Seriously, VERY anticipated, we love having Karyn on her once a year pilgrimage to visit our family. This year she drove down which always makes her arrival more of a surprise.

This year she chose to come down in August. Her timing was pretty perfect. The right week to see Trinity and Emanuel test for belt levels in Karate, to see Echo’s dance recital (solo act version), see off Ken and the boys before their first 5K run AND celebrate an early birthday for Echo. Yup, we kept her busy!

We had all sorts of fun. Karyn is one of the very few who has now met our Momo in person. They got along swimmingly.

Then in a last minute plan we went out to meet the Schwartz family at a splash park. We sent the twins and dads out to play Pokemon. It was a little on the cool side, but fun was had.

Bedtime stories were read with Aunty of course.

And Karyn and I ducked off to check out a larger quilting and yarn shop and then on the way home stop at a series of outlets where we enjoyed Five Guys.

We took our favourite walk to the Catholic Church.

And took her to our favourite beach. That was just Karyn and my supervision on that one. We managed it!

Then over to the Schwartz family’s for dinner and Mystro time.

Karyn and I snuck off a second time for a marathon shop at Mall of America. Ken has still not accepted the flowered Dr. Martins I bought at an absolute steal. Never could afford a pair as a teenager.

Friday was our early birthday fun. A trip to the zoo no less. Birthday girls’ choice. Karyn is working on becoming an amazing photographer.

Then a nice long dinner adults only after the dance recital. And the week was over.

Hugs at dawn on Saturday and a tearful good bye and the visit was over in the blink of an eye! She came bearing snacks and gifts from her previous travels but the best part was just the time we got with her. Never enough, but so very precious and well loved. Can’t wait until next year!!!

And here is the overflow of awesome!

 

Really, there almost isn’t a point in posting a stand alone June blog post after my run down of the days of crazy. June is always busy but with Ken in charge of a major project at work that kept us near home and cancelled most of our exciting and travel required plans… not so much on the spontaneous and crazy. You can read all about the crazy days HERE, and the new baby in the house HERE.

In fact, June is VERY photo heavy what with the new pet in the house. So there is an additional MOMO post to follow this one HERE.

Of course Neko-chan still got love.

We did get back on our walk to the YMCA for morning programming and swimming, etc routine. The twins are too old for club (in fact, Emanuel is on the verge of too old himself) but the other 3 are finding it entertaining. We added run club on Thursdays during the day for the oldest 2 (hopefully they will run a 5K or 2 by the end of summer) and dance Friday nights for Miss Echo.

We had multiple outings. Of course one was to the beach.

We had a fun time on a cool and windy day at a park with the Schwartz boys.

A picnic at another park by a lake with ANOTHER family of Schwartz origins.

Celebrated Father’s Day.

Lots of time spent in the front yard in the sun.

Many many walks.

A tattoo – you can read all about that HERE. As well as our busy June celebrations HERE.

We crafted.

We schooled.

We gardened.

We enjoyed life, June seems to have been a month of joy. It is nice to look back at it as the temperatures drop.

Whatever that means… Echo turned 7 in August. And summer continued to happen.

The twins did the Splash and Dash at the YMCA. This was the last year they could register and the first I had heard of it. It was just a fun thing and they did enjoy it. I think this year Ken will do a fun run with them. The other three with the rest of the clubY kids who were there were around to cheer them on.

We spent a lot of time at the YMCA in August. Lots of walking in the sunshine to do what we could do there. Zander chose to do schoolwork over club as he really does get bored. They are so quickly aging out of the program really.

Don’t forget karate!

We did try to see the total (well mostly here) solar eclipse. We went so far as to make viewing boxes… but weather conspired against us. So we went from an eclipse viewing to playing in the warm rain! Not a bad trade off!

Of course we worked on getting used to our newest member of the family. She is so fun to photograph (if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you would be well aware of this already!).

Emanuel took a week off the family and went to a camp with his friend Aidan. It was so odd to only have 4 kids!

We made as many beach trips as we could on our sunny free days. Sometimes including friends like the Schwartz boys and their mom Renee.

We went to a neighborhood community event hosted by friends we made at the YMCA who were also instrumental in getting me off my butt and into the R.I.P.P.E.D. classes!

Had school in our classroom AND in the sunroom.

We did our part and sent some of our useful items to the YMCA collection for the YMCA in Houston after the hurricanes. It was so amazing to be part of a very successful drive where the two YMCAs worked together to fulfill a requested need.

Miss Echo lost her first teeth!

And I sewed up a storm.

We visited the Pixar exhibit at the science museum with out homeschool buds.

Ken and I visited the local soda shop.

And visited with Cousin Robbie. As well as baby Karissia when we were over at the Novaks. You will remember pictures of her baby shower HERE (her mom is Sophia).

We had lovely fancy ice cream out at a place near the Novak’s as well.

Snuck in some Canadian pride time at Canada Days in Little Canada. Though it was less exciting than we expected.

It was a great month in retrospect. I love that these moments flash back into my mind as I look at the pictures. I hope you enjoy them too!