In, i think, April we were visited by the "Welcome Wagon" lady came with her package. It was nothing exciting, really. But in it there was this. It has been a wonderful way to discover the area. We have made several trips to get punches for the passport, and have had a blast doing so!

This weekend we decided to try to get the rest of the punches, having only 5 left. It was such a wonderful adventure!!! We found wonderful places and nice people. We stayed here on our very first camping trip. And on Sunday we had brunch here. We needed reservations for the brunch, which had live music!!! And it was AMAZING!!!!! There were all kinds of salads and fruit and quiche (which i dont eat, but i know people love it) and the very best hash browns i have ever had!!!

It was so wonderful all weekend that we almost stayed an extra night! But this morning at 7 am we were all alarmed by the HUGE thunder rumbling over us, and we were happy to be in our home!

Today Jul went to have his remaining pin removed. I didnt know how long we would be so i took my knitting with us. I also took a few skeins of wool to ball.

Jul did really well. We waited for hours. HOURS!!! Shortly after we arrived i started to wrap this lovely skein of hand painted wool Beautiful stuff. Then it all went bad. Really bad. I got a knot. It just... looked awful!!! Apparently everyone watched me the whole time. A few people pointed out that i had quite a mess going on. After five hours (really, we sat there for longer, but that's how long it took for the knot) i did it! I had it completely untangled. I sighed a satisfied sigh. The old man across from me noticed. He pointed out to everyone else that i had finished, and they applauded me.

What a funny thing to happen in the waiting room for day surgery.

My house looks like a hurricane went through. And in away it did. Summer was wrapped into about one week.

I canned by myself for the first time. I am terrified that i did it wrong. I still have to make some pickles, apple sauce and apple jelly. I wish terribly that i had a pressure cooker.

Is it chicken pox season yet? I need to find someone to infect my children.

today will be beautiful. bright. joyful. it will be full and serene. rediscovering lost things, arranging adored objects, removing the objects that will be adored by another. time together, working and sharing. exploring feelings, finding God in the mundane and in the beautiful.

this is my joy.

I am an arachnophobia. Terrified. I would convince kids at camp that the spiders up in the corners of their bunks were great because they would keep mosquitoes away, but secretly i couldnt help them. I watched a documentary about them, which made me less horrified. However, they still freak me out.

When i had children i didnt want to pass my fear onto them. So i can trap them and release them outside. I can even help my daughter find them for pets. But... when they are this big... well, thats just wrong!

I took these at our cottage. We had to pass these on a bush on our way to the water. You can get an idea how big they are because the leaves are pretty average... most know the size of a web and of spiderlings. And yes, there were two. TWO!!!!

In the front of our house is a retaining wall. It frames our house with hedges on top. I love how it looks! It gives the house a very hidden appearance. It feels so... not innercity.

But every so often, more often in the warmer weather, people place their litter on it. Pop cans, empty packaging, coffee cups. Anything they dont want to transport to an actual garbage either sits on the wall itself or under the hedge, slightly out of view.

Jul takes this as a personal insult. It infuriates him when he finds something on the wall or on our lawn. He doesnt understand why they use our yard.

The other day Jul screamed, beckoning me to him Broken bones still fresh in my mind I tear out to the front. Jul yells; 'They littered again!!!'

This is what i found.

This week i was able to go to the CNE. FOR FREE!!! The army offered free admission, and free transportation. I was incredibly apprehensive to go alone with the three kids, and since Thomas wasnt able to go i thought i would ask our babysitter to help out. This girl, this young woman is just amazing! She played with them, kept them close to her. My extra set of eyes who can be the coolest person to my kids. They love her, and it is obvious. Clover will give her hugs freely, which is remarkable!!! And how she interacts with my children!!! I do not pay her enough. And i said that, bragging to all the others there. It back-fired though, when another mother asked for her number to sit for her. But that is why i pay this girl $10 an hour. Even though she told me that she normally only charges $5. Five?! I'm sure that most people only pay that to their sitters, but I was getting paid that when i was 12. I told her that there has to be at least some inflation over the years.... and that getting paid that much (i hope) help pay for some extra loyalty.

I am hoping to employ her often.