Today was a tough day. Jade was ill and Nate was very wild. We needed to stay close to home but that did not work well with Nathan. I was very frustrated and overwhelmed by 5:00pm. Thankfully the day ended on a good note. My friend Roberta dropped off a piece of cake to cheer me up. The cake was great but the thought was even nicer. Darren took over with the kids in the evening (thank God).

I was able to go for a walk with Bear in the woods. Our walk was a little late and the ravine was getting dark. We heard some scratching and when we looked up into the trees we saw four raccoons looking back. What an amazing site.

North Bay July 2007

We just returned from our vacation at the family cottage. The weather was fantastic and we had a fabulous time. The cottage is in a remote location without electricity or running water. We do have a a gas fridge, stove and lights and the location is beautiful! The cottage has been recently expanded so now there are three bedrooms, kitchen, family room, deck and soon to be a bathroom...

It was so nice to:

-See the stars every night without any city lights.

-To watch the sunset over the water.

-Celebrate Christmas in July and make home made ornaments for our forest tree.

-To cook over the campfire and play games with the family.

-To go for hikes in the woods.

-To have Bear go of lead for a whole week, running, swimming, playing...

-Make family memories that will last a lifetime.

Big thanks to Darren's parents for sharing the week with us.

Ravine

Started the day with a visit with Tammy and a nice walk with the dogs in the ravine. For once I actually remembered to bring my camera. It was fun and I really enjoyed chit chatting with Tammy and catching up. Hope is turning into a beautiful dog with a sweet personality. Bear had a blast playing in the back yard with her. Poor Bear was exhausted when he got home. I took lot's of pics, trying to use up the battery...I am glad I did though because I got some shots that I love.

I got my hair cut today! Big deal you are thinking, YES it is! It has probably been close to six months since I did anything with my hair besides a pony tail. I went to a new hair dresser and he was great, aren't all Italian men? What do I know...Joseph was excellent, I will definitely visit him again. Big thanks to Nancy for the tip. I would post a picture but I am currently the only one in the house capable of working a camera. Just me, Nate the great and Bear left till Friday.

Nate and I spent some time shopping this evening and we stopped at the Zellers cafeteria for dinner. Nasty I know but when a kid is starving and he is two, you will go anywhere to solve the hunger issue. Nate was thrilled to be at a restaurant. Very cute.

When we came home he chased the soccer ball around in the back yard with renewed energy while I collapsed in a chair. Not easy keeping up with the little man but it sure is fun to watch him. What a sweet little guy. ( Nate looks so much like his Dad in this picture).

Garden Tour/House tour

Picture or Roberta and Norine (Mikey in the background)

Wow, the weekend went fast!

On Saturday I left the house at 9:00am and headed for Merickville with Norine and Roberta. We made the trip for the house and garden tour. The day was fun, very relaxing... Merickville is a beautiful spot and a little peace of heaven. We had a nice lunch and stopped at the Pub after the tour. We also hit the "Chip Witch" on the way out of the town. Excellent!

Saturday evening was the quietest that I can remember. Darren went out for dinner to his Uncle Mark's with his parents and the kids. I had the house to myself for the evening. I chose to do nothing but sit in the lazy boy, drink some red wine and read a good book. Paradise for a Mom of a two year old.

Here is a pic of our weekend house guest. An odd position to sleep in but very cute.

I had a good day with Jade. We were off to a slow start because we had to drop Nate off with Grandpa and then pick up our weekend house guest, Abby. We did manage to head downtown around 11:00am and we had a great time. We wandered around, went for tea, Chapters, hit a sausage stand for lunch, beaver tails for dessert and a walk around Parliament Hill. It was great to spend time together!

Tonight was good also. Very peaceful in the neighbourhood. Darren and I sat around the fire and were joined by our good friend Roberta and her daughter Rachel. Rachel and Jade are the same age so it works out great for them. The girls went inside and played "Disney Scene it" and we got to relax by the fire. (Nate was in bed). I love summer weekends.

I just got back from a long walk with Bear. It is such a nice cool evening, fabulous weather to go for a run. I am still not running. I hurt my back a couple of months ago and had a herniated disc as a result. I am pretty sure it is closed to healed but every once in a while I have a little twinge. My plan is to start back at running in September. I will have the time then to concentrate on building my endurance and hopefully the back will be great again. I am looking forward to running with Bear. That will be a new adventure for us. As I type this, I do have a lump in my throat because I miss my Cierra and our great runs together. Perhaps I still need the time to heal from her loss as well. She was one of a kind and losing her was an extremely hard loss.

Busy day today filled with great friends! It was good to catch up with Norine and Roberta. Nate is getting older and a little easier to bring places. We went through the whole visit and did not even break a glass. Well done son!

Tonight I am thinking about my neighbour Judy and her family. They just lost her Mother in law yesterday from lung cancer and they are also dealing with the Father in law being ill with the same disease. Unbelievable! My thoughts are with them. Tough times.

This is a typical summer picture of Jade. She LOVES to read and the holidays are a perfect time to get into all the great books.

Yesterday was Nathan's first day without a nap. It worked out nice because he was in bed allot earlier than normal. I thought for sure he would sleep in the car because he had a Doctor's appointment at CHEO but he was determined to stay awake. The CHEO appointment turned out okay. We have to have an ultra sound done in October but the Doctor does not think surgery will be necessary.

Jade was a big help yesterday with her brother. It is nice having the extra pair of hands in the summer. She is a great girl and can be very helpful.

Jade had a great day today with her Granny Helen. It was nice for her to have some one on one time without her brother around.
Nate has been a wild boy today. The weather was rainy and we stayed close to home. That just seemed to bottle the energy up and he is ready to spin out of control. He has started some funny behaviour lately. He pretends to snore when he wants to make us laugh or when he knows he is in trouble. I can't help but smile when he does that and he has learned fast that Mom thinks it is cute. The other funny thing is that he attempts to tell "Knock, knock" jokes. He had himself laughing so hard yesterday by Saying "Knock, knock, who is there, orange!". Then he would change the orange to another fruit or vegetable. Very funny to watch.

Picture of Nathan and Darren playing around on the couch. I love the look Darren has for the little guy!

We had a really nice evening. Emma stopped in for a visit and stayed for supper. After dinner we sat outside around the fire pit with Darren. Quiet peaceful night in the neighbourhood. It felt like we were at a cottage. No one using their back yards, no lights except the fire and the ravine just in behind. Our little piece of heaven! It was great to catch up with Emma. Fabulous night!

So relaxed...what a great night! Darren and I just got back from an evening at the Nordic Spa. Fabulous! We had a stop at the pub in Chelsea first and a nice dinner. Life is good, back home and the kids are both asleep. Excellent.

Big thanks to Helen for babysitting.

Today I had some big reminders of how life has changed and I am SO thankful. There is no need to go into any details but those of you who know me will understand. Today I have so many blessings and very little worries. Sometimes it takes remembering the past to really appreciate the present! What a journey...

Now is that not a picture to be thankful for? ...look all those beautiful, happy kids!

Yesterday we spend a good part of the day at a patio party. Fun, fun! We brought Nate with us and after a rough start he ended up having a good time. He was entertaining us with his dancing. So cute! Jade enjoyed herself. Lot's of kids to play with. My friend Roberta organized and hosted and she did a great job. Lot's of fun activities for everyone and lot's of great food! Here is a picture of all the off spring.