Thursday 29 May 2014

New Hampshire

2 people. 1 wedding.
4 girls. 2 sons-in-law. 3 grandkids.
30 years.

8 days. 1 vacation.
Lincoln, New Hampshire.





Wearing his pants like his b-boy friends :)
The Basin




Can't get over the cuteness!


The Pemigawasset River


The Flume Gorge
Avalanche Falls

The Pool


The Sentinel Pine Bridge (if you look closely you can see
the fallen pine tree the bridge is built on)
May 17-24, 2014.
"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."
~Desmond Tutu

Those Moments When

After a day of feeling sick and schedules thrown off, here we were at 10 o'clock with a baby who was giggling and talking away. Apparently, she was feeling better. We wanted to sleep, but she would have none of it. It was time for laughing, said she. All day was crying and fussing, but now, she squawked, was the time to party!

And party, we did. It became one of those moments when you realize sleep just doesn't matter. We played and laughed with our daughter, and had a generally awesome time. Brynn giggled and squeaked and talked to us (no joke! we just couldn't understand yet :D) People, these moments are what make parenting worth it. We will cherish last night for a long time.


But the icing on the cake? She fell asleep at 10:30. Which was good with us. ;)

Monday 12 May 2014

Mother's Day

Yesterday was officially my first Mother's Day as a mother! It seems surreal that I have my own little one to be a mom to... I'm not even sure it really should be legal for me to be taking care of someone yet! But I can say that I've enjoyed every second of being a mother (except maybe that one day around 3 weeks old where I seriously questioned my decision, haha!). It's such a blessing to learn new ways of caring for Brynn, and though challenging, I wouldn't give it up for the world! God has blessed me with a happy, funny, and spirited little girl, and James and I are thankful for her everyday!

After church yesterday, we decided to make the most of the amazing weather, so we headed out a little past Peterborough to Warsaw Caves Conservation Area. We read about it in a Kawartha Lakes nature book, and it sounded awesome... so away we went!

And it was awesome. If you love exploring caves and rivers, this is the place to go. James and I couldn't really go down into the caves because of Brynn, but it's on our to-do list for when she is older. We saw lots of families exploring the caves, and they all had big smiles on their faces when they came out.



watching the schools of minnows in the clear, clear water

not a smooth hiking path, but lots of nooks and crannies to explore! 



picnicking on the edge of the Indian River
Brynnie Bear- she may be little, but she has a huge personality!
my two favourite peeps
Life these days is so crazy, but I wouldn't change it if I could. When we first discussed moving out to Lindsay I was really unsure and anxious about starting a new chapter in life, but I've been proven wrong, time and time again, that the changes are bad. We've experienced blessing after blessing here in Lindsay, and I can't wait to experience even more!

Thursday 8 May 2014

{3 Months}

Three months brings:
more smiling and real laughter
batting at and playing with toys
sleeping through the night (!!!)

Brynn is such a happy baby. She loves people and noise. Often we see her hamming it up with strangers. It's so nice to see her growing and becoming more and more interactive! It's been a good journey so far :).





{Hike} Windy Ridge & Fleetwood Creek

Joanna and I went for a hike yesterday south of Lindsay at Windy Ridge Conservation Area. Since she is leaving me soon (...like, on Saturday! Eeeep!) we needed to spend a little more time enjoying each others' companionship :). Here are a couple pictures from the afternoon:
The view from the top of Windy Ridge
Brynn and I- looking so impressed! 
The rail trail by Fleetwood Creek
Fleetwood Creek 
"Auntie" Jo and sleepy Brynn
Our friend, Mr. Turtle. Originally there were three on the log, but we scared them away :)
A sleepy little lady

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Awakening

"Each new year is a surprise to us. We find that we had virtually forgotten the note of each bird, and when we hear it again, it is remembered like a dream, reminding us of a previous state of existence... The voice of nature is always encouraging." ~ Henry David Thoreau
Today was our first opportunity to spend the afternoon outside in the yard hanging laundry, reading and napping. It's amazing how aware of the birds and wind and sunshine I feel after spending all winter cooped up inside. Brynn had a good nap in her stroller, and seemed to sleep deeply while listening to the breeze. I love the first few days of spring (real spring) where it's warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the sun. I'm always so excited and energized by the sounds, sights and feels that I've known since my childhood. They feel fresh and new every year, but also as comfortable as my old rubber boots and mud on my hands. I can't wait for Brynn to experience all the same feelings that come with spring every year!

Napping in the sunshine 

Friday 2 May 2014

{4 Years} Huntsville & Algonquin

Our little family took a little trip for James' and my 4 year wedding anniversary. Since James had this week off before starting work, we decided to take advantage of the winter rates at Deerhurst Resort (fifty dollars difference between April 30 and May 1!) and go away for a night to celebrate! It as a bit different this year, due to a little tag-along, but we wouldn't have had it any other way :). Here are a few pictures from our two days away.

Deerhurst:


Brynn enjoying the huge king-sized bed

Brynn's first swim in a pool!
awkward family selfie ;)
Algonquin Hardwoods Trail:
our friend, the pileated woodpecker
the "ghost" tree 
Can you spot the chipmunk?
Family picture with a view of Smoke Lake 

Looking for salamanders



Hawk Lake Log Chute:


Brynn and her Dad
We had a great time, even though the weather was a little wet. Brynn was a superb little traveller and we are looking forward to more family trips in the future!