Party Time

Our outdoor campfire/movie night required a little tweaking due to lots of rain and a high of 10 degrees! (crazy since we are normally in swimsuits while celebrating!) We had games, friends, a barbque, movie on a BIG screen, ice cream sandwiches and FUN!  It was a great celebration!

Puppy Cuteness

She is lots of fun still, which is a good sign.  No one has lost any shoes, although there have been attempts.  We are all enjoying having a dog again.  Shai while walking with me shared that he liked Mica, in fact he loved her and as a real sign of love he said she could ride in his monster truck when he grows up.  Now that is a compliment from my little guy, not just anyone gets to ride in the monster truck!

Getting Together

It was wonderful having my parents, my sister and her family down for a visit.  September, as for most, begins schedules, commitments and a different sense of busyness.  So before all of that begins we spent time around the fire, at the beach and chatting.  We shared our pictures with each other (I know at this rate- you will have to come to my house to see the trip photos! )   The kids enjoyed lots of lake time, in fact I don't think the big kids actually got out of the water except for a few munchies.  Lots of us went for a canoe ride despite the busy lake, Elias even took Grammy for a little paddle. 

Hey Ho Away We Go!

The fall fair is one of the reasons we love September so much.  The Stisted Fall Fair which we fell in love with last year is coming ever closer.  Which means we are busily sewing, pressing leaves, printing photos, canning and planning.  As is with every year we are way behind on where we want to be in terms of preparation.  To make that an easier task we thought we would try a few new things.  The first was sitting on the board of directors.  This means that I am in charge of the livestock; getting them into their designated areas, making sure the judge has a clerk to work with and actually working the day of the fair.

The other part we have added to our fair experience is entering the horse competition.  Both Ben and Aria are riding on a horse and a donkey, while Elias and I lead them through the competition.  We are participating in some more classic western style competition as well as some not so traditional such as costume contest and seeing who has the most water in their glass after going through a course.

We went over to our friend's house, who is both teaching us the ropes of the competition and handling the animals, she is also kindly lending us her beautiful sandy colour horse Lynn and her sweet sensitive donkey Percy.  I will be leading Lynn, which I am a little bit nervous about.  Her feet are so large and she weighs a mere 1600 lbs, I am forever worrying about getting my foot under hers.  But with practice I am hoping it will lessen. 
Elias is leading Percy.  He doesn't worry about being stepped on, but Percy moves when she feels moved to.  Being a sensitive fellow, this donkey needs a lot of love to get going.  Elias hugs it, whispers sweet nothings it his ear and bribes him with apples.  Being the centre of attention is not what Elias (and I think Percy feels too) enjoys, but he is totally stepping out of his box on this one and I think its great!
We have a little over a week to practice, and we have lots to cover.  I need to start sewing-  for both the kids and the animals! (costumes for a horse and donkey are new ones to add to the resume!!)
We will keep you posted on the fair!

Mornings

We get up together to walk the dog.  Sometimes it's dewy and we try and catch drops on our toes.  Other days we follow deer tracks while telling stories about baby deer and their mamas.  Today was quiet, hand in hand, watching which way Mica's nose took her.  Take the dog for a walk was going to be the time I got for myself, at a pace fast enough to be called exercise.  Taking the dog together in the morning is so much more than that.

Children Full of Life (1 of 5)

This is such an inspiring video. I rarely share video, but this one I found both touching and moved by the compassion the children have for each other...encouraged in the classroom none the less!

A Piece of Art

...and we got to ride in this beautiful handcrafted replica voyageurs canoe. I don't think they sang We all live in a yellow submarine the way we did though!

Fur and Friends

I don't know if it was harder for them to sit nicely for the photo or me keeping a straight face long enough to get a photo! They are a crazy bunch!

Lang Pioneer Village

We love exploring pioneer villages, it was the first time we have been to this particular one. To make it even better the village was hosting a fur trade re-enactment and we met up with good friends.
There was a chance to explore the village, go to school, see some traditional woodworking tools in action, peek inside houses and watch handiwork. A fur trading camp was set up, with sash weaving, canoes, traditional clothing, items that would have been traded for furs and lots of people to answer questions. We tried our hands at rope making, crafting beavers, earning fur by setting mouse traps, weaving, traditional toys to play with and the kids were most thrilled that Dadda got to throw a tomahawk!!

Introducing Our Newest Family Member

The kids have been asking for a dog for a few years, ever since Marly died. During that time we have been busy with life; Shai arrived, we sold our house, moved, got lots of other animals, had a month long holiday. Phew. We agreed that we would discuss a dog after our holiday, because life would be calm then...right?! While we don't really expect life to be calm, the addition of a dog to our family feels wonderful and right.

With so much love already, we are excited to introduce Mica (although some family members prefer it spelled Myca), named after the black mineral. She is a beautiful four month old black lab. She is incredibly calm, affectionate, while still being a fun playful puppy. It has been a natural transition having her in our family. She has been coming everywhere with us; birthday parties, the beach, hiking, the library, visiting. The kids are smitten. We all are.

Snapshots of Summer

It's summer. Full. Birthday parties, lots of beach time, music, art, visitors, exploring. It's been busy since we have been home.

Home

We are home.

The trip was great. It was amazing. To be exploring new places, getting lost in history, watching the cousins play, have the grandparents show the grandkids so many firsts, all of that and more. Since we had a month away, we had the luxury to feel adventurous, relaxed, excited, in awe, amazed, in the moment. Watching the kids flow from new place to new food to new people with open eyes and hearts was incredible.
Coming home is always wonderful; being back in your own bed, rediscovering those special comforting corners. Even though the trip was a long one, the longest we have taken as a family, we didn't feel ready to come home. It didn't feel like 4 weeks, but a few days. Late night dinners in Spain were calling us, having the ocean at our door step was missed, we craved British chocolate, Moroccan breakfast donuts and flat bread. For the first week back I kept hearing the kids say to each other If we were in Spain we would be swimming in the pool right now or nothing is better than the smell of the ocean.
Now begins the sorted of photos (literally thousands), putting together our scrapbook, re-reading our journal, recounting favorites.
So slowly, I will be sharing our travels.