Odds and Ends of September

 Another bird stunned itself on our windows. But at least this time it was only stunned: fluttering in the corner, balancing on my hand, then the wash line, then gone back to the sky.

After being super entertaining and educational all last school year, and becoming self- repopulating with  an unintentional platy-swordtail mix, this week our entryway aquarium went off to its new home as our house is needed for a movie set next month

Always more shenanigans happening here...getting more interesting as Aiden overtakes both girls in size!

Yet more harvesting and processing of chokecherries, apples, tomatoes - there so often is something in process of preserving it for winter. If it wasn't so yummy, we think it would make a lovely color dye.

Freda has learned not to come into certain rooms, but she sure knows how to entice you out with her patient and longing eyes.

And without photos:
- A morning's visit with a not-so-far-away friend
- The restart of early morning prayer at church
- A day in exile with Freda as Jasmin did a live training class with one of Imma's dog for Jasmin's new schooling toward being a certified dog trainer.
- Aiden slipping into school routine without a ripple and Mom's sad/proud that he needs me so little
- More morning/evening calls for Mom with SAFE families on the other side of the world

The Rest of the Summer

 We've been busy!

Another wedding to attend for Mom and Dad in Moncton

An added extra overnight trip to on church's headquarters near St John

A delightful visit from an Ottawa friend and her kids for a few days. So thankful for this lovely place that housed the 10 of us without a murmur.

Aiden finished all his school work for the year

Celebrated some rain and misty days - finally!

Continued attempts to run and swim regularly

Lots of talk and prayer and dreaming of what this new school year will hold:

Grace will be done her degree in December

Aiden will be taking courses geared toward university entrance

Mom looked into finally finishing off a degree 

Dad still hopes to pick up his PhD studies

Jasmin enrolled in some new courses - for dog training this time, to go along with her love for dogs and fostering a CNIB guide-dog-in-training

Extra outings and "dates" so Freda can practice settling in public places... she still has to learn to find the most comfortable spot though!

Enjoying our garden produce - even if bean harvest is small because Freda ate most of the seeds...

Many Young Adult gatherings for Grace and Jasmin (and sometimes Aiden too!)

Aiden volunteered at VBS for three nights

We've hosted meals with old friends and new

Fall harvesting jobs:

mint jelly

    chokecherry jelly

        apple cider

            lemon curd

                apple sauce

                    pie filling

                        tomato soup and sauce

                            lavender syrup

                                blackberry jam

So much that we've run out of jars and fridge space - and there are plenty more apples, mint, lavender, chokecherries, and tomatoes...mom is going to have to learn proper canning so the jars can store on the shelf instead of the fridge. It is fun to have so many food choices off our own place instead of the store, but a lot of work to keep it for the winter.

Ottawa and Back

 A little bit too slack - our planning of this trip

Perhaps a bit too preoccupied or maybe over confident

But in either case, we did well

A little rough around the edges perhaps 

But with a surprise discovery

Mom likes to drive so much more than sit in a car 

She drove nearly 10 out of the 15 hours of the trip

Both ways!

Thursday and Friday passed long

Us scattering to various parts of the city

Meeting with those friends who weren't away

Lots of catching up to do - in talk and play

Encouraging, helping - full hearts all 'round

Dreaming of further visits - perhaps to ours next time

How hard it is to have friends scattered so far always!

Wedding delights filled out Saturday

Careful planning, unique touches

An in-love couple, and gathering family

Made for a beautiful celebration

in a delightful secluded spot

What joy was shared!

Sunday church catching up with fellow workers

Among a happy chaos of many families in a bursting building

A thankfully much quieter extended family meal

Lots of sushi 'till no one can eat another bite

A lazy afternoon together in meandering chat

Monday outings again for Mom and Dad

More heart to heart talk with the meeting of friends

Kids remain back 'home' to get schoolwork done

But also with a friend and cousins to game with

Tuesday, home again safe

Long smooth day on the road

Driving, school work, audiobook shared

Mom's Unintentional Summer Project

In a spring fever kind of way, back in April/May, Mom started clearing our brick pathway of weeds, intending to spend a week or two on it before yet another year of wild growth swallowed it entirely...

It's now halfway through July and she's made it across the front of the house... but there is still another whole side to go - and, as you can see, it has already been swallowed...

At this rate, both the summer will be over and the beginning bits will already need weeding attention again...

But since the reasons why it is going so slowly include things like trips to visit friends, beach trips, (sort of) daily swims in our lake, she doesn't mind all that much that it is taking so long. (the other big reason is she can't do it for long and still be able to move the rest of the day... which isn't as ok...)

But, she's - finally! - found a podcast she can listen to without getting irritated with the chatty format (Fastened Like Nails), so the time spent weeding is pleasant.

And, the satisfaction of the job itself is quite rewarding: seeing the path reemerge from the wilds. What a gorgeous place God has planted us in!