summer

We (when I say we I'm using the royal 'we' because I'm not that super helpful being at work a lot) are renovating the house.  New fence, new decks (the back one has a pond and amazing couch that we watched a storm roll in on last night), new bedroom - converting garage to massive new bedroom for Kyle or possibly Michael depending on how Kyle feels, new windows, gardening - it is fantastic - so much has been accomplished.  It shocks me what David finishes every day and that he isn't completely burnt by the sun or just completely a mess and tired - it is so great to move forward on things.

The kids are enjoying summer vacation - last night we went swimming at Deep Creek - my favourite swimming hole - and just cooled off - the water was pretty cool especially because the air temperature wasn't high when we arrived - poor skinny Michael was freezing, but had fun - me and Kyle were pretty good - both of us having a little extra blubber help :)  David also froze... my two skinny guys :)

Kyle and I were swimming upstream and he says - 'yeah we aren't cold cause me and you are like polar bears, both with our extra blubber' I laughed and agreed - I totally have extra blubber.

Michael has become a music lover - he loves to listen to all kinds of music and sing to himself.  I gave him my iPod (the original little rectangle kind) and last night he requested a CD of music we've been playing in the car - so I run outside and grab it and see this amazing cloud - lots of bubbly edges and very very white and then it happens - the cloud throws lightning - piles of it - through the cloud - I've seen that kind of thing on tv but never here - so I run in the house and we take blankets and gear outside and we all watched this amazing storm for about 30 minutes - it was incredible.  It rolled east and because we are a bunch of wieners - we piled in the car and chased it - sadly we never really caught up with it but we did see a brilliant meteor - it changed colours as it passed through our atmosphere - it was a fantastic summer night.

We've had a lot of those great nights lately.  We watched another storm a few nights ago and David got amazing photos of the lightning (I'll post from home).  The storm sat over the house for an hour - and we just oooooed and awwwwed - I've never seen these kinds of storms here before.

Last weekend we had a funeral, my cousins husband had a tragic accident - they did a great service for him and the company he worked for made a contribution to the family and closed down their sites so friends could come to the funeral.  They filled the senior's centre with people - so about 300 must have been there.  The service had a great video and lots of great photos.

Then on Sunday we hiked into where they had my grandparents ashes.  It was an easy hike until we got to the hill - there is this giant downhill section that you slowly climb down - trying not to take a spill because if you slip it is a long, bumpy way to the bottom.  My brother made a cross and plaque that a bear decided chew on - but it was still intact in the ground - we just kind of looked around - no one really said much - I took a few photos.  I walked in with a rock I'd found that was in the shape of a heart that I left at the foot of the cross.  I wanted to bring an owl to sit in a tree, but will try and do that next time.  Then we had lunch back at the trucks.  It was a good day.  My brother was here for a few days - for the funeral and then hung around for a while.  So - it has been a busy July...

Now we are all just looking forward to more summer and our vacation to Cannon Beach in August.
We are all super excited about heading there... can't wait to have a break and get to play at the ocean all day.