Life on Abram Lake
Life as a rural physician Mama in the backwoods of Northwestern Ontario
The Search for Powder
For the past three and a half years, I have been hanging onto a very specific Mom fantasy. Since Henry was born, all I have ever dreamt about was being completely alone, in a hotel room, eating room service, drinking wine and watching Netflix totally uninterrupted in my pyjamas.
For three and a half years, I have fantasized about this scenario and tonight, I am finally living the dream.
Stretched out on a giant, clean bed, I am half a bottle of wine deep and am gorging on a slice of chocolate cheesecake at the Hume Hotel in Nelson, BC. It is quiet. So, so quiet. After an afternoon at the spa, this night to myself is truly a dream come true and a perfect way to end our three-week long family vacation in Nelson.
When I checked in, they upgraded me to the ‘Rapunzel suite’, a corner room with two balconies overlooking Nelson!
When I married Blake, I knew that my life journey would inevitably end up in the mountains. The calling for fresh powder is ever-present for Blake and skiing is truly his passion and raison d’etre. Of course we love our home in Sioux Lookout, but our life in Ontario is very much a compromise. While I get to live out my dream career working with Indigenous communities providing primary maternity care, as the weeks of minus -30deg weather drag along with Blake looking out over the flat landscape, I know that his heart yearns for the mountains. Our annual trips to BC have become a necessity for Blake and a much needed reprieve from work for me.
When I married Blake, I also knew that our lives would not be completely conventional. At our wedding, we vowed to “always put our friendship first as we lead a life full of adventures”. This promise has reminded ourselves to push each other outside of our comfort zones – physically, emotionally and intellectually. I am thankful to have a partner who challenges me in many ways, and skiing with Blake in the Kootenays over the past few weeks has been no exception.
The view from the lodge at Whitewater Ski Resort
Trying to keep up with Blake
Traversing across the mountain, I try to keep Blake in sight as I gasp for breath. My legs scream out in agony. I hear nothing aside from my heart pounding as the wind roughly sweeps across the jagged landscape. Below us lies a bowl of wide-open fresh powder – pristine and untouched. Blake awaits patiently as I flail towards him. He pauses for a moment before pushing off of the traverse, gesturing for me to follow him. He skis effortlessly with graceful power through knee-deep fluff down the fall-line and without hesitation, smoothly enters a glade of spruce trees. There is nothing more attractive than watching your partner excel at something that they love and I am grateful to be able to witness this moment. At the bottom of the run, he is barely out of breath. Icicles and snow cling to his heavily bearded face but they cannot mask the joy that he exudes. With barely a moment’s rest, he pushes off to the chairlift to do it it all over again. He is completely in his element.
Thanks to a local babysitter here in Nelson, over the past few weeks, Blake and I have been so fortunate to have had a number of ski dates together at the local hill, Whitewater. I cannot recall the last time we had uninterrupted time together on the slopes. We have also had many family ski days too. Our routine in Nelson has been getting up slowly together as a family, heading to the mountain for a morning of skiing before nap time. While the kids slumber with the babysitter, the afternoons for Blake and I have been free to explore the unique and eclectic community of Nelson or to take time to ourselves to skate ski (me) or simply put in more time on the slopes (Blake).
Like most things, skiing with toddlers requires an infinite amount of patience. It also requires a colossal amount of time, energy and effort to get the kids, their gear, snacks, etc. up to the mountain. By the time we have them both geared up and onto the first run, I am usually completely out of breath, sweating and spent. With her snowsuit, boots and skiis, Alice I’m sure weighs 30-40lbs and lugging her around the mountain has been a workout in of itself! Once on the hill, each run must be rewarded with ‘power-pellets’ (aka gummy bears) and Raffi’s ‘Baby Beluga’ must be belted out on repeat to keep their interest on the slow ride up the handle-tow, but despite the effort, the reward of being outside, every day with your kids and witnessing moments of joy makes it all worthwhile.
My super-cute superheroes!
Of course we had days where the kids were just not into it and would whine, cry and lay in the snow despite our encouragement. On those days, our ski run to hot chocolate ratio was heavily in favour of the latter. but for the most part, we were able to get a few runs in each day before they melted down.
Henry, as usual, picked up exactly where he left off from last season and shredded with his Batman cape flying. He is now at the point where he can ski pretty much any terrain with Blake without many breaks. Alice and I, on the other hand, stuck mostly to the rope-tow with frequent breaks in the lodge where Alice would hangout with other kids in the play area while I drank my coffee. I wasn’t sure how Alice would do on this ski vacation, as at home, she had zero interest in skiing with Henry. Thankfully, she took to it right away and within a few days was skiing on her own with a leash and today, on our last day at Whitewater, Alice skied two laps of the Silverking chairlift independently with very few requests to ‘carry me!’. Success!
As we wrap up our time in Nelson, I am disappointed to be leaving this little slice of heaven tucked away in the Kootenays. It’s truly a magical place full of eclectic people that make this community live up to it’s reputation. Bursting with restaurants and shops, Nelson’s downtown is impossibly vibrant for it’s population size and remote location. Blake and I have been blown away by what this community has to offer – multiple independent schools, a museum and art gallery, a beautiful rec centre, innumerable coffee shops and eateries – the list seems endless. Health and wellness are very much a focus for the people here and during our time in Nelson, I’m am sure that I have only seen a handful of overweight individuals. Built on a mountain, the streets and homes seem impossibly perched on the steep slope and are connected by flights of concrete steps that force you to be in the best shape of your life! Purchasing ‘positive life-force energy’ in the shape of ‘a beam of vibration aimed at your home’ to ‘enhance the flow’ is something that you can legitimately buy in Nelson. I think that says it all!
So, farewell Nelson! I know that we will be back, the call of the mountains and the search for powder won’t keep Blake away for long 🙂
5am. Game face. Ready to start my solo trip across the country with two toddlers.
At the Sioux Lookout airport bright and early. Shout-out to Auntie Meghan for the ride!
Flight #1: Sioux Lookout – Red Lake – Winnipeg on Bearskin Airlines
Twinsie smiles!
We made it to Winnipeg! Now for breakfast.
Unfortuantely, shortly thereafter, I found out that our flight onto Kelowna had been cancelled due to weather.
Just like our journey to BC the year previous, we were stuck in Winnipeg at the airport 😦
Thankfully, we made the most of our overnight in Winnipeg and played all morning in this giant indoor playground called Kid City in Winnipeg.
Like last year, when we were weathered in Winnipeg at the airport on our way to Terrace, BC, we spent a LOT of time at this indoor playground and Tim Hortons in the Arrivals lounge!
Bath time in the hotel
Survival made possible by room service wine for Mom!
Sometimes, I just need a few minutes to myself to shower…!
Room service breakfast while watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics
Finally on our way again! At the Winnipeg Airport getting ready to board.
On flights #2 & #3: Winnipeg – Calgary – Kelowna
Of course they didn’t sleep a wink on our flights with me, but as soon as we loaded them up in Kelowna to start our 5 hour drive to Nelson, they passed out hard!
Our new digs in Nelson
Sibling love.
Breakfast with a view.
Loving life!
Ready to go!
Taking a rest on the hill, while eating gummy bears 🙂
Snacks, snacks, snacks.
Alice having a blast in the play area at the lodge
Taking a break from the slopes
Cozying up with a book.
Ada and I out for a skate ski!
Self care.
My evenings – wine, chocolate and the Olympics 🙂
Pushing these two around Nelson has whipped me into shape pretty quickly!
I think the whole community is built on a 10% grade!
At the local pool – there was a kids’ leisure pool, a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room, a lap pool, a regular pool and a SLIDE!
Coming from Sioux Lookout, we were so blown away!
Walking around Nelson with our sunnies!
A morning at the local library while Blake was in Revelstoke skiing with his buddies.
At an outdoor playdate with a local doctor Mom and her kids!
Popcorn, snuggles and the Olympics.
A quiet solo skate ski.
These two cuties.
On the chairlift with Henry. He’s so big now!
Ski fam!
Batman.
Many, many breaks…
Whitewater.
Henry got to spend the day skiing with Kasper Treadway, he was so stoked!
Kasper’s parents are both pro skiiers. They live in a trailer and ski all over BC. Henry has been watching Kasper’s YouTube videos forever and was so happy to finally meet him.
http://biglines.com/categories/heliski/kasper-treadway-3-years-old-heli-skiing/
Skiing with Kasper.
Instant buddies.
A snowy walk with Ada in Nelson.
Solo ski time!
Thanks Whitewater for a great season!
For three and a half years, I have fantasized about this scenario and tonight, I am finally living the dream.
Stretched out on a giant, clean bed, I am half a bottle of wine deep and am gorging on a slice of chocolate cheesecake at the Hume Hotel in Nelson, BC. It is quiet. So, so quiet. After an afternoon at the spa, this night to myself is truly a dream come true and a perfect way to end our three-week long family vacation in Nelson.
 |
| When I checked in, they upgraded me to the ‘Rapunzel suite’, a corner room with two balconies overlooking Nelson! |
When I married Blake, I knew that my life journey would inevitably end up in the mountains. The calling for fresh powder is ever-present for Blake and skiing is truly his passion and raison d’etre. Of course we love our home in Sioux Lookout, but our life in Ontario is very much a compromise. While I get to live out my dream career working with Indigenous communities providing primary maternity care, as the weeks of minus -30deg weather drag along with Blake looking out over the flat landscape, I know that his heart yearns for the mountains. Our annual trips to BC have become a necessity for Blake and a much needed reprieve from work for me.
When I married Blake, I also knew that our lives would not be completely conventional. At our wedding, we vowed to “always put our friendship first as we lead a life full of adventures”. This promise has reminded ourselves to push each other outside of our comfort zones – physically, emotionally and intellectually. I am thankful to have a partner who challenges me in many ways, and skiing with Blake in the Kootenays over the past few weeks has been no exception.
 |
| The view from the lodge at Whitewater Ski Resort |
 |
| Trying to keep up with Blake |
Traversing across the mountain, I try to keep Blake in sight as I gasp for breath. My legs scream out in agony. I hear nothing aside from my heart pounding as the wind roughly sweeps across the jagged landscape. Below us lies a bowl of wide-open fresh powder – pristine and untouched. Blake awaits patiently as I flail towards him. He pauses for a moment before pushing off of the traverse, gesturing for me to follow him. He skis effortlessly with graceful power through knee-deep fluff down the fall-line and without hesitation, smoothly enters a glade of spruce trees. There is nothing more attractive than watching your partner excel at something that they love and I am grateful to be able to witness this moment. At the bottom of the run, he is barely out of breath. Icicles and snow cling to his heavily bearded face but they cannot mask the joy that he exudes. With barely a moment’s rest, he pushes off to the chairlift to do it it all over again. He is completely in his element.
