A garden for Giants

Our garden is a blessing this year.
A plot of earth that transforms seeds to amazing wonders.
God's creations come alive as each day, week and month passes we watch the transformations.


We planted our garden full of squash last year and flowers with little to maintain.

This year we enjoyed so many strawberries we ate them each day. We have loved our flowers and are quite proud of our rows that are beautifully providing gracious amounts of veggies. Carrots have already been eaten with many more to come, onions, peppers, and cucumbers. Our zucchini, and squash are out of control but our watermelon and cantaloupe did not seem to thrive for some reason.
However...

We noticed one day that Mark's choice seeds (sunflowers) had reached over the chain link fence. The kids were already in their p'j but came out for the picture.


We planted zucchini that seems to be growing for giants. We have eaten zucchini almost every meal and I have made a number of chocolate zucchini loaves.











Ray working hard pulling weeds or just training the vines...











Now wait until you see how huge these sunflowers were when we came home from camping...

more at Shuswap

much of our time was spent biking, but when we were actually relaxing we spent much time at the playground area. I took the picture of the playground with a quick reaction from Kyla of "Mom I need to take a picture of what you guys are always doing!". I'm really enjoying this girls love of looking at books and she has just pulled up a chair beside looking at books and magazines.

Our children we're lucky to be in the right place at the right time...while Mom and Dad sat enjoying our morning coffee at the local camp store we happen to be pausing on the bench outside the door. Low and behold the chip truck is in the process of being unloaded...Kyla joyfully points out it's her favorite chips on the boxes.

The next thing we know the man asks the kids what their favorite types of chips are and generously gives each of them a bag to enjoy. They were THRILLED! The only negative was that I had just finished telling them while inside the store, they didn't need to buy any chips as we had some still back at the camp site - "but not my favorite mommy"

our kids took in the Jerry Ranger program and learned a lot. It so happened when Ray got back to work the following week, his newly acquired knowledge of Owls came in handy as their company discovered a nest in the attic from an unknown large bird.

We loved and valued the opportunity to see two young fawns roaming around our campsite. What an amazing sight to see these two wondering around alone. We did find out they were born in the park and mom was close nearby but allowing space.

Ray once again aged while camping. Each year he his thrilled to be spending his birthday while camping. This summer has been a disappointing year in the golfing department.. As you can see from this lovely photograph of his impressive only golfing of year as per date.


Mark is starting to notice that I love taking pictures of our food these days...He must of thought he had a bit of an odd mother until we recently watched Grandpa and Gramma's pictures from their holidays and he noticed the pictures Gramma has of their food too! Don't worry Mark, you'll never be asked to fully understand women and the obsession with food.

Once again Mark found something to jump off of and he needed it recorded...

Camping at Shuswap

Camping is a love for us all in this family. A time to get away from life, from electricity, to relax and enjoy time together. This year, once again, there is a fire ban where we are. The alternative was a propane fireplace. What a great invention. We enjoyed the glow and flickering of the fire yet without the concern or worry of wood and roasted our marshmellows for delicious smores. We have discovered Ray is the pro roaster these days. The marshmellows double in size and take on this beautiful toasted color. They are crispy on the outside and melt the chocolate perfectly...yummy I'm getting a craving for one just reading this....

We have entered the world of canoeing this year. We upgrated once already and are so pleased with our purchase. The kids are greatful for the chance to paddle and love floating over the waves. This week, we took the boat to Copper Island and all around the lake. The kids practiced jumping out into the water and swimming and floating in the lake and how to get back inside as well. Lots of safety tips to learn.

We spent majority of our time bike riding, reading and relaxing at the beach and playing games with eachother. Baseball was a huge HIT...hehehe and we all played. Kyla loved playing with her new pink bat and ball. Actually, she brought so many of her new birthday gifts that she had plenty to do.

A party for Princess Kyla

Last year Kyla did not have a true girl birthday party and she has not let us forget it all year. This year we decided to make sure there was a girly party for sure. The problem was each time I asked her who was coming she had just as many boys invited as girls. Either way, she had her princess party and had a great time.

A visit with cousins

We had a great time while my cousin and family came to visit. We had lots of fun visiting, playing, reading, going to the beach and walking / riding bikes to the park and much more.

Due to distance or whatever the reason, we only recently were able to introduce the kids to each other last January. Since that time, our kids have been talking about when they can play with Toby and Alicia again. We were thrilled to find out they were coming out to see us. Days of counting down to when they would arrive.

The kids got along perfectly wonderful. I loved when Michelle asked "Alicia, how is it that you are not fighting with Kyla?" She just looked at her mom with such misunderstanding - "we're playing mom!". I love it!!!


