First time at camp

During our vacation, Peter went just up the river to Caton's Island Camp and went to his very first overnight camp all by himself. He was really looking forward to this and was so excited. The camp was a large one and so Robin volunteered to help with parking, luggage and traffic duties. Needless to say, Gaelle was along for the ride.

Josh spent many summers working on the island as a counsellor and various other positions and so Sunday found him helping to register the kids for camp. This was his last day of vacation and I think he enjoyed getting back into the camping spirit.

On Tuesday Robin and I just had to go to the island to check on Peter. We knew he would be doing great, but it was just a bit of reassurance and home. We found him doing crafts. Not much of a surprise there.

We got a picture of him waiting for lunch. Not much of a surprise there either. We thought he might not get enough to eat, but he seems to have been well fed.

Cousin Danny was also working on the island. So, when it was time to pick up Peter, Gaelle was thrilled to run into her.

Here's Peter with his counsellors, Scott and Brecken. 

One of the fun things about this camp is the fact that it is on an island. You have to take a boat there which just adds to the experience for the kids. 

We knew Peter would be exhausted and sure enough he laid down on the hammock at 6:30 and stayed asleep until 8:30 the next morning when he was still a little groggy and slow. But he had a wonderful time and is looking forward to next summer. 

Oh Beulah Land

It was once again time to take our summer vacation and head to Beulah Family Camp. I just couldn't resist a photo of the bikes. They are everywhere during family camp. It's a great way for kids to get around but they do seem to multiply.

Our first Saturday we had a bit of rain in the afternoon. So the kids came in and played some games. That's a favourite memory of Robin and myself. We loved the rainy afternoon games. 

Emily came for one weekend and Peter decided it would be good to try some origami. His bat turned out perfectly. Too bad I didn't get a picture of that, just the extreme concentration.

We had a treat when 2 of Dick's friends came for a visit. Grandma Fern was full of patience and good humour with the kids and Grandma Carol spent quite a bit of time with Gaelle creating new games. 

Robin and Papa Doan were quite the team. Robin cooked most evening meals and Papa Doan did the dishes. A win-win for everyone.

On our last day of vacation, we finally made it to the wharf for some swimming, jumping and diving. Gaelle was anxious to try it but waited until mom made it in the water. Fortunately the water was beautiful. A bit of a novelty as the St. John River can sometimes be cold.

Peter passed a huge milestone. He swam off the wharf without a life jacket. His swimming is getting much better and he is getting stronger.

I don't know how Papa Doan stays so calm and cheerful with our clan around, but he does. We all just have an amazing time with lots of laughter. 

                           

Just a snapshot of some Sunday afternoon music. 

                                      

Behind the cottage we stayed at there is a field with 2 horses. If she could see the horses, Gaelle would go out and call to them and they would often come. Of course she had a couple of carrots in her hand. The first time she tried to feed them, she dropped the carrot, but she became more brave and did a great job keeping her hand steady. So cute to see these big horses coming for her.

                                       

The weather was amazing the whole time we were at Beulah. We were able to go swimming almost every day. Gaelle loves the water and especially loves to be thrown in the air by her day. Overall, our time away was wonderful, relaxing, and just plain fun.

Red and White

Sunday afternoon we stayed in Halifax and went to the Commons to participate in some Canada Day FUN. One of the reasons we love the Commons on July 1st is because of the diversity. It's one time in our activities where Peter and Gaelle are not the only brown kids around. There are people of every shade of peach and brown. And I particularly enjoyed watching all of the brown kids with their various hair styles. They weren't all neat and tidy. Some of them were fuzzy and even free. Love it.

Some father and daughter love. Just hanging out.

There's a sprinkler and pool at the commons and of course, we never remember the bathing suits. But that's ok. It was such a hot day, the kids got soaked and easily dried off by the time we headed home.

All kinds of freebies on Canada Day. Here Emily is trying the Pepsi Challenge. She did it. Josh would be so proud. She knew which one was Pepsi because of her big brother. "Josh says Pepsi is sweeter." So that's the one she chose.

Dalhousie Summer Camps had a little booth set up. The kids could make structures out of tooth picks and gum drops. But don't eat them. 

Laser Tag was a hit with Peter. 

A dance group had a short dance instruction for the kids. Gaelle was eager to join in. I expected her to be front and centre but she managed to stay off to the side and was a bit hesitant with the moves.

We ended with some Canada Day cake. 

Graduation day

Kaylin is officially finished with high school. This chapter of her life is over and to say that she is excited to move on is an understatement. She will be studying nursing in Moncton in the fall and is thrilled to finally be pursuing her dream. I know that the next 4 years will be a challenge for her but I also am convinced that nursing will be an avenue she can use to serve others and use her God given talents. I'm so proud of her and so excited to see the next chapter of her life unfold.

