{MacLean's Berry Farm} Strawberry Picking!

Brynn had her first (and second, and third...) taste of strawberry picking today. We headed over to MacLean's Berry Farm, just south of Buckhorn. It was a fun morning of picking, although really, if we are honest, probably more of eating! We had a rough start because B decided she liked the ride to the field so much she didn't want to leave the wagon, but once she had that first taste of strawberry goodness, we were good to go!

I know it is pretty much considered a "right of passage" for every parent to take their kid strawberry picking, and now I know why!

"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

{Father's Day Weekend} Arrowhead Provincial Park

In lieu of a gift this Father's Day, Brynn and I took James camping for the weekend! Since camping basically makes James the happiest person alive, we thought it would be a good trade.

The weather was fantastic on Saturday- enough that we even got to go swimming at the beach (in June!). We did some biking and hiking, and enjoyed a dinner cooked over the fire. Sunday was a bit wetter (and a lot buggier), but we escaped the swarms with a beautiful bike right to the Big Bend lookout.

To be honest, I think we would both choose watching B as our favourite part of the trip (my, how interests change after kids!). We were pretty lenient with her exploring, since the campground was quite empty and we had loads of time on our hands. She did manage to run into the lake, fully clothed, at full tilt, even though we were watching, but it didn't seem to scar her, so we're good, right?

Ah, camping outfits...

we received this one-piece rain suit in the mail on Friday- just in time!

Arrowhead was a beautiful park. They have lots of walking and biking trails that we didn't get to do- we forgot our backpack carrier and they were a bit rough for the bike trailer- but we would recommend this park in a heart beat!. There are over 400 sites and the lake is beautiful. Plus, the Big East River is gorgeous and would make for some lovely canoeing! You can rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boards, too.

I've never been camping in June before, but if you have proper outdoor wear (read: bug nets and long sleeves) it can be really enjoyable and must less crowded than July or August! We might have to make this a year tradition- who knows!

“Whatever form it takes, camping is earthy, soul enriching and character building, and there can be few such satisfying moments as having your tent pitched and the smoke rising from your campfire as the golden sun sets on the horizon--even if it's just for a fleeting moment before the rain spoils everything.” ― Pippa Middleton, Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends

Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival

So I realize that the actual pictures of the dragon boats are teensy-tiny, but we really did have a good time at the Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival last weekend! James competed with the Del Boca Vista Social Club team (invited by a teacher of his), and they came in fourth place! They competed against teams that race competitively, so we were pretty happy with that outcome. Brynn and I had a fantastic time watching and cheering (and playing in the water).

After a hard day's work of paddling, we headed to a team member's house for a BBQ. The above pictures pretty much sum up Brynn's thoughts about the night! She had her first experience in a bouncy castle and loved it so much she put up a great fight getting out :). 

We are happy to have participated in a fantastic event that raises money to support cancer care and the Breast Assessment Centre at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre!

{16 Months}

16 months people....

We are looking at new words galore! An inconclusive list would include turtle, froggie, light, tree, stinky, thank you, JJ (her friend at daycare), Grandpa... and the list continues! She is constantly mimicking our words and sounds- she even took a stab at fiffer-feffer-feff, which came out mostly as ff-ff-ff, but we applauded her effort at least!

We saw two new teeth pop through in the last month (her bottom molars- and oy, am I glad they are through!). She has grown like a weed, and now measures 33.5 in and weighs in at 27.5 lbs. She hasn't gained a ton of weight, and is starting to slim out now that she is moving around so much!

 And let's talk a minute about how somewhere during this month our sweet little baby girl found her will and determined to start using it unceasingly, forcefully, energetically, vigorously, vehemently... and all those other synonyms that you can very well imagine would fit here.

The tiger has been released from her cage. Of course, this is said half jokingly (but only half!). Brynn is very quickly learning what she wants and is very good at telling us she wants it- without words. She has learned the art of throwing herself to the ground, screaming, stomping her feet, smacking the wall (yes, on more than one occasion!) and generally wreaking havoc until she receives whatever it is that she wants. That whole "nature vs. nuture" debate- people, it's nature!

Of course, we are much stronger, smarter, and more patient *cough*, and very seldomly give in...

But look at that face! 90% of the time (when she isn't tired or throwing tantrums :D) She is the happiest, friendliest kid on the planet. She is always ready with a "Hi!" for anyone who passes by, and I'm pretty sure her life's goal is to get every person she meets to laugh. She is constantly on the move and loves to dance! If you ask her nicely, she might even bust a move, she's just that good!

We are so in love with our goofy baby. She brings us so much pleasure and even on the bad days we can always find one (or twenty) good reasons to enjoy her! Everywhere we go, we receive comments about how well we are doing as parents, but it's easy to be a good parent when you have a good kid! We constantly thank God for the blessing she is in our lives!

Graduation!

This past Friday, James graduated from the Fish and Wildlife Technician Program at Fleming College. I can't believe that two years flew by, just like that!

Only at Fleming do you take pictures with skulls
you've cleaned and skins you've taken off dead animals!

I am so proud of him- he only not graduated with honours, but has also managed to scrape up a summer job in his field both last summer and this. And I should probably use a different word than scraped- he has had multiple job offers both summers that he has had to turn down. It is so exciting to see the fruit of his hard labour- he has worked his tail end off and is definitely reaping the rewards!

We are past the first leg of this journey- James has one more year to go at Fleming- and who knows what is on the menu after that! It hasn't always been an easy ride, but I definitely can see the blessings that are coming from our time here!

We will continue to keep you up to date with any new changes that are happening around here :).