Fun At Calaway Park!

So I posted this on my other blog ~ A Year without T.V ~ by mistake so I am reposting it here!  Next time I will pay more attention! ;)


Before I had Jacob I have to admit that I didn't give much thought to wheel chair accessibility.  I knew that there were wheel chair parking spots, automatic doors on some buildings and the odd place had a ramp, but that was about the extent of it. 
This week we visited a place that seems to have given accessibility some real thought, oddly enough, it was an amusement park, Calaway Park in Calgary Alberta.  A place full of family fun, spinning rides, challenging games, yummy food and fun entertaining shows!
But here is the inside scoop on accessibility.  We stayed at the campground right beside the park.  We had a power only site because the full service sites were full and I am glad.  The campground is all about being close to the park, not about space and privacy, however the power only sites do have some trees and shade.  Full service was pretty much a big field with some little trees that will need a few years yet before they are ready to shade anyone!
There are bathrooms and showers on site.  A Canadian toonie ($2.00) will get you five minutes of hat water in a very clean shower.  I was very impressed.  But what I loved even more was the family bathroom.  You need the access code to get into this bathroom with a wheel in shower and room to manoeuver a chair and a couple of helpers.
We got up each morning, ate breakfast, stepped outside the door and walked across a field to the gates of the park.  No fighting the traffic or worrying about parking! Admission to the park is listed below and if you stay at the campground they offer discounted tickets and meal vouchers too. If you have a family member with a disability they get in for $11.55 (at the time of this post) and their aide (or mother/father) gets in free.  That is not all!  Once you have your tickets you head over to the guest service counter and ask for a bracelet.  This allowed Jacob and up to three others family members to beat the line ups.  We were put on the ride in one or two turns.  Someone was thinking! 

Regular (7-49 years):  $35.95+gst
Junior (3-6 years): $29.00+gst
Fifty Plus (50 years and up): $27.00+gst
Family of 4: $89.00+gst   Each additional family member: $22.00+gst
After 2 PM rate: @20.95+gst
children 2 and under are FREE! And you can purchase season passes.

That being said my sister in-law found tickets for $20.00 each at her local Co-op store.

Okay, now that we have all of that out of the way, let me share with you our adventure!
We spent two days at the park. It was great fun. My dear husband, Colin, our daughter, Mackenzie, son Jacob and nephew, Sloan joined me on this excursion.  Nathan was being 17 and decided that he would have more fun if he stayed home (Dang it all, he thinks he did)! 

Our first stop was the junior bumper cars for Sloan.  We were too big and Jacob couldn't go alone so we headed over to the "egg" ride where you climb aboard a giant egg that spins around and goes up and down.  This is where we discovered Jacob is no longer 3 :) He was so excited to get on the ride and squealed as it started, but soon turned to me with a very serious "You have got to be joking" look on his face!  Apparently he has out grown the "egg" ride.  We moved up to the junior roller coaster...better, but still not enough.



Kenzie and Sloan on the Eggs!



A very excited Jacob, ready for adventure!

Jacob on the Spider ride!  Getting ready for it to start!
(We tried to get a picture while it was running, but couldn't catch us!)



So reluctantly I got in line for the Spider.  This is what Jacob had been waiting for!  Spinning, tilting, up and down and the turns made "your heart feel funny" (quote by Sloan!)  Jacob laughed right out loud!  Then we headed over to a ride kind of like the swings, but in a car instead of a swing.  This was Jacob's limit I am sorry to  say.  He came off a very pale boy.  Wasn't to interested in lunch either. Poor guy,  but I am sure he was happier going on the 'big boy' rides.  It was a good reminder to me that he is growing up!
Kenzie and I had a turn on the roller coaster, we all took a turn on the carousel ~ tradition of course!But the favourite for all of us was the bumper boats! We came out dripping!  It was the best of both worlds, "big kid" ride without the crazy spinning!

A tired Boy on one last ride!

So what would we keep and what would we change?  We would do it again but I don't know if we would go two days in a row.  Day two was exhausting and I don't think we had recovered from the first day.  We would stay at the campsite again~  Loved the convenience.  Most of all we loved the time we spent with our family creating wonderful memories!
Thank you Calaway Park for helping All families to enjoy a fabulous day together~ everyone!
Have a wonderful Day!  I plan to!

A Wall Down Memory Lane!

We have just returned from a trip to Saskatchewan where we didn't have an Internet connection. So I am going to enter a couple of day that I wrote about!

