I am very fortunate to be able to spend the holidays with (most of) my family, Paul, and Paul’s mom.  It is one of my favourite seasons and I can’t wait for the fesitivities to begin tonight.  The baking is done . . . all 300 lbs of cookies, bars and treats!  The decorations are up, and the presents are wrapped. 

This year, with Paul and I in our new home, we are having to juggle each other’s families and traditions . . . and attempt to build our own.  Also, I am having to learn to work around someone who is less than enthusiastic about the Christmas season . . . I know that all I have to do is give him a video game, and he will have a great day . . . other than that, it’s best to leave him alone.  

The first year that Paul and I were together, he willingly went to the grocery store and loaded a cultured, perfectly shaped tree into the back of his truck.  Little did I know that that was the last time that would happen!  The next year we went out and cut down one from the bush.  We also happened to find the largest, perfectly coiffed tree for my parents.  We got a small one for Paul’s mom too, but it was NOT liked by her . . . so we took it to my Grandma’s.  This year, we continued our only existing tradition in heading out into the bush and cutting down a real bush tree.  It’s up in all of it’s Charlie Brown splendour, in our first home, and it is as perfect as I could ever want.

As 2011 is coming to an end, one of the things I have been most fortunate for is all of the many outdoor adventures that we were able to go on, despite being busier than I have ever been in my life!  Hunting for Christmas trees is one adventure that I love, but it doesn’t really get the heart rate up . . . hiking does!  

We made a couple of videos to go with our East Kootenay adventures in hiking, so enjoy as you check out some of the amazing secenry that I am fortunate to live surrounded by!

Hiking Kimberley Nature Park

 Kimberley is a community that is famous for it’s winter time sports of skiing, but as we discovered for the first time, it also has some beautiful trails through their nature park.  We were out on an early fall day and basically had the woods to ourselves!  We encountered a couple of bikers, and noted that next time, we would definitely bring our bikes back to ride the trails.   They made for decent walking trails, but weren’t much for actually hiking.  

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