Banff

Dave bought levi snow shoes over Christmas holidays and both boys have been anxious to try them out. We dont have much snow here, so we figured it's a good excuse to go explore Banff! On the way there dave showed us this hotel just outside of Canmore with a good restaurant. Good place to stop and get the wiggles out and get a bite to eat.

 What a ham!

the hug turned more into a tackle.

We went up to Cave and Basins to check out the snowshoeing trials. There was hardly any snow there but we decided to check out the cave and sulphur springs.

Inside the museum at the Cave & Basins. 

So hard to get a good picture in the dim light.

The sulphur springs were neat to read up on and go check out, they smelled horribly tho. There was a cool little trail that we hiked up going through the sulphur springs.

The stream ran under the stairs. 

Ai, our exchange student was shocked that we went into a real cave. It's fun having her new perspective on things we are all just use too. I enjoy all her questions and comments about Canadian things. For example, she can't believe how clean public schools are and that we hardly pay anything to go. That houses here are so far apart. That there is so much land with nothing on it. 

Afterwards we went to find some snow and it happened to be at the same place as the hot springs. Levi always amazes us with how well he does in the snow, maybe thats because I dislike it so much. He was such a trooper climbing a big hill with his snow shoes,  We didn't last long at the Hot Springs tho it was so packed (like not a single spot to sit on the edge) and so hot! We were disappointed in how tiny the hot springs were compared to the ones were use to at Radium. But the kids still loved them.

Trapped him in van so he was contained, he really wasn't mad. He was in heaven pushing all those buttons, he was just being a stinker and not smiling!

He was sliding down the hill and soaking wet but so happy. 

We then got some ice cream and headed home, it was about 5pm by this point and we had wore the kids out! Levi slept a good chunk of the way home and Will had a small nap, we were worried they wouldn't sleep that night so once we got home we kept them up till 9. Surprisingly they slept and they slept till 7 am! Dave and I were so glad.

It was so nice to get out of the house and go play as a family. Made us miss Waterton, but glad we still have some mountains somewhat close.