Canada days 6,7 (Lentil Festival) and 8

The last few days of Canada were a huge whirlwind. I am not sure that we did to much, but it sure did go quick. Thursday was our last full day in Calgary. Brent's dad was pretty excited to go to Boston Pizza all week, so we finally went!

Brent doesn't handle vacations to well... by the end he was eating EVERYTHING!
The vast majority of the day was spent playing cards and hanging out! This is Julie and Nikimo. They have four dogs, and Nikimo is my favorite because she looks like a little fox! I love her! Julie and I both got left out of the Rook fun so we had a good day just relaxing and napping! That night we played Scene it on the Wii.. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Brent and I really want to buy that game. The regular version is pretty hard, but the Wii version is perfect!

On Friday we headed to our half way point (Pullman). This is a picture of a huge rock slide that we saw on our way out.
I am not going to lie, 8 hours is a LONG TIME to be in a car! Once we got in Pullman we were swept away to the Pullman Lentil festival!

Everyone at the festival gets free chili! It was to spicy for me but apparently not for Brody!

Maren taught us the trick was to go to all the church booths because they give out free stuff like this cotton candy!
So I gave Brody his first little taste of Cotton Candy.. Man that boy loved it. I was quickly scolded because a tiny little thing (his stomach doesn't process sugar yet)... seriously it is totally not a big deal! And look at that face he loved it!

Braden wanted to walk on this bridge really bad, so I took him but there are holes on the pathway! Maren took a walkway picture of us! Thanks Maren!

Braden wanted to drive the ambulance, but he wanted me to come with him! This is huge news because he usually hates me! This week he was all about having me around! It was AWESOME! I spent the majority of the festival playing with Braden, and Brent was so tired from the drive he kinda didn't care!

This is what the festival is all about! The world's largest pot of Chili! Maren said it is always full to the top too! it is huge!

Braden was pretty tired by the time we were leaving Braden became captivated by this golfing game... This nice little boy let us cut so Braden could try! He was pretty good, he either hit is hard or barely tapped it! I love this little boy!
That night we played Bonanza with Maren and Blake! They are really fun to play games with and Maren is a total tiger! Braden knew we were having fun so although he was put to bed at 8 he was back downstairs running around and begging for candy! He understood we were playing and he wanted to be apart of it!

Today we drove home, I watched movies while Brent drove! That boy is amazing! I love him so much!

these are the main people I want to say thank you to! Ryan and Julie for inviting us to come up and visit, and Brent's parents for being willing to let us carpool! Thank you so much we love you all!

Canada Day 5: Take 2!

On Wednesday, Brent and I both woke up early and went for jogs/hike. You think we would have gone together but we missed each other by about three minutes. Brent took the camera and found some wonderful shots.

Can you believe these views that we get to see just walking around?
After we finished our jog/hike, we picked up Brent's parents and went out for some yummy breakfast. I tried to eat light but that word just doesn't exist in this town! After Breakfast, we piled in the car, Zach had to sit in the very back with all the luggage because the trail blazer just doesn't have six seats, and headed back up to the city of Banff. Although the scenery was really beautiful, waterfalls were pretty scarce. This one looked puny but it was the only true waterfall I saw while I was there.
Brent is HUGE into taking pictures of churches, so this small town church in Banff was right up his alley.
One of my favorite thing to do in a tourist town is hit up all the little shops! There were some pretty adorable items, like this mitten hat!
This bear had a sign that said "Take a picture with me" and so I listened. The camera was being odd and would flash and then wait 2 seconds to take the picture... this is the result, I actually liked the way it turned out!
This is Nick (in the back) and Zach (in the mask). Zach scared me the first time I turned around and saw a monkey face! I think he figured out how the hats are suppose to be worn.
Okay so while we were walking around the stores, I fell in love with two things. This nail polish that changes colors in the sunlight, and an amazing ruffle scarf. Well I really really like the nail polish but I knew it was to much... The scarf was so whimsical and gorgeous. I showed everyone. It was $15.00 and I wanted Brent to offer to buy it for me, but he didn't.