The beach was a hit. Soaking up the sun (even with sunscreen a few of us actually got a bit burnt). We enjoyed riding the waves, building sandcastles and covering the girls in sand.

A man was sitting with his pet parrot on a park bench behind us. "A pirate mom, look...he has a real parrot!". Oh, kids can have such adorable understanding. Pirates and Parrots have got to go together for real right!... The kids had a great time hearing the parrot talk and ask for their food. What a cool experience.

Thanks again Josh and Michelle for making the trip! Thanks Toby and Alicia for being great playmates for the weekend!

Looking forward to the next time we see each other!

camping at Kettle River

Attack of the Robin

Recently Ray discovered a nest in our apricot tree. The amazing thing was that the mother robin was very protective. I mean, VERY protective.

There were times the kids were scared to go into the backyard to have themselves be swooped down and attacked at. The babies are quite ugly and yet, what an incredible learning experience for our kids.

Swim Across the Lake

The Across the Lake Swim started in 1949. This year they told us with 450 people swimming it has now become the largest open water races in Canada(maybe even N.A.).
For my first time, there were so many unknowns. First of all, I train in a pool 99% of the time. I did get out and swim in a few lakes and tried the training clinics that were offered. I had a few times of uncertainty days before the swim just figuring out details of who was going to canoe with Ray beside me in the water, should I have bought a ticket for the ferry ride?....details, details...

As it turned out, I bought a ticket to be ferried over with many other swimmers. This was my first house boat ride....another check off my life dream list...(or does a 5min ride really count??). As the boardroom boat reached the Old Ferry Docks on the far side, swimmers lined up and began jumping off either side of the boat. The boat left to pick up another load of swimmers as we swam to the beach and began waiting.


The swimmers all gathered and listened to the announcer give tips of were to sight. He said, "this is a 2.1km swim, but many of you will make it more than that if you let the current take you towards the bridge"...sadly he was right for many people.












As the time got closer, Ray and Karl in the canoe found their way to the far side as well. I swam over to met them and we talked about how we were going to keep track of each other. I had borrowed a ribbon from Kyla to tie to my wet suit. In the sea of neoprene there were some people swimming with balloons tied to themselves and others made the boats they were with have the markings needed to find each other.

The swim began in open water rather then on the beach. Two bright orange boys marked the starting line. Heat one (Yellow) was counted down and set off, 2minutes later heat 2 (Orange) set off, and exactly 2mins later they counted down my heat (Blue) and we were off....450 swimmers - approx. 150 in the last heat. At first there was a sea of feet and splashes but as we set off we seemed to find the lake big enough....yet, as I neared the 1/3 of the way mark, I had one person swim underneath me to pass at the exact same moment a women decided to crossover me. The feeling was like no other. To be in open water thinking we all had room to move and all of a sudden you are reminded there are 450 people with you. I came up and looked around only to discover my amazing canoers were following the wrong person. It must have been at the same moment that they realized the person they were following was not me. We found each other and continued in no time. As I swam through the middle section it began getting a bit more wavy. I worked myself through. Just as I felt a big wave coming I heard Ray calling me and he told me a boat had just passed. By this time I could see the finish line for the first time and just kept going. I was O.K.

While I train in the pool I am busy counting and keeping track of the number of laps. In the open water there is nothing to count and not much to see. To keep my mind busy I thought myself through memory verses. I also tried singing in my head. At one point, I even tried my son Mark's tip to say "Pepsi, Cola, Seven, UP" it sort of works for strokes and breathing but after a few times (just to tell him I tried) I was back to reviewing my verses. It was great to keep my mind on something else.

As the finish line came closer into view it was all of me just to get there as fast as I could.

Ray got my attention to leave and go beach the boat and he was just in time to catch me running to the finish line and hand in my time chip.

My goal was to complete the race this year....just make it across

My second goal was to complete it in 45mins....I finished at 41 minutes and 28 seconds.

YEAH FOR ME!!

A huge- HUGE-HUGE thank you to Wally and Trudy for taking our kids for the night. It was amazing to know they were taken care of and didn't have to be up and downtown at such an early hour. If you look closely at this picture you might even find Wally in the crowd. It was great to have them and the kids in the crowd cheering. Also, thanks to Bill and Evelyn for being there as well.

Another huge thank you to Ray and Karl for being there in the lake along with me. I might not have seemed like I needed you there, but just knowing that you were made enough of a difference to me. Hearing you ask if I'm alright in the lake, I knew I could make it. I realized this was my goal, I just didn't realize how much family I needed to actually complete the goal.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING MY DREAM TO COME TRUE AND ENCOURAGING ME ALONG THE WAY.