July Roamin'

We went on a LOT of trips during the month of July. In fact, Stats Can called me to complete a survey about the trips we went on during July, and it was no wonder why I was so pooped at the end of the month

1) We did a road trip to the big smoke!! Brett had a golfing bachelor party weekend and so I spent three days with my Ali and her three boys. It was hilariously busy but fun. And Ali's uncle has a Ferrari that I couldn't resist hopping in :)

2) We went away OVERNIGHT for our 5th anniversary!!! It was FABULOUS!! Brett went all out for a fancy dancy waterfront room and it was the best time ever. When we went to the front desk the clerk said "What's that look on your face for?"...(I really didn't know what look she was talking about...and it was a really weird thing to say). I said "this is the face of an utterly exhausted mom who just left her two kids with grandma". She said no more. It was the best 24 hours I've had in a long time. I realized how much we needed a break from our kiddies and our life. So important to recharge the batteries. Even looking at this picture makes my heart sigh. I'm not joking when I say that I felt like Brett and I hadn't seen each other in a very long time. It was almost as though we had been away and we were just meeting again. It's amazing how two little fuzzy humans can take so much focus--we need to remind ourselves to connect!! Brett brought some champagne, which we were just about to pop.

2) We went camping with about 20 of our friends---including many many little kidlets. I went tired, which was probably not a good thing. Our site was very well protected from the wind, which meant mosquito paradise, and it was tres tres tres hot (I am NOT a fan of the heat). I used to love camping, and would find any excuse to run away to the woods for rest and respite from the world. These days I feel that camping is VERY DIFFERENT. I had a bit of a case of the grumps for the first day. I guess I feel my life is challenging enough these days, and then to take away all of the small comforts and call it 'fun' is a bit much. The second day we went to the beach and had a fabulous day, and that helped my mood immensely--wasn't hot (swimming), no bugs (great breeze) and relaxing (kids love the beach!). Another highlight was the campfire program!! A bunch of our friends were camp counsellors, so they put on a campfire for all the kids. Sophie loved it and was dancing her heart out. And the tent was actually great---all four of us snug as a bug. It poared rain the last night, and the entire last morning, so we ended up just throwing everything in the car and taking off for home (we left the site at 8am!!...all packed up!). A little McD's breakfast complete with some caffeine and then a nice air conditioned ride home helped make everything better!!

3) We had a family reunion at my uncle and aunt's cottage. There was one cousin there we hadn't seen in 12 years. She had since met a man, married him and had two kids--there was a lot to catch up on!! We had lots of swimming, went to the beach and general family gabbing. Here's my grandma (who's proudly 93) with all but two of her great-grandkids!!

4) Up north to visit Shirley. My sister Kathy and her family came with us, and set up their trailer outside her house (which is in the woods on a lake...stunning). We went to a beach, hung around, listened to Shirley tell the most wonderful stories of her wild life, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The drive home was an utter nightmare--I was solo with the kids (as Brett had to work). Soph was very constipated and so she was really uncomfortable. She couldn't sleep, it was uncomfortable to sit, but every time we stopped she would perk up and wouldn't 'go'. Long long long long LONG story short, we stopped many times, and eventually it involved a lot of 'in stereo" double crying for the last 30 minutes of the trip (added to a lovely huge thunder storm and teeming rain). It's funny now, but wasn't so tee-hee-hee-able during the trip! The picture is Sophie in Shirley's backyard.

A family trip to Brett's cottage on Georgian Bay. It was a family affair with Brett's brother and his family driving from Winnipeg, his dad and family, his sister and family and his grandma. It was a full house, but a lot of fun. As this was our last adventure of quite a few, Sophie was a tad 'toasted'. Let's just say the word 'no' was quite a common occurrence. Anyway, we had lots of swimming fun, and Sophie and her daddy picked tons of HUGE blueberries. Why is it that Sophie will eat blueberries by the ton if she's picking them, but never touch them otherwise?? Things that make you go hmmmmm. (This is my favourite picture in a long time!). Clara and Sophie's Uncle Dan said that whenever Clara comes into a room it's like she's walking into her own surprise party--and this picture really sums that up!) Such awesome little people.