Evening At The Lake

It’s the middle of September already!  I can hardly believe how quickly my favourite season, Summer, has passed by.  I say this every year at around this time and  I feel the same emotions every year at this time.  I feel sadness. 

I made a last minute decision to take Cayden to Cultus Lake after dinner and enjoy an evening swim.  Him, not me.  It seems that cold water doesn’t scare him away as much as it does me.  So, I got to enjoy the sunny evening on the park bench while Cayden chased ‘baby’ fish knee deep in the water.

As was enjoying watching Cayden play in the lake, I looked to my left.  And saw… no-one. Then I looked to  right. And I saw… no-one.  The summer busyness at the beach is all gone.  It was very peaceful, but also a reminder that hot summer days at the beach are pretty much over for this year.

I looked at this little house behind me with a little “For Sale” sign in the window and imagined a little of what it would be like to have this view from my front window for 12 months of the year. Reality then hit.  A tiny little cottage on the lake for 2 months of a year is a dream.  The other 10 months of the year would not be.  Nine hundred square feet of living space would not be so wonderful for four bodies.  But it is a nice thought though.

We then headed over to the jungle gym to enjoy a little play time before the sun was getting ready to set behind the mountains.  I was chasing Cayden up the ladder and he suddenly stopped.  He says in a cute little singsong voice, “Aaawwwe, a little baby…”  then stops what he’s saying and he smacks his hands together. Then he finishes his sentence… “spider.”   He quickly wipes the smashed “baby spider” on his shorts and continues off running.

Enjoy the day!

August Fave Five #5

Yukon dan

This August, Yukon Dan, held his second annual gold panning competition at Yale Campground, just East of Hope.  A friend of mine had highly recommended we give this competition a try based on her families experience last summer.

I was surprised by the large number of people who came out for the fun.  The event drew a total of 180 competitors out this year which grew from 100 competitors last year.  It was great to see the passion Yukon Dan had for Panning.  It his desire to keep the tradition of gold panning alive by teaching even the youngest children to pan. 

The weekend started with some training in the tradition of panning for gold by the professionals.  Following this we all had our own competitions to compete in.  Unfortunately no winners in our family, but that’s OK.  It was all about the fun.  We all did manage to find some gold flakes in our pans, which was the point of it all anyways.

Cayden also did manage to learn how to pan for gold with the help of a professional gold panner. Of course he had more fun chasing other children with sticks, playing of the swings and bike riding through the campground.

The week-end started out rainy, but it did turn beautiful and sunny. So a trip to the Fraser River also became part of the agenda.  I really wasn’t planning to swim but the decision was out of my control once Ivan managed to give me a shove right into the river.  Thanks IVAN!! 

The whole camping trip was alot of fun.  We hope to give it another try next year.  You can visit Yukon Dan’s website for information on his third annual gold panning competition planned for the last weekend in August of 2010.

     

August Fave Five #4

Hang Out Tuesday

This past August weather was the best that I remember in years.  I only remember sunny days and perfect temperatures.  The thing that makes the best lazy summer day is to “hang-out.”

Cayden and I term Tuesdays our very own “hang-out” day. Its the extra day I take off of work almost every week to enjoy being at home with  Cayden.  It’s often filled with errands, but almost always has something extra fun involved as well.

On this particular day, we had some extra guests to “hang-out” with.  Cayden’s cousins, Jessica and JJ.  I made no plans to run errands on this particular day.  The only plans I made were to have fun in the sun. I even managed to get in a few pages reading a good book on the back deck while listening to the kids laugh and yell and sometimes even fight.  (Thankfully not too much of the fighting). 

It was a very good day.  One I wish I could repeat.  We’ll just have to make an attempt at replicating the day in the near future.

August Fave Five # 3

 

We were enjoying an overnight stay at Camperland this past August with Cayden’s Nana. We happened to choose the weekend where they host a yearly event of “Trick Or Treating” in August.  

It was a last minute decision to participate, therefore it was also a  last minute search for a ‘get-up’ for Cayden.  Prior to seeing all the other children dressed up, I suggested that he go dressed up as ‘Cayden.’  He was OK with this.  I quickly changed my mind when the other children started on their way through the campground.  Every child (all 250) were fully dressed up.

So, off we were scrounging the closets for an outfit for Cayden.  And did we ever get a good one.  Zorro the second was created.  Of course Cayden has no Idea who Zorro it but there is no doubt that the adults did.  The recognition by all the adults as they said “Hi Zorro” to him every time he stopped at their campsite was enough pleasure for him.

We typically don’t participate in the tradition of Trick Or Treating October 31st, but did find this event a lot of fun.  There were prizes for the best dressed as well as the best decorated campsite.  My mother-in-law made it to third place for all her efforts at the campsite and Cayden made it in the top eight for best dressed boys.

I actually don’t know who had more fun; Cayden, my mother-in-law or myself.   I’ve already marked our calender for camping at Camperland the same week-end next year.

 

     

August Fave Five # 2

My second favorite of August has to be the wonderful trip to Vancouver to watch the live musical of "Annie" at the Theatre Under The Stars. Theatre Under the Stars is an outdoor venue that performs in Malkin Bowl in the heart of Stanley Park. Every summer they alternate two different performances on alternating nights. I highly recommend everyone to try to make it out to one show next summer. (Sorry, you missed out for this summer).

It was the perfect night and I had the perfect company for such a fabulous night out. Arenda and I first enjoyed a great Salmon dinner at Montana's and then headed out of the Lower Mainland and travelled to the far side of Vancouver, to Stanley Park.

