Bear Lake

Last weekend Jaren and I went to Bear Lake with my family! My immediate family went as well as my Grandma, Leon (her husband), and the Sackett family.

We had a great time! Surprisingly it was not as cold as I thought it would be. The Fall weather was beautiful! We had clear skies and sunshine!

The Sacketts took their boat out on Saturday and Jaren went tubing and wake boarding. The water was the smoothest I have ever seen, but too cold for me!

We played a game of kickball on the beach, ate yummy food, and Austin (my cousin) put on an amazing firework show at night!

On the way home we visited our friends, the Swensons! They live in Logan now, but Andrew went to school with Jaren in Billings. He and Brooke are our close friends! It was so fun to see them and their darling triplets.

Oh how I love Bear Lake! I have so many wonderful memories of that place! We weren't able to go there the past 2 Summers so it was great to have a little mini-trip there this weekend!

Date Night

Jaren and I both had a Tuesday off (surprisingly)! We decided to go on an all-day date. We will be moving back to Utah at the end of next week (most of Jaren's clinical rotations are in Utah) so it was fun to enjoy a day in Billings together!

We went to the temple. I absolutely love the Billings temple and I will miss it! 

Afterward we walked around the brand-new Scheels store. We rode the Ferris-wheel and had some good laughs while walking around.

This picture of Jaren makes me laugh whenever I look at it...

Then we went to a movie. We saw The Maze Runner which was good. Jaren has read the books so he wanted to see it. After the movie we had a romantic delicious dinner at Ciao Mambo!

I sure do love my husband! We have had such great experiences living up in Montana! I'm really going to miss our time here. The thought of moving home is bitter-sweet. We are excited to be close to family again but we have made so many happy memories in Billings!

Family Time

This Summer my family came to Billings to visit us! They came the end of June through the 4th of July weekend. We had a great time with them! We had fun going to the movie Maleficent, the zoo, hiking, and eating at some yummy restaurants. My mom and dad also got some antique shopping in! Here are some pictures from the hike...

Over the 24th of July we went to a cabin in Island Park with Jaren's family! We had a great time driving through Yellowstone, 4-wheeling, canoeing, and playing games. It was so fun to catch up with everyone! Here are some pictures...

Jaren and our cute niece.

The hot pot hike.

Yellowstone

Mount Rushmore

This week (Thurs-Sunday) Jaren and I went with his parents to Rapid City, SD. We had a BLAST! On Wednesday Jaren's parents came up from Utah. We celebrated Jaren's last day of his didactic school year with a delicious meal at Rib and Chop. We had never been there before, and it did not disappoint. Now Jaren will begin his clinical rotations in a week and a half.

On Thursday we drove to Rapid City. On the way we stopped at the battlefield of Custer's Last Stand. I was pretty surprised by how much I enjoyed this site. We had a very educational and interesting presentation by a former high school history teacher. I learned so much! What a crazy time in the western part of the US! It is so weird to think that just over 100 years ago the world was very different than it is today. Afterward we drove past Devil's Tower. If you have ever seen Close Encounter's of the Third Kind, you will recognize this landmark. (I have only seen the movie once and I do not remember it.)

Friday we took a tour and saw Mount Rushmore, drove through Custer State Park and Needles Highway (where one of the needle tunnels is literally only 8 feet, 4 inches wide). We went to Sylvan Lake (where they filmed scenes from National Treasure 2), saw the film set of Dances with Wolves, and visited the Crazy Horse Mountain/Memorial. At night we had a chuck wagon dinner (which was delicious) with a music variety show afterward (the Fort Hayes Wranglers). The music show was great! We had such a fun day. South Dakota is a true beauty! I was very surprised by the gorgeous scenery. I was expecting everything to be flat and dull, but I was completely wrong!

Saturday we went to a place called Cosmos Mystery Area. Everyone in Billings told me this was a "must-do." It's a 30 minute tour of optical illusions. However, you are not looking at optical illusions, you are in them! This place is freaky! I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was too freaked out at the time to pull out my camera. There are no explanations. You have to "See it, Feel it, Survive it" as they say. Jaren did snap a whopping one photo of his dad in this place. In part of the tour you go into a crooked, very slanted house built on a hill. In the house you feel as if gravity is pulling you in a certain direction. Everyone looks like they are slanted, and you definitely feel that way. I got kind of sick, actually. It's funny how your mind can play tricks on you. In the house water runs upwards and you magically grow or shrink by walking across the room. After Cosmos we went to Mount Rushmore again. Mount Rushmore is amazing! I am so glad I had the opportunity to see it! I love learning about history and the Mount Rushmore story is very intriguing. Random fact (not about Mount Rushmore): Did you know Thomas Jefferson had the first recipe for ice cream in the U.S.? They serve the original recipe at Mount Rushmore. We had some and it was delish!

Tomorrow we will head back to Billings. Vacations always go by way too fast! Rapid City is awesome! There is SO MUCH to do here, we didn't even scratch the surface! This is a perfect family vacation spot! I told Jaren that if the opportunity arose I wouldn't mind living here. We had a great time with Jaren's parents! We had our share of good laughs! I'm so glad we had this trip with them before they head to Germany next Spring to serve a mission.

