camping

It was a bit of a trial run this past weekend as we took our girls camping at the south end of the lake.  We booked ourselves in for Father's Day weekend and all three of my brothers, our three sister-in-laws, our six nephews, our one niece, and my mom and dad joined us for a little getaway at the lake.  I've reserved one more weekend of camping in July, but had been hesitant to book any further if this first one would end up being a total disaster.  It wasn't.  The girls passed the test and we had a really enjoyable, relaxing, fresh-air-and-sunshine-filled weekend.

The cousins ran amuck all day long, blowing bubbles and climbing trees, making up games and riding their bikes.

The girls made a teepee turned chicken coop turned pet store (etc?) out of sticks and pinecones.

Ella bumbled around doing her own thing and scowling at her relatives.

The lake was still icy cold, the beach a little too narrow and rocky, and the wind got us all packing up and heading back to our warm and sunny campsite much sooner than we thought, but the kids would tell a different story.

Getting my glow on while flipping buttermilk pancakes on the camp-stove!

We'll do it again this summer, and maybe once more after that if I can squeak us in somewhere last minute!  There's just something so satisfying about being outside all day long, avoiding our phones, not checking the clock, eating our meals when we're hungry, sending the girls to bed when they started to seem tired, roasting marshmallows (and squishing them between graham wafers and lemon curd - my newly addicting s'mores alternative!), staring up at the stars, brushing your teeth from a tin mug, getting totally grubby, soaking up the smoke by a crackling campfire, playing games by lantern light and snuggling up for night under one tent.

Once we'd packed up and headed home, unpacked and started the laundry, (and Levi had a classic Father's Day afternoon nap), we hopped down to the beach for a picnic supper and a splash in the water to celebrate the man my girls call Daddy.  I love this man.  I'm so blessed that our paths collided ... perhaps starting with those walks to campfire where we held elbows or knees? ... and that I get to parent our beautiful girls along with him.

ballerina

After five months of beginner ballet classes, we got to experience Avery's first dance recital this afternoon.  It took weeks, in the beginning, to get her to walk into the classroom without a good measure of clinging and fussing and even crying some days.  Over the months she learned how to be braver, how to be a good listener, to follow someone's instructions, and to interact with a little group.  Today, she was very nervous, but we were so proud of her, to see her walk onto stage calmly and quietly follow along.  

Grampa and Gramma and Nana came to watch, which Avery thought was pretty special.

We treated the girls to ice cream cones on our way home.  Ella perfected the technique of eating ice cream with the whole face, and Avery's little chocolate beard was just enough reality to keep me from hurtling into the future looking into her made-up, lashes-for-miles, eyes.

Our sweet ballerina treated us to a special performance after supper.  She saved all her stage presence, all her flair and dramatic movements, for us.  There's something in her that seems perfectly geared to dancing - it's just the passion for performing that's feeling a little shy still.  She's just so wonderful!

being out

It's been a dark clouds, puddles and raincoats kind of week here, but the days before that were perfect.  We got out for walks to the creek and the playground, we sat out on the deck, we ate our meals al fresco, and we played around the backyard while real work was underway getting everything tidy and planted for summer.  Bare feet, dirty feet, new freckles, water-splashed clothes, dusty hands ... and sleepy girls at the end of the day.

By the waterfront downtown, a boardwalk takes you around a little creek and we were lucky to spy on a deer the other day.  Poor thing seemed a little out of place, but it was neat to watch for a while.

Can you tell we got ourselves a new lens for our camera?  Not from the dramatic change in photo quality, I'm sure, but because I'm back in photo-memory.  The girls do have a mom!  Suddenly Levi's interested in being behind the camera again.  It was the perfect gift for Mama's Day/B'day - something to hobby with again and to remind me to look for loveliness.

Avery's been on watering can duty and is proud to have a couple pots to tend - one of which is strawberries that are already showing fruit.  Nothing beats a garden fresh strawberry!

It's such a good thing, being out.

33

Upon turning 33.  What a cute little number that is.  

A couple weeks ago we sat with Levi's Oma over lunch one Sunday afternoon.  Now in her nineties, she's still sharp and wise and enjoys a good laugh, her memories are full and rich with the kind of stories I often find in a good wartime novel, and she thinks the younger generations don't celebrate birthdays enough.  Not in the sense of elaborate parties or plans, but in being joyful and thankful for another year of life!  I had to agree.  How many birthdays go by without a little (or a lot) of complaint about aging, woe and sadness that we're creeping further away from our youth, frowns over new wrinkles or grey hairs, or what we've expected but haven't received.  Forget that!  First b'day in a long time where I was just happy to be me and have a great day, and it really was!

It's good to be here, where I am, with who I am, and with what I have.  I'm thankful for my 33 years!

stateside

It's been a while since we had a little getaway with the girls, and this past weekend was the perfect chance to drive down to Bellingham to hang with the Browns and take our families on a daytrip to the Seattle Zoo.  

Half price for mother's that day!  Woot!  There is a perk to the job!  Of course the job comes with the reality that I coudn't shake that Raffi song "mom's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo-oo-oo tomorrow" and now I've done it to myself again just thinking about it.

The next day, Katie and I were treated to a delicious breakfast on our lazy Mother's Day morning and otherwise our day was relaxing and chill, but let's face it - the real excitement was yet to come with a Survivor finale party that evening.  A couple more friends joined in for bbq supper and ice cream sundaes (deluxe!!) while we cheered and bantered over the final episode.  The secret's out - we're still completely devoted fans!

Thanks for a happy weekend together and another FTN, friends!

morning

I sent Levi off with the van this morning - an act of goodwill when I noticed how much we'd both slept in - and started to mentally prepare for another day at home with no plans.  Call it a miracle, or whatever you want, but these girls have been playing together for the entire morning.  Making a huge mess, but making it together and happily too!

 It's been a great start to a good day to turn 33!  Happy Birthday to me!

sunday

We discovered a perfect little park up on the edge of a cliff on Sunday.  It overlooks a part of Kelowna we often drive around, but have never stopped to look down on and admire from above.  It's been hot and sunny here and great motivation for sorting out what summery clothes do or don't fit, for picking out new hats for the girls, stocking up on sunscreen, and getting outside!

Such a pretty city we live in!  It's been neat to explore this place we both grew up in.  We took for granted quite a lot of it when we lived here before we had kids, or maybe it's just that after being in such a small town for a few years we're still feeling awed by how much there is to do and how many corners are still unseen.  I'm realizing how much I operate by route, by choosing the familiar, by following the same paths.  Stop it, self!

The mountain meadow is filled with okanagan sunflowers right now.  I did my best to prod the girls into a photo shoot (perfect setting!), but they weren't the most willing models.  Avery was happy enough, but catching her acting natural is nearly impossible.  Ella was just plain pouty.

There's a little playground, too, and Avery was pretty proud of herself for going down the twisty slide - over and over again - which is a first and a milestone we've been coaxing her to try for years.  Such a cautious girl (so much like me!).  I think what won her over was that we described the slide as a big dragon tongue, oddly enough, and then her discovery that it's actually as slow as molasses.

The little one seems to have no trouble taking on new challenges or stepping off ledges.  We'll see how that pans out.