Thanks to a local babysitter here in Nelson, over the past few weeks, Blake and I have been so fortunate to have had a number of ski dates together at the local hill, Whitewater. I cannot recall the last time we had uninterrupted time together on the slopes. We have also had many family ski days too. Our routine in Nelson has been getting up slowly together as a family, heading to the mountain for a morning of skiing before nap time. While the kids slumber with the babysitter, the afternoons for Blake and I have been free to explore the unique and eclectic community of Nelson or to take time to ourselves to skate ski (me) or simply put in more time on the slopes (Blake).
Like most things, skiing with toddlers requires an infinite amount of patience. It also requires a colossal amount of time, energy and effort to get the kids, their gear, snacks, etc. up to the mountain. By the time we have them both geared up and onto the first run, I am usually completely out of breath, sweating and spent. With her snowsuit, boots and skiis, Alice I’m sure weighs 30-40lbs and lugging her around the mountain has been a workout in of itself! Once on the hill, each run must be rewarded with ‘power-pellets’ (aka gummy bears) and Raffi’s ‘Baby Beluga’ must be belted out on repeat to keep their interest on the slow ride up the handle-tow, but despite the effort, the reward of being outside, every day with your kids and witnessing moments of joy makes it all worthwhile.
 |
| My super-cute superheroes! |
Of course we had days where the kids were just not into it and would whine, cry and lay in the snow despite our encouragement. On those days, our ski run to hot chocolate ratio was heavily in favour of the latter. but for the most part, we were able to get a few runs in each day before they melted down.
Henry, as usual, picked up exactly where he left off from last season and shredded with his Batman cape flying. He is now at the point where he can ski pretty much any terrain with Blake without many breaks. Alice and I, on the other hand, stuck mostly to the rope-tow with frequent breaks in the lodge where Alice would hangout with other kids in the play area while I drank my coffee. I wasn’t sure how Alice would do on this ski vacation, as at home, she had zero interest in skiing with Henry. Thankfully, she took to it right away and within a few days was skiing on her own with a leash and today, on our last day at Whitewater, Alice skied two laps of the Silverking chairlift independently with very few requests to ‘carry me!’. Success!
As we wrap up our time in Nelson, I am disappointed to be leaving this little slice of heaven tucked away in the Kootenays. It’s truly a magical place full of eclectic people that make this community live up to it’s reputation. Bursting with restaurants and shops, Nelson’s downtown is impossibly vibrant for it’s population size and remote location. Blake and I have been blown away by what this community has to offer – multiple independent schools, a museum and art gallery, a beautiful rec centre, innumerable coffee shops and eateries – the list seems endless. Health and wellness are very much a focus for the people here and during our time in Nelson, I’m am sure that I have only seen a handful of overweight individuals. Built on a mountain, the streets and homes seem impossibly perched on the steep slope and are connected by flights of concrete steps that force you to be in the best shape of your life! Purchasing ‘positive life-force energy’ in the shape of ‘a beam of vibration aimed at your home’ to ‘enhance the flow’ is something that you can legitimately buy in Nelson. I think that says it all!
So, farewell Nelson! I know that we will be back, the call of the mountains and the search for powder won’t keep Blake away for long 🙂
 |
| 5am. Game face. Ready to start my solo trip across the country with two toddlers. |
 |
| At the Sioux Lookout airport bright and early. Shout-out to Auntie Meghan for the ride! |
 |
| Flight #1: Sioux Lookout – Red Lake – Winnipeg on Bearskin Airlines |
 |
| Twinsie smiles! |
 |
| We made it to Winnipeg! Now for breakfast. |
 |
| Unfortuantely, shortly thereafter, I found out that our flight onto Kelowna had been cancelled due to weather. Just like our journey to BC the year previous, we were stuck in Winnipeg at the airport 😦 |
 |
| Thankfully, we made the most of our overnight in Winnipeg and played all morning in this giant indoor playground called Kid City in Winnipeg. |
 |
| Like last year, when we were weathered in Winnipeg at the airport on our way to Terrace, BC, we spent a LOT of time at this indoor playground and Tim Hortons in the Arrivals lounge! |
 |
| Bath time in the hotel |
 |
| Survival made possible by room service wine for Mom! |
 |
| Sometimes, I just need a few minutes to myself to shower…! |
 |
| Room service breakfast while watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics |
 |
| Finally on our way again! At the Winnipeg Airport getting ready to board. |
 |
| On flights #2 & #3: Winnipeg – Calgary – Kelowna |
 |
| Of course they didn’t sleep a wink on our flights with me, but as soon as we loaded them up in Kelowna to start our 5 hour drive to Nelson, they passed out hard! |
 |
| Our new digs in Nelson |
 |
| Sibling love. |
 |
| Breakfast with a view. |
 |
| Loving life! |
 |
| Ready to go! |
 |
| Taking a rest on the hill, while eating gummy bears 🙂 |
 |
| Snacks, snacks, snacks. |
 |
| Alice having a blast in the play area at the lodge |
 |
| Taking a break from the slopes |
 |
| Cozying up with a book. |
 |
| Ada and I out for a skate ski! |
 |
| Self care. |
 |
| My evenings – wine, chocolate and the Olympics 🙂 |
 |
| Pushing these two around Nelson has whipped me into shape pretty quickly! I think the whole community is built on a 10% grade! |
 |
| At the local pool – there was a kids’ leisure pool, a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room, a lap pool, a regular pool and a SLIDE! Coming from Sioux Lookout, we were so blown away! |
 |
| Walking around Nelson with our sunnies! |
 |
| A morning at the local library while Blake was in Revelstoke skiing with his buddies. |
 |
| At an outdoor playdate with a local doctor Mom and her kids! |
 |
| Popcorn, snuggles and the Olympics. |
 |
| A quiet solo skate ski. |
 |
| These two cuties. |
 |
| On the chairlift with Henry. He’s so big now! |
 |
| Ski fam! |
 |
| Batman. |
 |
| Many, many breaks… |
 |
| Whitewater. |
 |
| Henry got to spend the day skiing with Kasper Treadway, he was so stoked! Kasper’s parents are both pro skiiers. They live in a trailer and ski all over BC. Henry has been watching Kasper’s YouTube videos forever and was so happy to finally meet him. http://biglines.com/categories/heliski/kasper-treadway-3-years-old-heli-skiing/ |
 |
| Skiing with Kasper. |
 |
| Instant buddies. |
 |
| A snowy walk with Ada in Nelson. |
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| Solo ski time! |
 |
| Thanks Whitewater for a great season! |
Life with Toddlers
Life with toddlers is rough.
“Stop hitting your sister. Eat your dinner. Stop banging your fork. Don’t spill your milk. Don’t throw your spoon. Eat your dinner. EAT YOUR DINNER!”
Every night it seems, I feel the anger and irritability high in my throat. I breathe deeply and force my face to relax, but the frustration grips my heart. I feel worn down, tired, near tears. It strikes me how I can keep calm in the face of a resuscitation in the ER or the most difficult shoulder dystocia, but battling the daily grind with two toddlers can set me over the edge in seconds.
These days, all I wish for is patience. Patience to not lose my sh*t when Alice won’t eat the dinner that I spent hours making, or when Henry refuses to listen, or when I can’t even hear my own thoughts over the dog barking and the kids screaming. The demands are endless and are often in rapid-fire sequence. “Mom, open this!”, “Mom, read me this book!”, “Mom, help me get Rocky out of his pup-pack!”.
I can’t even tell you often I say, “Just a minute!” in day. These days, it seems to be my never-ending mantra.
Despite my best efforts, I have to say, I have been losing it a lot lately. It makes me feel so relieved to even put those words out there.
I lose my sh*t, and I do it on the regular.
Each day, like the last, I lose my cool, then after kids are in bed, I feel endlessly guilty about losing it while vowing to keep it together the next day. And so the cycle repeats.
Man, life with toddlers is no picnic.
Gone are the sleepless nights of endless breastfeeding sessions, the frustrations of getting a newborn to nap and the shock at looking at your post-partum body in the mirror and realizing that the reflection actually belongs to YOU.
In many ways, our lives have gotten so much easier. We are now down to one crib and one highchair when we travel. I am back at the gym and almost feel back to my pre-baby strength and sense of self. Blake and I can easily leave the kids with a babysitter to enjoy a night out, and Henry and Alice now even play together and can keep themselves occupied for minutes at a time. Progress, my friends, real progress!
But man alive, the toddler years are really sprouting those grey hairs that I keep discovering.
Perhaps I am feeling things more acutely having recently survived a two week-stint of solo-parenting while working, but gosh, having a two-year old and a three-year old in the throws of their cognitive development is ROUGH!
The meltdowns! The illogical hilarity of it all! The insane demands and the spur of the moment, unpredictable crashes. If the teen years are going to be worse, I think I just might throw in the towel now.
So, as I pray daily for patience and loads of it, I also pray that my kids will develop resilience, and know that I love them deeply regardless of my own shortcomings.
Here are a few pictures of our cold, wintery months in Sioux Lookout!