Luckily, his mom is pretty sneaky, and I saw her coming out of the store. Well I was really surprised, because I wanted Brent to buy it for me not his mom! Well I went and got our wallet and took out the money and paid her for it. She said it was for Christmas but I bet she would have given it to me in the car. So I got my scarf, AND THEN she pulls out the nail polish too! I couldn't believe it! I am so grateful for such an amazing Mother-in-law. She is so thoughtful. I always forget I can't say I like something to much because she doesn't hesitate to go buy it for me! She is way way to generous!
Thank you to Brent the Model!
After we got done shopping we headed back up to Lake Louise (another hour in the car) to go on the famous Gondola's. This is Castle Rock, which is on the drive up. This picture was taken from the car!
Sean and Melanie have been overly generous this vacation, and paid for our costly ride up to the top. We didn't need them to but Sean assures us that we will have plenty of time to pay him back! We are so grateful that our whole family helps to give us wonderful opportunities while we are finishing school.

This is us with Nick and Zach on the way up!
Brent was not co operating.
This is the view from the top. That off in the distance is Lake Louise. This could probably be a postcard, if we wanted it to be. One a clear day you can get a really clear shot but with all the fires, I was happy with this.
I love this picture because it screams
"Where ever there is a big rock, I WILL CLIMB IT!"
Brent is such a manly man!
This well was at the top of the look out, but the bottom of the wood is also the bottom of the well... and it is filled with gravel. I am not really sure why it is here!
On the drive home we saw some pretty incredible sites. This Helicopter flying with a water bucket hanging from the bottom.
On the way home we took a wrong turn and ended up on a smaller highway instead of the freeway. This was a lucky move because we saw a whole herd of Long Horned Sheep. We almost missed them but Nick made sure we knew, so we flipped around and went back... This is the money shot!

When we finally got home, Ryan and Julie made Spaghetti and Cheesecake. I spent the night blogging while Brent and Ryan played Rook with the parents. I am glad Ryan decided he likes Rook because I am not good at all, so they have been having fun all night! It was a great day. There were a lot of things that we weren't able to do in Banff, which is just a great reason to come back again!

Canada Day 4: To Banff and Beyond!

Early on Tuesday we packed our bags and headed for one of the world's most famous national parks... BANFF! (DISCLAIMER: Banff is a national park AND a town within the national park)

Before the long drive we HAD to stop for breakfast. As we were headed to the restaurant we saw a train cross the tracks. Well the signals went up and then almost immediately after went straight back down. We all grumbled because of the frequent trains. So we waited... and waited... and waited for a good ten minutes and NOTHING HAPPENED! Brent talked about going and lift the blockades but he was talking crazy... apparently his brother Sean didn't think so!!! He came running up behind us, sauntered up to the blockade... talked to some construction guys, and then pushed up the bar a little, and let it fall. Then a little higher and let it fall. He talked to some cars in the front... and made up his mind! He lifted up the Barricade's and let about 5 cars through. Then he put it back down so he could catch up to our cars. I am sure all the other cars were upset when he set it down, but he was already taking a huge risk, and someone else is always welcome to come assume his position! Everyone is pretty sure he broke 30-35 different laws and that there are posters with his face up all around town!

For Breakfast we went to one of Ryan and Julie's favorite places. This place had amazing food! Every plate was HUGE and full of yummy food. I had a great breakfast crepe with a plate of ripe delicious fruit.... despite my best attempts the diet is TOTALLY out the window at this point!

Brent and His Papa Bear!
After Breakfast we drove up to Banff I was hoping to NEVER EVER see another car again. Over 24 hours in a car in 4 days is way to much for my liking! Lake Louise is one of the most famous parts of the National Park and is almost and hour past the town of Banff... It is REALLY pretty but there was a lot of smoke from fires in British Columbia so the view was pretty obstructed (there are great pictures in Day 4 post). You can barely see the Glacier in the background that feeds into the lake!

We started to hike around the lake and found all these rocky ares for picture taking... Of course the bugs were in full force! Brent was falling on me in this picture!
This was at the end of the hike looking back to where we started... that Castle is a hotel. It is very pretty and MORE expensive! Half a PB&J for $7.00... I don't think so!

