Men's Retreat

So, really, Michael should be posting this, but since that means it might not happen for a long while, I'm doing it.

Michael has become really involved with planning events for the men's ministry at church. He's very good at it and they've had some great turn outs, jealous women and loads of fun.

Here's a few highlights from the 'build-off':

Step 1: build a raft with supplies earned during geo cache.

Step 2: hope it's sea worthy

Step 3: begin race by carrying raft into water

Step 4: make sure you know which direction the race course is.

Birthday Celebration

Michael's Mom turned 50 this September so we celebrated with bowling as a family and then going to a dinner theatre show (corner gas).


Bowling was a blast.


At the show.

Mom gets to dance on stage!

peaches, lots and lots of peaches.

I drove out to Austin for the day to hang out with my mother and sister in law. We spent the day processing peaches. Jam, pies and canned.

Cate helped with peeling blanched peaches.

We used every available bowl and pot.

Doesn't it look delicious?

a new adventure!

Michael and I signed up to be part of our church's dragon boat team this year. Cancer Society hosts dragon boat races as a way to raise money for cancer research.

It was a lot of fun to try something new together.

Team photo.

Practice on the river. Waiting to get in our boat. Zipped & Clipped! (not being completely done up before you were anywhere near the water had serious consequences...something about a paddle getting shoved somewhere).

Race day. Our green shirts made us incredibly hard to miss.

Waiting to get in our boat for our first qualifying race.

Waiting to get into position.

Paddles up!

We ended up doing quite well and even won a trophy!

Chickpea Pesto Pasta

So, I was gifted some basil seedlings from our neighbour, which I planted in my garden. It grew wild. I decided to try making pesto and put some of it to use.

Then I had to come up with a dinner quick one night, so I decided to use said pesto (which I had frozen a few batches of), cook some pasta and in an effort to add protein, I dumped in a can of chickpeas. It was surprisingly tasty!

Doesn't it look yummy!

Pesto is way easier to make than you think, by the way.

weekend gettaway #2

Once again, some wonderful friends invited us to join them at their cottage. We totally relaxed and just soaked up the sun. Totally wonderful!

Around the outside of the place.

Breakfast.

The dock.

Sister Time

I got to spend a day making cards with Angela. It was great, although I'm a little jealous of her digital scrapbooking, it looks so easy and there's way less stuff to haul around.

I had a great day and made a pile of cards!

Melanie & Marie visit!

We got the chance to make the most of our basement being empty this summer. Melanie and her parents came to visit Winnipeg with her new baby girl, Marie.

a few things

1. This is what happens if you leave birthday candles in a black car in the summer time:

2. Cate gets her own motorcycle:

3. turns out there was only two things

weekend gettaway #1

Friends from our Lifegroup invited us to join them at their cottage. It was such a special treat to get away and relax, enjoy a boat ride, and go for a walk.

A boat lift that transfers your boat from one lake to another: