August 2016 by the Numbers

Why 'By the Numbers'?
While I'm much more concerned with quality as opposed to quantity, sometimes it's just fun to look back and reflect on what you've done in a specific window of time. Taking a look at what you've done often might be telling . . . here's to hoping that we engage in joyous activities regularly, and perhaps we can learn something from reflecting on how we've spent some of our time, and make changes if need be accordingly. The overall hope here is to celebrate the smaller joys in life, enjoying a measure of gratitude for the everyday and commonplace, as well as the rare and extraordinary.

August 2016 by the numbers:

- One visit and game of Kings with Nanny.

- Two dozen Butterscotchies baked with my mighty mite.

- Three good Moms out for gals' movie night to see "Bad Moms". More out-loud laughter than I've heard in a theatre in a long time!

- One overjoyed family so happy to have their camper back after a fantastic week at overnight camp.

- Two inukshuks made to mark our way along the route home.

- Many years of hard work, determination and dreams came to fruition as a great group of friends and old track training mates sent off one of our own to Rio where he earned the honour of being a wrestling referee.

- One adorably sweet cat we feel so lucky to have, and two girls who love to capture her in photos.

- Ten full and amazing days spent in Iceland (see 'Travel' posts for day-by-day details).

- Sixty years of my wonderful Dad to celebrate!

- One novice Mac user trying to familiarize herself with her new MacBook while watching her happy girls playing in the park.

- Three pals enjoying poolside fun.

- Four robes and a giant chair spark even more laughs during a weekend get-away to Blue Mountain in Collingwood.

- One adoring gaze from our sweet Oma, who loves her great ganddaughters so.

- Two wonderful days spent in Bowmanville visiting friends who warm our hearts. We calculated that J and I have been friends for half of our lives now! Really need to start getting more photos of myself with my friends, as I tend to focus on my munchkins :)

July 2016 by the Numbers

Why 'By the Numbers'?
While I'm much more concerned with quality as opposed to quantity, sometimes it's just fun to look back and reflect on what you've done in a specific window of time. Taking a look at what you've done often might be telling . . . here's to hoping that we engage in joyous activities regularly, and perhaps we can learn something from reflecting on how we've spent some of our time, and make changes if need be accordingly. The overall hope here is to celebrate the smaller joys in life, enjoying a measure of gratitude for the everyday and commonplace, as well as the rare and extraordinary.

July 2016 by the numbers:

- 149 years of our country celebrated on Canada Day!

- Two batches of Amish cinnamon friendship bread baked (the entire process takes ten days). We shared six separated starter batches with friends.

- Countless hours spent planning for our trip to Iceland (numerous Flat Whites drunk simultaneously).

- One trip to Stratford to see the production of 'The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe' as a family.

- Five mornings when this sweet little fluffball was waiting to greet me.

- One new MacBook Air! This was a pretty surreal and huge purchase for me: I'm a self-proclaimed non-techie sort, and I've never owned an i-product in my life! But I sensed good things for me and this guy . . .

- Near-daily swimming opportunities! With temperatures so high throughout the month, swimming was a perfect way to cool off, and we were grateful to have family and friends who welcomed us.

- One much-appreciated random act of kindness, when hand-picked strawberries were delivered to us. We could taste the sunshine in each and every berry!

- Giggles galore as we saw Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' in Toronto with dear friends.

- First - and most definitely not the last - time our family went to the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, and had delicious vegan curry from the food trucks there.

- Approximately twelve hours spent with good friends at their cottage at Kintail Beach.

- Two lovely visits with my dear Oma

- About ten minutes of sunshine at Movies in the Park event, before we got rained out and all came back to our place for a great indoor movie evening!

- Six letters written in preparation for H's first-ever week at overnight camp. Can't even measure the time I spent worrying about how much I was going to miss her!

- Two movie theatre outings. Both were children's flicks, which is all good, but hoping to get out to see something not under the family rating system soon.

- One turkey vulture sighting in the neighbouring backyard.

- Four cuties in the park for picnicking and play time.

- Sixteen friends crammed into a selfie on the beach during a fun cottage weekend in Bayfield.

- Two flat whites enjoyed during a lovely catch-up visit with a dear friend.

- Three eager Muggles went to the release party to get their hands on "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"!

- Less than two hours until she'd finished the new book :)

- Highway #11 in Orillia, where we stopped at Webers for lunch on our way to dropping H off at her overnight camp.

- Two excited friends set to be campers, while one younger sibling was set to miss her big sister.