I don't think I've ever made it to an event with so much time to spare. It was wonderful. We were able to admire the fabulous gardens in Stanley Park. You know the saying, "Smell the roses." Well, smell we did and with great pleasure. I think I'm going to have to make a habit of being early. It was a great change of pace.

The story, "Annie" took place in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression. It tells the outrageously funny story of a spunky redheaded orphan who escaped an orphanage searching for her parents but is sadly caught and returned. Her luck changes, as Billionaire Oliver Warbucks invited Annie to his house for Christmas and the two hit it off and Annie wins his heart. Of course there is the happy ending with Daddy Warbucks adopting adorable Annie and her dog Sandy.

One of my favorite parts of the musical is hearing the song "Tomorrow." It reminds me of how great it is to face situations of life with optimism. The following are the lyrics of the song.

The sun'll come out Tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar

That tomorrow There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about Tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs,

And the sorrow 'Til there's none
When I'm stuck a day That's gray,
And lonely, I just stick out my chin
And Grin, And Say, Oh!
The sun'll come outTomorrow
So ya gotta hang on 'Til tomorrow

Come what may Tomorrow!

Tomorrow!I love ya Tomorrow!

You're always A day A way!

Some pictures of the great garden displays in Stanley Park. I can only dream of one day having some beautiful displays like this in my own backyard.

August Fave Five

Wow! Where have I been this past month? It feels like I have been writing my blog daily, but when looking at my blog, I see nothing. Appears to me that I have writing blogs in my mind, but not at my computer.

I've decided to catch up on the highlights of the last month by posting my Favorite Five memories of the Month of August. To start with, my favorite memory is our annual family trek to N'kmip, Osooyoos.

As far as I can remember, over 27 years, our family has been packing up our camping gear and heading for Hot and Sunny Osooyoos. We are very fortunate to have been able to claim some of the best real estate, right on the water, for two weeks every summer at the very same campground through all these years.

These two weeks are always the very best of every summer. OK, only one week for me. But I have promised myself that no matter what, it's going to be two weeks for me as well next year. Everyone is laughing at me because apparently I've been saying this for the past four years. But I really mean it this time. Seriously, I mean it.

The time passes too quickly every year. It is time filled with board games in the evenings, boating, sun-bathing, swimming, desert walks, reading on the beach and so many other fun and relaxing activities.

Is is not without drama, squabbles, laughter, teasing and frustrations that we get through this wonderful trip as a growing family. We are far from a perfect family. But we are a family that continues to bond by spending time together on this trip every year. Good thing we now book three sites side by side. At least we can move 100 feet away from the crown if we need some space. LOL.

It has been great to continue this tradition with Cayden. He has been building his own memories of what camping in Osooyoos means to him, and they are not unlike my own as a child. I hope that we are blessed to be able to continue this trip with all my siblings, parents, nieces and nephews and Children for many more years.

Cayden looks like he is engrossed in a story, but he is really just checking out the children on the rope swing at the next site over. He is an undercover child watcher here.

No baby's to push today, so lucky for Cayden Tara was quite happy to go for a ride.

Playing Dutch Blitz at the waters edge. No better place than this.

Dad gets a free spa treatment courtesy of Jaelyn and Jessica. Yuck!

Jeremy, Cayden and Jaelyn head out for a daily tube ride. Faster, Faster!

Till' tomorrow when I will share my second Fave of August, 2009.

Did You Eat My Muffin?

This is a story of "The Case Of The Missing Muffin." It is rather a funny one. To this day it is still only slightly funny to my dad, for it was his muffin that went missing.

I can only laugh at how distraught my father was to find his beloved Bran Muffin gone from the place he had tenderly left it on his kitchen counter. You see, I work in the office next door to his home. When I need some milk for coffee, I raid my mom's fridge. When I smell some good baking. I go to see what's baking in my mom's oven. When I've completely forgotten my lunch, I check to see if somethings available in my mom's cupboards. (My mom is OK with this arrangement)

Well, this particular day, I wandered into the house for some milk for my coffee. On the counter, I spied a Tim Horton's muffin box with a bran muffin in it. I thought to myself, "there were six. Now there is one. I'm sure everyone's had there fill. So, muffin # 6 will go along very nicely with my coffee."

Not too long later, into the office comes the boss.(My dad) Not with too happy of a look. He says to me, "Did you take my muffin?" Of course I couln't lie. So I had to admitt to it. To my dismay, I got a bit of an earful for taking his muffin.

I was a little humbled by this and had to drive all the way to the nearest Tim Hortons to replace his muffin. I handed it to him and laughed at him for being sooo dramatic about a silly muffin. He replied that it was the principle of not taking something without asking.

A month or so has gone by since this incident. Just last week we had some guests at our campsite and the story of the muffin came up in conversation. My dad stuck to his story, "That it's the principle." And I stuck to my story, "You were just in a mood and it had nothing to do with principle. You just wanted that darn muffin right then and there."

Well, did we ever have our guests laughing. I have to tell you that in the end of it all, he did admitt that it really was about the fact that he was in a mood and really wanted that darn muffin right then.

I think that I won when I reminded him that he was very fortunate to have his daughter so close to him that she could just pop over for this or that. Not every parent is blessed to have all there children so close by. He agreed quickly. The stealing of the muffin is forgiven. It amazes me how my dad has attempted to use one missing Tim Hortons muffin to teach a life lesson to his daughter. I have to say that the lesson has been lost on me.