Thankful

P1180993

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving this past weekend with a quick trip out to the prairies

P1180964P1180966P1180968

to connect with a multitude of Skelton offspring. Grandad's Great Grandbabies

Cousins eating

Here are four generations of Skelton men…

P1180956Micah and Monorea and us

The progenitor of them all came along with us!  What a treat, to see the towns along the way through his eyes, including the church where he was married some 60 years ago!

P1180902P1180904

The weather was idyllic for travel and the mountains are festive with their gold trimmings.  P1180996

Larch trees are new to us.  They are  deciduous conifers, meaning they resemble a standard evergreen with needles and cones, but they turn yellow and lose all their needles in the fall.  In the process whole monochromatic mountainsides are dramatically transformed.

P1180901

And of course the other deciduous trees do their part,
bringing glory to even this pine-beetle ravaged swath of mountainside.

P1180913

For fall color and for family I am grateful, and not to be taken for granted is safe travel.  We made a short detour to take in beautiful Lake Louise

P1180972P1180978

and were reminded of our visit here last November. This was our final sight-seeing stop before the crash  that jolted us into some very big life changes.  It is as though Lake Louise bookmarks in my mind the end of a chapter in our lives. P1180976

So much has changed for us in a year’s time.

 

And though we don’t know what this next chapter will bring, we are thankful for all the way the Lord has led and kept us, and for the family he has blessed us with!

P1180897

–LS

Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His Name, make known HIs deeds among the peoples…Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Is.12:4,5

Beauty coming and going…

The prairies are beautiful at this time of year…IMG_20150724_142629829

IMG_20150724_154220243Cycling to AirdrieIMG_20150728_173154875_HDR

As are the little people who live there…

IMG_20150727_092636470_HDRP1180169

P1180166

 

IMG_20150727_120922848_HDRP1180184

 

As are the mountain vistas we pass coming and going…

P1180093P1180102P1180105P1180120P1180128

 

 

P1180131P1180137P1180200

 

It isn’t very nice to have family so far away from us,

P1180153

but it does give us the excuse to traverse some beautiful landscapes.

P1180091IMG_20150722_171858206

And now safely home once again, we are grateful for travelling mercies, P1180089

for work accomplished  IMG_20150727_155234274_HDRIMG_20150728_123714206_HDR

and for good memories made with family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P1180191

(… a lesson in whistling by Grandad)

–LS

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; … so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. Ps.65:5-6,8 ESV

Stopping to See…

We were on our way home last week, driving through Kootenay National Park. I was ready to be home.  But Jim suggested we stop and see what this ‘Marble Canyon’ sign was pointing out.  I’m so glad we did!

There was more there than met the eye from the highway…At first it was just another stream, albeit a beautiful turquoise blue one…

P1170801

And more dead pine trees (amazing what a beetle is capable of!)…
These ones stood like teeth on a comb…P1170802P1170804

But there were flowers along the way…P1170845P1170846P1170818P1170810

And then we came to this impressive slot canyon with water rushing through…

P1170815P1170823P1170824P1170832P1170838P1170812

Just an everyday sight to this picnicking critter.

P1170841P1170828

But well worth stopping to see.

P1170843

..before we proceeded on down to the valley

P1170873

–LS

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…Ex.3:3