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| Watching the sunset over Abram Lake! |
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| So lucky to live where we do |
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| A beautiful find at one of our local craft markets |
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| Bundled up to get out and play! |
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| Snow day 🙂 |
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| So much snow! |
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| So proud of Henry. He loves to ski so much that he will ski down the hill, take off his skis then walk back up to do it all over again. |
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| Alice happy to hang out with her fleece-lined sled |
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| Out for a walk on the ice just in front of our house |
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| Skating on Abram Lake |
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| Sorry Alice, the slide is no longer in use 🙂 |
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| Watching the snowfall |
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| Getting ready to go skiing |
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| Helping Mom make gingerbread cookies |
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| Henry ‘helped’ for 2 minutes, then spent the rest of the time making a GIANT mess lol |
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| Our gingerbread decorations! |
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| Heading down to Southern Ontario solo. And yes, of course I would like some wine en route! Without any toddlers on my lap, I was actually able to have a drink 🙂 |
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| Snuggles with Leah, Rosie, Luc and Dad in my childhood home in Muskoka |
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| Luc 🙂 |
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| Leah’s puppies happy in the snow |
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| Out for a snowy walk to pick out a Christmas Tree for the Guelph crew |
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| Home! |
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| Across the field we go to find a tree! |
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| Luc, Rosie, Leah & Carrie |
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| Back home with Alice enjoying some cold, pre-dinner playtime outside |
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| Henry, buried deep in the snow |
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| Alice, as usual, crying because she refuses to wear mittens and of course her hands are freezing! |
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| Beauty sunset |
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| A rare quiet moment at home by myself |
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| The season’s first ski! |
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| Blythe, our favourite babysitter came back from university for the Holidays – the kids were SO excited! |
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| Blake was away for work and I was doing something, while Henry was supposed to be napping. After about an hour, I went to see what he was up to… This was what his room looked like! He had totally trashed it hahah! Serves me right 🙂 |
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| Henry & Alice at the Hub! |
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| Henry asked me to take him to Red Apple to buy him a specific blue motorcycle which he then wrapped and put under the tree for himself to wait two more weeks for Christmas hahah |
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| Drs. Bollinger & Gerber-Finn & I at our hospital Christmas Party 🙂 |
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| Alice’s Christmas Choir concert! How cute are these littles!? |
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| With her bestie, Rilynne. |
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| I just love it when the kids read to themselves 🙂 It makes the nerd in me so happy |
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| On a cold walk over to Uncle Johnny & Auntie Meghan’s house for Saturday morning coffee |
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| I can’t tell you HOW many pairs of mittens I have bought for Alice this winter. She hated all of them and REFUSED to wear mittens which was really impacting our ability to get outside. My last resort were they gorgeous (and expensive) lambskin mittens. Thankfully with a lot of help and coaching from Andrea (Alice’s daycare teacher), Alice finally put them on! |
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| A bright sunny, cold day to take the pups for a walk |
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| Alice and I watching Henry ski |
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| Away he goes! |
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| A beautiful sunset! |
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| “3, 2, 1 dropping!” |
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| I worked for seven consecutive days and nights of obstetrics call over the holidays. Thankfully, I get to work with my best friends which makes all the difference. Here were are on Christmas Eve catching babies! |
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| Coming home from work in the wee hours of the morning on Christmas Eve to this gorgeous tree |
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| Good morning Henry! Early Christmas Day snuggles. |
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| Alice opening presents |
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| Thankfully, the babies gave me a break and we were able to have a family Christmas morning before I had to go back to the hospital. |
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| Finally able to play with that blue motorcycle 🙂 |
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| Uncle Johnny went all out this Christmas and truly spoiled our kids! Without him, our Christmas morning definitely wouldn’t’ have been as festive. We’re so lucky to have him with us in Sioux Lookout! |
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| Stealing gingerbread cookies from the Christmas tree! |
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| Family photo! |
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| Playing with Henry’s amazing Playmobil gondola from Uncle Johnny |
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| Reading with Mom |
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| Alice is SUCH a goof these days! |
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| Climbing the wall in her tutu (which she chose herself) |
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| Bathtime craziness |
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| Thanks for the ski helmet Uncle Darren! |
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| Reading with her favourite Uncle Johnny |
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| After finally getting off call over Christmas, The kids and I were on our way to Thunder Bay to meet up with Blake and catch a flight to Southern Ontario. Unfortunately, due to the conditions, we hit black ice, lost control and ended up on the guard rail. Thankfully, we were all fine (I was hysterical, while Henry was just concerned that his Paw Patrol show was stopped). We spent the rest of the day in the back of an OPP cruiser while sorting out getting our car towed to the nearest community about 30min away. |
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| Alice and Henry were SO good considering the circumstance. We were incredibly thankful for the OPP officer who kept us safe and warm on a minus -35deg C day. |
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| Henry, Alice and I then spent 3 hours in the Ignace Subway restaurant waiting for Blake to come get us from Thunder Bay. What a day! We missed our flight (obviously) and had to spend the night in a hotel, catching a flight in the evening the next day. |
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| Finally safely arrived in Kingston for some Christmas festivities with Blake’s extended family |
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| Thanks Nana & Poppa for spoiling us! |
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| Bath time in Nana’s luxurious bathtub with cousin Ava |
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| Ava and Henry having a nap together! |
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| Alice in her Christmas outfit from Nana & Poppa |
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| The holidays are for snuggles and naps |
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| Henry and Dad-Dad skiing at Batawa Ski Hill |
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| Of course, Alice would NOT wear her mittens so while the others skied, Alice and I hung out in the chalet 🙂 |
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| My attempt to get Alice onto skis which lasted all of 2 minutes! |
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| Dining together at Nana’s kids’ tables |
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| Hanging out with Uncle Darren |
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| Visiting Great Nana at her posh new assisted living home in Dundas! |
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| Playing with Noah’s Ark – a beloved toy that has been used for three generations of my Dad’s family. |
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| Alice wasn’t feeling the best and had a nap on Nana’s bed 🙂 |
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| Henry and Alice with my Nana |
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| Henry and Grandma at the Royal Botanical Garden’s train exhibit |
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| Heading home – flying from Toronto back to Thunder Bay for a long car-ride home to Sioux Lookout |
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| Two exhausted kiddos lounging the next morning after a long travel day |
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| Alice insists on doing EVERYTHING herself (“Do it!” she says) which means getting dressed takes a loooonnnnnngggggg time 🙂 |
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| Henry doing a puzzle all by himself! |
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| A playdate with Rilynne |
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| Three happy toddlers colouring |
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| Acting out Raffi’s banana phone |
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| Alice, what a character! |
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| Auntie – what would I do without you!? |
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| Unfortunately, because I had crashed the car, Blake had to head out to Calgary to buy us a new car which meant I was alone with the kiddos for a number of days. This was my biggest accomplishment while solo-parenting – getting both kids outside in minus 30 weather so that Henry could ski! |
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| Henry’s turn to have a rest in the sled! |
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| Cutie! |
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| Alice, Ada and I going for a walk in the Chariot |
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| Henry at Tot-skate at the local arena |
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| After Blake’s trip out to Alberta, Blake was due out West again for his annual solo ski vacation. Since it was minus 30 every day for two weeks, we had to get creative to keep everyone happy and from keeping me from going INSANE! Here we are at the only pool in Sioux Lookout, at the Best Western Hotel! |
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| Of course, the majority of the time they are trying to kill each other, but it is such a joy to see them grow and love each other. Here they are insisting on sitting together on the same stool to eat breakfast. |
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| The cutest! Henry and Alice cuddling up while reading on the couch. |
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| Swimming with Lianne and her three kiddos! |
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| Sledding and playing in the snow before dinner with Brooks, Hunter and Sailor. |
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| Wine is necessary when you’re solo-parenting these two! |
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| Bath time shenanigans! |
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| So fun to watch them play together these days! |
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| Best buds! |
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| Being goofy with our hair-dos! |
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| Sledding before dinner while Alice plays in the house 🙂 |
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| Alice’s first skate on the ice at Pelican Lake at the Lake Street Winter Festival |
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| Eating smokies by the fire! How can it get better than this!? |
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| A huge thank you to Stu & Brodie for making and maintaining this rink for all of us to use! |
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| Alice, Natalie & Henry hanging out by the fire. |
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| Cookie time! |
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| Henry getting a ride from Jesse on the kicksled |
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| Stu taking all of the babies for a ride 🙂 |
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| Smokies! |
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| ‘Ice fishing’ |
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| Yum! |
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| Happy Winter! |
Those Autumn Afternoons
So, as usual, I’m about a season behind in the blog! With -35+ temperatures at home (without the windchill!) as our new normal, I sure am missing those sunny fall days. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much a of Fall this year, as by Halloween, we were burried in a foot of snow already. It had taken us all by surprise and we hadn’t even cleaned up the leaves, nor pulled out the boat by the time the snow fell. Not only did the snow come early, but it stayed for good as we fast-tracked into 8 months of winter in Sioux Lookout. I think it was a first for me to help Blake take out the boat in our snow gear on an iced boat ramp! Hopefully we’ll be better prepared for next year 🙂
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| Fall days at our beach – you’ll see behind Alice that our sailboat is sinking. Not an uncommon scenario. It almost always happens when Blake is away in Thunder Bay! Maybe it’s time for a fiberglass sailboat instead of a leaking wooden one from the 1960s?! |
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| A rare day off at the library with Alice! |
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| The only maple tree on our property. |
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| Happy Fall Ada! |
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| A cucumber snack straight from our garden . |
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| A weekend adventure to ‘Johnny’s Trails’ at Cedar Bay to visit John and the crew building trail. |
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| Tireless energy from these guys to develop a huge trail network for fatbiking and mountain biking in our community. |
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| This. What I love about September the most! |
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| A neighbourhood car race for the kiddos! |
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| The beauty of living at a dead-end road in a rural place. |
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| Thanks to my colleague Michelle who gifted us these beautiful eggs! Henry and Alice eat 4-5 eggs together each day, so we are grateful when we can get our hands on some fresh ones. |
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| Bedtime, pensive snuggles with Auntie. We are so luck to have her nearby! |
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| I snapped this as I walked in the door late from work. The kids were in their jammies reading their bedtime stories with Dad-Dad. I am so lucky to have an amazing partner to pick up the slack at home when I’m at work. |
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| Hahah – #MomLife |
