Cameron Brynn Augustine

Yes!  Meet my new little nephew Cameron!  And, let me tell you....we are so very excited to welcome this little guy to the family.  He is so darn cute, and today....I got to have my very first snuggle (ok, I had more than one!) with this little bundle of joy! 

He melts my heart I tell ya!  Welcome Cameron!  May your life be filled with so much happiness and may you bring even more joy to your big brother Rory, and your fabulous mom and dad.

We love you!

absolutely stunning

Today we celebrated Fall's arrival with a family hike along the shores of Upper Kananaskis Lake.  However, with temps hovering around 26 degrees, one wouldn't nesessarily associate today with Fall.  More like....a summer weekend.  With full campgrounds, picnickers grabbing a spot for the day, canoes and kayaks cutting through the calm waters, and hikers galore dotting trails all over K-Country.  It was a day that was perfect in many ways I suppose.  Hikers even had an extra bounce in their steps today as we made our way along the shoreline trail....us included!

The water was a beautiful calm....had me itching to get those canoes we have talked about for a few years now.  What a great day to be out on the water!

Aidan and Maelle took turns using mom's camera and took some great shots.  Hey look!  I am actually in a picture for a change!  (this is one of Aidan's shots)

The kids had a blast hiking along the trail.  Only a few stumbles and cuts today by Bree and Jenna....we have improved since the last hike! 

The colours were stunning everywhere we looked.

The girl's stuck together for most of the hike, and it was fun to listen into their little conversations as we went.  Just need to work on keeping our eyes on the trail now...

We realized again today at just how lucky we are to live near such beautiful places like Kananaskis.  The mountains continue to amaze us everytime we visit.  We are so thankful that we can bring our kids here and that they enjoy these places as much as Brent and I do.  They truly are magical. 

that time of year...

There is a certain crispness to the air in the mornings, and although our days our still relatively on the warm side, fall is definitely in the air.  You can also see it in the trees.  Such was the case this morning on a lovely walk through the pathways of Fish Creek Park.  The leaves, I think anyways, have turned early this year.  Not all of them, but certain clusters here and there are a beautiful bright golden yellow and with the windy days we've been having as of late, are already drifting downwards, and covering the ground.  Nevertheless, it's gorgeous out there!  Fall out this way seems to get shorter every year so taking the chance to get out and enjoy it when you can is the best way to be sure you don't miss it.

The kids eagerly explore the pathways while dodging leaves that fall from above.

 

 Bree takes a moment to explore the long grasses... 

Maelle gets the gang going with a leaf throwing contest... 

There was a brief moment where the crew took a short break from playing... 

 

Jenna was all smiles tossing leaf bunch after leaf bunch...

So, yes, I guess one could say that it is fall.  Not by actual date, but by the amazing colours that are starting to appear.  I had my first pumpkin spice latte today as well, that too being a sign of the cooler weather to come.  But, you know what?  I am ready.  I am ready for the cooler days and crisp nights.  Ready for cozy slippers, and warm blankets, and thick sweaters.  Ready to make hearty soups, and pumpkin muffins.  And ready for the fantastic fall hikes we have planned.   And, if you haven't already guessed....yes, fall is definitely my favourite season of all!

another year begins

And so it begins....another year of school!  Slowly we are putting our lazy summer days behind us, and are finding our way through routine days, school events, meetings, and the list grows and grows every day.  Structure is nice, but then again so are those unscheduled days and weeks that we have been so accustomed to over the past few months.
This year marks the first time ever, that both Aidan and Maelle will be gone all day....staying for lunch and enjoying time with their old friends and new.  It also marks the first time ever that I finally have some mommy (and of course daddy) time with just Bree and Jenna.  Boy are we going to be busy! 

Aidan - Grade 3

Maelle - Grade 1 

We are almost at the end of week one, and the kids are tired, but it looks as though this is going to be a fabulous school year!  Good luck Aidan and Maelle!

the corn maze

Another sunny afternoon, another fantastic farm.  This time, we decided to try out the Calgary Corn Maze.  A short drive away, and so much fun for everyone.  So worth the trip!

There is so much to do at this farm, and there truly is something for everyone.  We barely scratched the surface activity wise, warranting another trip back before the season's end.  The kids embarked on the smaller of the two corn mazes and took turns navigating their way through the maze, playing a few fun games along the way.  I think we will head back and try the larger one (approximately the size of ten football fields!) with just Aidan and Maelle.  They even open up a few evenings and you find your way through at night with a flashlight!  How much fun would that be? 

A petting zoo...lots of goats, sheep, donkies, ponies, and bunnies.   

The girls had a go at giving one of the friendly goats a brush.

Maybe we all had just a little too much fun on the "air jumper".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aidan has a go sliding down the "hill slide" (and yes, he did end up in that lovely section of sand at the bottom.  Hello laundry!)

The pedal cart track was tonnes of fun for Aidan and Maelle to race around with other kids.  Talk about great exercise! 

 

And the pig races....to finish off our exciting adventure!

Super fun Friday afternoon!  Only a few days left of summer holidays before the kids head back to school!  And it's starting to feel like a bit of fall in the air as of late!  My favourite time of year.