Canada, Day Five- Last Day

Today was the most beautiful day of all! (And our last day.) The sun was out and shining all day and the temperature was in the mid-sixties. In the morning we hiked the Hoodoo trail for a couple of hours. (See picture below of the Hoodoos- not sure why they are called that!) The trail was near our hotel and was very pretty, with part of the trail going alongside the Bow River. After hiking, we headed downtown and had a picnic in the park. The sun was shining on us and it felt wonderful! (Except now I have a sunburn.) Downtown Banff was more crowded than usual- probably because of the weekend and nice weather.

After lunch we went bike riding for a couple of hours along the legacy trail. It was such a gorgeous day for a bike ride! And Jaren was able to spot some birds that he wanted to see.

We ate a slightly early dinner. Then we stopped at a sweet shop to get ourselves a little treat and then headed back to our hotel. Jaren has an exam this upcoming Monday so he needed to study. I didn't want to just sit around though so I decided to hike Tunnel Mountain again by myself (since it was my most favorite hike.)

I missed Jaren while hiking but in a way it was enjoyable to hike alone. There was a lot of quiet time to think and reflect. And the view did not disappoint! It was a spectacular view and a great way for me to end this vacation.

***Warning: This next part is SAPPY and sentimental...***

I will be sad to leave Canada tomorrow, but Jaren and I sure had a great time together! It was nice to get away for a little while from the stresses we face day to day. I loved being with Jaren all week! Being together was the best part of this whole trip. He made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt (many times) and we had some wonderful conversations. My love for him definitely expanded this trip! He's quite a guy! I'm so glad he brought me up here!

***Sappiness is over! (Mostly...)***

Banff and the surrounding areas sure are amazing! I love this beautiful world we live in. Jaren and I already want to come back again someday! I guess my first time out of the country (it counts!!) was a success!!

I'm holding the Hoodoos!

The Hoodoos

Downtown Banff

My treat- a white chocolate cloud from the Banff Sweet Shoppe.

The Sweet Shoppe

My view from the top of Tunnel Mountain.

Canada, Day Four

Today was BY FAR my most favorite day!  (And Jaren's too!) I absolutely loved every minute! I've always wanted to go horseback riding- I wanted to go last Summer but we were unable to. So... I asked Jaren if he thought horseback riding would be something we could do on this trip. He thought that sounded fun. This morning I called and made a reservation to go. I wasn't sure what to expect... and I ended up absolutely loving the whole experience! The horses were very gentle. Jaren's horse was named Concho and my horse was Rayleigh. We rode around some very beautiful scenic areas of Banff. We passed a waterfall, crossed a river, and went through some beautiful trails. And of course there were the awesome mountains in the background. I will definitely be doing this again- I don't know when or where- but I will do this again.

Afterward we went back to our hotel and made lunch. Then we headed back out to Canoe! This was something Jaren really wanted to do, and we had a great time! We started at the Bow River. As we paddled a little upstream we could either turn right and go to the Vermillion Lake, or turn left and continue on the river. We were advised to be careful if we headed toward the lake, as some animals can get very protective of their young and aggressive this time of year- and an aggressive elk had been spotted earlier. We decided to go right, towards the lake. As we were paddling we saw several Canadian geese families. There were at least three. They all had 2 parents and at least 3 fluffy little chicks (or goslings- whatever their called). They were so cute and fun to watch. As we came closer to the lake, we saw several different canoes coming back toward us. They were all talking loudly to one another and sounded excited. One of the canoes came over to us and the people told us to turn around! Remember how we were told there was an angry, protective mother elk who had a calf? The elk actually charged one of the canoes and the boat tipped over! We asked if everyone was ok, and they were. So we turned our boat around and decided to go left and continue up the river. Canoeing was so relaxing. It was fun to view the beautiful scenery from a canoe. And Jaren and I made a pretty good paddling team!

After canoeing we walked around a little trail by the river and lake. We ended up at Vermillion Lake and Jaren did some bird watching. He spotted some pretty cool birds. I enjoy this hobby of his because he will find the birds, then let me look, and then he'll tell me about them! After bird watching we went back to our hotel for a little bit, then went to dinner.

When dinner was done, we went to see Maleficent! I had been waiting to see this movie for a long time- and I loved it! It was so fun to see a fairy-tale movie in a place like Banff.

Canada, Day Three

Well, today turned out to be another surprise day! We planned on seeing the Columbian Ice Fields (in Jasper national park). We were going to take a tour on a bus out to the ginormous glacier. We drove 2 hours to get there, went to buy our ticket, and the lady at the register told us it would be $54 a person! Um... no thank you. We decided it was not worth the price. So instead we took some picture of the glaciers, and talked to a nice Australian couple. The glaciers were pretty cool to see, but we were both glad we didn't pay the hefty price to drive out to them.

