Meet Checkers

We have adopted a kitten called Checkers.  He is nearly 10 weeks old and he is adorable.  We were so excited about him coming to live with us and hopefully he will settle in well.

Happy Halloween

We have celebrated our second Halloween in Canada.  Gracie and Mya thoroughly enjoyed getting dressed up and going out in Seeleys Bay and Elgin.  Loads of candy and fun had by all!

The end of summer

The weather is starting to change now and all the leaves are starting to fall.  School is back and the summer holidays seem such a long time ago now.  The days are still quite warm but some evenings are starting to turn chilly.  We lit the log burner for the first time the other night and it was lovely - it felt rather Christmasy!  

  

Our second visitor - my dad - has been here for a couple of weeks and is enjoying visiting Canada and seeing the sights.  We have visited the 1000 islands several times as it is just so beautiful and only a short drive from our home.  We have been on a cruise around the 1000 islands and up the Sky Tower.  The views are amazing!   

  

We've also been back to Westport and a fantastic viewpoint - Spy Rock.  Spy Rock is amazing.  Its a granite ridge up on the mountain and the view of Westport is amazing!   

  

My dad and I are off to Niagara Falls for the weekend and we are really looking forward to it!     

  

Mick has been very busy chopping all the wood ready for winter and he has fixed our leaky sunroom roof and reshingled it.  I really am pleased I won't need to get the buckets out everytime it rains :) 

A busy July

We experienced our first Canada day on 1st July, and then our first Elgin days the following weekend.  Both were fantastic and we can't wait to do it all again next year.  

  

Our visitors have been here for just over two weeks and we've had a busy time.  We've had several picnics at the local beach.  It is a beautiful place to go and the children love it.  The temperature has been around 30 degrees Celsius plus every day so we've all be swimming in the lake and pool.  We've had a trip to Westport and a weekend in Niagara Falls - which is always breathtaking!  We also did a boat trip around the 1000 islands and it was lovely.  Here are a few photos of the fun days we've had.  

While we were at Niagara Falls the girls had wax molds done of their hands.  They are such a great souvenir to bring home and it was fascinating watching it being done.

First visitors

Mick has been decorating away and with hours to spare has managed to get the guest bedroom ready for the arrival of his parents this Saturday!

  

We've also been working away at the green swamp in the garden and have managed to turn it into the beautiful blue swimming pool that it once was.  It has been very hot some days and having the pool has been fantastic.  We've managed to bbq nearly every night and sit outside to eat, which is lovely and always makes it feel like we are on holiday.

  

School has now finished until September and the children are looking forward to a lovely long hot summer (it had better be hot now that the pool is up and running lol).  They are off to camp for a week in August and obviously the way the school buses are organized, it is no surprise that the camp buses are just as organised.  They will pick the children up at the end of the road in the morning and drop them off at the end of each day.  Gracie and Mya are very excited and I am too!  The summer holidays are long here so a week at camp will definitely be good for us all.  Both got excellent school reports (all A's and B's!) and when they go back in the fall, Gracie will be in grade 2 and Mya will be in Senior Kindergarten.  Plus we will have been here in Canada over a year.  Time is whizzing by so fast.

  

Tomorrow is the 1st of July and it is Canada day.  There are big "birthday" parties everywhere.  We are going to Seeleys Bay and we're all looking forward to our first Canada day celebration.   Happy birthday Canada! 

First cut

After much tinkering and some new parts, the lawn mower is up and running.  I wouldn't say it goes like a rocket but it does move at a good pace, and is completely different to our last petrol mower we had in England.  I tried reversing it but I thought I was probably going to hit something so I have left the job to Mick.  To everyone here this is just a way of life but for us it is another new experience!

                                                                                                                                                                             

One done....

Mick has worked really hard and got Gracie's bedroom finished.  She was speechless when she got home from school today - VERY unusual for her!

It has turned out fantastically well.

She only has one mattress on the bunks as Mick and I still don't have a bed so we are using the children's spare mattresses.  All in good time.....