While Waiting for Summer

There's something special about having a Saturday where there is nothing planned. 

A day to do anything, or everything and a day where the weather actually co-operates.

 It's been a long while since we have spent any quality family time together, just the five of us - all five of us. And Saturday we had that chance.

It wasn't spent at home, herding children to their toys (which they refuse to play with, and I always wonder why we keep).

It wasn't spent in front of the t.v or Wii.

 It was spent in creation. Exploring, playing and watching the world around us unfold in beauty.

 3 hours of hiking and eating (of course!) and finding tadpoles and snails and water spiders and chives.

 The warmth of the sun beating down on the rocks, the chill to the water - which felt great on our hot and sweaty feet.

The peacefulness of the morning giving way to the heat of the afternoon.

 I love that my kids- all 3 of them - are capable of making hikes like this.And that they enjoy it as much as I do.

I have been exploring a website - Superior Hiking Trails and have found a lot of different trails to try this summer. I really like it because they are rated from easy to difficult and it gives you the round trip in Kilometers.

This hike to Silver Falls was rated difficult, yet the kids managed, without whining and complaining. I have found one to a bat cave (and if we go in July to September it is supposed to be when the bats swarm! How cool would that be to see?!) That one rated difficult too but it is not as long of a hike so I think we will attempt it at some point this summer. 

 

 

 

Sun, water and trampolines.

Friday was one of the few really nice days of the spring. It was sunny and hot. And a PA to boot, so the kids (plus a tag-a-long) spent all morning at a park with friends, then we came home, inhaled lunch and went right back outside.

What better thing to do then in-list the kids' help to wash the van? They think it's fun ;) so really, it's not work!

They also spent tons of time on the trampoline (borrowed from a friend who doesn't have room for it in their backyard......SO thankful for it!) and in the sprinkler.

Today, the first official day of summer and it is cool and rainy.

I'm not complaining though. I love this weather.

And thankful that it has been unseasonably cool and wet, it means I don't have to water the lilac bush that we planted for Father's Day!!

It's Been Awhile...

Life has been full lately.

Sometimes it is full in a good way and sometimes, it is a full that overwhelms and threatens to destroy the balance.

I am looking forward to summer and thankful that there are only 2(ish) weeks left of the school year.

 Alexandra could have sat a listened to this drummer all day. She was mesmerized by him.

 Just a few from some recent photo shoots. I have been so blessed in being able to pursue this dream of mine.

 Owen had a birthday party to go to too.

 Happy 3rd Birthday sweet girl! We love you lots!

Pixel

Sometimes, saying *yes* means coming home with a new addition.

 We always knew we were going to get a 2nd cat at some point, have actually talked about it for 2 years. So when the kids and I were at the soapbox races Saturday afternoon and there was a couple giving away free kittens - which my kids BEGGED to have. I took one look at this sweet face and caved!

So home came *baby cat* as she was known for 2 days till we pulled a name out of a hat!

Pixel is just 6 weeks old and adjusting nicely to the chaos that is 3 small kids!

Grace for Today

 Bright Hope for tomorrow

 Blessings all mine

 With ten thousand besides

 Great is Thy faithfulness

 Great is Thy faithfulness

 Morning by morning

 New mercies I see.

 And I truly do see them.

Yesterday was wonderful.

A gift from God in the midst of weeks that have not been easy.

Grace spilling forth as a reminder to me of Who He is and what He is capable of.

Every once in awhile there are days where I fall deeper in love with my kids, where I can enjoy them fully, say yes more often and just be in the moments of them without thinking or worrying about what is next or what time it is.

This weekend was one of those times and I am so thankful for it.

Sunny Saturdays

For the past 8 years George Jeffery's Children Centre has held soapbox races. They first year we stumbled upon it by accident, we had been out at yard sales and saw all the activity so we stopped to look.

This year however, it was intentional. The kids and I headed to Waverly Hill at 9am and watched them race.

There were also bouncy castles and trees to climb, fountains to look at, kettle corn and french fries at 9:30am.

We had so much fun. 

It was much needed for the kids and I to get out of the house and do something fun together, for I knew if we stayed home I would just get annoyed and grumpy.