Teenager number 2

Well, I know that I said I would post about Canada this time, but I needed you to celebrate my second teenagers birthday with me! On 9/9/11, Jacob Jeffrey Howell offically became the second teenager in the Howell family! Jake is such an amazing boy---oh, I mean teenager! It's been an exciting year for him. He entered 7th grade is a becoming quite a remarkable person. Jake has really improved his piano skills this year and can pound out some amazing tunes. Last Spring he got a standing ovation at his Middle School talent show after playing David Lanz's "Nights in White Satin." He thought that was so cool that he is already practicing a piece for this year (Hint: Pirates!) I never get tired of him playing the piano at all hours of the day----or night! It makes this mothers heart burst! He hit some sweet home runs this past summer in baseball and dominates on the soccer field. He has also recently started running cross country and is doing a great job. He is a natural athlete and works hard to do his best. He has boundless energy and keeps his family on their toes....(If ya know what I mean!) He has recently acquired a job mowing the neighbors lawn and looooooves having his own money. (So do his parents!) He is a good student and great brother, son, and friend. He strives to be kind and cares about others. Recently I had two people tell me how impressed they are with Jake and his kind demeanor. Now that's a compliment to be proud of! I'm so grateful Jacob is my son.

This is the one and only picture we got on his birthday. That's my Jake!



Jake running hard at his first Cross Country meet.



Tearing up the soccer field.

You're a pretty cool kid Jake! Oh yeah, not kid.....TEENAGER!

I love you!

Family Vacation 2011

Every year our family takes a week long trip out west to visit our family and friends. We usually go to a family reunion or two and have a great time. This year we decided to do things a little differently. Jeff took off two weeks and we hit the road! We had a week to spend just with our immediate family. And boy did we have a great adventure! By the end of our trip we had logged 5,000 miles on our beast van, driven through 8 states and two provinces in Canada. Besides 1 night in a 2- bed hotel, and 2 nights at a friends home, we spent the rest TENT CAMPING! With 7 kids! Yes, I am a saint! And we all survived. And we have some amazing memories to share!

FIRST STOP: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK


For some reason I did not get a very good photo of the mountains in Glacier. But the mountain peaks there are so amazing! I went on a few morning runs and felt as though I was running through paradise! It was fun to see people sitting peacefully by the lake with their canvas and paintbrushes or sketchbooks and charcoals, trying to capture the beauty of this piece of heaven on earth.


We built a lot of fires............I always seem to forget what a bunch of PYROMANIACS I have in my family! Look at all those hands stirring the fire!

We skipped a lot of rocks.....................



Collected a lot of rocks...........

Climbed trees..............(Mariah my monkey)


Saw some amazing trees.......

And hiked to the top of the world!

Hiking with 7 kids is always an adventure and this hike was quite remarkable. We did not quite reach the top because we ran out of drinking water, but most everybody had a great attitude and were bound and determined to find snow. We saw it --but never got high enough to touch it. Maybe next year!

A few years ago I visited Glacier and counted it as the most beautiful place I had ever been. Well, now it is my second-most-beautiful-place! Because now I have been to Canada!

To be continued........

NEXT POST: WHITE SWAN LAKE, CANADA B.C. and BANFF, ALBERTA CANADA