Tuesday, July 9th:  I love to travel!  I love to see new places, enjoy new adventures and meet new people.  Yet there is always something beautiful and joyful about running into the familiar. 
We are in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan camping at the Shell Campground, where the mosquito's are crazy but the surroundings were just what I need! 
Today, after being stuck in the trailer for two days with my sweet children, I decided I NEEDED to get out for a bit, so I jumped on my bike...alone! As I rode down the dirt road, that was more sand then gravel, I was over come with a case of nostalgia.  The smells of the wild flowers, the sandy soil, the sound of the wind through the evergreens.  Even the angle and feel of the sun put me right back to being a six year old peddling my bike down the roads in Northern Ontario.  It was a beautiful thing!
I guess in some ways I am always trying to get back to my roots, figure out where I came from and why I am who I am.  I have to say I loved being 6 and what a surprise it was to be right back there.
Sometimes the best destinations are those that take us back to a time we loved rather then a place!
I hope you have a chance to take a peaceful walk down memory lane!  I quite enjoyed it!

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!

I love this time of the year! School is wrapping up and the kids will soon be free to be home.  I love having them here.  It is also that time of year when we do a little less structure and a little more travelling!  As the Travellin' Mom I am grateful!
My dear husband, Colin, and I have recently returned from a very quick trip to the East Coast where we finished packing up our house and said good bye to our dear friends and life there.  The house has finally sold and we have closure.  I didn't realize how much I still had tied up in the East.  I can finally settle into the West and be settled. I am very grateful for the adventures we enjoyed in Bathurst and the amazing friends we made. 

So what does the summer hold?  Camping!  Lots and lots of camping!  We broke down and bought ourselves a trailer this year.  It is just too crazy to tent it with Jacob and all that that entails.  So we are heading to Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta! If you have any tried and true camp sites you are willing to share I would love to add them to our itinerary! 
So stay tuned for more adventures and reviews!
Hope you have a fun filled day, I plan to!

All Is Well!

I have been away for a bit.  The end of March landed us in the Alberta Children's Hospital with our dear Jacob.  What we thought was the flu was quickly re diagnosed as a bowel obstruction.  Surgery was done and after two and a half weeks we were sent home.  I had my computer with me and had thought I would blog and keep everyone up to date, but every time I tried to write, nothing would come.  So I took a break. 

Jacob is back to school and although we are having a few issues with feeds, he is back to his happy, cheerful self.  He has been back to school for a couple of weeks.
It took me a couple of weeks to be able to put a clear sentence together and catch up of the lack of sleep.  A hospital is not a place to rest.  Although I understand it, it was still hard to handle having Jacob just drift off to sleep only to have a group of nurses enter the room to do safety checks and take vitals.  I have to admit I got testy a time or two. 
Can I just say we had amazing nurses!!! There were two that were a bit harder to take, one spoke to us like we were idiots.  I don't do so well with that, but she was on when Jacob came back from surgery and I was so grateful!  He had a bit of a scare and she knew her stuff!  I was glad she was there leading the way.  The other was new and needed a little reminding that the enema water should be body temperature, not tea temperature!  My confidence in her was shot after that and that was tricky.  But we had nurses that fought our battles for us, reminding cleaning staff that sleep was more important then washing the floor, talked to doctors to make needed changes and some who listened to a sleep deprived, fearful mother and gave the comfort and reasoning needed.  All treated Jacob like their own and he received the best care! Those amazing people who decide to use there time and talents caring for others, I am so grateful!  Thank You All!
We had amazing family and friends help in so many ways too!  Some brought meals, treats, conversation, others brought hugs, my children, hope, relief, socks, clean laundry and all brought love and comfort! 

I learned a few things through this experience too. 

• Always trust your instincts. A parent knows their child better then anyone. You need to advocate!
• I need a video of Jacob's "normal".  Jacob gets very quiet and withdrawn when he is in pain and it would have been good to have an example of what the norm is.  That way those caring for him would know he really wasn't handling the pain well.
• Always pack lots of cozy socks!
• The parent bed is chilly!  Take your own blanket. (But oh thank goodness it was there!)
• There is comfort in your own pillow too!
• Taking care of yourself is just as important as caring for your child!  If you crash, everyone is in trouble!
• I can go without sleep better then I thought!
• Everyone handles these things differently and we should NEVER judge!
• We are stronger than we think!

I am so thankful that Jacob is happy and well once more!  I am grateful I live in a place where health care is easily accessed and comfortable.  And amazingly enough, I am grateful for all that I have learned through this experience. 
 
I hope you have a healthy day!  I hope to.
 

Our Nathan

I have had a bit of computer trouble and not been able to post.  Very frustrating!  Maybe it's just me, but it always seems when I decide to become more consistent things pop up to prevent me from following through.  It's like the universe wants to see just how serious I am! Well, I have lost a week, but I am finally ready to go again!  Sooo...

....Without further ado, Let me introduce to you our dear Nathan.
He is our oldest!  Our first to do everything, our first to walk, talk, go to school, and now drive (yikes!)! He knows all about the joys and woes of  being the oldest! The opportunities and the responsibilities. He pulls it all together in his own way!

But who is Nathan?  He is our family photographer, heck he is a general photographer, a thinker, a chef, a fisherman, an all round outdoor adventurer, an entrepreneur, a creative soul and one of my favourite people! 



