It goes without saying that being back in Canada means a need for some new play dough kits! {Obviously.} And since we’ve been in the land of beige for the last 10 months, what better way to celebrate being back in Canada than with a colourful Canadian wilderness play dough set?
On the way home from visiting family this afternoon, Miss G napped in the car from about 3:30 until almost 6:00 p.m. Definitely not the best move for a little lady who is normally in bed for the night by 6:30 p.m., but I was car sick and the lack of questions being fired in my direction provided some much appreciated quiet. So a late car nap it was – meh. Key to not having a little lady up until 10 p.m., however, was getting outside and getting some fresh air and physical activity after dinner. So that’s what we did… Went exploring! We fed the cows, visited the Aunties, and collected berries and flowers along the way. The plan turned out perfectly and we had a bathed bubba happily tucked in bed by 8:30. And some pretty pictures of our evening adventure. ☺
There’s nothing like a few years in Kuwait to make you truly appreciate Canada. I could easily fill several pages with all of things I’m extremely grateful for here at home, but nature is, without a doubt, near the top of my list. Being able to enjoy spending time outdoors… Mountainsides covered in trees… Green grass. Wide open spaces. Wildflowers growing in ditches. Fields of corn. Kids running in backyards… Sometimes it’s all a little overwhelming. And the sad part is that until we moved to the Middle East 7 years ago, it was all too easy to just take it for granted. Thankfully, Gracen seems to truly understand the beauty that is where we call home. Several times during our summer vacation she’s paused while out on a walk, taken a long, slow breath in, and in an airy voice said, ‘Ahhh… This air just smells so amazing.’ She often comments on how beautiful leaves and flowers and trees are, and more often than not has a very special rock or stick in her hand. My hope is that she continues to see the beauty around her {even if it means she continues to hug and kiss grass, trees, and other things while outdoors – not joking}, and I’m going to do the same {the being appreciative part – not the kissing grass part}.
So even though I’ve taken and shared a gazillion photos of our outdoor adventures already, here are a few more – simply because they’re too good to pass up. Another day on the farm, but this time with a friend…
This year, we decided to spend our Canada Day soaking up the sunshine and fresh air out on my brother’s new boat. We packed up the kids, a cooler filled with yummy food, and headed out to Chestermere, a nearby town with a little lake. Unsurprisingly, the lake was super busy which was a bit of a pain, but the kids had an awesome time anyways. Miss G was eager to try tubing for the second time today, and she loved it just as much as the first. We had such a great day and I am so thankful to be able to call this beautiful country home. Happy birthday, Canada.
While we spent Gracen’s first two Canada Days in the Okanagan at the lovely Davison Orchards, today was our first Canada Day in Vancouver as a family of 3. As usual, there is tons of fun, family-friendly stuff happening around our vibrant city, but we decided to spend the day at one of our favourites – Granville Island. We arrived early, while parking still wasn’t an issue, picked up a couple of little treats from the public market, and walked along the boardwalk to the water park and playground. Brad and Grae zoomed down the water slide a few times, Grae got a tattoo and her face painted, and we enjoyed some lunch in the park while taking in some jazz. To say that it was lovely would be an understatement. Here are some photos of our day…
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Sometimes I miss Kuwait.
Like, really miss Kuwait.
I knew I would (I may have sat in the back of the taxi with silent tears streaming down my face as we drove away from our baby girl’s first ever home and made our way to the smoke-filled airport for the very last time), but I miss it more than I expected to. No, I don’t miss the insanity of the highways, the snail’s pace at which government processes happen there, the nearly impossible task of finding black beans on grocery shelves, or the dust storms that turn the sky orange and coat your apartment in a thick layer of sand.
What I do miss though, is the community we had there. I miss being constantly being surrounded by friends and fellow stay-at-home-mamas. I miss impromptu baby play dates that were as easy as taking an elevator a few floors up or down. I miss walking over to the building next door for take out and homemade wine with friends. I miss our door being knocked on by people just stopping by to say hello.
But then I see photos like these {taken by Bradley while out for a walk with Miss G this morning}… And they remind me of why we’re at home in Canada right now. Because a little girl meandering through a field of flowers surrounded by fresh air and tree-covered mountains just doesn’t happen in Kuwait…
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