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| Getting home from an overnight ER shift. It’s awesome because I get a full day with the kids, put them to bed, then go to work while they sleep. They’re up as I get home and are none the wiser! |
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| A sleepyhead Alice. |
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| Taking Sailor’s babies for a walk. |
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| Evening dip. |
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| Bathroom selfies 🙂 |
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| Finally enough hair for a ponytail! |
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| A Fall season wouldn’t be complete without puddle jumping in our MEC rainsuits! |
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| Trampolining in our front yard. |
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| Rubber boots and garden carrots. |
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| Sunny September strolls. |
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| At the Hub. |
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| Making a ‘parking lot’. He’s particular that one, just like his Dad 🙂 |
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| Ada?! Hahahah |
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| When Henry is up early and I’m trying to get ready for work… sometimes a little YouTube mountain biking/skiing is necessary |
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| Bedtime reading. Every night. |
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| One of our last bike rides to the local park for the summer/fall. We are so lucky that our town received funding for a new playground this year. It has brought joy to so many families in our community. |
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| Henry and Blake on the climber. |
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| After biking to the playground, we of course must bike to the Pelican Shop to have some lunch! |
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| Biking to the Pelican Shop. It’s amazing how far Henry can bike (without training wheels) all on his own. It’s about 3km from our house to the Pelican Shop and he did it without any trouble. He also biked all the way to daycare with Dad one morning, a distance of 4.3km. I was so impressed. |
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| Henry and Dad biking, Alice reading in the Chariot. |
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| Stopping to read a book. |
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| Saturdays with Uncle Johnny |
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| In the treefort with Auntie Meghan |
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| Road hockey with the neighbours! |
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| All dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner at our place. |
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| Finally a picture where they are both looking! |
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| Snuggles with Uncle Johnny. |
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| We hosted our friends for Thanksgiving. We tried to set the kids up with Paw Patrol so that we could eat, unfortunately, Alice wouldn’t have much to do with it 🙂 Ah well, it was worth a shot! |
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| Thanksgiving crew! |
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| A typical toddler scenario 🙂 |
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| A night out at the Legion to watch Uncle Johnny’s band play |
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| Taking the kids skating for the first time. We had the ice all to ourselves! |
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| Ahhh. Those early morning views. It never gets old and I am blessed every day to enjoy them in silence and solitude. |
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| A chilly afternoon climb in the tree fort. |
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| Giving Sailor a lift |
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| Toddler adventuring |
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| Besties. |
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| Lining up his crew for the school bus. |
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| Reading on her own with her bottle. |
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| Trying to keep up with her brother! |
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| Catching butterflies. |
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| Harvesting the last of the carrots in the garden. |
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| A picnic lunch. |
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| Alice – finally showing some interest in biking! |
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| At playgroup with Alice & Henry (in the background) |
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| At home going down the slide to our beach. |
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| Hanging onto those beach days. |
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| Mornings! |
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| Henry getting his haircut |
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| My beautiful boy. |
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| Getting ready for bed. |
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| Reading to his sister. |
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| At KinderGym! |
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| Solo-parenting & grocery shopping with two toddlers! |
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| Saying hi to the neighbourhood scarecrows |
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| Our neighbours are the BEST! They have the most amazing seasonal blow-up displays that endlessly entertain our kids 🙂 |
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| Picking Alice up from daycare |
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| An early morning with Henry. YouTube mountain biking for him, coffee & a book for me. |
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| Our first snowfall brought a TON of snow. Here were are back at it for the ski season. Alice has gear, but prefers to read in her Chariot instead. |
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| Not keen on putting her ski stuff on just yet! |
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| Off he goes! |
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| That smile! He loves skiing SO MUCH! |
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| Watching ski movies with Dad. |
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| They definitely test my patience, but boy are they cute 🙂 |
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| Alice & Ada in the car 🙂 |
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| A rare photo of Alice in her ski gear. She usually lasts for about 5 seconds… hahah |
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| She enjoys the sled better. |
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| For Henry’s birthday, Blake built him an indoor bike park in our garage so that he can bike year-round! |
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| Henry’s 2! |
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| Zucchini chocolate cake as requested by Henry. |
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| We blew up 30 balloons and made a balloon pit that the kids could slide into 🙂 |
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| All the kiddos trying out Henry’s climbing wall. |
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| The cutest belly in the world 🙂 . |
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| Birthday party chaos! |
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| Hahah, nice moustache Henry! |
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| Simon on the ‘swing’ |
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| Putting all his friends to bed after the birthday party shennanigans |
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| Nap time! |
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| Halloween! Unfortunately, Princess Lei, Chewbaka and Luke Skywalker couldn’t get out to go trick or treating due to the cold and snow. Hopefully next year! |
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| We didn’t even get to carve our pumpkins because they froze to the deck before Halloween! |
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| Reading together. |
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| Bedtime snuggles with Dad. |
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| This is how much Alice loves to be outside skiing! |
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| Life is only better with icicles. |
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| Night skiing!! |
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| Apres-dinner skiing. |
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| Jumps! |
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| Eating snow. |
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| We had a huge dump of snow so Blake piled it up high so Henry could have a ramp to increase his speed down the hill!! |
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| These cuties enjoying snowy mornings together! |
Kitesurfing in Cabarete: Our Dominican Getaway
Life with two toddlers is… well, pretty crazy. With Alice approaching two years old, I feel she has already precociously entered the ‘terrible twos’, while Henry can be most definitely classified as a ‘threenager’. In the throws of Alice and Henry’s cognitive development, our household is at the centre of constant meltdowns, defiant food refusal, sweaty snowsuit wrestling matches (why, oh why is it so darn hard to get those squirmy alligators into their winter gear!!) and downright, utter resistance at almost every step of the way throughout the day.
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| They can be so deceivingly sweet sometimes…! |
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| Reading together |
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| Henry reading to Alice |
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| SO MANY STUFFIES! |
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| Grocery shopping with these two monkeys! One in the cart, the other on my back 🙂 |
My dear friend Meghan most eloquently summed up these challenges by simply stating, “Toddlers are a$$holes!” after watching me struggle to feed Alice dinner, all the while dodging thrown forks, cucumbers and noodles. Of course this is all part in parcel of the normal and glorious adventures in parenting little humans, but man is it ever exhausting some days.
Just over a year ago now, we ventured to sunny Costa Rica in pursuit of wind, rest and relaxation. As a family, in accompaniment with our beloved babysitter, Blythe, we spent a blissful stint down south learning how to kitesurf. We came back to Canada hooked on the sport and eager to continue our yearly kitesurfing vacations.
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| What a difference a year makes! |
As we planned our next Vitamin D-filled respite from the relentlessly long northwestern Ontario winters, one obvious conundrum presented itself. With Blythe having moved onto university, the void she had left remained unfilled. Could it be possible to travel with two little ones under 3 and still have the time to kitesurf together? Feeling brave, we decided to give it a go.
All I can say in retrospect is, boy did we miss you Blythe!
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| Blythe & Henry in Costa Rica |
Of course, we can’t complain as we so very fortunately were able to spend ten days in the town of Cabarete, a well-known kitesurfing destination. Our resort was located just steps from the kitesurfing action on the beach with promises of daily kiting lessons while the kids napped with a local babysitter. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t quite cooperate and we had daily rain and cloud, calm waters and not a lick of wind. Poor us! We had to sit on the beach every afternoon with drinks in hand waiting for the wind! I know, I know. Your sympathies are accepted.
While waiting for the kiting conditions improve, we spent almost every morning at the pool or on the beach with the kids. They were happy to simply splash around in the kiddie pool. We ventured off resort a few times to check out Cabarete, to go to a monkey sanctuary and to go scubadiving (my first crack at this sport – it was shockingly very panic-inducing!). Every afternoon, our babysitter, Iris would come to give Blake and I a chance to hopefully kitesurf. We’d put the kids down for naps then head to the beach to wait for the wind. We did get out one afternoon which was amazing and was definitely better than being totally skunked.
As we stayed at a (very budget) all-inclusive resort for simplicity sake with the kids, we ate most of our meals together as a family there, yet Blake and I managed to get away after putting the kids to bed to gorge on seafood during candlelit dinners on the beach. So romantic! 🙂
All in all, we had a fantastic vacation with lots of quality family time together. The toddler drama definitely continued, but at least we were fighting the good fight beneath palm trees in our bathing suits!
Next year, we’ll be putting a call out to potential babysitter recruits – so if you’re an interested candidate, we’ll keep you posted 🙂
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| In the car, all ready for the trip to Thunder Bay where we overnighted before our flight to the DR |
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| Henry snuggled in with his fleeces |
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| Alice chillin’ |
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| At the hotel in Thunder Bay. Here, Alice, like usual, is tormenting Henry by banging his head with the hotel lotion. Thankfully, Henry is generally very tolerant of this behaviour! |
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| Bedtime shenanigans! |
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| Early morning flight out of Thunder Bay |
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| En route to Toronto, then onto the DR |
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| Happy still! Alice, as always, didn’t sleep a wink! She was up from 5am until about 7:30pm! |
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| Arriving in the DR. It was HOT! |
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| At the airport, waiting for our ride to the resort |
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| Excited to get into the pool, despite the rain |
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| Swimming in the rain! |
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| Swimming fun! |
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| On the beach! |
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| The kids chilling out |
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| More rain! At least it’s still warm and we don’t have to worry about getting a burn! |
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| Morning coffee on the beach |
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| Breakfast! |
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| A refreshing coconut for an afternoon treat |
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| Back at the pool |
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| Post-nap chill-out |
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| Alice! Hahah, they were being crazy and jumping off these rocks while we were waiting for dinner |
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| Every night, we would bribe Henry with the plethora of cakes so that he would eat his dinner 🙂 |
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| We tried to take a picture every night, this one was my favourite as Henry’s stuffed otter is photobombing 🙂 |
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| Ahhh, quiet mornings! |
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| Henry told me in this picture that he was ‘just relaxing’ |
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| Alice’s newfound love for bananas |
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| More afternoon rain swimming |
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| We went on a little trip to a near-by monkey sanctuary one morning |
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| At first, Henry wasn’t too keen about the monkeys that would come out of nowhere and jump on your head! |
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| But he soon was ok with it! |
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Alice, on the other hand, was NOT ok with the monkeys!
