Home to Family!

It was fun getting home to our beautiful Kelowna summer weather and to the wonderful crowd of people living in my house! 

Vic & Marcia very kindly came to Kelowna to look after Mom so I could go to Ottawa and Anita is usually here in the evening with Ollie so it's already a party, but on this particular evening Becca was able to join us AND I invited Lisa over for a belated birthday meal. 

These warm evenings and patio suppers are the BEST!

It was also a treat to share "mom duties" with Vic & Marcia.

Since Vic is always up early he happily made mom a smoothie and toast, and one morning he created a  very fun banana concoction as you can see above.

Marcia and Ladybug were happy to keep Mom company on the patio.

One day when I was out Marcia made peroshki with sour cherries from their Calgary backyard.

Mom had gotten into the action and joined in by pinching the tops of some of these delicious little dainties together.

I'm always so touched by how Marcia will look for practical ways to love on all of us.  Somehow I don't get around to making the "Mennonite" specialties that Mom loved, but wouldn't you know it's the Scottish import to the family who is taking the lead!  She also spent a rather arduous hot day at Tante Hilda's making dark bread with her for all of us to enjoy. 

Marcia is definitely a keeper! 

We also ventured out to Peachland for a day where we visited our favourite German Restaurant so that we could have Mexican food! 

Mom and Tante Hilda absolutely LOVE the nachos here and we added a few other yummy dishes so that we would all have plenty to munch on.

Such great ambience, great company and perfect weather.

Marcia and I also headed out to have some fun together by visiting thrift stores and stopping to fortify ourselves with coffee's and snacks when our energy began to ebb. 

This time we pretended we were in a Paris coffee shop when we noticed the pretty painting above our table. 

A staycation is more affordable and easier at this point in the gameplan!

And dear Becca has not only been wonderful company (when she's not working our out visiting one of her many friends) but she has kept the yard in great shape over the summer months.

Elsie has also been taking a little break from regular mom duties, but she was missing mom and had a sweet moment with her at bedtime one evening.  

We were eager to show Elsie the cute pyjamas we had found for mom on one  of our treasure hunts at the MCC store. 

So incredibly much sweetness and love.

I'm endlessly grateful for this powerful legacy that Mom has modelled for us and that we are able to continue.