All I wanted for my 30th Birthday was to spend it with my little family and Colin made that happen in a bigger way than I could have ever imagined. We spent five days in the Canadian Rockies, taking in the sights and sounds of Banff and Lake Louise. It was a place that Colin shared with his family when he was a little boy. For a kid that grew up in the prairies (he was born in England), the mountains were something from another world. The way the land stretches up to the sky just takes your breath away. He wanted to share it with us, and even though Ollie doesn't necessarily appreciate a beautiful view like we do, I feel like he knew that he was seeing something special. Maybe? A few of Oliver's favourite things from this trip. 1) Watching small woodland creatures poke around our balcony. I didn't put crackers out to entice them...that would be unlawful. 2) Wide open spaces where he could touch the rocks, ice and dirt and do things in his own time. 3) Banff Upper Hotsprings. Relaxing in the toasty water while breathing that mountain air was some kind of magic and I've rarely seen him so mellow. 4) Being in my sweater. It was so windy one day so I wore him in the carrier and popped my oversized sweater over top. This amused him greatly. 5) Togetherness. This was our favourite too. I have always loved travelling, but since adding our little guy to the mix it's become something that I'm passionate about and I wasn't expecting that to be the case. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully navigating the ins and outs of travel with a little person, or maybe it's the togetherness. Living in the moment, with no distractions and making memories with my family... ya that's probably it. All of the above. Anyways, here are a few of my favourite images from my 30th birthday present. A few of Colin's cherished childhood memories in Banff circa 1986 and beyond.

Banff - Exploring the Rocky Mountains