the kantor fam

Now that we're reunited with our Kantor family of eight, it's time to be reunited with our Kantor family of... way more than eight. Here's our second annual Kantor Family Picnic and all the people that came to chat and eat, laugh loud and hug hard, play and visit. 

Thank you, Kantor aunts and uncles and cousins! It's always a good time!

boys' staycation

Of course we were very happy to be in Saskatchewan to see family, but we missed very much being together as our family of eight. Back home in Oakville, the big boys were fine without their mama (how dare they...), with Joe taking over the cooking, handling their lawn mowing customers, and Henry helping with lots of the cleaning. They had baseball games, practices, and umping duties, and Joe had summer school... but also they were allowed to have fun. A trip to the batting cages, disc golf, visits with cousins, dissecting the impossibilities of the Back to the Future franchise... they kept themselves entertained. But I think (I think?) they were glad to have us home. We hugged hard when we got back, and Joe made us our favourite supper. And my plan is to never take a trip without them ever again. 

gramme and papa

We love our time with them. The food, the feeling, the fun. The close proximity to a park. The farm. The ability to walk wherever we want to go. The free and frequent access to kittens and dogs. Over the course of the visit, each of the kids asked if we could move here. Leo declared that Grammie and Papa's house is like his second home. We're so happy we had some of our summer here, so happy to have such a nice time with Grammie and Papa. We love you!

(pretend) farm kids

Hottest day of our entire lives... 38 degrees... and we're riding around the farm in the back of a blazing hot truck. But this is what the kids wanted to do today... have some time on the farm to sit in all the equipment and hang out with Papa and maybe find a dog to play with. This is why we we're here... to know this place and to love this place and to melt in this sweltering heat. 

pooling resources

Thanks to a pool pass, some hot weather, and some free afternoons, the kids have gotten in a lot of swim time in Shaunavon. They have all gained so much confidence in the water and there they go, jumping off the diving board just like their mom never would/could. Leo's new favourite thing is to kick off the wall and glide under water for as long as he can, Annie was trying out some 360 twists off the diving board, Jane went from being scared to try the boards to becoming a frequent jumper, and Clara was keen to work out some synchro jumps with her sisters. 

girodats

I really do love some family time, especially if when it's family I haven't seen in a long while. Today we had a really nice afternoon of visiting at Auntie Rosella's, catching up, eating yummy carrot cake, and sipping the best iced tea you'll ever have.  I'm grateful to hear the stories of all the cousins, the tasty treats Auntie Karen brought in, the time Auntie Janet took to show me pictures, and the hug from Auntie Anne that was so tight it squeezed some tears right out of me. So glad for it all. 

fun for all ages

A field trip today with Grammie and Papa to Cypress Hills! Always a good day at the park, with some time at the beach, some education about leaches, a tour around the lake to look at cabins/mansions, a challenging game of mini-golf (mostly, I think, challenging Papa's patience), and an ice cream treat. It's a fun day when you're 5. It's a fun day when you're 45. Thanks, Cypress. 

Look - it's a very poplar picnic site. Ha ha ha. I make this joke every time I see this sign and it is always funny. 

dino-mite

We t-rexed on down to Easton today to visit the dinos. Dug for bones, explored the museum, sciences in the lab, made a movie, then got eaten by dinosaur. All in a day's visit. We heart the prairies.

horseplay

Annie's list of desired pets includes a kitten, a dog, and - now, thanks to my cousin Vince - a horse. Pretty please. 

We were so happy and lucky to hang out with Vince and Cadillac for a couple of hours on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. He let the kids each take a ride around the pen and then, at Annie's request, take a leisurely walk around the farm. Dreams came true this afternoon, people. This was so exciting for these kiddles. And dreams were born... like how we're going to keep a horse in our backyard. 

Huge thanks to Vince for giving us his afternoon to share his horse with these city kids.