Panorama Air
Our annual Panorama week is over and boy did we have FUN! This year, the kids and I went out at the beginning of the week but Brian had to stay back and work the week before heading out. We packed up the Jeep (our poor minivan is struggling in the crazy heat this summer) and headed out Monday Morning.
Our ETA was 2pm and the moment we arrived, the kids were off at the cousin fort and biking and visiting everyones units. Full fun right out the gate!
Grandma and Grandpa did the dinner for everyone each night. We all met at their place and it was so nice to just be together! Mom Reed also organized these cute shirts for all their Grandkids.. like, how awesome!
We woke up Tuesday morning and headed straight over to Lillian Lake. One of our favourite lakes close to Panorama that we have been going to only just recently over the last couple of years. It is just a beautiful gem off the side of the road. We love it so much! We spent hours here just playing, swimming and making memories together. We really missed Brian so so much!
After the lake, some of the big kids wanted to bike Valley Trail so although I didn't grab a bike to go with them, I grabbed my camera and with Becky and Lena, we walked them to the top of the trail to snap this cute photo!
The turned their biks around to start Valle Trail and within 3 peddals.. we hear "Mom.... Valley Trail is closed..." Well, shoot lol.
We got a map and directed them to the second half of Valley Trail that was still open and they were glad they were still about to get a little bit of it in at least however it was SOOOO HOT! Like, when they got back they were ALL super red faced and dehydrated. We needed to cool off.. so, off we went to the pools!
WE LOVEEEEE the Panorama pools! One has two waterslides and cooler water which was SUPER refreshing on this scorching hot day! To be honest, Im not sure Ive ever done the panorama waterslides but this year I did lots and they are SO FUN!
Wednesday started off at 2am with Carter covered in hives. Urg, my heart aches for him and the stress he gets every time he has to make the decision if potentially getting hives in the middle of the night after swimming is worth it. We were up for about an hour sorting it out. Spraying the cortisone spray that burns but helps, taking meds, using a fan to cool down his body. Doing everything I could to help him in any way but listening to him be emotional in a cool shower nearly snapped my heart in two. I prayed so much that his hives would be gone in the morning.
After a Benadryl, Carter was back asleep by 3:30am. We waited hours for him to wake up but I also was so happy he was sleeping in and resting. I finally woke him up at 11am and his hives were GONE! That has never happened before! We were so happy!!
He decided to take a day off from the pool. Totally fair. We got going for the day and decided to try the new Mountain Coaster! The kids LOVVEEDDD it! Arguably their favourite part of our Panorama trip! I thought it was really fun but it was $33 per person and the ride lasted 60 seconds once you got on the coaster… soooooo not sure I would do it again but I know we will let our kids do it each year from now on.
Before heading back down to our units, we stopped for a Candy Cabin Cousin treat. We fill up this candy cabin with SO many bodies. We are such a loud crew but we also spent an intense amount of money between each family so Im not sure if they love us or hate us… either way, we love the candy cabin!
We walked back down the hill with full heat exhaustion. It was a SMOKIN’ hot day so the best solution… water balloons! This day was filled with fun after fun after fun!
We finished off the night back up the hill at the pools. Carter didn’t join us but was happy to just relax back at our unit. I went up with Bentley and Penny and the rest of the family. The smoke started to roll in from the forest fires and the sky was CRAZY!
The boys’ favourite way to end the evening was hours of competitive fun with Uncle Steven playing Mario party with “Dirt-Bag-Daisy”. It was hilarious to watch. Non stop razzing and fun. It was awesome to see them gain this relationship every night from 9-11pm lol
Thursday was SO smokey from the forest fires. We had all the windows shut and our unit still smelt like smoke. Each morning, we started it off watching movies, breakfast and usually starting off slow. It was nice.
We took it a little slower than the day before and started the morning off with the Daisy Walk. A little walk to a small daisy field. It was fun for cousins to be together. We looked for frogs and bugs, found sticks and played “light sabres” with Copeland. Our throats were hurting from the smoke but we trucked along and it was great.
We headed straight up the gondola to the upper hill activities. Each year our kids pick one activity to do. This year, Penny did the bungie jump again and Bentley and Carter both did the gemstone mining. Watching them each do their thing was awesome!
I think Carter felt like he was maybe too old for this and if Im being honest, I kinda did too BUT he made it so fun… mostly by just flooding the mote lol it was funny to watch him and Bentley hang out and it make their own thing. In the end it was totally worth it!
This night was so much cooler than it had been all week. We ate dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s unit and then all headed up the hill to swim. Carter decided to risk it and this time he didn’t get any hives over night!! YAY!!
This was also the night Brian came!! He was suppose to come after work on Friday but instead stayed late on Thursday to get all his work done and then drove out late and arrive around 11pm on Thursday. The kids had all JUST fallen asleep on their own or had crawled into bed on their own already so we waited to surprise them in the morning, it was an awesome surprise and we were SOOOO glad Brian was finally there to enjoy the fun for the last couple of days!
Friday morning, we got up and headed back to Lillian Lake. It was SO SO COLD! I think it was 13 degrees. Penny was right in that water living her best cousin life but I was struggling to even take my hoodie off! Regardless, it was fun!
While a couple of families took their littles back for naps, we drove down into Invermere to take the kids to an antique store. This is on our bucket list and I am so glad we did this! It was WAY more fun than I even thought it would be! Grandma and Grandpa joined us and same with Steven and Meghan, Gwen and Arthur. It was fun seeing all the antique things and answering kids questions. They were way more into it than I thought they’d be. It was awesome!
We got back up the hill to Panorama and finished off the cold day with a double scoop of ice cream. These scoops were HUMUNGOUS and AMAZING! This ice cream might just be the best and although it was so so cold, it was the best treat!
Saturday morning was spent back at the top of the hill to finish any extra activities that some cousins didn’t get to do yet and Brain did the Coaster with his Dad! He said it was great but felt like it could have been faster (it was fast enough for me! Lol)
We even ordered the photos.. except for mine lol I forgot to order my own, oops!
We did the pool one last time that morning but again, it was pretty cold.. and Carter got more hives that afternoon from it! URgggggggg, poor kid! And that night we the candy cabin one last time too.
I LOVED the moments Bentley would ask me if I wanted to go for a walk or brouse the General Store for fun. I love being alongside that boy so so much and cherish every time he asked me to go with him that week.
We are so so so grateful for Grandma and Grandpa Reed. For all their organizing, planning and sacrifice for this week in Panorama. We are thankful for this summer priority and how much time they spend with their grandkids. They literally revolve the whole week around the kids and it is one of our kids favourite weeks of the year! Thank you Grandma & Grandpa!
Sunday morning was just packing up and checking out. It was another successful week in Panorama with memories to fill all our buckets.
We are so lucky and already looking forward to next year!
This was also the night Brian came!! He was suppose to come after work on Friday but instead stayed late on Thursday to get all his work done and then drove out late and arrive around 11pm on Thursday. The kids had all JUST fallen asleep on their own or had crawled into bed on their own already so we waited to surprise them in the morning, it was an awesome surprise and we were SOOOO glad Brian was finally there to enjoy the fun for the last couple of days!
Friday morning, we got up and headed back to Lillian Lake. It was SO SO COLD! I think it was 13 degrees. Penny was right in that water living her best cousin life but I was struggling to even take my hoodie off! Regardless, it was fun!