Indulgences

After almost 2 years......we now have the option of hanging our clothes to dry or not !!!  I feel so indulged and thankful for the gift of "choice":))

Thankfulness......

"......a consciousness of benefits received, expressions of gratitude, the act of giving thanks......"

I am thankful for this ongoing project we call a home....it's warm, dry and all ours !!

I am thankful for full pantries & freezers :)))

I am thankful to have mastered the art of the "fire"....no more mornings like these.

I am thankful for the option and the ability to grow so many beautiful veggies to nourish our bodies.

 I am thankful for a good stock pile of dry wood going into the season and a couple of options for more if needed :)

I am thankful for the skills to preserve our own food......pickles, jams, salsa, jellies, & sauces.....


I am thankful my children are thankful.........

  ( Ana)

 ( Anthony)

 ( Keisha)

( Liam )

I am thankful for the peace of knowing my little boy will flip his letters back & worth until he's mastered them.......just like his new found ability to read....it will come in time :))

I am most thankful for the people I have the great fortune to share my life with.  My beautiful complicated children who challenge, teach and warm my heart every day !  My wonderful diverse friends & family.....loved ones who aren't afraid to be real with me.....ones who will instruct me to knock it off & just go to the friggin doctor already......who know me well enough to tell me to stop ignoring what's not working and quite the job. Who laugh with me, listen to my sometimes cronic " thinking out loud".....who indulge my need to let loose & dance, dance, dance....who give me permission to cry or to be angry....to be real myself.......each and everyone a special gift !!!

Mushrooooooommmmmssss !!!

While we were on our forestry walk Liam and I enjoyed trying to see how many different kinds of fungi we could spot from the path.  We have no idea what their names are...we just enjoyed the hunt :)

Forestry Week - Homelearners Tour

Each year our local ministry of Forestry office and logging companies team up to host a great week of education for the children of the North Island.  This year we had 9 homelearning families 25 home learners joined in.  We toured an active logging site and played 20 questions, we got to be tree planters and took a really nice walking talking tree tour.  It was a good day !!!

 

 

September......

Started with us making the trek out to Calgary to welcome a new beautiful girlie to our family....Miss Kaitlyn !!!  We snuggled, played and enjoyed just " being" with each other.  I know I wasn't alone in trying to soak up all the little details....Kaitlin's sweet little baby sounds & smells, Isabelle's funniness & independence....she's so smart & articulate, Jared & Liam's grand games of imagination, Ana's joy in being a "big" helping with Kaitlyn & being Isabelle's cousin of choice this trip, Anthony's maturity & coolness with being given more "adultish" responsibilities ( ekkk....he's almost 16  !!).  He LOVES being his Aunties right hand guy :))

( Callaway Park )

We made SEVERAL attempts to take some new family pics for both of our families ........sadly it just wasn't in the cards this trip.....I was however able to get a decent head shot of each of the kids ( kind of our " back to school" pics).

 ( Ana - 11 & 1/2 yrs - grade 6)

 ( Liam 9 yrs - grade 4)

 ( Anthony 15 & 3/4 yrs - grade 10)

 ( Keisha 15 & 3/4 yrs - grade 10)

 ( Jared 5 & 1/2 yrs - Kindergarten )

( Isabelle 2 yrs )

part two to come......

North Island Farmer's Market

This morning I loaded up my baking and produce and headed off to my first market as a vender.  I have to say I was a bit unsure.....was there really a market for my "allergen " friendly foods ?  Have I made enough or too much?  How should I price things ? Will people trust that I've taken enough care, so they feel safe in giving it a try ?  So many questions.......

( individual berry crisps)

In the end I decided to just go with it....it was just a test run after all !  The weather report was looking a bit damp & windy......no rain.....just a bit of wind and fluctuating cloud sun cloud sun :)  There were 10 venders today, 2 others with baking, 1 other with some gluten free brownies....the remainders sold their arts & crafts, produce, jams, teas and homemade soaps.

I didn't go all crazy with signage, displays or packaging this time......simple and too the point and it worked !  I have a bit of time until my next one to pull some of those things together.....my creative juices are already at work.   I started off the morning with a basket of veggies, 3 crisps, 2 loaves of bread, 20 cookies, 3 dozen chocolate zucchini muffins and 2 dozen coconut muffins......and returned home with NOTHING :)))  Everyone was really cool about it being my first time and excited about what I had to offer....enough to actually spend their hard earned cash :)

 ( Cheryl's Monster Cookies)

 ( Pole Beans, Scarlet runner Beans & Cherry Tomatoes)

( Chocolate Zucchini Muffins)

So.... my test trip to the market was a complete success !!!!  Yay :)  I'll be heading back for the last one of the season in a few weeks.  Switching up a couple of things and for sure taking more along.  I'm even thinking this will be the year that I actually get it together enough to be a vender at our big Christmas Bazaar :)