This is a really gorgeous picture that Brent took. I really wanted him to buy a souvenir but he insisted that picture taking is his souvenir and so he doesn't need to buy anything! That is okay with me, especially if I get to blow up amazing photos like this!

After we got done at Lake Louise, we were going to head out of the park for dinner, but Sean got stopped and told that we HAD to go to Lake Moraine. Banff is known for their amazingly blue lakes, so the idea of seeing something that is MORE AMAZING than Lake Louise made up Sean's mind for him! So off we went! I can not tell you how disappointed I was when I showed up to this! I was ready to punch that guy in the face for keeping me from dinner after such a long car ride... Until we found the rock pile...
As soon as we started to climb up the rock pile (yes, there was a trial but where is the fun in that?) The lake started to go through an amazing change! That dreary blue started to be replaced by a color I can honestly say I have never seen before. Look at that view!
Keep an eye on the blue color through out the next few pictures to get a good idea of what it looked like!
On our Climb up to Lake Moraine, we found some friends. I think they were ground squirrel's but they could have also been marmot's or chipmunk. This has become a pretty good debate around the Huntley Homestead! I was pretty close but Sean became a "rodent whisperer". He'd been eating nuts all day and his fingers let the little guys know! This little critter actually jumped onto Sean's finger and later jumped up two feet to grab a leaf out of his fingers!
This picture is so funny to me. I think I look terribly sad! Brent and I tried to remember why but we couldn't remember what I was thinking about! Nick, my nephew, said it looked like I am watching a puppy getting murdered!
Great blue color!

This is a nice picture of us. I still can not believe how bright teal blue the lakes are. It reminds me of the Caribbean seas, if they were ice cold!
Once we were ready to check in for the night we showed up here!
Okay, Okay, this wasn't our hotel. This is where Sean and Melanie stayed. It was pretty spendy but it was totally gorgeous! It was built between 1914-1928. We stayed with their boys in a studio condo. Sean and Melanie said that our little Condo was bigger than their room for about a tenth the price! We were totally happy that we had a place to stay because Sean was gracious enough to get us a room. We owe his SO much for his and EVERYONE'S Generosity this trip!
Day Four was a ton of driving, but the sights are absolutely gorgeous! These pictures turned out pretty decent but there is no way to describe how breath-taking these sites truly are!

Canada Days 3

I was going to blog about the last three days all in one post but as I began to look at the pictures I was going to use I decided to make this into at least two (probably three) different posts!

On Monday, we did a lot of looking around Calgary! One of Brent's favorite things was trying the different chocolate. We have tried several different types. Something interesting, I observed, is that the chocolate in Canada tastes more tart rather than sweet, like in the states. I still prefer our chocolate though.

Julie, Ryan's Fiance, was a great tour guide. Brent had made a list of things he wanted to see and Julie was more than wonderful in showing us around!

This is an overlook of Calgary! There are awesome sky scrapers, and gorgeous scenery! You can see the Calgary tower (about and inch left of Brent's head). This was built when the Olympics were here in the 80's and it used to be the tallest structure in Calgary, but that isn't true anymore!


This is a monument to the Canadian Mountie's. There was a museum but we decided not to go to it. The fort was pretty neat.

After the monument, we went downtown to China Town, it was one about one block. Brent took this picture and I thought it was a really cool contrast of the ancient and modern lifestyles. This wasn't your typically china town, there wasn't any little shops or stores to go to and probably only one restaurant.

This is the inside of China Welcome Center. It was a pretty normal building. When I walked in I was pretty underwhelmed, until I looked up. The it was much more mesmerizing. Parking in downtown was CRAZY EXPENSIVE! Julie explained that it was because they wanted to really discourage driving into downtown. Instead they wanted people to find another way to make it into work. That seems like a way to make me NOT want to work in downtown


After we got done in China Town we walked over to Prince's Island. In the middle of downtown there are about a million green area's! It is really beautiful. Julie told us that there is a walkway that goes all around the city. For avid joggers they can literally jog around the entire city! We went to a very popular lunch spot. It was really pretty right here! Across the lake is the actual island. There were pathways across, but we didn't make it out this trip!

For lunch, Ryan and Julie recommended honey ginger chicken/beef. So Chinese it was! It was so delicious! I am not sure if we have this in the states but it should be quickly adopted!
YUM YUM!

