Blogging from The Rockies tonight...and having a fantastic weekend. We arrived on Friday eve here in Canmore and are staying in the same 'condo' which is gorgeous - 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, complete with fantastic views of the mountains and the condo is luxurious inside. Lucky us! (We will bring you here when you visit!) So friday eve was a family eve with delivery pizza - the kids were soo excited that someone was actually bringing a pizza to the house they were queueing at the door for it! Yesterday, we went looking for Grizzly Bears along the river in Banff - the kids thought that we were on the trail when we found some Gopher's Poo (which we told them was definately bear poo!) but were then fear sticken that they were going to be 'bear lunch'!.... We then headed off to see Lake Minnewanka (have been waiting all weekend to write that!) which was really beautiful, but it was soo cold we didn't stay too long. In the summer you can take a boat trip on the lake which is defiantely on the 'to do' list. Last night we all went to see the Canmore Eagles play ice hockey (picked up a few tips!) - a really good fun night out. The funniest bit was when the local pizza firm brought in a free pizza and the whole crowd went nuts fighting for it! (Sod the hockey!) Today we went back up Sulphur Mountain in the cable car and then went ice skating at the local rink afterwards. Olivia at last went on the ice and loved it. Ben was brilliant and was giving Leigh & I some tips on how to stop! (Git!) Charlie came on wearing his snow boots and ran around the rink (atleast 3 times!) using a frame - he was so happy! The plan is to head home tomorrow....but we might just stay an extra day....watch this space.....!

Definately getting colder here....no sign of snow yet though. So windy today the 10 ft trampoline has blown across the garden! Quiet week - kids at school, Leigh on the Prairie - same stuff, different country! So not much to blog about this week. Leigh's excercise finishes tomorrow; no more 'Med Mans' for the winter, so home life should at long last become a bit more stable. It does mean that we can now escape alot more over the long winter weekends; this weekend we are heading back to The Rockies which we are really looking forward to & we have a weekend in Calgary booked up for November. We are staying in the same 'condo' in The Rockies which is fab and I expect we will notice the drop in temperature. Ben & I are still playing hockey - we won our game again last week and I am playing again on Wed's. Ought to mention that my son got 'Sin Binned' during his training on friday for trying to start a fight with the kid who had just accidently knocked him over....(not sure whether to be worried or proud!) Leigh (or should I say 'Maverick'!) will be getting alot more 'ice-time' now he is off the Prairie. So next weeks blog should be alot more interesting...... Just leaves me to say a BIG 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MUM'! - Have a fantastic day & we will Skype you tomorrow xxx Won't publish your age on the World Wide Web, but can't believe it's been 10 years since Leigh & I called you from Barbados on your 50th birthday!

Where has the week gone....Miraculously won our hockey match on Weds eve 3-1, though I'm not sure how much I contributed to the game! It was good fun though. Ben continues to improve on the ice and is really enjoying his hockey training. Olivia is still deciding whether to give it a go or not....she has a couple of weeks to decide and is going to keep us all guessing! Olivia has her first full day at school tomorrow (hip hip...!) She is more than ready for it - infact she has been from day 1 but as the Schools here do not have an Autumn half term, they are eased in gently as its a long time until the Christmas Hols. Charlie is very well too (feel I ought to give him a mention!). He is still going to nursery every morning and really enjoying it. Infact as we near the nursery I can't see him for dust! - no tearful farewells from any of my kids (starting to get a bit paranoid!). The weather here is still very warm and sunny, 22 degrees today so I think it will be a real shock when the cold weather really does set in.... In the absence of any new photo's this week I have included a photo of me & the children at Lake Louise in The Rockies. Also see footage of Ben below at hockey school this week. It's not obvious at first which one he is (he is not the one skating off at the begining), but you will have no doubt which one he is by the end of it!

Hello! Another pretty busy week. Leigh has been out on the Priaire a fair bit, but he has had most of the weekend off so we have had some nice family time. We got to watch the rugby too (what a great result!) and we have been out and about in Medicine Hat. Got the kids kitted out with snow boots, which are insulated to wear in temperatures as far below as -30! I shall go and get some for myself and Leigh (am already thinking of stitching him up with some big furry ones with wooden tennis bats attached!). Ben continues to improve on the ice. He is doing really well. We took Ben & Olivia on Saturday morning to the rink. Ben got invited to stay on for another session with the older group and Olivia flatly refused to get on the ice at all! It all started to go wrong for Olivia when I produced these black knee and elbow pads, which clearly weren't 'pink and barbie like'! Even the gorgeous white ice skates I got for her (luckily 2nd hand!) would not persuade her! Hopefully she will go next time. She say's she hasn't decided yet and can I stop going on about it!! Thanksgiving day today. Took the kids into Med Hat for a walk along The South Saskatchewan River - really pretty in the 'Fall'. Ben skating again tomorrow. I'm training Wed's and have my first match on Thurs. Yikes!

