, I didnt think much of it just that he was walking on the slant part,  as boys like to do. But later he asked us if those dogs were interested in us? He had been being brave and not afraid but keeping a comfortable distance. I am so proud of him for working on this fear. Later at lunch he said how his legs get weak he is so afraid. "But I'm working on it!" He says, with his neck tall and his eyes wide.

We were looking out for Grandfather tree from the brochure. A big old pine with large interesting roots on the steep bank. A minute later Edmund spotted it and ran up the slope to it. Suddenly he called a sharp,"Mom!" His voice was strange. And then, "I'm bit by a wasp!" There were lots of wasps he was saying and he was tearing down the hill back to me. I could see a few swirling after him in the sun that streaked through the branches. Like dust motes, but dangerous. I prepared to catch him, grab the littles and run and keep an eye on the wasps all at the same moment.

Luckily he left soon enough and ran fast enough and didn't get close enough to the nest to disturb anyone but the scouts. They didn't follow him very far. Thank goodness he was safe.

We left there and continued on down the path. Ezra noticed his arms were bruised and scratched from hanging onto the tree trunk. He said sage was good for healing and I had some in the little bouquet the boys picked for me so we crushed the leaves and laid them on his arms as we walked.

Then here we were back at the rach and the beautiful green lawn. All safe and home again!
So with some scrapes and bruises, a bite on the but oh and a terrible job of shredding Freddie's pantleg to make shirts out of his hot fleece pants with nothing but a stick, and a bloody fly bite on Ollie's ankle we made it back.

We got a little food and since we were so close to the north west I said 'who wants to go to Bowness Park?!' Everyone did so we went because it was a easy breasy, warm, free summer day. We had a lovely little swim. Edmund and ollie had fun playing together, leaping at eachother. And then ed and Freddie chased eachother in circles while ezra and Ollie had a nice play.

I love cuddling my babies with their fresh little bodies wrapped in their towels, wet hair soaking my arm, their happy perfect faces looking up at me or eyes closed nuzzled against me.  Sitting on the grass with the leaves above and the water before and all the happy sounds and my child on my lap is so peaceful and my favorite part of summer. And of life really.


The little ones are sleeping now and the big boys have made a tent in the bunk bed. 'Air tight and sound proof' with a fan blowing in it. I can hear them giggling. I love how summer holidays gives them time to be buddies and good friends. To have ideas together, work on projects, make up their own little jokes and connect and grow closer. I love watching those moments between all of them.

We are lucky lucky lucky and blessed.