Our Life Voyage

I am officially on holidays!!!! School is over for another year and although their were some yucky goodbyes it was a great last day!

so today was such a good day. i didn't take out my camera once which is sad so here is my mental memories for today that can't be forgotten.

Happy Canada Day
-dave is off today!!!
-scrambelled eggs, turkey bacon and coffee for breakfast
-packing up sand toys and picnic lunch
-heading to the beach with my whole family (including Ruby & Crystal)
-spending a great morning sitting in the sun with everyone having so much fun.
-picnic lunch in the sand
-naps
-packing
-heading downtown for Canada Day festivities that included: blow up bouncy things, big bouncy slide, petting zoo, a ride on a train, getting to help the fireman with the water hose. (all of the above things my big boys did with no trepidation!!
-heading back to my parents for margaritas and more family time
-iceburg for supper
-yummy coffee and conversation
-crashing at home after a long day in the sun with a one sided sunburn and a full tummy.
-life is good!

and just because i want to leave you with some pictures of this past week...

taken at our church picnic just to document the amazing ways my kids are exactly like their dad.


and in honor of the amazing woman who made this last year so easy and who loves my kids and all her kids with the most grace and generosity of Spirit. we will miss her this summer and look forward to being there again in fall!!

I am in awe that it's almost the end of june. I have one week left of work before being off all summer. And a bit less than two weeks till we head to Ontario. We are also gearing up for mega loewen family fun as my brother and his family are going to be here by the end of the week. I am so looking forward to that!
We've been enjoying the weather that June has brought.. finally summer. We have been working on the yard. We planted seed in the front and have seen it start to come up. I planted a flower bed along with a tree. I just need to finish edging it. I picked out paint for our front door.. I went with pale avocado which goes so nicely with the old vintage blue milk jug that I inherited from my aunt. It was a long story of how it ended up here but I am so happy it did. It carries even more meaning knowing that it came from her farm where she grew up. I love that it's the star of my house.the picture is taken because I had thought I wasn't getting it and Dave surprised me with it one morning. I was so happy!!!
There has also been lawn mowing going on at our house. This picture is especially funny because if you notice the contrast in the lawn it's actually from Dave fertilizing one early morning and obviously not in a strait line. Too funny. You may be able to see it here but the boys are Dave in mini form. In all ways. It's fun to watch them.

We also got to welcome Baby Gavin this month! We had been waiting for him and he is so sweet. I almost forgot how nice a newborn can be.....



We also enjoyed the zoo a couple weekend ago with amazing friends. I don't have great photos nor can I outblog the story. So you can read about it in two places HERE or HERE. Such fun, Such good friends.

Dave is super busy at work these last few weeks. He has been working a ton of overtime so he's tired and we are all so ready for a vacation.
So from the difrans for now we send you all this loving.. for free :)

In only a couple weeks we leave for vacation. We are going to Southern Ontario to visit Dave's family. Now to all of you who live there and read this.. I am 100% most excited to see you and visit and just hang out. You will love the boys and we will all have so much fun!! That said this post is now completely 100% also dedicated to the shopping that I have been anticipating for over 6 months now. I have been diligent and putting my pennies away and making route maps online of all the stores I will enter. If you are not from Manitoba you will not appreciate the lack of stores we have and how most of us have to travel to do some good shopping.. so to take you on a tour here is where you may find me in ontario this July.

Anthropologie - I have been here before but I was still insecure with my taste and style. I can't wait to walk around and see all the beautiful things I will surely want to by. All I have to do is browse the catalogue and I get goose bumps. Check it out HERE.

H&M - nuff said.

West Elm- never been but my love of decor always leads me to online shop here. It is mentioned often in House & Home magazine. I have been wanting a new light blanket for summer sleeping and this organic set screamed at me. And this lovely display of birds is beautiful.

Designer Fabric Outlet - for the LOVE of fabric. Oh my. I will be so happy here.

There are three antique/vintage stores in Toronto on Yonge street that I have mapped out. They are favorites of Sarah Richardson herself. I am hoping I don't pee my pants.