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| Such cuties! |
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| Family photos w/ the monkeys |
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| One afternoon while the kids napped, Blake and I went scuba diving together. Blake is an experienced diver, but hadn’t been in quite some time. It was my first time, and I was surprised at how clausterphobic I felt. It was still a pretty neat experience and a chance to see some coral reefs. |
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| Playing on the beach |
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| Back at the pool! |
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| Blake playing volleyball with some new buddies |
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| Alice loving her banana smoothie |
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| Happy face 🙂 |
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| The kids endlessly playing in the kiddie pool. Made life easy for us! |
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| Hanging out on the beach while the kids sleep with the babysitter |
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| Alice on the run! |
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| At breakfast while the boys still snooze |
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| This was at a nearby coffeeshop which was a refuge from the rain! |
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| Thankfully, they had lots of toys for the kids |
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| Alice and I soaking up the sun |
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| Family photo! |
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| Poor Henry had an upset tummy one morning, so he spent the morning |
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| An evening on the beach before bed |
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| Blake and I escaping the resort for a evening dinner on the beach in Cabarete |
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| Blake was pretty excited for the banana flambe. Can’t you tell by his excited face? 🙂 |
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| Alice painting at the kids club |
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| Alice was really gaining confidence with the water |
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| Hanging out on the beach waiting for the wind |
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| Finally, a little bit of kitesurfing action. Unfortunately, not enough wind for us to get out, but enough for these foil boards and kites to ride |
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| Hanging out at the kitesurfing school waiting for the wind to pick up |
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| Our last night out in Cabarete! We went all out and drank quite a bit of pina colada! I think we ended up at at least 3 bars…! |
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| Our last morning at the resort |
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| Alice is pretty happy in the kiddie pool |
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| Alice jumping to Blake! |
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| Mid-morning smoothie break! |
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| All packed up and ready to go back to the airport to go home! |
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| At the airport in Puerto Plata |
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| Our flight home was late in the afternoon and was basically empty. Alice and I had a whole row to ourselves but unfortunately, she was full of beans as usual and was climbing all over the place. She didn’t sleep at all despite my best efforts as well as a good dose of Gravol. She was pretty tired out by the time we landed in Thunder Bay close to midnight. |
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| At our layover in Toronto at dinnertime. I can’t tell you how many people stopped to ask us if they were twins on this trip. I guess I can see it a little bit here, but they are so so different developmentally that it’s hard for me to think they could possibly be considered as twins! |
My Sweet Boy
My sweet boy, where has the time gone?
Did it slip away when my back was turned?
No longer do you need me to hold you at night,
rocking you to sleep in my housecoat and cold feet.
No longer do I struggle with that loathed breastpump,
desperate to ease my Working Mom Guilt.
No longer do you scream when I leave for work,
frantic for me to stay.
My sweet boy, where has the time gone?
Did it slip away while I was endlessly at work?
Look at you now, full of chatter and ideas,
telling me stories about your day.
Look at you now, independent and fearless,
wanting to do everything “BY MYSELF!”
Look at you now, strong and filled with delight,
forever relishing in the ability to move at a racing pace.
My sweet boy, where has the time gone?
The tears fall for my you, my baby boy,
replaced by the joy in whom you have become.
Paddle Me to Your Heart
“You have probably noticed that the canoe is a central motif for Celia and
Blake, and I think for good reason. Although you often hear the advice to
“paddle your own canoe”, or “Paddle solo, sleep tandem”; perhaps Celia
and Blake already understand that paddling a canoe together is an
evocative metaphor for marriage.”
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| Lake Joseph, September 29th, 2012 |
When Blake and I got married on a rainy day in September 2012, my mom’s speech was one of the greatest gifts that we received. She spoke eloquently about the parallels between paddling smoothly together and our soon-to-be journey as a married couple, words that I will share throughout this blog as they are so fitting to my relationship with Blake.
“If you have ever tried to paddle a two-person canoe, you know how
challenging it is. When done correctly, it can look easy, but it takes practice
and excellent teamwork. Do not expect to master the art of paddling your
first trip out; this is just one of those activities that takes a bit of time to fully
understand.”
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| Lake Joseph, September 29th, 2012 |
Re-reading these words now, I cannot express how deeply they ring true. Blake and I recently celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary by heading out into the wilderness of Quetico Provincial Park for a week-long, kid-free canoe trip. A chance to reconnect, to remember why we fell in love in the first place and to simply be with each other – no distractions. The differences between our first canoe trip together and most our recent paddling adventure are striking. Indeed, it has been a journey that has taken time and an incredible amount of work, patience, and understanding.
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| Quetico, May 2010 |
Of course, as in life, our first canoe trip as a couple didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Back in the spring of 2010, just a few months after we had gotten together, Blake and I had decided to head out to Quetico Provincial Park for a long weekend of wilderness paddling. We were living in Thunder Bay at the time – Blake studying Engineering at Lakehead University, and I in medical school at NOSM. We were new in our relationship, still in the ‘over the moon’ phase, with lots to learn about each other.
I had grown up with a paddle in hand and had had much experience leading canoe trips from numerous summers as a tripper at Camp Hollyburn. I was used to organizing, packing, navigating and leading trips and, well, generally being bossy. This worked just fine with 14-year old kids from Toronto, but tripping with Blake, an also stubborn bossy pants himself, was a different ball of wax.
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| Leading a canoe trip circa 2000 |
From the get-go, we argued. We fought over who would stern (i.e. control the direction of the canoe), who would navigate and be in charge of the map, who would cook, who would set up the tent, etc. etc. Looking back now, the real problem was that I wanted to do ALL of these things all on my own. I was so used to being completely independent and I didn’t want Blake to mess up my perfectly packed food barrel or set up my tent incorrectly. In short, I was having a little trouble letting go.
At one point early on in our trip, we reached a point where we literally had to pull off to the shore to fight over where we were going and who was reading the map. I remember this so vividly because during this fight, Blake threw the map in the water (which is not a great idea when you’re literally in the middle of a massive wilderness park) and I had to jump to rescue it.
Needless to say, that first canoe trip was a huge learning experience for both of us.
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| Quetico with our beloved dog, Stella, May 2010 |
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| Quetico, 2010 |
“First off, both paddlers must agree on their destination and their route
before beginning their journey. They should know each other’s attributes
and skills in order to plan for the perfect ratio of challenge and pleasure.
Second, the canoeing partners must balance each other, and must work
together. Each has a particular role – each is equally important.
If the two paddlers intend to canoe long distances, both paddlers should
become skilled in the stern and the bow so they can spell each other off
when fatigue, injury or just plain boredom requires a switch. Likewise in
marriage – partners need to be flexible in their roles.
To move forward, the paddlers stroke with their paddles on opposite sides
of the canoe at the same time. Opposites provide balance. Synchronicity
provides momentum. So too in marriage.
When the canoe seems to turn off course, turning one way or the other, the
paddlers needs to adjust their technique and force to match each other’s
strength. One paddler should not overwhelm the other. Canoeing together,
like living together harmoniously, is collaboration, not a powerplay.”
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| Wabakimi Provincial Park, August 2010 |
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| Wabakimi Provincial Park, August 2010 |
I hope I’m not alone in saying this, but being married is hard, hard work. I personally have struggled with balance and allowing myself to let go of the reins. We have also struggled greatly in finding our individual identities and roles within the complex nature of a relationship.
Although a deep love threads through the challenging times, there have been many instances, I have to admit, when Blake and I have fallen into ‘co-existing mode’. We exist together, but on a minimally functional level, conversing only when necessary, spending time in the same space only when the kids are around. Co-parenting at the most basic level. We hide behind closed doors, laptops and work, with little energy devoted to making our relationship thrive. We’ve fallen into these patterns in the past so easily, especially over the last two years. With two little ones, crazy work schedules and minimal time to spare, it seems that sometimes, the most important things are always the first to become lost.
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| The sunny, June afternoon in 2011 when Blake proposed by gifting me my gorgeous cedar canoe. He had painstakingly built it over the course of his 4th year of Engineering and had planned out an elaborate post-call day paddle day for me. I had no idea. I was so shocked, of course I couldn’t say no! |
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| “Paddle me to your heart” |
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| Hazelwood Lake, Thunder Bay, June 2011 |
“Of course you will encounter difficulties. There will be occasions where the
backstroke is required to slow or stop the canoe to avoid danger.
If the wind comes up, what do you do? Keep paddling- strong and together.
The waves get higher. What do you do? Face the challenge. Turn into the
waves and keep paddling. Use the smooth, co-ordinated paddle strokes
you used before the turbulence arose.
If one stops paddling or comments on how the other is paddling, the canoe
will turn sideways into the wave and probably flip over. However, if both
people keep paddling just as they did when the lake was placid, but with the
added effort needed because of the wind and the wave, they will keep the
canoe afloat and probably stay dry.”
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| Quetico, August 2011 |
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| Quetico, August 2011 |
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| Quetico, August 2011 |
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| Quetico, August 2011 |
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| Quetico, August 2011 |
Since Alice has been born, we have worked hard on our relationship. I’m not shy to say that we’ve needed help to strengthen our marriage. Like most things, it’s taken a lot of time, commitment and intentional focus to rebuild the way that we communicate and work together as parents. The biggest challenge (which is still ongoing) has also been to relearn how to enjoy each other again. For all of you parents out there, I don’t have to tell you what having two kids in 16 months will do to a marriage! Half the time you can’t even hear your partner over the yelling and screaming, let alone remember why you married them in the first place 🙂
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| Engagement photos, Balmoral Lake, Thunder Bay, October 2011 |
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| Balmoral Lake, Thunder Bay, October 2011 |
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| Balmoral Lake, Thunder Bay, October 2011 |
I’ll end this by saying that if the thought of being in the wilderness (or even away from home in general, for that matter) with your partner for a whole week, without email, texts, social media, kids, jobs, phone calls, etc. induces palpitations, then it’s probably time for you to take the leap. We all get so dragged down by the day-to-day tasks that it’s easy to disconnect with your partner and let your relationship slide.
So, beg or bribe family or friends to take your kids. Even for a night. Get away with your partner and turn off your phones. Simply be together and relearn who your partner is, why you love them and rekindle that spark. Trust me, it will be worth it!
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| Lake Louise, October 2012 |
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| Lake Louise, October 2012 |
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| Moraine Lake, October 2012 |
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| Moraine Lake, October 2012 |
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| Haida Gwaii, July 2013 |
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| Quetico, July 2014 |
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| Quetico, July 2014 – our last trip before kids. I was 6 months pregnant with Henry on this trip. |
“The lesson of these instructions is simple, and I suspect Celia and Blake
already understand:
Paddle together with balanced harmony, each fully aware of the other.
