Fall-Autumn Another first for the kids



Ramon trying to catch up to Carla.  1km race....he outkicked her at the finish.



Carla flying with both feet off the ground....her mom's secret.



At the finish, with dad taking a photo in the background.



Maria crossing the Elbow river.



First time ever!  Maria seems to have forgotten how!



......and some hiking



Carla the reindeer



Tons of mushrooms this year....with the very wet spring they had.



Carla's mossy moustache



....and some cycling up nose hill



3 sisters in the background....down to zero but very cozy



Great to have the table out when we are driving, as they love to colour.  Thank D and D for the idea!



Dad had to sleep by himself upstairs



No sibling rivalry here....nary a peep :)

Weeeeeee!

Ice skating-Ramon's FIRST time!

Maria forgot how to skate

Carla the Champion

Mom may have won the race (2nd overall in a small 1,000 person race for the Catholic school district) but Carla was the real winner.  While dad pushed the baby jogger, Carla ran the whole 5km without stopping! ( Ramon had a side stitch and rode for about 200m)  I think it's time to jettison the Baby Jogger!  What change pushing an empty jogger!



She also rode her bike sans training wheels for the 1st time!



Down the back alley!  .....takin' in the sights....



And now for photos of the van.  Slept in it last night and learned that it's not a good idea to sleep up top with your head at the lower end.  Ouch.



Got the flower power stickers off and covered the rust with white Rust Check spray paint.  That might slow it down a wee bit.



The fridge is in the far corner by the curtains



Ramon checking for birds in the bird house.



40k NW of Calgary....1/2 hour drive....beautiful area....and free of charge just outside the park, right beside the springs!



A chilly 4.5 C  this morning

Belly Dancer

Carla and Maria enjoying the talented belly dancer at Charisma restaurant; Mediterranean cuisine....seemed mostly Iranian.  Thanks for the invite Little Mohammad and Ferouz!

Summer in Canada

This is the posting with the most photos ever....130 or so, as we've been having too much fun to for me to sit down and make regular posts.  As I write this, I have a teaching position, grade 3/4 at Hillhurst Elementary, so I'll have even less time in the near future, so I thought I'd better get this posted or it wouldn't happen at all.  So the pics mostly speak for themselves....how the kids have adapted to life in Canada....at least when it's warm and the sun shines!  This is our new car....a Toyota Tercel 95 Automatic, 180,00kms for $1700. 



Ramon and the Kananaskis river



Sylvie and Carla squeezing oranges.  Thanks for the the furniture and toys Sylvie!



The long daylight hours really tired out the kids!  A few photos below.....



Thorncliffe Public Library



Ramon has 3 bikes now....this one being the biggest and he handles it well.  He sure loves the freedom of the pathways in Calgary.....more pics below.



Carla and Grandma Lori



At tia debs and tio don's place in Salmon Arm.  Made 2, week long trips this summer.



Great Grandma Thelma at age 95



Grandma Lori



Back into my mountains!  The pointy one is Sir Donald



Lake Lousie



Lots of splash parks this summer....this one in Salmon Arm



Al......



.....and Lynne....good friends who picked us up from the airport with our mountain of luggage and helped to get us settled in, in more ways than one!  Thank you both!



Carla's new tag a long....same as the one in Ecuador which we gave to a friend in Cali.  In Ecuador I paid $170.....in Calgary thru Kijiji....$50



BBQ veg burgers and garden salad at Al and Lynn's



....along with some marshmellows in Al's funky fireplace



.....at home



This little car can haul anything....note the sleds on the back bike rack.



....in the downstairs shower



 Lake Sikome sure is cold!



Fish Creek



....and a summer of playgrounds!  There are SO many.



Carla's new bike



Bowling on a rainy day at the community centre



Douglas fir trail in the city



Our dinning room....still have the wall hanging Karen....still looks great 10 years later



Picking beans in Tia Deb's garden



.....and eating her blackberries



Shuswap lake is much warmer than Calgary water!



Ramon sure loves riding in Lightening McQueen!



Music on the Wharf in Salmon Arm



Carla and mama



Grandma Lori, Uncles Mike and Don



Water slide in Salmon Arm



Connecting Great Grandma Thelma on Skype with Karen and Ryan in Halifax



Carla and Ramon in another splash park in Calgary



Cheeseless pizza



Carla with her new friend Hannah





Food does grow in Calgary!



Cherries too!



Maria won the Calgary women's 10k.....



....in a time of 37:28....only 12 secs slower than her 1997 time!  (6 seconds for each kid?)



Grassi Lakes Canmore



Quarry Lake Canmore....with Ha ling peak above, which Ramon climbed the week before



Mont also gave us a pile of furniture....all the way from Enderby!  Thanks Mont!  (and thanks to Dan, of whom I don't have a photo for furniture as well!)



1st day back in our house



Maria won the Stampede 10k the morning after our flight from Quito....good for $200



Pre roof rack....free building materials from a neighbour for a bike shed



Canoe beach



Carla Thelma with Great Grandma Thelma



Picking cherries in Salmon Arm



washing the car



Going for a bike ride on the pathways in downtown Calgary



....and on nose hill  10 minute ride from our house



Where the Spray river meets the Bow river in Banff



Bow falls in Banff



Mouth full of cherries



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The van we bought 2 days ago.  93 Volkswagen Eurovan CV Diesel 5 speed standard with 320kms on it for $4.000.  He was asking 10,500 and had to move to Newfoundland the next day.....hence the low price.  Stove, sink, fridge, sleeps 4



Ramon in the pop top



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Lots of head room!



A lot of rust though......the owner's daughter flowered the van.....easy to peel off though!



That's it, that's all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!