We head north to Jasper

Today we headed North to the Canadian Rockies. The drive was a long one. I fell asleep once or twice - still unwinding - and I finished the book I was reading. I'm glad to not have the book hanging over my head. My brother-in-law recommended it and gave it to me earlier this year: The 3 Big Questions For A Frantic Family by Patrick Lencioni. It's pretty standard Lencioni if you've read any, quick and easy. At the same time I was gratified by two little things:

1. The acknowledgement that parenting/family advice is filled with tools, systems, or plans that create more burden and guilt than anything else. Unfortunately, I think this book ultimately does the same thing.
   
2. Families are complex systems. Without inducing guilt in myself (I hope), it's worth noting that my own family could use a little dispassionate and careful thinking about what our family is doing and why.

The drive up here was amazing. Conversation in the van was filled with laughter, chatter, catch-up. The spiritual tone has been set high - the van trip up was filled with men sharing their recent stories and willing to start the trip right. I couldn't be more thankful for them all.

We broke records today! We got here, Jasper Campground by daylight. Daylight! I don't think I've ever seen Mt Robson by daylight (pictured above) much less our actual campground. Tomorrow the riding begins. We each take turns driving the sag wagon. I drew the shortest straw. I drive tomorrow.