Pretty busy week....Leigh has been out on the Prairie quite alot and I have been at hockey school every evening - I have survived without injury and we had our first 'shinney' (game) on friday, which was great fun! A bit scarey when the puck comes your way (followed by 10 people chasing it!). That was followed by the pre-season party which was a good laugh too. There are some real characters here. Ben has started his hockey/skate school this weekend - he looks so cute in all his kit. Yesterday morning was his first time on the ice and he spent the majority of the hour on his hands and knees! He went back today and he was much improved, so I should think that in a few weeks he will be a speed demon! He is already talking about playing for The Montreal Tigers! See the short video of Ben skating today (below), I will take another in a few weeks time so we can see his progress. Hopefully Olivia will have skating lessons this week (she's too young for hockey - thank goodness!). Charlie can have a go too, but I think I'll introduce one at a time to the ice! Big Hello to Grandad Bob who is following my blog via his neighbour Ellen x

Very quiet week (hence the lack of blogging) with the exception of a dinner party on Weds eve, which was really good fun. So nice to go to someone elses house and be fed and wine'd! In true North American style another couple picked us up and drove to the neighbours house! (It was raining though - honest!) We have met some lovely people here and made lot's of new friends. Have had an even quieter weekend (speaking for myself that is - Leigh had a 'leave-pass' Fri eve and wobbled home on his bike in the early hours!). Managed to escape to Medicine Hat for a few hours yesterday afternoon, without the children and discovered this whole new shopping mall. Happy days! My turn for hockey school this week. Leigh survived his without injury so I am encouraged by that. The new 'Med Man' excercise has started so Leigh shall be back out on the Prairie alot again - just as the weather has turned grey, cold, wet and windy! Feels just like good old Blighty!

Sunday eve here....so shall let you know what we have been up to the last few days. Thursday eve we took part in a 'Progressive Supper Party' - which involved 16 couples from around the patch (where each couple goes to someone else's house for a dinner course, hosting a course themselves). Luckily we were hosting the pre-dinner drinks which was very easy! A really good night, though needless to say, Friday was a complete right-off! Poor Leigh had to get up a do a 10k charity run! Saturday was more productive - we went to a place called Elkwater, just the otherside of Medicine Hat - another National Park, similar to Echo Dale with a big lake and beach. Needless to say, the kids stripped off and were straight in the water - lots of fun had! Leigh is hoping to get his speedboat licence whilst we are here and there is a speedboat here we can have use of and take to Elkwater. Should be fun! Apparently when the lake freezes during winter you can go along for a sleigh ride, ice fishing or ice skating.... Leigh has finished skate school without injury and is embarking on hockey school next week. My turn the week after....then the 'hockey season' really starts. Apparently our first match is against the Men's team....I bet they are scared!

Back from an amazing long weekend in The Rockies. We stayed in a friends 'condo' in Canmore which was fabulous and visited Banff and Lake Louise. Banff is a really pretty town at the foot of mountains (with lovely shops selling Clinique!). We spent a little time there on Saturday before heading up to Lake Louise, which is a beautiful Lake, quite high up in the mountains with crystal clear water which is fed by the glaciers. On a sunny day the surrounding mountains reflect on the water and in the winter you can skate on the frozen lake. Just gorgeous! On Sunday we went back to Banff for a cable car ride up Sulphur Mountain (not my favourite pastime! - but I wouldn't have missed it for the world). We went up 7500 feet - Leigh and the kids loved it! The views were absolutely amazing - Rocky Mountains as far as the eye could see in every direction. We even had a snow ball fight at the top! All the peaks are covered in snow. When you come out to visit, we will take you! - If it's in the winter we will ski back down!

We have been at a 'Party in the Park' tonight. The Parachute Regt band were playing (all kinds of music) they were really good. Had a picnic listening to the music. Luckily the weather here is still warm and sunny (chilly in The Rockies though!). Leighs turn for skate school this week...he'll let you know how he get's on......

Well, I am survivng 'Skate School'! Infact I'm loving it! 2nd day in and am already managing to stand up :)) I have managed somehow to skate my way into the 'fastest eight', which I am really pleased about, however I have problems with stopping! - So I either hit the barrier, fall down (very gacefully, ofcourse) or keep going around in a circle until I eventually stop! The training is a bit intense and far too serious for my liking: we are already being taught how to 'cross over' (going round in a circle putting one foot over the other - with the hockey stick) and doing figures of 8 around cones...skating on one foot, then the other, but the most fun is going as fast as you can from one end of the arena to the other....all of which I can do pretty well.....I just can't stop at the end of it! But hey -that's why the barrier is there isn't it? Anyway, kids happy, Leigh home (at the moment!) Charlie started 'Kiddie Kare'this morning and had a lovely time.....so all is good. Took delivery of a climbing frame & trampoline today that someone here was selling, so once again our garden will no doubt become a 'kid magnet'! Will let you know how the rest of Skate School goes x

Lazy sunday.....and a bit cooler too, which is most welcome. Bike ride and swimming with the kids. Not alot else! Leigh still out on the Prairie (so he say's - he could be skiing in The Rockies for all I know!) Another video below...this one of Ben at a BMX/Skate park near Medicine Hat (note the lack of graffitti!)