Remain your full and independent selves, but respect and appreciate the
contribution of your partner.
Ride the tail wind and surf the swells. Enjoy the good times, and try to
remember them so that when you encounter the head winds, you will be
ready to face them.
Keep your paddles pulling together, stroking strongly in unison until you
reach calmer waters.
I will end with a blessing in the words written by Pierre Elliott Trudeau in the
foreword to Bill Mason’s Path of the Paddle:
May every dip of your paddle lead you towards a rediscovery of yourself, of
your canoeing companion, of the wonders of nature, and of the unmatched
physical and spiritual rapture made possible by the humble canoe.”
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| Wabakimi Provincial Park, August 2010 |
Thanks Mom for these words. And a HUGE thank you for taking care of our kiddos with Dad so that we could venture out together this summer. Here are a few pictures from our latest paddling trip. Hoping for many more years of smooth paddling to come!
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| Day 1: Starting off at Beaverhouse Lake, Quetico Provincial Park, August 2017 |
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| At our first campsite – a beautiful sandy beach |
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| Ada – feeling right at home in the water |
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| Ahhh, silence! |
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| Trying to get a good picture of Blake! |
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| Classic sunset pic 🙂 |
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| Day 2: On the water bright and early! |
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| Morning coffee break |
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| Some curious otters |
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| At the first portage from Beaverhouse Lake into Quetico Lake. Sitting at the bottom of the rapids – here is my view as I drank my coffee, listened to the water while waiting for Blake to catch us some lunch |
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| Success! |
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| Blake’s catch |
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| Trying his luck at the other end of the portage |
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| An amazing shore lunch – fresh bass that Blake had caught an hour ago. It was super windy on Quetico Lake and we hard day of paddling after lunch to get up to where there were pictographs that we were trying to see. Unfortunately, as it was a long weekend, there were lots of other paddlers out and we had a tough time finding a campsite. We finally got out of the wind past a narrows and found a quiet, calm spot to camp. |
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| Finally some calm water |
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| We waited until the wind calmed down to paddle along the shore of Quetico Lake to take a peek at these amazing pictographs. |
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| Being captivated by the pictos |
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| Day 3: Morning mist on Quetico Lake |
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| Ada and I basking in the sun, reading while Blake fishes in the river nearby on Cirrus Lake |
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| Our fisherman |
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| Fish fry for lunch! We found a BEAUTIFUL campsite on Cirrus Lake. There was nobody around on this lake. The site was up high on a gorgeous chunk of granite and offered some pretty spectacular views |
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| Ada enjoying some shade |
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| A lazy afternoon playing cribbage and eating trailmix |
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| Our view as we jigged for steelhead just off the point of our campsite |
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| Multitasking Blake – cooking dinner while still fishing! |
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| Day 4: Fishing again in Cirrus Lake. That’s a keeper! |
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| Fish wraps for lunch back on Quetico Lake. Again, wind-bound on this pretty amazing island. |
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| A calm bay in the lee of the wind |
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| Pad-thai with fresh bass – yum! |
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| Day 5: We paddled back through Quetico Lake onto Beaverhouse Lake. It was super windy again and we had a rough time getting to our site. This is the view from our campsite which was thankfully protected from the wind by a number of small islands |
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| Naptime |
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| Fishing again… ( in the distance) while I chill out by the fire |
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| Trying out his ‘chair’ (aka his Thermarest folded up). Doesn’t look too comfy! |
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| Sitting in silence – the best part of camping |
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| White pines |
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| Fishing again after dinner! |
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| The world’s tiniest fish |
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| That one is a better size! |
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| Sunset paddles with vino in my mug! |
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| Staying up late to finish up all of our wine! |
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| Day 6: Ready to paddle back to the car and back home to our kiddos! |
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| A remnant of the past – an old logging bridge |
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| Trip complete! |
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| The northwest corner of the park where we paddled |
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| Quetico Provincial Park – from Sioux Lookout to Atikokan, the closest town to the park. That whole green chunk of the map is Quetico Provincial Park. It’s a HUGE wilderness class park, with the best paddling in Canada. Well worth the trip if you’re considering coming up to our neck of the woods in Northwestern Ontario! |
The Good Life: Summer (August – you were busy!)
What a wirlwind of a month August was! We had a jam-packed calendar with family visits, my sister’s wedding and a wonderful visit with my parents.
August kicked off with a week-long visit from Darren (Blake’s brother) and his daughter, Ava all the way from Southern Ontario. Darren and Ava have been doing an annual summer trek to Sioux Lookout for the past three years and we are so happy and thankful that they chosoe to spend their vacation time with us!
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| The cousins swimming together. Henry started to gain much more confidence swimming in the water with his water wings! |
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| Enjoying some rare beach, sunbathing time with Auntie & Jupiter (the dog!) |
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| This is what most afternoons looked like. Darren & Blake, floating in the water with their beer 🙂 |
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| Darren tubing |
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| Auntie Meghan’s turn |
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| Blake |
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| Alice & I |
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| I told Blake and Darren to pose for me so I could send this to their Mom. This was Blake’s pose. Hahah |
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| Much better. |
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| Brothers. |
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| Early morning calm from the front window |
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| English River fishing trip with Darren, Ava, Henry, Alice, Hunter, Blake and I! |
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| Picnic time for the kiddos |
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| These guys. They were so good and keen to catch some fish to bring home. Alice, well, I just spent the whole morning trying to convince Alice not to jump off the rocks into the water haha |
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| Henry and Hunter – he’s so helpful and kind to our kids! |
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| Darren & Ava |
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| Helping Dad-Dad drive |
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| Snuggles & kisses |
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| Snuggling to keep warm on the boat ride home! |
Each year, when Darren comes to visit, Blake and Darren take the day to go for a full day of fishing and some much needed brother time. Last year, I was on my own with Alice (4mos), Henry (20 mos) and Ava. It was a bit stressful! This year, I was much smarter and hired a babysitter to come help! Between Kelsey-Ann and I, we had five kids with us for the morning. Lots of fun and much easier with a second pair of hands 🙂
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| Alice & Sailor at the park that we all biked to together |
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| Alice & I on the swing |
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| Ava, Henry, Brooks, Alice & Kelsey-Ann |
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| Our little crew! |
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| Eating fresh veggies from the garden |
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| Time for a swim and to lounge on the beach! |
Every year, during Darren and Ava’s visit, we hire a local float plane company to come pick us up in a float plane to take us to dinner at a fishing lodge up the lake. This year, we brought Henry along (Alice stayed home with our babysitter, Blythe as her bedtime is between 6:30-7pm). As always, it was a ton of fun to take the kids up on the float plane. It never gets old!
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| Waiting for the plane to come get us. Look at Blake passed out on the deck behind the kids. Worn out from a day of fishing! |
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| Ready for take-off. Henry, how excited are you!?!? |
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| Hilariously, Ava had had a busy day and fell fast asleep on the 20min flight over to the restaurant. |
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| A little rain never stopped anybody! |
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| At dinner! |
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| Henry with his giant ice cream sundae. We hardly ever have dessert to this was a HUGE treat. He was so excited! |
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| Digging right in…. |
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| Good to the last drop! |
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| While Darren was here, he and Blake built a pergola to keep our living room bright but cool in the summer! |
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| Neighbourhood biking |
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| We love living on a dead-end street. The kids are constantly on the road biking, playing hockey etc. |
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| Taking the littles out sailing with Blake and I |
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| The key to happiness is snacks. Lots of snacks. All the time. So many snacks! |
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| Saturday morning pancakes! Thanks Dad-Dad! |
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| Getting ready for a bike ride! |
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| Cutie |
After Darren & Ava’s visit, we launched right into Sioux Lookout’s famous Blueberry Festival – a 10 day-long event of activities about town. I had to work partly throughout the Festival, but we still managed to go to many events and hang out with Blueberry Bert, Henry’s favourite mascot 🙂
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| At the kick-off kids party! |
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| At Blueberry Bert’s birthday party. We unfortunately didn’t get to stick around for cake as the kids started losing it around lunchtime but we did get some facetime with Bert! |
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| Henry wasn’t so sure about the magic show haha |
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| So stoked! |
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| Our favourite Blueberry Fest event – float plane rides!!!! |
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| On the big Caravan, ready to go! |
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| Our little community, surrounded by lakes and trees! |
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| High-fives for Bert! |
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| Hugs too! |
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| Alice, was NOT as keen! |
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| I really didn’t want to leave Bert hanging 🙂 |
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| What a morning! Back home eating garden-fresh veggies for lunch |
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| Making a ‘nest’ with all of his library books 🙂 |
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| Back to the playground for a sunny-morning outing! |
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| Up early for the Rotary Pancake Breakfast! |
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| We were smart this year and brought our own blueberries and REAL maple syrup! |
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| The bike parade is Henry’s favourite event! |
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| Alice is still not so sure about Bert |
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| Henry, being judged at the Fire Hall. He made sure to do some tricks, including a ‘stoppie-hop’ |
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| Henry and I atop the fire truck getting ready for the parade to start |
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| Blake and I out on a date night on the sailboat, complete with a lovely bottle of Rose. Thanks Darren! |
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| A beauty evening at our beach |
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| Pre-bedtime swim |
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| What a gorgeous evening! |
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| Wake-up, wake-up Alice! |
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| Brushing their teeth together! |
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| Picking the perfect little tomatoes from our garden |
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| Trying to multi-task – to jump on the trampoline? Or eat my carrot?! haha Don’t worry, I didn’t let her do both at the same time 🙂 |
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| The beach is always action-packed in the summer! |
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| Hosting a summer BBQ for all of my MD colleagues. We took everyone out waterskiing! |
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| Alice watching the skiiers get ready |
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| Megan (aka Bacon)’s turn to go! |
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| Natalie & Baby G! |
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| Unfortunately, just as we were taking people out tubing and skiing, the weather started to pack it in… |
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| Thankfully, we still managed to get one of my senior OB colleagues out on the water before the rain and lightening came! |
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| Moving the party inside… |
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| The babies get priority seating! |
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| Food chaos! |
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| At the end of the night, it finally cleared up enough to have a nice fire on the beach. A great way to end the night with friends. |
Next up, after a stint of OB call, we headed down South for a quick trip to Guelph to celebrate my sister’s wedding! It unfortunately was a short trip as I had to get back to work, but it was lovely to see family and of course be present to wish my sister, and her new bride, Carrie well. Congratulations again to you two!
