Jul
2015

Camping, work & more… CAMPING!

FullSizeRender 5I had Pioneer Camp this week with my cousin Vaughan. I love Pioneer Camp!

He said

FullSizeRender 2After the fantastic camping we had last weekend, this week seemed like an abrupt return to the regular rat race. I was in all week with the exception of being off work Friday and then again worked all weekend. But as much as that may sound like me moaning, it absolutely wasn’t—I have had a ton of time off this month to reconnect with my ladies, nature, and of course, Wolfie. It is one of the things I truly adore about this job. That and as well as I am excited to be back at work with my people when I return—rejuvenated from vacation!

This week we spent a lot of unsuccessful time putting our focus on trying to get Wolfie off-the-grid ready, but Paul the guy who did the fibreglass repair just wasn’t available to help us sort of the electrical work that needs to happen. So, it looks like we’ll have to be powerless with Wolfie for the weekend at Wolfe Island. Which isn’t all that terrible. We’ve done it every year before, so what is one more year? We’ll try and sort out the off the grid power solution in the fall… maybe before Wolfie gets put away for the winter?

FullSizeRender 3The other thing ongoing this weekend was I wrapped up the graphic design work on the Wolfe Island Music Festival program book. Every year for the past four I have donated my design known-how and manage the booklet and it’s printing for Virginia and the festival as a way to give back to a festival that is a non negotiable on our calendar and the reason for where Wolfie got her name. It’s a weekend we look forward to all year long and being that the book got off to the printer this week, it means all that is left to do is to wait for the festival! This year’s lineup might be my favourite yet! And we’re excited that our friend Dawn is making her return to Camp Teeter and the Festival!

Also this week, Emelia had Pioneer Camp out at Fanshawe Pioneer Village – something that she and her cousin Vaughan have now gone to together for the past three summers. She just adores it and fortunately a few of the days this week I was even able to be the chauffeur for her on morning drop offs and the 20 minute drive across town became some of my favourite moments this summer as she and I had some pretty fantastic conversations that showed me just how grown up she is, and what a wonderfully thoughtful girl she has become.

FullSizeRender 4This week Emelia is very excited that she gets to finally attend the Apple Camp for kids that we host at our store. She has wanted to go for the past couple but she is finally old enough as 8 is the minimum age requirement. She’ll be at our store from Wednesday to Friday for a couple hours each day learning how to use iMovie and GarageBand on our iPads to make a movie that she will showcase on the final day Friday. She is over the moon excited—mostly just to get one of the Apple Camp kids shirts!

IMG_1352And once that excitement is our of the way, then it will be a full force mode to pack Wolfie and get ready to head back to Bon Echo on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. Knowing that by this time next week, we will be back at Bon Echo and near the beautiful Mazinaw Rock is just about the best feeling ever!

Now, just to get through this week and not be too impatient!

 

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She said

The week went by in a blur, between Emelia’s camp and being busy all week with work and family before we knew it Friday was here.

Emelia has had a great summer but she has been missing her two best friends who have been gone most of the summer. After a few failed attempts to connect with the girls John and I thought we would make Friday night a super fun family night. So when we realized that meeting up with the twins was not going to happen again we moved quickly to plan B.

IMG_1400Over the last few weeks we had been hearing a lot about Disney’s latest movie Inside Out. It is a movie that explores the confusing world for both adults and children about our emotions and how our emotions shape our memories. It was an incredible movie and so suiting for Emelia who is a pretty sensitive child and at the age when her emotions and relationships are so important and at the same time so confusing. We just loved the movie and our perfect family night out. This was just the start of an amazing but busy weekend.

IMG_1398As John mentioned he had to work all weekend so I had planned a fun filled weekend for Emelia. Finally Saturday morning I was able to get a brief but fun filled playdate with Anna and Grace. The girls had a great time and have just missed each other so much this summer. The visit was short as the twins had a full day of family birthdays ahead of them.

As we were leaving the girls house we saw our neighbour Julie who is VERY pregnant and actually due to be induced some time Saturday. She was trying to relax as best she could with her 2 year old twins in tow and asked if we wanted to come over for a swim at their pool. Well you didn’t have to ask Emelia twice. We went home got Emelia switched to her swimsuit and came back to play in their pool for an hour or so. Emelia entertained Duncan and Sara and Julie and I chatted away all things baby. We are still waiting to hear how everything went with the delivery of their new baby girl.

IMG_1419By 11:30 Emelia and I headed home to grab a quick lunch and then she was off to her Saturday gymnastics. I was able to watch her for a little while and then and to rush off to my weekly errands of groceries. The mad rush to the stores, unpacking everything at home and then back to gymnastics to see her a bit before the training for the week was done.

By this time it was mid afternoon and she and I got a couple more things done it was off to Grandma and Poppa’s house to celebrate Grandma’s birthday and also to celebrate a belated birthday for Aaron. I had to do a quick drop off of Emelia so I could go back to get John from work but in short order we were back ready for lots of family time and laughs.

IMG_1421We spent the next 4 hours or so with the entire family for the first time in far too long. It is so hard to get all of us together and we just love spending as much time as possible together. We had lots of laughs of course and with a joint effort of all the siblings we had a incredible meal to eat and celebrate. By the time we left we had one tired little girl and she was in bed asleep in seconds from her head hitting the pillow.

IMG_1423And then we come to today, another packed and fun day. John sadly had to work but Emelia and I had a full day planned! My best friend Kelli and her family were starting their camping vacation and had invited us out to visit them at their campsite. Kelli and her family love going to Rondeau provincial park which is only just over an hour from here. Rondeau has a strong childhood memory tie for me as that was were we spent many camping trips as a child. We camped, cottaged, explored and bonded over most of my childhood in that park. I had not been back in over 20 years to going back today brought back so many amazing memories of family trips with my mom, dad, sister and cousins. It was a trip down memory lane for sure.

I am back home now planning and getting even more excited for our trip in under a week back to Bon Echo and then to Wolfe Island. The next post will be from Bon Echo under the stars and likely with a campfire blazing close by.

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