Another first for our family

It's Cameron's 36th birthday today.

So, to celebrate, we went and had supper with his dad (they share the same birthday) and mom. Then, we went go-cart racing.

We had a blast!

Austin rode with me (because he wanted to win!) We started out first and managed by the end to catch up to Cameron & Jonah, so we drove an extra lap than they did. Austin really enjoyed it and each time we drove past Jonah and Cameron on the turns, Jonah had the biggest smile!

So fun!

The kids also wanted to go mini-golfing, but we decided to save that for next weekend, for Jonah's birthday.

Not much new

Our summer is trucking along nicely.

In the mornings, we do errands, or stay home, or go for a bike ride. This morning a friend who I haven't seen in a while came over and it was nice to reconnect with her.

This week, Jonah has been going to a Vacation Bible School put on by a church in town. It runs from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Then Austin has been going in the evening, from 6:15 to 8:45pm. Both have been enjoying it.

After lunch, Sage naps. I scrapbook or go on the computer. The boys watch tv. Or play. Or fight. Or ask to do computer.

When Sage wakes up (or I wake her), we go to the beach. Two more lessons left. It's been good to get out of the house and I'm sure we'll still go to the beach in Aug, but not everyday.

Tonight, we're going to Winkler to where Cam's dad lives, to have supper with Cam's family to celebrate his and his dad's birthdays (both on July 30th.) I'm looking forward to an evening out. And not cooking!

That's about all for now.

Fishing

My boys have been asking to go fishing for a long time.

On Saturday, after supper, Cameron found two rods and we drove to the lake to take them fishing.

Another first for the Penner family!

The bad thing? I didn't charge my camera battery before we left, so my picture taking got cut short while we were there. The good thing? They didn't catch anything, so I don't have to feel bad about not getting a picture of them holding the fish they caught!

Here are some pictures I did get, though.





It was fun, but I'm so aware of how long they can handle things. As soon as they put down the rods and started playing on the large rocks along the shore, I told Cameron: "Okay, they're done. Let's go." It just keeps everyone much happier.

Even if we didn't catch any fish.

On the mend

Well, we're feeling better.

Yay!

Went for a bike ride yesterday to my friend, Susan's house. The kids played in her pool and amazing back yard and we visited. Nice.

Today, we biked to Coop for groceries (Jonah's still not 100% yet, so he rode in the bike trailer with Sage.) Then we stopped at the library before going to the farm (my MIL's) for lunch.

Now we're home. Sage is napping. And we're planning on biking to the park (and wading pool) when she wakes up.

After supper tonight, there's talk of going fishing.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Sick!

Well, after months of hearing that other people have the flu (and being thankful that we don't!) we got it.

Well, not all of us.

Jonah got sick on Tuesday night (he threw up all over the floor right before I was leaving to go see a movie with my friend, Susan.)

Then, at 3:40am, I got sick.

Austin and Sage were fine.

Cameron came home from work, feeling sick.

Jonah and I were definitely on the mend today. Cameron spent the day sleeping, so I took the kids to the beach. Jonah fell asleep on my lap there for a bit, which was probably a good thing.

Hopefully by tomorrow we'll be 100%.

Still swimming, different location

Well, we finished our swimming lessons on Friday and I'm ever so proud to say that Austin passed! Woohoo! His instructor said, and I quote: "Excellent work! He was a good listener!" Really? Yay!

I was so excited that he'd done so well that I signed him up for level two starting tomorrow. Yes, we'll be spending the next two weeks at the beach. It's a tough life, but someone has to live it!

Yesterday, for a change of pace, I let Sage sleep for her full nap (I've been waking her to go to the beach for the past two weeks.) and did she sleep! I put her down at 12:30pm (no more holding, just straight into her crib-- what a doll!) and she slept until after 4pm! Couldn't believe it! So, after her nap, we biked to the wading pool at the park where I took way too many pictures while my kids had a blast.

Here are my favourites:





Look how nice and brown my kids are! Totally love that!

Rain

It rained today. That meant I couldn't go for a run this morning, but I'm okay with that. It's been incredibly dry here this summer (which has fortunately meant fewer mosquitos (yay!)) but we've really needed the rain.

Fortunately, it cleared up by three o'clock, so we still went to swimming lessons.

Yesterday, my friend Val, turned 39.



We have been friends for almost 10 years (it'll be ten years in fall). She is a wonderful friend and I'm very thankful to have her in my life.

I had a birthday coffee for her yesterday morning. I invited some friends and we sat outside on my new patio and visited. And ate. And watched Val open her presents. It was good.

In the evening, after swimming lessons, I hosted a bar-be-que for our Bible study group. Cameron thought that it might be too hot to eat outside (it was over 35 degreees Celsius!) but I thought cramming 13 people into our dining room, even with airconditioning, would feel a trifle warm.

So here's to keeping cool this summer.

It's done!

My mom gave us a patio set last year. It's been sitting in my basement, because I didn't have anywhere to put it.

Until now.

This weekend, Cameron & I worked in the hot sun to put in a patio in our backyard. We edged it with 4x4 treated lumber and filled it in with crushed limestone. The kids got right in there and helped, too. (And they enjoyed riding in the wheelbarrow and we went back and forth, hauling the sand and then the limestone.)



We didn't have a lot of money to spend, but I'm quite happy with the results.

Quite the photographer

Austin's getting to a good age. At seven, I can hand him my camera and get him to take a picture of me. And he does a pretty good job, too. He took the photo of Sage and me in my banner.

Kids are kind of handy to have. Who knew?

This is the life!

School is out and we are enjoying our first week of swimming lessons at the beach.

Having grown up over an hour away from a beach, I must say that I LOVE the fact that Morden has a beach and it is quite nice.

Austin is taking swimming lessons there this week and next week. So every afternoon, after Sage wakes up from her nap, we head to the beach and hang out with one of my best friends, Val. (Her kids are taking lessons there, too. We usually plan to take our lessons at the same time so we can hang out together!)

So this means the kids play in the water and on the sand. They use their nets to catch crayfish. Val and I chat as we keep an eye on our children. And we snack. I tell ya, it is a great time!

Austin even got burried in the sand by some classmates on Monday-- he giggled the whole time! Too funny!

Happy Canada Day!!

Our Canada Day wasn't overly exciting. We donned our Canada t-shirts (halter tank for Sage!), went for a couple of bike rides, ate some ice cream cones and freezies and had a movie night after supper.



I love this wonderful country and feel very blessed and thankful to live here!