blessings

temps in the triple digits drove us to the beach this weekend. as i sat amongst my neighbours and watched our kids play in the surf i silently said goodbye to summer. the girls and i are headed to australia. i am thinking by the time we return our beach days will be over. at least beach days like this. i am so grateful to live close to the sea. so grateful to have these friends as my neighbours. so grateful for these summer memories.





today would have been my dad's 69th birthday. i thank him daily for teaching me the value of community. and for leaving me so many wonderful memories.

and ::40::

We celebrated my 40th last night. We weren't going to do anything now - the girls and I are taking off for a couple of weeks - but I am glad we did. It was impromptu and informal and I was surrounded by people I love. I felt very very lucky.

I keep trying to think of something clever to say about entering a new decade. A list perhaps as before. (Nice to see I have checked off so many! 31. is my priority this year.) Something to celebrate where I've been, and guide where I want to go. But I am coming up empty. We are so busy. And I am so content. Things seem to be fitting nicely. I can't say that 40 will be easy. I have a feeling I will be challenged. And I am looking forward to that.

{thank you ang for documenting it for me. xo}

nine.years.old.

life is really full right now. i could write pages on how happy this kid makes me. instead:

nine wonderful years. the joy is more than i could have imagined. it is a gift to be her mama. i love you baby. xo

what we learned on our summer vacation.

10. i never get enough.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

9. a turkey can have more personality than I ever imagined. (and a day at the farm is always well spent.)

















Trincomali Farms (where the girls were riding this summer) also operates as part of Rest.Q Animal Sanctuary. It was an amazing experience for the girls to spend time with these animals. Harry the pig, and Gavin the turkey made an especially strong impression. The animals all had stories. Mostly of hardship. But luckily the stories end at this beautiful farm. You can read more stories over on their blog.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

8. gumboots make a fashion statement. (and can be worn daily.)

what we learned on our summer vacation.

7. days can be full.  with absolutely nothing.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

6. it is very difficult to carry home enough blackberries for three jars of jam.

what we learned on our summer vacation.

5. there is a joy in staring out to sea.
it is important to do as often as possible.

things we learned on our summer vacation.

4. a swing is a very good thing.



alone.



or not.

things we learned on our summer vacation.

3. that some things you don't expect just come naturally.

my mom grew up on horseback. the girls adore her stories of riding her horse to school and eating lunch there with it. (i on the other hand am terribly allergic to horses. and while i grew up with easy access to them - even being given one at my birth - this has kept me off them. much to my disappointment.)

the girls have had many city "riding" experiences - ponies at birthday parties and in the park, but had never been on a horse. this is Anna. 10 years old and 16 1/2 hands tall. the girls spent three glorious days with her at Trincomali Farms. (i will tell more about this great working farm later.)



i was amazed how quickly and naturally they learned to mount and dismount, and E even took her trotting around the ring. they loved the ritual grooming before and after their rides, learned the language and can now describe to me a Roman nose and the difference between Western and English saddles as well as where you find a frog on a horse.




they loved the opportunity for quiet conversations and secrets shared with such a beautiful animal.



we made a commitment that time on the farm would be part of their island summers for years to come.

things we learned on our summer vacation.

2. that the walk is often as good as the destination. (sometimes even better.)

things we learned on our summer vacation.

we learn so much up on the island. there is an independence allowed there, a freedom, that we all experience. here is one new skill built this summer. more in the days to come...

1. how to ride a bicycle.

there is such joy in teaching the girls something new.  but when they teach themselves, my heart swells. 

K has wanted to learn to ride her bicycle like her big sister ever since E took off  on two wheels.  we put a handle on the back, and spend some time practicing, and she was close, but not quite there.  she quickly taught herself to ride her two-wheeler while we were up north.  the secret was given to us by D's (amazing!) cousin Rose - who visited us on the island while on a SF - Vancouver cycling adventure.  (she actually works teaching kids to ride, and ride safely.)  the handle wasn't helping her learn to balance - the key to riding.  "take off the pedals" she told us.  that simple. 




after two days scooting around pedal-free i put them back on, and presto.   (its the premise of the whole "balance bike" - without the added cost.  the bike they end up on can also be the bike they learn on.)



we passed on the tip when we got home and today K's best friend learned the same - and off they went with the rest of the neighbourhood kids.

they were beaming.  (and so was i.)




cross-posted at twogreenchickens

re-entry

we are home. my laptop has died and i am too lazy to attempt downloading all the photos of our time to our old desktop. these are from a few shots uploaded while we were still at the cottage.

the heat isn't helping.

more soon...

table tops

these have turned out to be such a record of "our days". (interestingly quiet table top shots do not pre-date 2008. hmmmmm...)

2006


2008


2010



thanks to sheri for including me in her summer table top series over at the stir.

quiet around here for august. unplugging. see you in september!