living in community {not the tv show}

oh hello adorable.

Whew!

Well, I'm back. We're back.

And it feels good.

Ever notice how AWESOME your bed is after you get home from being away and sleeping in a particularly crappy bed for a week? Yeah. That.

We were up north for a week of a training with work. Well, Jamie went to the sessions. I hung out with the boys and the other Moms and their kids. It was great.
Really.

The boys doing some colouring and crafts. (ages in this picture span 16 months-4.5 yrs)

And SNOWY! I love the snow. It's gorgeous and it makes me feel cozy and Christmasey. But bundling and unbundling 2 children {and myself} 6 times a day is enough to make anyone hate the winter. Perhaps hate is a strong word. Because every time I looked out the window and saw the lake with the snow covered trees, I sighed a little romantic sigh. It's just so pretty!

on the drive up. thank God for winter tires. 

Honestly I really do love living in community with others. Doing meals {even though they are stressful at times} together, hanging out in the evenings after our kiddos are in bed and talking until it's way too late; we even threw a triple baby shower for three expecting Moms. A triple baby shower! It was just too much fun.
I feel so incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful women {and awesome men} in my life. To be able to go to things like this and know my kids will be loved on and have other kids to play with is really such a gift and I always feel so thankful for the flexibility and family-friendly events we're able to attend with work.

Oh the chaos. Love it. 

So it was a good week. And I'm thankful to be home. {and now I'm baking lots. stay tuned...}

Summit 2010

This past weekend we traveled up north to Camp White Pine for the annual fall retreat (with our organization) called Summit.

It was the coldest I can remember it being. Thank goodness for space heaters. Space heaters FOR THE WIN. For reals.

But it was GORGEOUS, as usual. Jamie looked at me and laughed after we had settled in and then said,

I don't get you. Why do you like to come here? It's cold. It's inconvenient and I work a lot during this weekend.

True. All true. But the pros FAR outweigh the cons.

Usually there are other Moms/Wiveswith their kids at Summit that I can hang out with and get a good fill of social time. This time did not disappoint as I got to hang out with a dear friend, MC and her gorgeous boys who played so well with Noah - he was so thrilled to have some friends his age to run around with, play on the mini golf course and make boy/monster noises with.

Also, the leaves. If you've been up North in the Muskoka area of Ontario, you know exactly what I'm talking about. World class beauty right there.

The kids ADORE spending time outside even if their little fingies are freezing right off!

Noah couldn't get enough of the mini gold course (which was covered in pine needles and sand) and loved the "rope with the tennis ball" (can you guess?) aka the tether ball (and because it was a ball, Jude loved it too!).
We went for a walk (which Jude screamed through because all he wanted to do was GET OUT and CRAWL AROUND in the wet, dirty leaves - which after we got back I let him do and he got completely soaked).

It's really such a privilege to be able to bring our kids and expose them to such great people and places and we realized that with Noah having been to THREE Summits and Jude to TWO, they've been coming longer than a lot of the students!

Wind your toy

Last night we all went to the Guelph Pep Rally at the university.

Every year all the first year students gather in the bleachers in the football stadium and get some speeches delivered to them, but then they get a chance to perform their choreographed boogies. They get into their respective dorms and then try and "out boogie" each other.

And every year people from the hill across from the bleachers attempt to join in and blend in with the boogie-ers. I had my year. But Jamie likes to join in every year. This year he took Noah for the last boogie we stayed for.

Noah LOVED it. And EVERYONE on the hill was watching him and laughing at all his cute antics.

When Jamie and Noah came back off the field, Jamie lifted Noah high into the air and ran across the bottom of the hill. Everyone erupted into a loud cheer! Noah was a star!
He didn't quite get that they were cheering for him, but when I told him, a small smile spread across his face.

It was adorable.

Noah busts out his own dance moves.

Jamie shows Noah how to "wind his toy".

Look! He's actually winding his toy!