Camping - Part Deux

Okay, so where were we? Oh yeah - Halfway Lake and Keziah just turned 7.

Keziah was excited to go fishing with her dad. Little did her dad know that fishing to her was NOT to catch fish, but to catch pretty reeds! Pretty yet very stinky reeds!

Family hike, enjoying the landscape of Northern Ontario.

 

 

 2 days before we left, we were surrounded by more friends! They and us booked Halfway Lake 5 months earlier without realizing we were going to end up at the same park :) So we had such a good time again those last few days.

But alas, despite our good times, it was time to stop feeding the black flies. They would not leave our kids alone, so we were thankful to say audios to Halfway Lake and travel 2 hours south to Grundy Provincial Park. On the way there we knew there was quite a bit of construction, with waits up to 30 minutes. Nathan was prepared :)

Does it Have to End?!

It is hard to get our minds wrapped around the fact that it is September. Here where we live that means the school year is about to begin. In fact, it began TODAY!!

It's not that time goes by so fast that makes it hard to adjust to it being a new school year. It's the fact that it is plus 40 degrees C (with the humid-x)!! And no, our school does not have air conditioning. Today we melted. I know because I was in the classroom all day. That's my job now - surrounding myself with 13 lovely little treasures from God. They are 7 and 8 years old, an age where for the most part they still love school. An age where feeling arms around my waist as a student says good-bye is still okay. Gr. 6? Nope. But Gr. 3? Yup!! :)

I am teaching all day Monday, Tuesday and then am done Wednesday at lunch. That leaves Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday and Friday to carry out my first priorities: taking care of my husband and our two little gems. In my mind, it seems like a great balance. I guess time will tell!

But before we woke up this morning to a brand new normal, we made sure to enjoy every moment of our summer-normal yesterday:

 While I didn't shed a tear today, a few fell out of my eyes yesterday. Why, you ask? Well, just look at these pictures of Keziah and Lincoln. This is what they did all.summer.long. They played. And played. And played. Sure they made a mess everywhere they went, but I honestly would not see them for hours at a time as they were so busy adventuring. Isn't this childhood?! I love it. And that is why I cried. Tears of thankfulness for them. Tears of thankfulness they have each other and are blessed with such a close bond. And tears of sadness, knowing once school starts, the freedom of playing whenever goes to a minimal.

 

 

She's in there somewhere......see her hand poking out just under the table?! Her and her forts.

We also made sure to spend lots of time in the pool yesterday:

 

 

 

 

 

It was a great last day of summer. Maybe it's a good thing summer is winding down - my chocolate brownie is turning into a blonde brownie, thanks to sun-kissed hair!

(yes, I realize I jumped from camping pictures to first day of school pictures without finishing my camping posts. They are coming!! :)