Such Things

Good Old November

I've always had a bit of a fondness for November.  There's something about November that makes it a relaxing month.  It's an in between month, at least here in Canada.  In between Christmas and Halloween, in between festivities and start-ups.  A month of some sun but also rain and cold.

It's a month of leaves,

wind,

fall fires,

 and bikerides around our neighbourhood to see the local salmon.

It's a month that feels "settled", yet still looking ahead. 

Here's to enjoying November.

Fall is:: Muffin Season

This might just be our last time blueberry picking this year. 

We stopped spontaniously at our favourite farm,

and it was a great chance for me to try out the fruit muffin recipe in Soule Mama's new book The Rhythm of Family.  I added about a cup of milk to the recipe to make it more moist.  I love the fact that the muffins have whole wheat flour and are sweetened with maple syrup instead of flour.  The kids just gobbled them up.

The book is written with thoughtfulness, eye-catching photos and wonderful ideas to engage families for every month of the year.

Here's to a wonderful new autumn season!!

A West Coast Summer

Last summer we did a road trip down the Oregan Coast, to San Fransisco and to Disneyland in California.  This summer we had a lot of projects to complete around the house,

so we stayed closer to home and had just as much fun.  In fact, when the weather is sunny, I am quite taken with our West Coast. 

The rockiness of the coastline scattered with various conifers,

sandy and pebbly beaches, and attractions close to home like the

annual fair (PNE),

swimming at outdoor pools,

blueberry picking,

lake swimming,

gardening,

and hanging out in the backyard. 

It's been a great summer and it's back to school the day after tomorrow!

The Jam Post

Forgive me for rewinding a bit here.  I couldn't help but post about one of my favourite early July events.  The rain has actually delayed berry growth so strawberries were in ripe condition when we went picking this year!  

 

Fresh berries, shopping at the adorable marketplace, slurping smoothies and eating homemade corn pizza and berry pie while sitting back on the porch at Krause's overlooking the berry fields and forest.  Then coming home and making the jam together.  It's a tradition that can't be missed!

Was so excited to have our sandcandles posted on the Crafty Crow last week!

Early Summer

Towards the end of June, we have some rituals we look forward to rain or shine...

Heading to Chapters to choose an ecojot "summer journal",

borrowing or buying,

new and,

used books for "summer reading", along with joining the summer reading club at our local library,

and organizing all of the items brought home from school. 

Last year the girls each painted their own banker box to store their treasured books and creations,

but recently I discovered these beautifully decorated and double-sized storage boxes at Ikea. 

We decided to use them instead, as they fit two stacks of binders etc.

The box even fit this huge art portfolio that belonged to Megan.

The girls were really excited to sort through all their work and found it hard to toss some of their things, but we only keep what they consider to be special and important memories from their school year.
 
All organized and we're ready for some summer adventures!!!

Carnival

Ah.  Two weekends of sun and life seems so good.  There's nothing better than a good old fashioned carnival, like the one on Friday at the girls' school.

It was everything that a carnival should be.

Then bikerides, runs, parks, BBQs, landscaping, baby ducks and these baby geese.  All in a spring weekend.

Hope you had a wonderful spring weekend too!

Satisfaction

As I was about to write about our long weekend, I wasn't sure if I should call it "crabbing" or if I should write about our hike at Lily Point, or about the stress I was feeling about the laundry and the mess when we got back, or if I should write about the pain in the you know what it has been finishing off a set of stairs at the side of our house.  But as I was thinking about all of these things, and looking at the photos that were taken, the word satisfaction came to mind. 

The satisfaction that one feels taking a familiar walk,

enjoying the tall grass before it's cut,

designing,

exploring,

taking in a new view,

noticing small wonders,

creating in a new way,

and the satisfaction of knowing that God is taking care of our every need.
 
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."    

Isaiah 58:1

Enjoying

Baby sheep at Maplewood farm...

and baby goats at a farm just down the road from our house;

science experiments for the school science fair,

beautiful weddings,

and sending the kids out the back door and right across the street to school.

 family bike rides, outdoor barbe-ques on the patio and so much more.  Thank goodness for some sunshine!

Hope you are out there enjoying too.

Sun Run

It was a gorgeous day in Vancouver yesterday.

Joined with about 45,000 other people I ran the Sun Run by parts of Stanley park, past English Bay and over the Burrard St. bridge.  We ran into many friends, students and colleagues. 

Proud to say that I completed it in 51minutes after much dodging and swerving.

Can't live in Vancouver without attending at least one Sun Run. 

Hope you were out doing something you enjoyed this weekend!

Dundarave

We took a break from packing and working on the house to head out to West Vancouver to pick up an oak chair for our new library. 

We drove around gorgeous old houses stacking up on a hillside with the most breathtaking views of the ocean and Stanley Park beyond that.

It's amazing to discover a part of our own city that we hadn't even known about. 

Dundarave had the cutest shops including a bakery and antique shop. 

 

Then we walked down the steep, narrow street and over the train tracks to the beach to find "treasures"

of one sort or another,

and to play on the beach playgrounds.

Ah, Spring.  We welcome you!