Of course there will be the stop at Ikea. I have many prints waiting for frames. It will be nice to look at finally use a gift cards I have there. If we are being honest one trip probably won't cut it.

Pottery Barn - I can't wait to peruse the isles of decorating goodness. I would gladly take one of everything seen HERE. And I may just take this idea and run with it.



So as you can see my retail senses are on overload and I can't wait to hit the streets. I also have some days off from kids where I hope to dive into many more treasures. I am also on the search for a killer turning 30 party dress and a new purse. I am sure Ontario will not disappoint.
Happy Shopping!

well noah and ari are three. and yes their party has come and gone. i just fell behind. but better late than never here are a few shots to show the excitement. we did a cars theme. and of course no party is complete without hats.and friends and food.. notice the estrogen overload.
we decorated. yes i made those puffs.. they were supposed to be easy cause martha said so but i found them a bit more time consuming than i thought..
the cakes of all cakes. thanks to amanda of course. the boys were speechless and couldn't believe they had theire own lightening and doc. the cakes alos tasted AMAZING!
and what party would be complete without presents. the boys were thrilled!!

i am in the process of a birthday bash post but in the meantime.. i found some great thrift finds last week at MCC. the chairs (there were two) have already been painted a lovely glossy white and look amazing with my egg chairs (also a find at mcc). the vintage quilt with flowers is even lovlier in person and although there is no baby on the way or in the works it was too lovely to pass up. the yellow blanket is crocheted with obvious love in my favorite color. dreamy. if i could live near amazing thrift/vintage stores i would be so happy. do you like to thrift?

I feel proud today. My boys are three! I have three year olds!

It’s hard to imagine those little teeney tiny guys in the NICU are now these handsome stocky boys. I celebrate you today Ari & Noah not only for who you are but who you have made me.

Ari you are so goofy and fun loving. You are stubborn and hard headed. You are funny and love to play rough. You love trains, tractors and anything with wheels. But your heart has been stolen by anything from the Cars movie. You love Mack and Lightening and all their friends. You have an incredible imagination and can keep yourself occupied coming up with new scenarios for all your four or two wheeled friends.

You have a love/hate relationship with growing up I think.. you are still holding on to your soother (thankfully only for naps and nighttime) You were fully potty trained till this week when you decided you didn’t want to be anymore and could care less how much pee you walk around in. You love to drink out of cups but often want to be carried like a baby. You still love your frog stuffy. And there are not many places you go where he doesn’t follow.

I see strength in you and the quality of a leader. I can only hope you continue to grow in your individuality. I love you.

Oh Noah my sweet soul. You have a depth of character already and such a sensitive heart. You are hurt easily but after some cuddles can usually bounce back quickly. As much as you love people you also love quiet time. You use imagination as an art form. You can quickly immerse yourself in the life of tractors and trailers and ramping any emergency vehicle you can get your hands on. You love to be held and carried and I often feel such guilt when I realize all you want is my attention. I find some days I just need to sit and watch you in order for you to feel content. Like your brother you love anything with wheels. I find you talk more than Ari not necessarily to anyone but you love to make up games in your head and talk to your cars. You also love to drive and point out where we are and what we passed. You yammer on and on about combines and busses and tractors and the bells in the tower at the church down the road. I hope you continue to love people to wholeness.

I love you through & through.

Bedtime has evolved into such fun these days (ok still some fighting too but mostly fun) you must read books and daddy reads them the best (let me tell you a secret though and one day you will find out he doesn’t really read the words but is awesome at telling the story through the pictures) You then curl up in your big boy beds and we sing three songs.. Jesus loves me, Alive Alive and Deep & Wide... the later two thanks in part to Shirley. We then go through the list of your favorite people and pray for them including things you may have seen that day.. ie. praying for buses, excavators and bells.

I can't wait for you to see what we got you this year. An awesome train table with some train sets. Hopefully hours and hours of fun.

My wish for you this next year is that you would always feel safe and loved, unafraid to try new things and that we would instill a sense of identity in each of you that is unlike any other and each your own.

Love love love you.

Mum