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| On the 4.5hr drive to Thunder Bay |
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| Watching Pingu |
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| At the Thunder Bay airport. Alice was NOT happy when the security man took away her fleece to scan it! |
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| Finally made it to Guelph. Here we are with my sister’s backyard chickens! |
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| Baseball practice the day of the wedding |
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| All dressed up and ready for the backyard wedding! A huge thank you to my Mom who sewed Alice and her cousin, Rosie’s dresses. They were beautiful. |
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| Backyard pot-luck before the service |
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| Leah and Carrie getting hitched! |
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| Leah and I |
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| It was a beautiful wedding. Leah pulled everything off without a hitch. I think I was more stressed than she was 🙂 |
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| Uncle Blake and my niece Rosalie in her evening gown 🙂 |
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| Taking the kids to the park the next day in Guelph |
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| We then headed over to Dundas, to see my Nana (Harriet) whom Alice is named after (Alice Harriet) |
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| Playing with the Hot Wheels at Nana’s in Dundas |
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| Heading over to the Cactus Festival that was happening across the way from my Nana’s condo in Dundas. There was a whole carnival set up! We all went after dinner, even my Nana, who was able to see the kids jump around in the bouncy castle and have fun on the giant slide. |
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| The next day at Dundas’ ‘Driving Park’, a lovely green space with a great splash pad. It was perfect for a very hot and sunny day. |
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| Having a picnic at the park with my parents, Leah’s family and Nana. |
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| All of the cousins |
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| Heading home 😦 |
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| After our flight to Thunder Bay from Toronto, Blake had to do some work in Thunder Bay at his properties, so Henry, Alice & I went to have lunch at a local diner. It was a bit chaotic, but we (mainly, I!) managed to survive! The kids were super tired and the only way I could convince Henry to sit and eat was to put Pingu in front of him. Parenting fail or maybe, a win!? 🙂 |
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| Alice eating a napkin, because, why not!? haha |
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| YAY! THEY ARE FINALLY ASLEEP! On the drive home from Thunder Bay |
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| Back at home, Henry was super excited to see his GIANT zucchini that he grew! |
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| Biking in the forest near our house |
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| Taking a rest |
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| Fresh carrots from our garden! |
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| Fish fry at the neighbour’s house |
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| Lol Alice & Sailor – best buddies 🙂 |
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| Henry had an accident at daycare, so he came home in one of his daycare buddies’ leggings… He was rocking them 🙂 |
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| I had them all ready for bed, with jammies and all. It was such a beautiful night though, so we went down to the beach. And then of course, they ended up in the water in their jammies, which meant they eventually just went for an evening skinny dip 🙂 |
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| Evening swim |
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| Round 2 of jammies – saying goodnight to Ada |
At the end of August, we were super excited to host my Mom and Dad for a 10 day-long visit. It is always so lovely to see them. It’s one of the best things about being a parent – seeing the joy on your kid’s face when the play with their grandparents while watching the relationship between your child and your parents grow. I love it. I also much appreciated all the help around the house. My freezer and tupperware drawer has never been so organized!
While my Mom and Dad were here, Blake and I took off for a week-long canoe-trip, just the two of us to Quetico Provincial Park. More on that to come. It was a much needed getaway and the kids loved the time with their grandparents. We are so lucky!
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| Having a picnic dinner on the deck |
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| Visiting the local stable |
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| Biking on the Cedar Bay trails |
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| Having a rest with Grampie |
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| Snack time! |
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| Reading at the local coffeeshop |
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| Alice has finally grown long enough to reach the ground on her bike. She is slowly starting to figure this biking thing out! |
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| Good thing she’s so strong! Henry, convincing Alice to push him around 🙂 |
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| Garden carrots on the front step with Grampie |
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| While my Mom & Dad were here, Henry and I wen to the dentist. Henry had been before, but this was his first ‘real’ cleaning. He was SO, SO good. I was shocked. Then he sat patiently beside me while I had my cleaning done. It went way better than I had anticipated! |
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| Our annual family dinner at Foxy’s to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. |
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| Enjoying an amazing feast prepared by Meghan for my friend Megan (aka Bacon)’s birthday |
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As we say goodbye to summer, I cannot even comprehend that Alice is now a year and a half and will be starting daycare soon! How time flies. I no longer have any babies in the house. What a weird feeling but it’s so busy with two crazy toddlers that I barely notice 🙂 haha
Now it’s back to full-time work for me and daycare for the kids. Summer 2017, that’s a wrap!
The Good Life: Summer (July)
It seems like every September, my once beautiful 5am sunrise ritual morphs into me sitting in the dark reminiscing about summer while going through photos for the blog.
As usual, I’m way behind, but it’s only because we have had such a fantastic, low-key summer and spent every minute possible enjoying the sun. Compared to last summer, we virtually did zero planned activities. Aside from my women’s-only canoe trip, and work, my July was mostly spent at home with the kiddos!
From jammies, into bathing suits and then back into jammies. These were our perfect summer days.
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| Canada Day at our brand new community park |
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| Henry, of course, just wanted to go to the top of the climber… |
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| …which he did 🙂 |
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| Trying out Hunter’s trike |
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| At the beach in her jammies. I love summer days that start and end with playing on the beach. |
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| Henry and Alice cuddled up on the swing together |
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| Big smiles! |
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| Henry & his buddy, Eytan planning lawn badminton. How civilized! |
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| Jupiter the dog supervising the kidlets in the tent hammock |
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| Watching Dad-Dad windsurf |
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| A summer morning at Ruby Island. |
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| Picnic at Ruby Island |
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| After a day of swimming, having dinner naked on the deck is the best way to go! |
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| Discovering… |
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| …and running! |
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| Eating an apple while Dad-Dad sails and Auntie Meghan takes Henry for a paddleboard ride |
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| Beach buddies |
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| Pre-bed frolic in the sand |
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| Auntie reading some goodnight books while Henry watches biking/skiing/Paw Patrol |
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| Another beauty July day at the English River |
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| Alice supervising the boys fishing |
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| Picnic time! |
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| A beautiful calm day at our beach |
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| Alice and I lounging in the hammock |
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| Evening swim! |
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| Henry endlessly playing on his excavator |
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| Taking the boat to dinner at the Forest Inn |
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| Dinner on the patio with friends! |
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| Our first sail as a family of 4 (plus Ada, of course) |
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| Afternoon naptime is the BEST! Once Alice went down to one nap, it was great to be able to have some downtime |
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| Calm mornings |
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| Hanging with Ada & Henry |
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| Waking up at 5am to workout, is ONLY possible because I get to read and drink my coffee, while watching the sunrise! |
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| Summer days! |
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| Alice doing her own beach yoga |
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| Best buds some days 🙂 |
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| Henry in the bath wearing his ‘sweet goggles’. He puts the on himself then splashes around 🙂 |
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| July was full of fishing dates. I’m terrible at catching anything, but I love being out on the water with Blake, watching the eagles and occasionally actually catching a walleye myself! |
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| Ada trying to get at my only fish 🙂 |
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| Thankfully, Blake catches way more than I do, so that we can usually eat fish for dinner multiple times a week |
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| Our month of July was spent at home, every day. I took some time off work to have a ‘stay-cation’. So many days looked like this. In our bathing suits, on the beach playing with the kids next door. It was awesome to have such low-key days. |
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| Henry, Brooks, Sailor & Alice |
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| Alice on her beloved slide |
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| An exceptionally beautiful Sunday afternoon – tubing, swimming, playing! |
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| Henry collecting giant leeches in a bucket. EW! |
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| “Here you go Mom!” No thanks, Henry! |
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| Three buddies – Henry, Alice & Sailor |
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| Hurray! The blueberries are here!!!! This year we bought 60L of blueberries! Thank goodness we have a deep freezer 🙂 |
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Henry and Sailor swimming despite a big storm brewing beyond the lake
  A stormy day – perfect for windsurfing for Blake   Calm lake after the storm
 Henry with his buddies from next door – Hunter, Sailor & Brooks. What a cute crew 🙂   Blake taking Ada for a windsurf  Of course, everyone needs a banana boat for you and all of your buddies!
 A beautiful summer night for a picnic dinner! Still in swimsuits 🙂  We love you Auntie!
 Post-dinner evening swim
 For so long, Henry wouldn’t go into the water past his knees. Then just suddenly, one day, he decided to swim! And then away he went 🙂
 Cheese! Hurray for summer days!
 When it’s too hot to sleep, drink wine and eat blueberries on the deck!
 My 5am wake-ups for my workouts are 100% motivated by the ability to then jump in the lake, read my book and drink my coffee in peace!
 My darling girl adventuring in the woods
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The Good Life: Summer (June)
When you live in the land of the never-ending winter, waiting for hot, summer weather is torture! The ice comes off the lakes and the snow typically melts by May, but those deliciously warm days don’t follow until late July. Regardless, I love June. Despite the rain, the bugs and the chillier water temperatures, the beach days begin and our new daily routine changes to getting out of our jammies and straight into our bathing suits!
June was also the month that Henry discovered fishing. He fished a little last year, but he truly began to take a keen interest in it this year. Many an evening, I would put Alice down while Blake would take Henry out on the boat to fish until 9pm. He loved every second of it and would never be bored or fussy. It’s always a hoot to fish with Henry as he has the same running script with every cast. It goes a little something like this:
H – (casting) – “Mom! Look! It’s an eater! It’s a big one! Ohhhhhh! Ohhhhh! Mom!
Then as he reels it in and realizes that the hook is empty, he says, every time – “Oh no! It got away!”
It’s hilariously entertaining and never gets old!
It’s hilariously entertaining and never gets old!
For Alice, her love for the water really blossomed over the first few weeks of summer. At first she would cling tightly to my finger while walking in the water, but gradually, her confidence grew and it wasn’t long until she was charging into the water, kicking and splashing and dunking her face! Henry, at this point, still wasn’t so keen on the water so I was surprised at her enthusiasm for the lake.
