on this cloudy day

 This past month has been filled with canning and trying to get my Oma's plum cake just right:)

 Opa came for the day and Nala loved having "story time" with him.

 Neka started her dance class and is in love with it!

 We took the girls to a kids raw food cooking class where they made these cute Mr. Potato heads.  Also on the menu was raw apple crisp and raw peanut butter cookies.  I will definitely go again when it is offered the kids raved about it:)

 I'm all about making home feel cozy.  Que the ikea kitchen:)

 This reading nook has already housed a tea party and mama and baby time.

 The rain started today and so I moved the teepee and a few other things upstairs onto the deck so that the outdoor play could continue.

I've started homeschool with Neka and Nala of course wants in on the fun so our days have started to follow a really nice rhythm of breakfast followed by school time.  The girls are really enjoying the art part:)  Now off to the weekend where I see pancakes, tea and snuggle time with my family.

I'm back

This is my space.  Do you know what I mean?  The one that I carve out that has me written all over it.  I want to share to show up and speak what's in my heart.  
This is my latest piece. that I am donating it to the 
Shanti Uganda Society - Evening of Art 2012‏
 to raise funds for Shanti Uganda’s Solar Powered Maternity Center in Nsaasi Village, Uganda.  I was honored to be asked to be a contributing artist and felt a part of me open up as I started working on this piece.  I remembered a part of myself that came before being a mama.  I want to cultivate her.  I will visit this space once a week, join me if you will.

summer

This is where I've been!  I'm on summer holidays so blogging has been on hold:)  I haven't found myself wanting to take so many photos.  I'm more interested in being with the kids. These are a couple of photos that give a feel of our days.  I'll check back in with this space soon!

one with the land

I wish I was related to SunRay Kelley so that he would design a playhouse for the girls. You can imagine how organic and one with nature it would be.  I always talk about a commune where all our friends would be together living off the land, I can only imagine how "magical" it would be with these kind of homes peppering the land.  I'd bring in some solar panels, windmills, geothermal heating and my own design for my eco house but I can see these buildings being studios, workshop spaces, and story telling places.  I love how creative people are!

food, fun and family

Since the sun has come out I've barely been indoors which means my posts have been few and far in between.  I'm storing all this sun up in my bones for I know I'll be craving it when winter comes.  There have been so many moments that I thought Oh I should have taken a photo but then I stopped and said, no wait, I'm just being in the moment right now and that's ok.  On Saturday morning I baked these scones, with some devonshire cream and jelly on top they melted in my mouth!

 Family came together in the afternoon and I just revelled in watching my kiddies having fun and doing their best to entertain everyone:)

 Sancho brought his coffee machine and made the most wonderful iced drinks for us.  I made a vanilla cake with butter cream chocolate icing that is originally a cupcake recipe found on joy the baker I was loving it!

 I got an inflatable pool that doesn't hold air and today I exchanged it for one that works:) But in the meantime the kids had a blast splashing and pretending to be fish.

 Tey's parents were here for the weekend as well and on Monday we headed to Cultus Lake where the girls built this sandcastle with Grandpa.  They were so proud!

 This is our drive home, two very content and happy kids in dreamland.

 The order of this photo is a little off it should go on Saturday's story.  In the afternoon we headed to the spray park and I love anytime that we can have a family photo together:)  I feel so blessed to have this family.

look girls there's a lion

The zoo promised fun adventures and today it delivered!  My shoulders feel the hours I was happily strolling with my children gazing at animals in the sun:)  

I just love the energy and excitement the girls bring to days like this!  I enjoyed seeing the animals through their eyes, every few feet there was an exclamation over a new found friend.

 Our lunch ended with Oreo cookies and Nala was the biggest fan!

 This was Nora's vantage point for the day and she gurgled and cooed and slept and looked out at the funny looking creatures:)

A big thank you to Michelle, today was great!

sage's homebirth

This video is a little more graphic than any of the others I've posted but I found it again and loved how integrated the birth was into the preparations for Christmas:)  It totally spoke to me about what I really love about homebirth, being free to be however you feel in the moment, having it quiet (save for the music you like:) and having a care provider that you know and trust supporting your birth.  Enjoy!

yerba mate and belly laughs

The evening is quiet save for the tunes I have quietly playing into my ears.  Hayden's "Weight of the World" is perfect for the mood I'm in.  I just realized that I bought wooden buttons that have a similar look to the design on this plate:)  

This past week I've felt in the mood to bake.  I made vanilla nutella butterballs and when I came out from putting Nora down for a nap half of them were mysteriously gone.  The girls were covered in crumbs and faces that said, "what?"  

