life lately .. challenges, family, health

Full disclaimer since my last post, I did not succeed at my internet cleanse. I didn't even make it through a day. I'm not sure what to say ... for now, I am giving it a "get out of jail free" card. Things I am doing: cutting back on Facebook. Listening to more podcasts. Working on tasks around the house. I also found a show to watch (which I found very difficult to do for this unfocussed mama).  I hope that as the weather improves, I will be spending more and more time outside, and less inside. For me, the biggest thing is mindless wandering on social media. I want and need to be more mindful and purposeful with my time. 

Speaking of time outdoors, we are taking up the March challenge of being intentional with spending time outdoors (the challenge is from The Slow Home Podcast). After recently listening to their podcast about this outdoor challenge, I just knew that this is something that we have being missing in a great way, from our lives. 
I'm not sure how, why or when I let this priority go to the bottom of the list, but I know that our bodies, minds and souls are missing the benefits of being outdoors. Perhaps it was the busyness of after school activities, or just pure laziness, it reall
I have plans to find some new hikes and trails - things can get monotonous when we do the same trail over and over again. I'm looking at ways of getting the kids outdoors - fairy houses, parks, picnics. 
If you are interested in this challenge, I highly recommend listening to the Slow Home Podcast. It really is a lovely little show- regardless of whether you want to follow the challenge or not.

y doesn't matter. The point is that I let this priority go, but I am taking the steps to get us back outdoors.

And onto another challenge, Winslow and I have made a pact to start eating clean. We looked around at all the diets out there, and there are many. Vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo .... and for us, we know what will and won't work. For years (10plus), I was vegetarian, and as much as I tried to get my protein intake-it wreaked havoc on my body and depleted me of nutrients that I know I best get from a diet with animal protein. So while I love the idea of being vegetarian for so many reasons, it just doesn't work well for me. 
I feel that for the most part, we eat well and healthy, but we do have our weaknesses, and unfortunately, we've let these weaknesses take over. For me, it's sugar sugar sugar. It's baked goods, muffins, treats. For hubby- although it's not exactly mine to share- he loves white carbs, and lot's of them. So there it is. Our weaknesses are out on the line. 
For us, clean eating is the most realistic and attainable diet out there. Instead of denying ourselves of things that we love, we are just choosing the most natural and clean version of it. I'll keep you posted on how it goes, and how I hope to get my kids off processed foods too.

Recently we made a last minute trip to Ottawa, to say farewell to Winslow's Grandmother- Lola. 
It was so important and nice for us to be there, so that we could pay our respects and honour her. Lola will always be remembered as being someone who cared deeply for her family. She was a woman of great faith, and I have no doubt, that she has moved on to a very peaceful place, with her loved ones that had gone before her. We will always miss and love you Lola. 

(Inang holding baby Katia, Lola on the right)

making memories

We just returned from a 5 day family camping trip to Cape Breton, and I am still basking in the memories of our time there. 

This trip was so much more than just a get away. It was a trip to spend time together. To see and explore a place we had never been to before. It was an adventure. An invitation to play. An opportunity to reconnect. 

For 5 days, we played, hiked, swam, built sandcastles, ate delicious food, had campfires, explored and hung out. We flew kites, told stories, read Harry Potter, played at the many Parks Canada playgrounds, had ice cream and picnics. We fished for minnows in a lake, drank coffee around the campfire, ate a simple breakfast down by the beach, drove along the beautiful Cabot Trail, took in amazing scenery, and visited little shops along the way. It was just what we needed, and I know these memories will be ones that we all hold onto for years to come. 

Cape Breton (just as everyone told me), was a beautiful place, where the views are phenomenal and the people are kind and gracious. We have plans to return to this lovely part of Nova Scotia again. It's one of those places that draws you back. 

And for anyone interested, the big hike that we did was called the Skyline Trail. It is close to the Cheticamp entrance to the park. The portion of the hike that we did was just under 7 km. It is an easy trail (flat), and the reward for the hike, is to get to the board walk stairs that take you to a point overlooking the Gulf of the St. Laurence. It's amazing. We didn't get to see any wildlife, but most people do, mayeb if we had gone early or later in the day. 

A few tips, bring snacks (some chocolate helps) for the kids and lots of water. Wear good shoes and a hat. It started off cool, but as we walked, it got hot. 

And so, I leave with just a few of the many photos that I took on our trip. It's amazing to see the life that comes to my photos when I get inspired from travelling. It was also noteworthy, that this trip, although it was still work (camping, cooking, dishwashing .... it's not exactly a break), it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. We all took our turns, helped out, worked together and just sort of let go of any big expectations. I passed a few stops that I had hoped to see, because Wes was sleeping and the kids were tired, but that's ok. We can return next time. The point of the trip was to explore, make memories and have fun. And that's exactly what we did. 

here we go!

Life lately... 

late bedtimes, soccer, bonfires, strawberry picking, trips to the beach, last days of school, reading Harry Potter (2), hikes in the woods, gardening, growing up and getting her ears pierced, growing up and graduating from Beavers, a Father's Day pizza picnic on the beach.

Time is skipping by, and already we are at the beginning of July. This next month will bring us camping at Blomidon PP, Canada Day 150 in Halifax, and a much anticipated 5 day camping trip to Cape Breton. There will be more soccer, some day camps, the summer reading program and swimming lessons too. And of course plenty of unplanned adventures, such as picnics, ice cream missions, beach days and more. 

I'm ready for summer. I'm ready to spend time with the kids, on our own agenda. I'm ready to slow things down or speed up the pace ... what ever we need. I'm ready for time outside. Coffee on the back porch. Veggies from the garden. Reading on a blanket. Movies in the backyard, and sketch book art. 

Here we go folks! Summer is here.