Bravest Thing (He Ever Did)

What? Another trip to the mountains? Yes, the rumours are true. We did some stealth camping, so to speak, in Banff. There were many reasons for going, and not going. We had the time, the camping food, and even the leftover $$ from our shortened camping trip earlier in the summer. It doesn't matter either way. I made a decision and we went. Seeing the mountains in the fall has been something I've longed for. It did not disappoint!  A few quick notes: - Banff is still busy in shoulder season. Of course it is. So we drove to find hikes with fewer people, including going to Kootenay and Yoho. - Lake Minnewanka is stunning. - Leaving at 4am is 110% worth it. - Calgary invades Banff on weekends. I'm talking miles and miles of cars backed up, trying to enter the park. Glad we were heading the other way at that point. - I was able to get some key ideas for a novel I'm working on. I'm excited for it! Enough chatter. Please check out our videos on the trip. Here's the fir...

Just the videos. If I have time I'll do a write-up.  See all the highs and lows. The laughs and drama. The majesty and mistakes.

  Check out our epic morning of fishing. Thanks be to God! This felt good after a couple of rough years of not catching much. Tonight...we're eating fish.

We decided, somewhat last minute, to take a quick one-night camping trip this weekend. I suppose there are a few reasons why: 1) The school year has already been off to a rough start. Gotta clear my head after just two weeks. 2) Our summer, by and large, was quite difficult. The newborn was colicky, and it made life unbearable at times. 3) When we did finally brave the world and go to the mountains for a crazy week of camping, it was glorious. It should've been a total train wreck. It was the opposite. 4) And now that we know our little guy loves the outdoors so much, we want to get out more in order to make up for the lackluster summer. 5) Oh, and it never hurts to be able to get in a traditional Latin Mass, and see some family/friends. Check out the hiking/camping expedition here: But I really want to "camp out" on point #2. I've heard it from several teachers I work with. And I heard it several times from family and friends this weekend. For far too many people tha...

  It is late on a Friday night. The van is packed, ready for a major adventure. I am alone in our living room, staring out into a dark night. Four of the kids are asleep. Becca is downstairs with baby Ben (8 weeks old). Things are not good. I go down and see, and hear, Ben screaming his mind out. This is not unusual. All summer he's been colicky. The worst we've ever seen with a baby, and that's saying something. Becca is holding him, sitting on the floor, crying. This is too much. We can't go. There's no way.  But we can't stay, either. We've been stuck at home all summer. More than that, this proposed trip is not so much a vacation (ha! not at all), but a significant milestone. Ten months earlier I was facing a job loss, thanks to a draconian vaccine-mandate announcement. You know how it goes. At one point things seemed pretty hopeless. At that moment I turned to Becca and said, "I don't know how, but somehow, someway, we are going to make it to T...