Our New Boat

Today we took our new boat for a spin! We got ready nice and early and were out on the lake before lunch. It was perfect because there was hardly anyone there and we had the lake practically to ourselves.

 

Mr. Stannix has been anticipating this day for a few weeks now and was all smiles as he drove us all over the lake!

The kids are still pretty new to this whole boating thing and took a little bit of convincing to get onto the tube. They trust their Daddy though and knew he would take it slow. 

 

 They ended up having a lot of fun! Though I think our cautious Camilla will take a few more runs to warm up to it. 

 Ollie enjoyed snuggling up next to whoever he could and feeling the wind in his hair. Oh, and cheetos!

Mike and I were able to go on a baby ride with Oliver. He wasn't sure what to think about the whole thing but I think he enjoyed himself. I was just glad we were going slow. Ha!

 Mr. Stannix tested out our new water skis and got up on his first try! He tried to drop a ski on his first run (always shooting for the stars this guy) and just about made it before an epic wipe-out. On his second go he was able to get outside the wake and enjoy a nice ride. 

 On our way back to shore Grampa and Hyrum went for a spin. I think out of everybody, Hyrum loves the tube the most! He was super eager to go for another ride and frequently gave us the thumbs up sign to go faster. Time flew by so quickly and before we knew it we had spent a good six hours on the water. Mr. Stannix is super happy with his purchase! It's such a fun investment and something that will bring our family joy for years to come.

Juicing for Jelly

This morning we spent a good chunk of time juicing up three or four gallons of raspberries from yesterdays picking. Camilla and Ollie helped turn the handle and enjoyed watching the juice oooze out of the berries.

It will make fabulous jelly and syrup!
 

Gramma got another good haul of cucumbers from the greenhouse. I think I see pickles in our near future!

All of the extra fresh air and running around finally caught up to this guy around dinner time and he ended up passing out on the couch. I didn't have the heart to wake him, so I let him sleep despite the later bedtime.

More Berries

You'll never guess what we did this afternoon....

Soooo many raspberries. The boys eat them by the bowl full with cream and sugar! Hyrum seriously had four helpings in a row.

I caught these three hanging out in the shade together this afternoon. Nothing better than a few boys and their dog. I extra love their crazy hair and the bandana that Hyrum hasn't taken off all week.

Barefoot Berry Pickin'

Today was another chill day on the Acreage. The boys helped Grampa burn some scrap wood all afternoon and then enjoyed a pop from his garage fridge as a reward. They loved jumping on the boards and splitting them into small enough pieces for the fire pit! When it cooled off a bit later in the afternoon we went back up to the berry patch and picked another three gallons of raspberries as well as a huge bucket of Saskatoons. Whenever Oliver is outside he likes to take off his boots and run barefoot. It was cute to watch him play at my feet while I picked. We finished off the day snacking on peas as we podded. Turns out even Reese likes fresh peas!

Berry Time

We headed back to the Acreage again this afternoon. We've done this drive so many times already this Summer it seems, but the extra space to run and play is always worth it! We got there just in time to help Gramma finish picking a few rows of raspberries. 

Oliver would stand beside my mom and pick them out of her bucket as fast as she filled it.

It's always so peaceful in the berry patch, even with children running up and down the rows! I think we got three buckets by the time we finished!

Oliver giggled while he ran up and down the potatoes that were almost as tall as he was.

While I was picking raspberries with Mom, the boys helped Grampa pick the nanking cherries. We all wandered over there after and helped. We hardly got all of them, but got a good haul! My Mom will probably make them into delicious syrup!

We also checked out how big the carrots were getting and picked enough for a snack.

Grampa's greenhouse is starting to look like a jungle and it's pretty incredible to see the veggies it's producing! 

I whipped up a batch of my favorite raspberry streusel muffins and all twenty-four of them were gone before the night was up!

We are all looking forward to when Daddy joins us this weekend and we get to take our new boat for a spin! The littles can hardly wait!

Wing Night

We sent a few kids home with Gramma and Grampa after the mini-reunion in Edmonton this weekend. We found ourselves with only two kids and decided to go out for wings tonight. I am pretty sure Joe ate like 14 all to himself. Judging by the look on his face, I'd say he enjoyed them!

The Present

I can't believe we are half way through July already! I'm not sure how it's possible to dream of fall decor and a cinnamon/clove scented home and at the same time still mourn the quick passing of Summer. But that's where I'm at right now. Looking forward to the next season while feeling a tiny bit sad about how fast this Summer is going. As with every Summer, I started out with grand ideas and big plans that have kind of gotten lost along the way. Sometimes I can get pretty uptight and stressed when things don't go according to plan, but having five littles has (mostly) helped change that! 

 

This morning everyone woke up super cranky. There was more fighting and poking than I'd like to admit and I couldn't help but thinking that this is not how Summer is supposed to go! Everyone was tired and touchy and easily set off and after the tenth fight erupted I spontaneously told everyone to get dressed and load up in the van. I had been eyeing the canola fields for a few weeks now and I knew a slow drive on some back country roads would ease the tension and give us something to do. The kids pointed out the yellow fields in the distance as the views from hill tops allowed us and when we hit a cross roads they would call out which direction to turn. 

We finally found a nice little secluded field with no homes in view and no fences surrounding it. We made sure to tread carefully and be respectful as we ventured a step or two only into the field to snap a few pictures. The high morning sun made it difficult to get good pictures and while the children squinted and willed their eyes towards the camera I snapped away like a mad lady. Out of the gazillion photo's I took, we managed a few keepers, and drove home with grateful hearts and a fresh perspective. 

When we arrived home one of the boys threw his arms around me and said, "This is a happy morning, isn't it mom? I'm having a good day." I hugged him back and smiled. While I hadn't quite forgotten the chaos of the morning, he had already let go of those emotions and moved on to a happier place. There's always so much to learn from children, like how they live in the present and soak up all of the good in each day.  

Sometimes as adults we get in too much of a hurry and we forget to slow down and savor the present. We get so wrapped up on the stresses of life that we don't notice the toddler giggling while an orange is being peeled in front of him. Or the water melon juice dripping off a preschoolers chin and elbows as he grins with sheer delight at the taste. I want so badly to always remember the little boy who walks into the kitchen first thing each morning and wraps his arms around me before sitting down to breakfast. The little boy who refuses to smile and look at the camera and instead makes goofy faces. These are the little things that make life worth while and ease the pain during difficult times.

 These littles of mine are soaking up Summer in all it's glory and enjoying each day to the fullest. We haven't done anything spectacular, but every little thing we have done has meant so much to them. They have so enjoyed their friends, jumping on trampolines with soap and water, adventuring in the mountains, hitting up the spray park, and biking around town. It doesn't seem like much, but to them, it's everything.

The other day as we stood in line at Coscto a sweet lady who had been behind us watching the boys poke each other, the toddler squeal to be free, and one child climb in and out of the bottom of the cart for quite some time said, "You seem way too relaxed to have five kids!" I smiled and laughed a little as the kids helped me begin unloading the groceries, "I guess I've been doing this for a while..." We made small talk for the next few minutes until it was time to pay and then we bid farewell. I've thought a lot about that moment though, and just how much I've learned in the last nine years. It's changed the way I've responded to things lately. I've made a conscious effort to be more light hearted, to laugh more, and to be more present.  I loved when Fin looked wide-eyed and confused as I giggled uncontrollably at a new library book I'd read him before bed. "Why you laughin' so much, Mom?" he asked. "Because I'm happy!" Sometimes all we need is a fresh perspective and a tiny reminder about what's really important.