Linking up with Soulemama.

{this moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Summer and Some Big News.

Oh boy. It's been awhile since I've been on here, and by 'awhile', I do mean the ENTIRE summer.
The summer just flew by for us. Not because we did anything extravagant - no summer holidays here. Everyday was what some would call a 'perfect' summer day. No plans, no agenda, just hanging out and going with the flow. Most days, that worked in our favour. Some other days, our 5 year old reminded us that some structure is a good thing and that having a plan for the day isn't always bad.

Onto the big news I guess. We've decided that I will not return to work. I am joining the ranks of the 'stay at home moms'. While I will continue to nurse one day a week, the rest of it will be at home, with our now 15 month old (crazy!). I feel very fortunate that this opportunity is a reality for us and our children and know full well that a lot of people who would love to stay home, cannot - for various reasons. I will say, however, that if you are or have ever considered it, read the book "The Radical Homemakers" by Shannon Hayes. It's what got me started thinking about the reality of staying home - more so the financial aspect of it.
I also visited Gail Vaz-Oxlade's website. She's the 'Till Death Do Us Part' woman. On her website there are a ton of resources available, including budgets, dept calculators, etc, that I used when working on our budget. We know where every single penny (well, nickel I guess now) goes. While our budget is quite limiting, it is sorta fun seeing all the different ways you can save money.

I'll leave you with two of my favourite photos of the summer:

Celebrating 146 years

Happy Canada Day!

Like many, I am proud and thankful to live in this country. Sure, we have a few policies that I'd like to see changed, but nonetheless, I am happy, very happy, to be a Canadian, if only for the last 33 years.

Tomorrow I will post some pictures of the garden. Holy moly its a lot of work!

Once Around The Sun

Oh. My.
I am now the proud mama of a one year old little lady.

I'm sure I've mentioned before how terrified I was of having a girl. Girls scared me, and I'm not gonna lie, they still kinda terrify me, but I can't imagine my life without this one.

She has completed our family in the best way ever and I have loved watching Gage grow into his big brother role. He absolutely ADORES this lady, to the point that my eyes swell with happy tears when I watch them interact. Simply precious.

Falling Off My Needles - Gnome Edition

Who can resist a plump garden gnome? Not me.

I filled this guy with beans and some toy stuffing, but mostly beans. It gives him a great weight to live his life's purpose of being a doorstop.

He is going to live at my sister's place, as a housewarming gift. I hope their dog doesn't eat him.

Want to make one for yourself, or share the gnome love? This link will bring you to the pattern via Ravelry. Enjoy!

Cooked

Last night, I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of my favourite people, Amy, who's one half of this fabulous blog.

We went to the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto to see Michael Pollan speak. Yes...that's right, MICHAEL POLLAN! THE Michael Pollan. He has written another book, Cooked. I haven't yet cracked it open (except to stare at the autograph!) so I can't tell you anything about the book itself, but from what he described, it's a an exploration of cooking, from the first BBQ to a raw food diet.

He was exactly how I thought he would be. Approachable, not soapbox-y, full of great ideas and insights and had a great sense of humour. Overall...awesome.

Plus, to top off a great evening (besides an ultimate parking fail and crappy misty/rainy weather), sushi and girl talk.

Garden

Planted:
- 10 strawberries
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Dill
- Horseradish
- Parsley
- Garlic chives
- Red cabbage
- Carrots (LOTS!)
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Jalapeno pepper
- Tomatillo
- Runner beans
- Raspberries
- Watermelon

Put in a raised bed to try out using a cold frame this fall. I'll have to start scouring for supplies.

Started edging the fence line with cinder blocks. This will allow our neighbour to trim around her fence without hurting any of our stuff. AND, hopefully it will slow down weed growth in that hard to reach area.

It is HARD to decide where to put everything. Companion planting, plants hating other plants, planning walking paths, etc. Tricky, tricky I tell ya. There are already a TON of weeds. It's crazy how prolific they are. Look at the ground around the trellis...covered in weeds. I have a new found love of a good hoe. The best garden tool ever!

Strawberries, tomatoes/peppers, red cabbage/herb section and a garden view

Bean trellis, raspberry plants, cheery tree, red cabbage. Oh, and that sunspot (?) on the cherry tree picture, don't people say that it's a ghost or something? Whatever it is, I hope it's nice to the cherry tree.

5-in-1 Pear tree