yearly tomato photos

Growing tomatoes pleases me so. Share my joy, would you?

to dye for

Annie got this tie dye kit for her birthday, and graciously allowed us all to try it out. We are not experts at tying the shirts and making cool patterns but we're still pretty happy with what we've got. 

a big splash

Went to the sprinkle park today. Leo hated the cold so I changed him from his swimsuit to his regular clothes... and then he went in the water. 

auntie Marilyn

Thinking of Auntie Marilyn today, and so grateful we had the chance to visit when we were home in Shaunavon this past July. She was a quiet constant in our lives, sweet and gentle and hard-working and strong and generous. We left this visit with a bunch of juice boxes and a box of Ritz Crackers and Cheese bites that she gave to us... we didn't finish all the packages on our trip, so we'll snack on those in your honour today, Auntie Marilyn. We love you and we'll miss you. 

 

slurpee summer

I've been stressing out about doing enough to have a fun summer with the kids, especially the boys as they get older (and don't love Paw Patrol as much as their siblings). But a bike ride to get a slurpee is sometimes all they need. Me, too. 

big screen

The big adventures of puppies deserve the big screen. So off to the theatre we go, to watch the Paw Patrol Movie. Leo's dream come true. Plus they had smarties. And a juice box. 

day date

These days of Covid... these are unprecedented times. But do you know what else is unprecedented? Gillian and David going on a day date. To celebrate our 15 years of marriage, we did something we've never done in 15 years of marriage and that was a day to ourselves just wandering and eating and tasting wine and eating some more. And when we got home, the kids were all fine and that, too, is yet another lesson for me in these unprecedented times. 

get to the point

Another trip to Longpoint today, this time just us, to swim, play, re-apply sunscreen, and look for Clara's goggles that she left there the last time. Highlight of the day... when a seagull took off with the paddle ball in the middle of Joe and Henry's game and Joe (swimming) chased the bird (flying) out in the water to get it back. We also enjoyed eating cotton candy, digging a big hole, and bobbing around on various flotation devices. Beach life is a good life. 

leo reads

As far as I can tell, he's just reading the synopsis on the back of the book. Imagine, then, the drama to unfold in the actual story.  

ball boys

This is where my boys are happiest (but also, sometimes, saddest, when games and play aren't going as they hope). They put all they have out there, and I love to watch them play. Annie, too. She's a big fan of her brothers. 

tv crew

Every once in a while, we gather with these lovely people and talk about days gone by. Salt + Light friends are long time friends, and that is nice to have. 

15

Happy Anniversary to us, and, I guess, this crew who crashed our date. 

 

current events

We did a fun thing today and that thing was rafting but the even more fun thing was that Grammie and Papa came with us. This is not their usual sport and it was a bit of a surprise that they agreed to come along... and maybe after hour two (...of four) they weren't sure if they loved me and Andrea any more but we did it and we can say that we did it and maybe some of us will choose to never do it again but it still is good and/or fun to do new things. 

This was an 11.5 km ride along the Grand River. The waters were mostly calm with a few little rapids to speed you along. Rocks poking up out of shallow waters meant stuck boats and some tough paddling but this was a fun day in the water with some otter and heron spotting, sunshine, and happy kids. 

And please note Mom and Dad's smiles in the last photo... they still love us. Now tomorrow's activity: zip lining!! Ha ha. Just kidding. They are done.