Work-wise, I had a pretty heavy month and Blake had the kids most of the time, with Henry still in full-time daycare. I realized however, how precious our summertime at the lake was and so I quickly revamped my schedule to really cut back for July and August. Living in Sioux Lookout year-round isn’t always the easiest and so taking advantage of our beautiful spot on Abram Lake makes it all worthwhile!
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| Alice and I in our party-wear |
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| Kicking off the summer with a BBQ at our house for all of my colleagues at the Northern Practice! |
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| It was going so well, until it stormed…! |
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| Nothing says friendship like a evening skinny-dip |
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| Henry, Eytan & Tal |
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| June was pretty wet. We had a ton of rain and lots of storms. |
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| Thankfully, we still got outside and the kids never got tired of going out in the boat! |
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| Finally some nice weather! |
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| Beach baby |
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| Enjoying the shade |
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| With Auntie Meghan on the beach |
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| Blake decided that he had had enough of looking through windows that obstructed his view. So, he took them out and replaced them with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. But, for a day, we had two giant holes in our wall! |
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| Blake and I heading out on a fishing date in the canoe |
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| Another fishing date on the boat with Ada |
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| Sunset over Abram Lake |
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| Alice and Sailor having a play date |
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| In her outfit that Grandma Joey sewed for her |
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| Blake went to Toronto for a few days with Henry to go to a Jays game for Father’s Day. That left Alice & I home alone for a girls weekend! One evening, we had a wine night with my girlfriends and consumed about 5000 calories each of wine and cheese. The best! |
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| My sweet girl! |
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| Out for a walk to pick some wildflowers |
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| At the Pelican Sandwich Shop (our favourite), where Alice is basically the new employee haha |
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| Even on rainy days, we head to the beach! |
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| At the Hub with Auntie who saved the day! I was on-call (phones for the North) but thought I’d take a chance and go out to the Hub with Alice which Blake and Henry were away. As soon as we got there, I got bombarded with calls and Auntie had to watch Alice while I answered the phone 😦 Parenting fail! |
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| Rainy daysssssss |
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| Henry, Alice & I went to Pelican Falls Sandwich Co for lunch one day and Henry somehow wrangled his way into a tour of the ambulance with the local paramedics 🙂 |
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| A library kind of morning. We have now been routinely going to the library every two weeks or so and taking out 20 picture books that Henry will sit and read before bed. It’s great and I love snuggling with him reading. |
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| The BEST part of having neighbours like Keith and Karla is being able to see their kids grow alongside ours! Here we are for a fish fry dinner. Chaos and ice cream sandwiches! |
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| Hitting the beach |
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| Three peas in a pod – Sailor, Henry & Alice |
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| How lucky are we to have amazing family in Sioux Lookout. We love you Auntie & Johnny! |
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| Uncle Johnny being a goof! |
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| We are also incredibly, INCREDIBLY fortunate to have our amazing babysitter Blythe in our lives. Our kids adore her so much. We will be heartbroken when she leaves for university in the Fall 😦 |
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| Henry loves Ada, but it’s Alice who adores Ada the most. She calls for her in the morning from her crib and will give her endless kisses and hugs. It’s the cutest. |
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| Aw sweet girl! |
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| Reading all on her own |
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| In our nerdy sun hats. Sun safety first! |
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| Blake taking Henry sailing. Usually Blake has a beer when they head out for a leisurely sail, so when Blake asks Henry if he wants to go sailing, he will only agree if he is also promised a beer! |
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| A Saturday morning tradition – blueberry pancakes made by Dad-Dad |
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| Setting up the kite-surfing gear for an attempt at the MNR beach. It wasn’t too successful unfortunately! |
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| Henry’s new obsession – fishing! |
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| Casting for bass off the dock |
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| Blake and Brooks cleaning the catch |
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| My favourite part about bedtime is getting into bed with Henry and snuggling, singing songs and telling stories about the day. I now know why my parents always fell asleep when they put us kids to bed when we were little! It’s so comfy and you’re just so tired! |
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| Alice is pumped for our family boating trip up to English River |
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| “Go fast Dad-Dad!” |
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| Stopping for minnows at Frog Rapids |
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| Getting the rods set-up |
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| “Ohhhhh! It’s a big one! It’s an eater Mom!” |
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| Dad-Dad teaching Henry how to put a minnow on his hook |
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| Henry’s turn! |
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| Snack time! |
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| Alice & I |
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| Beauty! |
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| Henry’s catch! |
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| Trying to get a lovely family picture… haha yea right! |
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| My turn to fish! |
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| Our catch |
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| Heading home |
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| At the beach with Brooks, Hunter & Sailor |
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| Alice loves the slide… |
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| Weeeeeeee! Don’t worry, she was totally fine! |
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| Henry and one of his besties, Rilynne, on a pre-bed beach date |
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| Alice and I taking a dip |
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| She is so brave and way more daring than Henry in the water. She just charges out there and loves to dunk her face! |
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| Blake is really just a big kid at heart. He bought the excavator for Henry, but I’m pretty sure he also really wanted to give it a go! |
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| Nothing says summer like watermelon! |
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| Take two with the kitesurfing gear. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well! We aren’t so great at launching yet and there are far too many trees at the beach. |
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| Hahah, Alice giving Henry a push! |
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| Most days, Henry will wake up and immediately ask me, “Mom, wanna play with my track with me?” It’s the worst when I’m rushing to work, because there is nothing more that I’d rather do than sip my coffee and play Hot Wheels in the morning! |
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| I think we have out-grown the baby bathtub… |
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| Out for a paddle along the shore to check out the little lagoon where there are many tadpoles, herons, turtles, etc. to see |
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| Both Henry and Alice insisted on being in the bow! |
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| Morning snuggles |
Women in the Wilderness
As a working Mom, time alone is a mystical concept. In the busy days of work at the hospital while raising two little ones, moments when I think of no one but myself are fleetingly rare. I realize that in twenty years from now when the kids are grown and gone, I’ll wish for nothing more than a house full of action, but for now, my only slices of quiet time come in the very early hours of the morning. It’s the only thing that gets me out of bed at 5am to workout, swim and drink my coffee in peace.
Blake is a fabulous dad and partner, but I have to say, it always seems easier for him to have time away than me. Since Henry was born, I have only been away on my own for 5 days, and that was for work!
Back in February, while Blake was out West skiing, I was feeling particularly sensitive about this. With increasing desperation to have a chance to be on my own, I reached out to my close friends with this email:
Hi Ladies –
In the past few days, I’ve been thinking lots about the idea of me having some time ‘off’. Mostly because I’m goddamn jealous of Blake’s 2.5 week skiing adventure while I’m home w/ the kids. haha.
But seriously, I think we need to start planning our next girlfriend adventure.
I laugh at this now, but I remember at the time I did feel jealous. Of course I was happy that Blake had some well deserved time to enjoy his passion for powder, but it is hard sometimes not to feel resentful.
Thankfully, I have the most understanding, amazing girlfriends and a supportive husband and after five months of planning, we miraculously all had five days off in July to head out into the wilderness for a girls-only canoe trip. No partners. No kids. Just us and lots of wine.
Wilderness paddling has always been a source of rejuvenation for me. It provides the chance to be away from the daily grind, the laundry, the endless work emails, and day-to-day demands of life. It forces you to slow down, something that I am terrible at doing on my own. A canoe trip was just what I needed to ensure that I ‘relaxed’.
Unfortunately, the night before our departure, I injured my knee and couldn’t walk without crutches. At our trip packing meeting, over a bottle of wine, my dear friends decided to change the route to allow for less portaging and to stay within cell range as a compromise. Although it wasn’t the hard-core trip that I had wanted, I was desperate to still go and away we went the next morning with my crutch tucked behind my seat in the stern of the canoe.
The next four days were filled with lazy afternoons reading, swimming, eating, yoga, meditation, card games (“duuuuuutch blitz!!!!”), water-colour painting, more eating and of course, lots of wine drinking. It was a perfect getaway and I am so, so thankful to Meghan, Megan and Cat for forcing me to chill out, not let me carry a thing on the portage trail and for spending precious vacation time with me in the wilderness.
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| Route planning |
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| The ‘Before’ picture |
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| Stopping for lunch… we were greeted by a number of American tourist fishermen who were gobsmacked to see a bunch of ladies alone, portaging and paddling. |
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| Elk sausage! |
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| Lunchtime on the portage trail |
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| At our first portage. Megan and her Tims cup, a true Canadian |
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| Cat & Megan |
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| Meghan paddling like a boss even though it was her first canoe trip! |
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| So much chocolate in the trail mix! |
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| Cat |
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| Three swimming beauties |
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| Megan making daisy chains |
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| More elk sausage for dinner! Yum! |
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| Cat fishing for us! |
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| Lounging with her vino |
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| Doing the dishes |
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| Love you two! |
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| Bug jackets – great for keeping bugs out, terrible for being able to breathe |
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| Beauty sunset on night #1 |
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| Good morning! Having Baileys and coffee under Megan’s expertly placed tarp |
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| Quiet time reading Joseph Boyden while the other girls did yoga. Day #2 was a ‘rest day’. We stayed put at a nice site and slept in, read, swam, sunbathed, did meditation, yoga and chilled out. It was amazing. I can’t remember the last time I spent a whole day doing nothing. |
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| Morning dip! |
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| Going for an afternoon paddle |
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| Apres-dinner s’mores |
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| Gooey, goofy goodness |
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| Annnnnnd more Baileys |
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| Day #3. A perfectly still morning for our paddle over to Vermillion river where we saw a moose swimming at the mouth of the river! |
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| Photo-shoot at the falls |
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| Looking down into the bass hole where there were a ton of fish! |
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| Sailing to our last campsite at Pine Island on Pelican Lake |
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| So much Dutch Blitz! |
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| Cat expertly cutting up her fish |
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| Cat & Megan building up the fire… |
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| …while Meghan makes the pizza! |
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| Lol, no idea but it’s hilarious that there are two already empty wine bottles at this point in the evening already! |
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| Our last day – paddling home to town on Pelican Lake |
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| Meghan at Iron Bridge |
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| Megan brushing her teeth while Cat does a little morning fishing |
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| The ‘After’ photo |
I love you all to pieces! Can’t wait for next year’s adventure 🙂
Life on Abram Lake 
