As Summer Comes to an End.

This summer has been interesting to say the least. I would like to be able to look back on it and say it was the best summer ever but I don't think it will make the list. The last day of school we were to leave on our first vacation of the summer. We were heading to Lake Superior. I ended up in the hospital having surgery instead. The four weeks to recovery were long and hard and boring I'm sure for the kids. Close to the end of July I returned to work and my new position. It's been challenging for sure. The beginning of August brought on our second vacation and this time we were going! We packed up the kids and headed on our 12 hour journey. We drove through the night. It was scary. There was sooooo much fog. The kind where you can't even see an 18 wheeler coming at you until it is right on top of you. I thought I was going to die that night. When we finally arrived and my heart rate returned to normal we had breath taking views everywhere we looked. We hiked, and swam, and hiked, and zip lined off a mountain, (I almost died again) and tree top climbed, and cooked, and had camp fires, and played in the dark, and froze a little, and re-connected as a family. It was a great vacation. Now summer is at it's end and we are heading back to school tomorrow. I don't know where time goes sometimes. But as we journey into this fall we are excited for new beginings. D will enter his last year of high school, C will enter grade 10, and little Q will start grade 4. The leaves will change then fall, the days will get shorter, the sweaters will come out. The air will smell of fall and fire and spices. Here's to my favorite season, may you enjoy every last Pumpkin Spice latte that you can wrap your hands around.

Summer book list

This summer flew by and I didn't get through my stock piled summer reading list. Nor did I update my blog as promised. Between my unexpected surgery that had me in and out of the hospital for two weeks, recovery time that made me nauseous and weak and sleepy all the time. Vacation with the family, and going back to work and taking on a new position. Here's What I did get through.

The Fault in Our Stars : John Green.

I enjoyed this book so much it was touching and moving and I cried a few times, then promptly saw the movie.

Left Neglected: lisa Genova. She is one of my very favorite authors. This book was so amazingly written she always seems to capture the characters so perfectly that you really can feel what they go through. Again a tear jerker.

The Storyteller: Jodi Picoult. Oh my, where to begin. I was not expecting that. A beautifully written and emotional story about the Holocaust.

Shadow Spell: Nora Roberts. Book two in The cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy. An easy romantic read.

That's about all I got through this summer. The rest of my stack awaits me:)

Camping 2012

This year we have only been able to go camping once:( I know there are a lot of people out there who couldn't be bothered or who do not enjoy camping but we do. These are the times my kids will remember forever. Where we build memories and reconnect as a family. We do it the old fashioned way too. In a tent. With the bugs and raccoons surrounding us. We build fires, and hike and explore new areas. We put up tents, and swim(to islands:)), and build sandcastles. We play games(sometimes we play them in slippers???), fish, and tell spooky stories. We try to figure out what kind of bug we've found or what bird is calling. We teach our dog to swim:). We rest. We relax. We laugh. Each time we try to find somewhere new to go. This year it was the beautiful Charleston Lake Provincial Park.

"Q" isms.

Commonnnnn' the midgets are going to get us! ***midge flies*** There were millions no joke.

Look Dad I'm racing the waves. I'm fastest!

My crocs make me run super fast!

Wearing two different crocs at a time and remembering which ones are for the beach and which ones are for other times.

seethroughs. Sea glass. he collected many;)

Back to reality.

So we're back, tanned, rested, relaxed. We had a wonderful time camping, swimming, wave jumping, wave racing, sight seeing, going to amusement parks, and just being us.

For now it's back to reality for me. There are some funny "Q"isms and best and worst momments I will share next time. This morning Q promptly woke up to ask do I have school today. I guess when I said our vacation is over he thought it was time to go back. No not you honey just me. ha.

Vacation Time.

It's here. Vacation time. Finally. This pale, tired, run down mama is on vacation for two glorious weeks. We head out in the morning on our much needed family trip. I forsee sun, surf, and sand in our future, with a little sightseeing and rollercoasters for good measure. Here's hoping that when we return we are reconnected, tanned, and well rested. See ya soon, but hopefully not to soon:)

Meet Snorkel Boy

My son is a clown. He loves to have silly pictures of himself taken. I'm not so sure that he discovered anything more than shells and seaweed on this particular swim, but I know he had a blast anyway.





I love these papers by Crate. They are the brook collection. tfl.