Backyard Holidays

Summer holidays arrived for me in a wonderful package of extended family guests!

Vic's daughter Becci and her sister-in -law Maja were having a "YES" holiday with their sons and I got to be part of the excitement simply by providing a landing pad for their fun and games.

The energy and activity created by this duo was amazing!

They were also super helpful by making most of the meals and doing swift clean up.

It was so great that Vic & Marcia's holiday here happened to overlap with theirs so the joy was multiplied.

These young men were polite, helpful and so much fun. 

We had a picnic at the park while the boys played in the water.

Tante Hilda loved the chicken taco's Maja and Becci cooked up on their handy dandy tiny cook top.

And there was a skate park nearby where the boys displayed amazing skill on their scooters.

Nerve wracking to watch, but apparently fun to be a participant.

I was invited to go on their boating adventure which was an absolute blast.  It has been years since I've been on a boat, but there was enough manpower to get me safely tucked into a comfy seat where I could enjoy the wind and waves.

It made me so happy to see Vic being able to spend time with his daughter and grandsons.  Life is so busy in Calgary for all of them so they don't get that much time together but this holiday was a perfect opportunity to make some memories.

A lovely, sunny Okanagan day to enjoy the water.

Card games were played in the evening to bring a quiet end to yet another active day.

Of course we had Oma over to see the grandkids and greats even though she is in a bit of a blur with all of the activity.

She still knows them and loves being together with family. 

The girls made sure to pick up lots of the best fruits that summer has to offer so we were snacking to our hearts content!

Somehow Luca ended up winning "be a king for the evening" so the two older boys created delectable desserts for him.

It was a rather serious contest to create the most desirable one and I think it was Cedric who won.

Leaving Luca to be the one who had to do the chores. 

When they first arrived Maja and Becci weren't so sure about my scruffy nervous puppy but Winnie managed to win their hearts in her weaselly little way.

There was just so much fun and love in the house. 

Martin arrived rather late in the game, but we put him to work pretty much right away and he took down a poplar that I have been wanting to remove for some time.

He is always up for a challenge and there were plenty of helpers to cart away the branches and cut up the trunk.

It was quite a day of accomplishment as Martin also removed a pine tree that was not looking so good anymore around the side of the house. 

Whew!

What a bunch of troopers!

It was an amazing week and a good time was had by all!

A Jumble of Jamborees

Canada Day was a little more subdued with our regular downtown celebratory activities cancelled, however Mom, Tante Hilda and I had our own Canada Car-Party!

A drive through stop for some coffee and goodies followed by a drive along the lake gave us time to give thanks for our beautiful country and to pray for mercy for this land. 

I happened to turn on the radio when we had stopped to watch the waves rolling in just in time to hear a beautiful rendition of "Oh Canada" You can hear Tante Hilda chiming in with her lovely soprano.

Hoping for sunshine and lifted restrictions for next year's celebrations! 

July was a wonderful month for flowers, fruit, and scenic outdoor visits!

Words can never convey my gratitude to God for surrounding me with such breathtaking beauty, but I sure do thank Him for the privilege of having eyes to see his glorious handiwork and the revelation to know Him. 

This is all
merely a reflection of His glory and creativity.

Not to mention the stellar pinnacle of His creation.... 

us humans!!

Made in his image, each so unique and best of all - eternal beings!

Fabulous friends and family!

(AND of course, PUPPIES...) 

 

Liz and I had lots of fun in Peachland.  It's been a gift to reconnect with her and to revisit shared experiences. 

Leanne and Joanna stopped in for brunch and I was able to meet her dear "Toby" and to rejoice in her baby bump! 

Anita stopped in for a visit and shared some love with Ladybug.

Becca returned from Halifax for the summer but didn't stay with us this year due to the restrictions and her not wanting to pose any threat to Oma and myself.

So lovely to catch up with her and to make some special drinks for us to enjoy together. 

Henry had a birthday and we had lots of fun sharing dinner and celebrating this marvellous human being. 

What a gift he is to his family, our community and to so many others!
Such a man of integrity, steadiness and love with a really great sense of humour.

We were all so happy to be together.

I'm glad we have birthdays to provide the excuse to call the troops out to party!

We were also excited to admire Henry's long awaited purchase of a truck.

I think he's wanted this for the past 30 years or so and the time was finally right! He was so busy for so many years raising his 7 kids that there wasn't a lot of extra for him to indulge in his own wishes. 

I felt very privileged  to be a party of Celia's family dinner out on her rather exotic looking back deck on the lake.

It was exciting to see the great white swam make an appearance just for us! 

Vic and Marcia joined us in July for a wonderful holiday.

Patio parties and time together... 

I also managed to get this lovely group of women together for a rather hot noon visit, but the company was fine and the food was fitting.

Farmer's sausage, buns and potato salad.

Yummy summer fare! 

Dear Annie made sure to get a picture of mom and I which she sent to me later.

She was also the one to capture the lunch menu. 

And that was only the first half of JULY...

Stay tuned for more July Jamoborees!