Although Ryan and I have really only met for the first time I feel like we are pretty close family! Our sweet tooth's are the exact same for sure! When Ryan said he knew where to get good cheesecake I was on board! We ended up getting TWO GIANT cakes and one sugar-free slice! Ryan and Julie treated us to the gourmet treats and they were a PRETTY PENNY!!! I put myself in charge of making sure they got home safe! THANK YOU RYAN AND JULIE! IT CONTINUES TO BE AMAZING!
Well the cakes got home safe, but were put on hold until after dinner! Ryan made Drunken Chicken! Brent always says that Ryan NEVER cooked before he moved to Canada but he has cooked amazing meals every night! I am pretty sure Brent is just pulling my leg and Ryan has always been an amazing cook!

This chicken is basted with spices, and then cooked with a Canadian Beer up his rear. I couldn't taste the beer but the chicken was sure moist! Brent and I thought it would be delicious if we did it with Dr. Pepper! I think we will for sure try that at home!
Calgary is an amazing city, but not really a tourist city. The parks and walkways sure put Portland's walk way system to same!

THANK YOU FOR THE TOUR JULIE!!!

Canada Days 1 & 2

This week we get the great pleasure of playing hookie at work for a WHOLE entire week to go to Canada and visit Brent's brother Ryan. So yesterday (Saturday) we started the trek. Luckily we didn't make the entire 16 hour drive in one day! Instead we only drove 6 hours up to Maren's house in Pullman Washington! We spent a glorious afternoon going out to lunch at an amazing Korean restaurant. My dad ordered EVERYTHING and for the most part it was all amazing. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did!
Good Call Papa Bear!

After lunch my Mom and Dad headed home, their vacation was just ending and ours was just beginning! Since Brody was only on his third day post surgery we spent a lot of time around the house, which was fine by me!

I really wanted to get a picture with my two of my three favorite boys but Braden was less then excited! Luckily, Maren taught us a great trick. If we tell him not to do something Braden becomes more than willing to do just about anything. So this picture was taken by saying "Braden, do not come sit on my knee!" and "Braden, do not smile at uncle Brent!" It was kinda amazing!
We also went to the mall to get some random clothing items. I got a new work out clothes and Maren got a new skirt. We found a donation station, where you take change and send it down ramps and it spins into the collection center. As Maren was digging out some change we realize it hadn't been empty in so long that all the change had collected in the collection hole. Well we grabbed handfuls and had so much fun racing each other and fighting each other down the circular path!

Brody loves his uncle Brent!
Although it was sad, it was time to leave Pullman for our final destination... CALGARY CANADA! The drive went okay until we hit the border. We spent 1 HOUR in line just waiting to cross. It took way way way to long!

I officially crossed the border without showing my passport! Okay, so I think this little monument means nothing in reality but it was fun to think it did!
Once in Canada I could feel the change. I am not exactly sure how but it just doesn't feel like the States anymore! It was odd seeing flagpoles in people's yard's and instead of the American Flag it was the Canadian!

We also stopped for lunch at a Quizno's (authentic Canadian food Ha Ha!). Brent and I were smart enough to exchange out money last week and so I gave the cashier a ten dollar Canadian bill when the total of our meal was $6.82... and all he gave me back were coins! I was about to ask about my dollars but thought I should look at the change before I make myself a fool! I am glad I did! It turns out that in Canada there is no one dollar bill but a "loony" and a "toony" which is a one dollar and two dollar coin! I was almost embarrassed but glad I just kept my mouth shut instead!

The drive through Canada was so gorgeous, I mean seriously! This is called Hurricane Mountain. The scenery was absolutely brilliant shades of green forest and crystal blue lakes and rivers.
We saw a ton of cows and moose, and even a deer in a stream! It was amazing! The drive, to be honest, was pretty miserable after hour 7. We made a few stops but seriously I could really be happy if we just flew back to Pullman. We are so grateful to Maren for letting us stay and for Brent's Parents for letting us carpool with them. When we arrived there was dinner and a lot of catching up! I am happy to report I have finally met everyone I am related to!

There is a lot more to come!