It's been forever since I was last in Banff, so I jumped at the chance to go. The girls and I went with my Mom and sister, Alanna, on our last day in Calgary. Our first stop was a little detour to the Calgary temple on our way out of town. I so wish I could've gone inside (I was too sick to go on the day we had planned), but I'm so glad we could at least drive by it. 

Next up was the scenic route to Banff - I miss those Rockies! We went to the hot springs. There was a shallow pool perfect for the kiddos. Holly got a real kick out of it and Greta liked it at first, but then she wanted to get out. We took some pictures, enjoyed the view and then headed to lunch. I wish we could've spent some more time in Banff - it's such a cute town and it's one of the most beautiful places on earth. Hopefully we'll be able to go again on our next trip to Calgary. 

While we were in Calgary, Conor's sisters hosted a little surprise party for Greta. I thought we were doing a family dinner (that was the plan), but they rolled it all into a little party with (gluten-free)cupcakes and presents. It was so sweet and so thoughtful and my girls were so grateful to be eating sugar! Ha! I felt like my family was significant, especially since Greta's birthday wasn't until the following week. It was a really special evening. Definitely a night to remember!

Living where we do, we see zero snow in the winter. Frost yes, snow no. Last winter we went to Tahoe for a weekend and that was the only snow we saw. Holly was very excited to see snow on our trip to Calgary. Everytime we facetime with grandparents, she requests to see the snow. The best was when my Mom and Alanna made a snowman for her. Holly was thrilled about the snow in Calgary! She loved it! She walked through it every chance she got. The girl was in snow heaven. The second day we were in Calgary, we went sledding with the cousins (or as Holly called them her "brothers and sisters"). Holly couldn't get enough. She especially loved eating the snow. She was one happy cookie until her hands got cold. Greta on the other hand hated the snow and cold. She hated wearing her winter jacket and oh my goodness, when those snow pants had to go on, she was fuming. She hated the snow boots. She didn't want to wear mittens. She spent her time on the slope crying. She giggled a little when she went down the hill on a sled. And that's about it. Poor girl. Clearly California is where Greta belongs! (To Greta's credit, two molars were working their way through while we were in Calgary.) Holly's cousin, Cora, showed her how to make a snow angel and that was about the cutest thing ever. I love seeing my kids with their cousins. Holly latched on to them and each one is her best friend.

For the past two years, I've enjoyed making little Valentines for family. The first one I sent out was the year Greta was born. This year, it didn't happen. You win some, you lose some. It was our last minute trip to Calgary, followed by illness that dashed this year. So the photos and hopeful ideas will just have to be shared on the bloggity-blog.

I wanted to do a "wild thing" theme, so I made the girls some cute felt masks. I wanted to have somewhere the line, "wild thing, you make my heart sing." Or, "wild thing, you make everything groovy." I took these photos of my wild things. Love these two! I like to think I'll still mail these off, but let's be real. I spent all morning in bed today. It ain't happening.