Finding Adventure in the Canadian Rockies + Meeting Kindred Souls.
This past weekend we packed up our little family of five into the “white school bus” and took off North – where everything is twice as grandiose, and immeasurably jaw dropping.
The plan was to meet up with one of my beloved IG friends, Jenna Hobbs + her family of six – and photograph Alpine Baby Co.’s Fall 2016 Line… but once we arrived, what unfolded was much more than I could have ever asked for.
Like many husbands would be, Ry was a bit nervous to drive our family into another country, and camp in the woods with people we’ve never “actually” met. He cracked jokes before we left about how we’d probably end up on the news as a missing family, or just get ransacked and left for dead – and after chatting with Jenna upon arrival, her hubs felt the same way. We just laughed to each other and shook our heads – men.
The kids met with a hint of shyness, and a whole lotta wild- taking only a matter of minutes to warm up to each other. Running off into the woods with sticks in hand, and dirt on their toes… I couldn’t have asked for anything else as a mama. I knew right then and there that they’d be friends forever.
And the twins. Oh the twins. My heart melted when I saw them in person for the very first time. Always going at each other with the sweetest, yet aggressively playful demeanor. It almost made me want twins, but then I remembered how sweet Lily has been – and how two in one pop might drive me nuts. So I just loved on theirs all week. 🙂
We (the adults) spent many late nights up at the fire after the kids were asleep, talking about our accents & laughing about past stories. I couldn’t help but feel like this whole time Jenna was a long lost twin, a very like-minded individual with a gorgeously raw soul & heart for seeing beauty in the everyday. Our husbands ended up kindling the same kind of flame, soon realizing that none of us were murderer’s (hah!) – and actually just really, REALLY fun humans sharing trenches of parenthood together.
Hearts were spilled, good times were had (almost too much some nights!), and somehow, between a 6+ hour drive, living hundreds of miles away, we found another family to add to our “good friend” category. Goodbye’s were hard. Coming back to reality in the Valley was hard. Although, our kids will become pen pals until we are able to meet up again for the next adventure – AND we will always have social media + messaging to keep us close.
Mexico next right?! or Montana maybe?! 😉 Love you Hobbs family, real hard. xo – Chels
Oh! and a special, heartfelt thank you to my mama for sitting our naughty little Chihuahua + leaving fresh sunflowers on the table + cleaning our home while we were away. Love you so SO much! 🙂 xo
The DuBays 