As I was looking through photos from this weekend I realized this has been the last weekend of summer. Next weekend, whether or not I choose to believe it, the calendar will tell us autumn has begun. I’m hoping we can still eek out a few more summery weekends but here’s how we enjoyed this one.

sweet treats

homemade ketchup which passed the test

read the book but forgot the ending…hubby thought it would be a cheerful story, he has a lot to learn about Dickens

garden harvests for one last jelly

a surprise visit from a special friend

a migraine which changed a day’s plans

darkened room, quiet children, napping

basement cleaning, purging, laundry

another trip to market followed by our weekly market meal (warning: it includes kettle corn)

knitting, knitting, knitting

baby love

renewed bedtime stories with this book when it was recovered from under the couch

quiet evening with a most wonderful man, darling babe and sweet sleepers

Summer weekends good to the last drop.

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joining with the wonderful Amanda for weekending

I’m in stunned disbelief that this blissful first month is over already. One month in the air, one month of baby smell, one month of newness.

We are so blessed by Mira’s beautiful presence. Siblings are doting, Daddy is charmed, I find my heart more and more entwined with that of this precious little one.

This precious little one with sweet snores, baby acne and peach fuzz all in the most perfect package.

(Just in case anyone is concerned by Mira’s sleep position rest assured I was by her side while she slept and her tummy snooze was merely a result of moving her out of my arms.)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s yarn along post, Dan and I celebrated our anniversary on Tuesday. Celebrate might be a bit generous as the day did not go quite as peacefully as we’d have hoped.

The temperature dropped drastically, the kids were too cold to play outside, rain threatened and then began falling. A runny nose appeared, a sweet one was unhappy, the new school year loomed (along with the removal of the kids’ new neighbourhood friends). The bathroom was muddy, the living room was growing clutter, I’d been at the kitchen with perhaps too much baking gusto, the basement was (erm, is) the catch-all of everything that had no other place.

Kids were grumpy, parents were grumpy. One child proclaimed from a time-out that, “Anniversaries are the worst days ever. They ruin everything!” This led to parental sighs with eyes to the heavens and just a little incredulity that somehow we were to blame.

By the late end of the evening, kids asleep, peach pie and ice cream to the rescue, Dan and I let our muscles relax, our headaches melt away and the stress dissolve. We headed to bed and soon forgot the difficulties of the day in sleep.

This may sound like a sob story. It’s not. I’m merely setting the stage for the best anniversary gift ever.

This morning the kids were anxious for us to take our time coming downstairs. We lingered over baby snuggles and showers until we were invited to the main level.

I couldn’t believe what they had prepared for us.

There was a gift awaiting us on the couch with cards beside them. There were anniversary posters on the walls. The dishwasher had been unloaded. The table was spread with a beautiful breakfast.

I was speechless.

The story was that since our anniversary hadn’t been the greatest they were going to give us a re-do. On top of that we were chastised for not warning beforehand of our anniversary so they would have had time to plan something.

The main collaborators.

It was perfect and wonderful. We are proud parents. Incredibly blessed. And living a life that it is so so full.

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes yesterday – we celebrated with them today.

While the weekend is over and we’re well into a new week I’m still revelling in the joys of our weekend.

I enjoyed mama-time with an old friend and sweet Mira over thrift shopping.

Giggles and laughter were shared at the splash park.

A picnic dinner at the park followed too much ice cream.

Wristwatches purchased for three older children who need to know when to come home from their neighbourhood haunts.

A brunch shared with a wonderful community of friends, Dan’s french toast and pot-luck goodies.

One more productive market visit – while we sadly count down to end the of our market season. Followed by one more market dinner of kettle corn and fresh veggies.

Late nights laughing with hubby over a bad movie and a silly movie.

And lots and lots of snuggles with a sweet little one and her sweet baby smell.

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joining with the most wonderful Amanda for weekending