Hamming it up in their graduation gowns.

Just having a little fun.

Wahoo. She is finished. And she finished strong. Recognitions and awards. So proud of her.

The complete family. I don't know how many of these photos we'll be taking over the next few years, but I'm thankful for the moments we are all together.

Sisters and friends.

5 wonderful kids. 

Kaylin requested her graduation meal at a Thai restaurant. A great ending to a wonderful day.

Things we love...

We love it when Kaylin watches the kids and bakes with them. Gaelle loves to cook anything and Peter loves to eat. It's a win win. Actually I think Peter helped frost the cookies. But we all helped eat them.

 We love recipes that have special memories. I have a few recipes that have been passed on to me from my family. This little cookbook contains some of Robin's moms most used recipes. Love.

 We love the Halifax waterfront. But the rule of thumb is to always have sweaters in the car no matter the time of year because it can be blazing hot at our house and downright chilly on the waterfront.

We love beaver tails. I don't know who came up with the idea but they are perfect. Fried dough dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar. Even better is a coupon for buy one get one free. Love. 

We love goofy statues. We have not met a statue that we don't want to have our picture taken in front of. We try to look just as goofy. Love.

Father's Day Fun

A group photo top off our Father's Day Fun. I should be able to wax eloquent about what a wonderful dad Robin is to our kids. I could never do it justice. He loves to spend time with all of his kids and is always up for a get together. He works at staying connected with all of them and that is no small feat. 

Emily spent some time going down memory lane with youtube videos of her favourite songs from her childhood movies. As you can tell, Peter and Gaelle are mesmerized. What you can't tell, is that Emily is just belting the tunes out. Good times.

Another milestone

So, how did we get to this place? High school is almost finished for yet another one. Kaylin celebrated her grade 12 prom on Saturday and at the end of the month she will graduate. Yikes. Why couldn't they just stay 5 years old? I don't actually mean that. I'm thrilled to see my kids grow and change and mature and develop opinions and interests all their own. 

Here she is with some of her closest friends from the past 4 years. Marcy, the girl in the purple dress, was her first friend when we moved here. They are so different in so many ways and yet they have managed to keep the connection of friendship alive.

Peter and Gaelle came with us and managed to ham it up for the camera. Gaelle was enthralled with it all and was not the least bit impatient.

Kaylin and her date, Jeff.

Sisters and friends. 

And finally, the proud parents.

Random shots

Our spring is so far behind so much of North America. But it is earlier than normal. Quite often we don't have lilacs until the beginning of June and this year they started the end of May. However my bush managed to be on time. It is in full bloom now. Love it.

If Snickers gets ahold of stuffed animals our house quickly becomes the killing fields. She will play with a stuffed animal for a couple of days without incident and then the holes and rips start and it's all over; in the garbage it goes. For some reason, she became owner of this stuffed animal and she has lovingly cared for it for a couple of months now. We are all amused by her and it. When we come home at the end of the day, she runs to get her "friend" as if to say, "Look, friend, my people are home.Look people, here's my friend. It's alright with my world." Tail wagging she trots around the house.

Peter loves to be active and play outside but he also loves to spend time on the computer playing games. He's such an 11 year old boy. People are always curious about how the kids are integrating into Canadian society. Make no mistake, he will always be Haitian, but he is fully 100% Canadian as well.

A Year Older

With so many different obligations throughout the week, it was great to sit down once again as a family for a birthday celebration. This time it was Robin's special moment. We are so blessed to have him in our lives as a husband, father, and friend. He really is our rock and our soft place to land. People have frequently asked me over the years what I did to deserve him. I don't know why we have it so good compared to others, but I'm so thankful. And because we want him to stick around for a while longer, this birthday was a heart healthy one. He loves all kinds of battered and fried seafood but especially scallops. I stayed clear of the grease and I found a recipe for scallops with a fruit salsa. It was easy and good. Then I came across a 5 Layer Cake recipe which I altered slightly but it was still heart healthy and low fat. The ricotta cheese layer called for 4 cups of ricotta. That seemed like a bit much to me so I cut the quantities in half. And I just toasted some almonds and walnuts for the crunchy layer. I omitted the oats and flaxseed. I liked it. The taste was good. I suppose my criticism would be that the taste was too mild. Peter gave his dad a frame just waiting for a photo of the 2 of them together. I think we'll use this one. Emily and Kaylin finished off the evening with a final corsage for one of the local proms this weekend. Emily's fund raising for Julia has gone well but she is taking some summer courses so has not had a lot of time. She still managed to pull this off and do well in her classes. We're so proud of her and all of her hard work. Overall, a wonderful day.