What I did on my summer vacation

As school is starting tomorrow morning across Ontario (at least for those in the English system... as on Ottawan I must be sensitive to my Francophone friends) and thus students across the province will be following a long and glorious tradition of writing a paragraph about what they all did this summer, I thought I would stand with them in solidarity and do the same. Given that I rarely posted this summer (just having too. much. fun), this clears things up in one go with a first-day-of-school-essay to start the year off right:

At the beginning of the summer, the girls took swimming lessons at Carleton and played with friends. We spent Canada Day at Pinhey's Point. We went strawberry picking at Purple Cow Strawberry Farm (definitely going back there next year).

Our first really summery outing... Pinhey's Point. It was HOT!

Emily's strawberry picking skills are improving!

The second week of the summer, the girls enjoyed Vacation Bible School at our church (actually LOVED IT more than enjoyed it... how could they not when the theme was FOOD) while I packed for our almost FOUR WEEKS at the cottage.

From mid-July until early August, we lived the high life at the cottage! Swimming! Beach play! Hiking! Ice cream! Playing with family and friends! S'mores! Fires! Games! More and more swimming! We spent a day at Uncle Steve's cottage where cousins frolicked. Omi spent a few days with us at our cottage. We hiked up the hill with her and took the annual "couch photo" and a not-often-captured family photo. We started to relish the summer produce (along with a good glass of red). Pam, Jim and kiddos joined us for our annual weekend together at the cottage. We met Aunt Beth and Kate at Santa's Village in Bracebridge where we were elves for a day. Henry discovered corn-on-the-cob.

Emily and Omi chill on the hammock at Steve's cottage on Couchiching.

A gorgeous display of everything that is great about summer. Our kitchen counter at the cottage often looked like this around dinner time.

Omi and the girls on "the couch."

And here we all are at the top! This will likely be one of the few family photos I have to choose from this year for our yearbook. Gotta get better about that!

First fire (and s'mores) of the season!

Pam, Jim and crew joined us for another great weekend which of course, had to include a trip into town for ice cream. This year we went to Kawartha Dairy. Won't be going back to Nutty Chocolatier after this. So many flavour options!

Elves for a day!

Don't get between a man and his corn!

Back to Ottawa in August for exploring the vegetable garden, hanging out with neighbourhood friends, celebrating Emily's birthday and hosting her birthday party at our house (my baby is seven!), more swimming lessons at Carleton, back-to-school shopping, a driveway painting party with neighbourhood kids....

I was so thrilled to discover this orange globe in my garden. I've never tried pumpkins before but I ended up with six of them. So excited!

And beautiful Celebration Squash, too!

For Emily's birthday she requested her usual favourite birthday food: homemade sushi. We all win!

We weren't sure what Henry would make of it... but he LOVED the sticky rice.

Emily's garden-themed birthday party meant lovely ladies lunching.

Bathing beauties.

This may become a summer tradition!

And then... back to the cottage for another week with family (all the way from Alberta) and more swimming, swimming, swimming (and canoeing!). And then closing up the cottage for the season. Boo-hoo.

Uncle Brian and "Leonard" make their way up the dock.

Goodbye until next summer, Mary Lake.

A LONG drive back to Ottawa through Algonquin Park construction and then chilling at home, getting some jobs done around here and getting our heads back into the regular-scheduled-program. And a special end-of-the-summer excursion: Saunders Farm... this also may have to become a summer tradition. The place is awesome. Especially the huge jumpy pillows. So. Much. Fun.

Jumpy pillows!

Cedar mazes!

Adorable children!

A final weekend of fun this weekend... board games, pizza, tea party, baking and canning. Packing lunches.

Tomorrow my wee Hope starts full-day senior kindergarten. Oh, that sound? That's me weeping. I'm going to miss my Hopey so much.

It'll just be me and the wee man during the day (except for those days when I keep Hope home because I can't stand having her gone any longer).

And that, in a nutshell, was our most-amazing-fantastical-summer. I loved it so much and can't wait for next year.