This photo shows my breakfast, fig jam on toast, I can't think of many other more delicious things especially with the cup of tea I made to go along with it.  

 I am desperately wanting this book to never end!  I am in love!  It's been awhile since I've read such a beautifully written book.  Bauermeister is an artist that's for sure, I've been lost in sublime moments of pure delight all week.

 On Thursday I went to Hope and watched part of the soccer game with my dad, we were oh so sad when Germany lost!  This food cheered me up though:)  I found this black pepper, swiss cheese bread and the rest of the ingredients came together.  A salad of tomatoes, bocconcini and basil laced with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Tender esperagus with lemon juice and some cumin havarti cheese for the bread.

Today I took the kids around mill lake and after, we shopped for ingredients for the candied pecan biscotti I wanted to make.  I'll have to take some photos because I'm really pleased with how they turned out:)  They'll go well with the Yerba Mate I just bought.  

I went through lots of photos today finding some shots for a friend who's getting married. I loved seeing what I've been up to in the last ten years.  All the amazing people I've had the privilege of meeting.  Right now I'm listening to Jen Grant's "Echoes" and I need to find more of her music because it's so fun!

I'm noticing that I'm living more in the moment, a belly laugh with my girls on the way home yesterday when everyone got the giggles, a snuggle with my smiley Nora, noticing how much I loved the taste of my Yerba Mate on my drive.  Life is rich and full.

taproot

I received my second issue of Taproot and there are some serious treats inside!  Amanda Blake Soule is the originator of this beautiful creation and her blog is a favorite of mine.  

 When I got to this page I got super excited, Ina May Gaskin is a real modern day hero of mine and to get a behind the scenes look at her life was so cool. I love this quote.

 Ina May is known for the "farm" where people from all over the world come to birth their babies naturally.  One of my midwives was thinking of having her baby there:)

Neka closes a chapter in her life

Neka graduated from preschool last week and I got a little teary watching her grinning from ear to ear when she caught my eye.  I am looking forward to having Neka home next year as we'll be doing homeschool for kindergarten:)  I've signed her up for a dance class in September and we're looking forward it!

 Neka receiving her diploma from Ms.CIndy.  As each child goes up the teacher tells the group what that child wants to do when they grow up, Neka said she wanted to be a princess when she grows up:)

 A very proud moment for Neka and Mommy.  

 The girls having a snack after the program...

 a fun time had by all.  We love you Neka!

happy birthday nora

I woke up today feeling excited I knew that many fun things awaited us today.  It was Nora's 1st birthday today and we celebrated all day long.  From an early morning play session with the balloons before Tey went to work to a fun splashing game in the bath in the evening.  I love my little bundle of cuteness!  Nora was born here in our home and last night when I was putting her to bed some of the memories came to me.  I felt close to her.  Aunty Shannon made this lovely banner for her baby shower almost a year ago and I couldn't resist putting it up because I think it's so beautiful!

 This year I wanted to start the waldorf birthday ring tradition in our home.  Nora's figures are so darling with the little stacking rings that actually come apart:)

 These lovely honey lollipop sticks I found in the Old Clayburn General Store.  They taste scrumptious, I'm glad I have a few leftover:)

 We gave Nora this fun, organic cotton, earth fairy from the miYim collection.  She is in love with it!

 A little snuggle with Opa brought cute smiles to Nora's face.  We all headed over to the matsqui recreation centre to go swimming.  The kids said afterwards that they had too much fun:)  Nora splashed happily for an hour and a half without slowing down.  I think I have a water baby on my hands:)

 Last night I made these delectable cupcakes following this recipe.  I am in love with them!  Of course the cup of mighty leaf tea (African Nectar) was perfect with it, ok, ok, I had two but they are just that good!

 Me with my beautiful girl.

 Oma bought play sand today and filled up the little pool with it, the kids had a ball!

 The kids opening up their loot bags after finding them in the garden tucked away in a few good hiding spots:)

Thank you family for a wonderful birthday (The cute dress Nora is wearing is from Aunty Shannon, you are such a great gift giver!)  This year has gone quickly and I'm loving being a mama to these three unique and wonderful girls.