Fishing in Waterton National Park.
Summer 2012



Back packing in Waterton

What happens when there is just
Too much Homework!



Nathan's 'family famous burger'! 
This was so Yummy!!



Doing what he does!
Capturing the moment!



Hard at work or checking facebook?

Reaching for the top!

On a winter adventure in New Brunswick

I love watching this young man enjoy life.  He is an inspiration to me of how to embrace life and live it to the fullest.  He sets goals and follows through.  He has created and run two businesses.  He is a hard worker with a determined attitude.  And he has fun doing it all!
I Love being his Mom!
Hope you have an inspired day! I hope to!

Here's Kenzie!

Where I’m From

By: Mackenzie Wynder 2011

I am from drawers

   from Old Navy and Stain remover

I am from red everything

   (Dark, light it felt like I was surrounded.)

I am from the grass, the trees

    bright, fresh and damp smelling.

I am from the brown sugar, cinnamon toast and blue eyes

   From Dayna and Sheila and Rae.

I’m from the goal setting and hanging out,

   from you are beautiful! and I love you!

I’m from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

    and I am a child of God.

I’m from Alberta and Ontario

    haystacks and tea.

From the Candy shop my brother owned,

The two broken arms of my grandma

    when my mom was a baby.

Scrap books in the craft room full of pictures,

    me from birth to now

I will always have the memories to cherish.

I am from purple and pink clothes-

    bright, blue, snowy mountains.



Oh So Beautiful!
(Don't mean to embarrass you Kenzie, but it's true!)

 I always wanted to be a mom.  It has been a dream as long as I can remember.  It is just as wonderful as I imagined it would be!  I just didn't have the stress in my images! ;) 

I always wanted a boy first.  I have 3 big brothers and I think every girl needs one or two.  So when Nathan joined us I was thrilled!  But when he was almost two and we knew that he would have his chance at being a big brother, I have to admit I was dreaming of a sweet little bundle of pink!

What a joy a little girl can be. 

Mackenzie has always been full of spunk and determination. Maybe it comes with the red hair!

She amazes me at every turn.  Right from the start she has been ready to get life under way. She was trying to sit up at 4 months, wanting only to eating what she could feed her self at 6 months!

She sets goals and accomplishes them.  She in organized and a thinker.  I often say I want to be just like her when I grow up!  I am sure her spirit is older then mine. 



Enjoying the Adventure!

Full of talent!



Even when she's doing chores she is smiling!
(well most of the time!)



Enjoying a day in the snow!




Always Stylin'

I LOVE having a girl! There really is nothing quite like it!

(Love you Kenzie!)

Hope you have an adventurous day!  I hope to!

I Would Like You To Meet Jacob!

It occurred to me as I was looking over my last post, that I really haven't introduced my dear family to you.  So I will start with the youngest and work my way up!

As I was looking at the pictures I put on my last post, I realized they didn't really give a good idea of who Jacob is and that is sad because our Jacob is one of my favourite little people!



This is the Jacob we know and love the best.  He has an amazing smile and is quick to use it!

Twelve and a half years ago we had no idea what to expect with this little man.  Would he walk, would he talk, would he know what was going on around him?  Would we be able to know and fill his needs?
Well.  He doesn't walk or talk, But he defiantly knows what is going on and lets us know what he wants and when he wants it. Don't get me wrong he isn't demanding, in fact he is a very sweet, patient soul.  He is just really good at communicating without his words!  Instead he uses his many expressive faces!




His "NO" face.  This is a pretty mild "NO" Sometimes his brow is furrowed and you know you are being told!
On the up side, he smiles for "YES"!




We don't see this very often, but every now and then, when he has simply had enough we hear about it!  This is not to be confused with his broken hearted cry! (when all else fails pull out the camera!)



Not the greatest picture, but this is Jacob's 'famous lip'!  He is good at sticking it out when he is not impressed with what is going on!

 Jacob really does Not like to be left out of anything!  He is very much a part of what we do and the decision making.  And he has a list of his favourite things!




Mackenzie is one of Jacob's favourite people in the whole world!  They are kindred spirits if ever I had met a pair!

Knocking Down Mom's Block towers can fill a whole afternoon and get the biggest laughs!  There really isn't anything better.  Which reminds me... Jacob loves to TEASE!  He has a great sense of hunour!



Making Cookies and helping in the kitchen is a highlight of a great day!

Okay. Terrible picture of Mom, but Jacob LOVES the trampoline!  Look at that face!
(Not mine, Jacob's!)



Life is a whirl of Joy when Jacob is involved!  Great time on the carousel!



A good friend always knows how to make others feel included! 
He was a little worried about his eyes, but everyone else was doing it... why not him! 



Bringing down the house at the Halloween school dance! 
(He was one of the Triplets and Mackenzie was Merida from Disney's Brave)

 

So now you have a little better picture of our Jacob!  He is living life to the fullest, it just happens to be from the seat of his chair!
Hope you have a day full of joy.  I plan to!