We got back last night from a fun filled weekend in the Kootenays. My brother has started an annual family camping trip in New Denver where he lives. This year he got married during the weekend as well in a Japanese garden adjacent to the campsite. So much of our extended family was there. We have a large and complicated family so I think the girls were a little overwhelmed by all the new faces and connections. They got lots of attention though and had a good time. The weather was perfect and we are all a little more brown!

Our family had a group campsite. My brothers roasted a pig and a big beef roast. We had endless food. My sister in law said it was like being on a cruise. The next campsite over was entertaining. The couple drove a big converted yellow school bus. They were the typical "hippies"! Their kids ran around naked and more than once I smelled that natural smoky smell...too funny.

The scenery in the area is breathtaking. It's so refreshing to see unspoiled beauty. It's such a contrast to the boat filled lakes of the Okanagan. As we drove we would see one little canoe on a glassy lake, mountains surrounding and a glacier at the top. We all thoroughly enjoyed the road trip. The girls were amazingly good. I was as little worried as I had lent my van DVD player to friends who are on a road trip to California. I was really pleased that the girls entertained themselves the whole way and more importantly, were lovely to each other. This is not always the case in the back seat of the van! It made the drive quite pleasant.

It was great to see so much family, some I hadn't seen for many years. We talked about a lot of old memories. My brother, Emmett, the one getting married, is always the life of the party. We could constantly hear his laugh across the campground. He is a kid at heart for sure. As soon as I got there, after wrapping his arms around me and just about squeezing the life out of me, he laughed and said, "Hey, Hea!" It brought back such a funny memory. When I was growing up, the little boy next door couldn't say my name until he was about 5! He used to come running over and say, "Hey, Hea!" or "Can Hea come out to play?" I guess he just caught the first syllable of my name. My brothers of course thought it was very funny...I can't believe he remembered that. Emmett's had a lot of roadblocks in life to overcome, so it was nice to see him happy and at peace.

Here are some photos of our time there.