June 2015

June was a gem.  Sunshine, salt air, fresh fruit etc. Summer announced it's presence and we've been taking after-dinner walks to commemorate the extra daylight.  In fact, we have been walking everywhere- to the farmers market, library, parks, restaurants and cafes. Our little town may be quaint, but we love being able to take advantage of all it has to offer at our doorstep.  

Strawberry Picking + A Recipe To Use Them

We've been reading Blueberries for Sal on repeat lately.  Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!  is the refrain of berries in a bucket that causes a shriek of giggles on each reading.  We attempted to duplicate the fun by doing our own picking and strawberry fields are plentiful in our neck of the woods.  

It was wonderful to pick and use our bounty.  With countless recipes to try, we opted for one with the greatest ease- a strawberry shortcake trifle.  The layers are pound cake, whipped cream, strawberries and an extra special layer of whipped cream that is pink due to mashing a few strawberries and adding powdered sugar.  Easy peasy and so delicious.  

One Happy Island: A trip to Aruba

That magical moment when you arrive on vacation:  

Our wonderful trip to Aruba could be summarized by the following sequence- beach. pool. drink. eat. repeat. 

Of course, we squeezed in a few of our other favorite activities such as Scuba diving, iguana feeding and sunset gawking.

   But the best part was getting to spend time together as a family.

A walk down memory lane

Last week, Mat and I took a nice walk down memory lane beach.  8 years ago, he got down on his knee on a beautiful beach in Aruba and asked me to marry him.

3 countries, 2 wedding celebrations and 1 baby later we found that same spot in the sand and took a moment to pause.  It was so much fun to revisit such a special spot!

I can't wait to share more pictures from our trip and hope to add some soon.  xx

A Trip to Washington DC

I'm a few weeks behind in posting pictures of our trip to Washington DC.  Despite the lag time, the trip still has a sweet aftertaste- literally.  We celebrated birthdays and being together in the best way possible...cupcakes! I joked that we took a cupcake tour of DC (Strawberry from Baked and Wired is my favorite and as a bonus is PN/TN free so JR could enjoy too).

The Abrams are tremendous hosts;  their beautiful new home was filled with so much energy as the cousins played together non-stop for 5 days straight. So much sweet family time!

It's always great to be back in DC, especially in May when the magnolias are blooming, the parks are beckoning and your family has so much to celebrate.

 
  
 

For more pictures from our trip, click HERE 

Lessons in Moving

Upon walking through the arrivals sliding glass doors in Pearson’s airport, I felt the air being sucked from my lungs.  This time, the experience was less acute than back in January.   Four months into it and I’m still shocked that I live in Canada.

Returning to Toronto from my first trip back to the states showed me that while most of our belongings were unpacked long ago, my emotions have remained in a box.

Less than a week later, I ended up in the ER with James Robert.  Alone with him in the waiting room for 5 hours (poor Mat was rushing back from a weekend trip) I was hit with the same physical sensation.  Gratefully, James Robert was OK.  But I was no longer able to deny how painfully I miss Charlotte.

This transition has many positive attributes.   I’ve met wonderful people whom I hope will become close friends.  I’ve connected with resources for mothers that exceeded my expectations.  And I’ve enjoyed staying home with James Robert more than words.

But moving is hard.  Heck, lets be honest, change in general is hard for me.  I miss my friends, I miss familiarity, I miss our doctors who made me feel safe and cared for, I miss my house (can I still call it that even though someone else is currently remodeling it beyond my recognition?).

Acknowledging the difficulties along with appreciating the positives of this adventure presents a more complete picture, not only to the audience reading this, but also to myself.  It’s funny that I verbalized my feelings of missing home many times without actually processing them. 

So here I am, four months into our adventure unpacking the most difficult box. Tears yes.  But this is what it’s all about. This is the part when life is embraced. This is the part where hope bubbles up. This is the part that growth accelerates.  This is the part when lessons are revealed:

-Put yourself out there. A. Lot.

-Authenticity is contagious. 

-Anonymity has value; there are hundreds of chances for first impressions and clean slates.

-Sitting in stillness provides respite from change.

-Your car, your house, your wardrobe, your job may change… so much so that you feel your identity is blurred. Comfort is internal.

-Be your own best friend (until you make some in your new home).

-FaceTime is vital for survival

I’m tucking these lessons away.  Next time I unpack boxes, perhaps the load will be a bit lighter.