Chicagolanders arrive in lazy, rainy forest

Turns out..

you can re-write history. literally:

Happy B'day Effster

Happy B'day Goose

(Fergus' favourite Yam Tempura and Seafood Pate at Yoshi's Sushi, with Grandma & Grandpa)

(Craig made his mum's Tourtiere Pie and there were Shirley Temple "cocktails", followed by 1.5hrs trying to figure out how to open this year's present from A.Nut Jane - about which she confessed: "The box is from Morroco and I bought in one of the souks there especially for Fergus as I hatched my diabolical plot as soon as I saw them.")

(Cookie Monster is the result of many happy hours scrolling through Kigurumi.ca trying to decide WHICH ONE??)

Seven years on, this remains one of our favorite video clips. Long live Conrad Birdie!!


("We love you Conrad, oh yes we do. When we're not near ya, we're blue. Oh Conrad we love you.")

Sculpture Boy

Country bumpkin's enjoying having the grandparents reside in "the city" once again..

Watch Dogs

LOLF: Sport of the Future NOW!

Also, encircling complete!

And... cousins came to visit. Like, weeks ago:

Blueberry Fields Forever

One of my most favourite things to do in the summer is visit Don and Karen on their beautiful blueberry farm at the end of Rocky Point Road and meditatively pick bucket after bucket of blueberries (and then eat them). Bald eagles watch me from the fir trees at the back of the farm and sometimes Effie comes to pick with me too. It is the most magical peaceful place. And for two years now Don has kindly invited me to pick a few pounds from his prized Rubel bushes, a wild highbush variety with tiny berries that remind me of my childhood summers at our Clearwater Lake cottage - the truly magical feeling of those past summer days is what I am trying to gift my own children every day by way of our charmed unschooling life. I can't imagine a sweeter way to live.

Agility Video

A more extensive video of Kyla learning agility. Human tires quicker than dog..

The Buttons visited

Woo hoo..

Jumper..

Early Days

Kyla at agility..

Matt n' Effie

I can't help it, sometimes I get nostalgic for their younger days.

And sometimes my heart fairly bursts with the joy of having such good friends to share our lives with.

I can't help it, I feel so blessed. We are so damn lucky. It amazes me daily.

Truly. I am so very grateful.

And I can't help it, I just LOVE watching these two grow up together.

Always have. Always will.

They are so lucky. I wonder if they know it?