So instead we found a hike that was a 45 minute drive back out toward Banff. It was a hike to Glacier Lake. The hike was a total of 9km to get there, and then another 9km to get back. So all together it would be 18km (about 11 miles). We decided to just go for it! The hike was a true beauty, I felt like I was in an enchanted forest the whole time! The lake was gorgeous! It was a blue/turquoise color and surrounded by mountains. We started the hike around 1 and we were done and back around 6. We had a great time on the hike, but we were tired afterward. Talk about a workout! I have always wanted to do a long hike, though. So I was very happy! When we got back to Banff we had a quick dinner and then headed back to our hotel.

Columbian Ice Fields- huge glacier behind us.

Doesn't this forest look enchanted?

Beautiful Glacier Lake

Another photo from the hike.

Canada, Day Two

I absolutely loved today! This morning we slept in and took it easy. We were in no rush to get going. Around 11:00 we headed downtown to the Canadian Rockies Museum. We had a good time looking around at the art and history of western Canada.

After the art museum we randomly decided to go hiking (we had planned on the weather being rainy, but at the time the weather was fine). And we had much better luck this time! (No snow!) We decided to hike Tunnel Mountain. (Surprisingly it has no tunnels.) It was a GORGEOUS hike- everything you would hope for in a hike, and the view at the end was well worth it! Banff reminds me of a land from a fairy-tale. There is so much charm and beauty here. While hiking Tunnel Mountain you can even see the Banff Chateau hotel down below, which looks like a castle. It made me feel like I was hiking in Europe or in a scene from a story book.

On our way down the mountain, rain began to sprinkle on us. But it didn't bother me one bit. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Jaren did too. The trail smelled like fresh rain and pine. And the rain made everything look so green and lovely. I am so glad we went on that hike. I absolutely love to hike and it met all my expectations.

We walked back to our hotel after the hike and changed our clothes for dinner. We ate dinner downtown at a fondue place. We have never had a fondue meal together before. Let's just say that meal made our top 5 list for best meal ever! The food was DE-LIC-IOUS! (Maybe it made the top 5 list for most expensive too. Oops. Oh well. We definitely don't eat like this often. So every once in a while, like on a vacation, it's ok!) The meal was 4 courses. It started with soup. Next we had a cheese fondue that we dipped our bread in. Afterward we had chicken and steak that we cooked ourselves on a little hot stone! Our waiter explained to us how to properly cook our food, and it was easy. We had 5 different dipping sauces for our chicken and steak. And last we had fruit to dip for dessert. We both really enjoyed that meal. It was a fun place to go and we made some memories!

After dinner we went to the movie theater. We decided to go see Blended which was... ok. Not great by any means, but ok. The theatre was very small and quaint. It reminded me of the Kaysville theater except... dare I say... cleaner. (I  absolutely love the Kaysville theater, but lets admit it... there's always popcorn and "stuff" on the floor.)

When the movie was over we walked around the shops downtown. Then we headed back to our hotel. I am loving this trip and am so glad we have a few more days to spend here!

At the museum...

We are trying to make the same face as the picture man! Jaren did a pretty good job!

This really looks like he's in a tunnel, eh?

 

Hiking Tunnel Mountain...

You can see the Banff Chateau (castle-like hotel) while hiking.

Doesn't this look like a scene from Once Upon A Time or something?

View from the top!

Canada, Day One

This morning started out chilly, but the sun came out and the day was very warm by the afternoon. Today we went to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. We also attempted to hike Boom Lake, but that didn't happen due to snow.

Lake Louise was beautiful, but still frozen. (Some locals had mentioned to us that the winter this past year had been a very bad one and had continued to snow through April and some of May.) Jaren was a little bummed- he wanted me to see Lake Louise in all its glory. But I thought it was still beautiful. There was a trail around the lake that we walked around. We took pictures and admired the scenery. We wanted to hike from there to Moraine Lake but the trail was closed due to snow. We had lunch at the Chateau (a castle-looking hotel right by Lake Louise). Afterward we headed to Moraine Lake by car.  I thought Moraine Lake was more beautiful than Lake Louise. Moraine Lake was also mostly frozen, but not as much as Lake Louise. There was a small mountain of rocks across from the lake that we climbed. We found a place to sit and Jaren did some bird-watching (his new hobby). The sun's rays were beating down on us while we were there and it felt so nice! Just sitting there, being in nature and talking to Jaren was so relaxing!

After that we were determined to go hiking. We both LOVE to hike so we thought that maybe the trails on Boom Lake would be ok. We started to hike and everything was great until about 1/3 of the way. We hit patches of snow. We continued to hike until the snow became deeper and deeper. Finally we decided to turn back.

By that time we were getting hungry for dinner. We drove back to downtown Banff and ate Greek food. We never eat Greek food, so it was fun to try something different. We walked around downtown and then headed back to our hotel.

Even though we didn't get to hike as much as we wanted to, it was still a great day. The weather was wonderful and I loved spending the day with Jaren. He makes me laugh and it's nice to be together when we don't have to worry about the stresses of everyday life.

Lake Louise

Beautiful scenery

Moraine Lake

Near Moraine Lake

Lake Louise (Chateau is in the background)

Watchin the birds