Pukaskwa!

We're in Pukaskwa (Pook-ah-SAW) paddling around, right now.

It was quite the feat to get ready for it.
Keep us in your prayers! We appreciate it :)

(And no, we do not have internet or laptops here. I'm prescheduling this post!)

A very small glimpse into getting ready:

You can look forward to updates and pictures when we get back, DV!

Winning the Lottery: Bonnechere edition

2 weekends ago, a bunch of us headed up to Bonnechere.

Funny story: we thought it would take us 3 hours to get there from Hamilton.

Try FIVE and a HALF!

My poor, sore, I-finally-did-some-physical-labour body was not having fun.

But, we got there. I survived. And enjoyed the lazy days.

Those days looked a lot like the pictures below, though it was sometimes at the campsite, sometimes at the beach. And finally...our own private little island.

Kirsten & Helen's second day reading on the sandbar/private island

My first day. The kayaks came in handy to get us, our chairs, umbrella & books out to the sandbar.

Unluckily, Ed & Maarten had to stay back at the beach - they both cut their feet earlier in the trip & didn't want to risk infection :(

On the way home, we stopped a few times. To shop, and to enjoy a beach because it sure was hot!

The Move, so far...

Thanks to my brothers (Albert and Kevin) and Ed, of course, Saturday was moving day. Everything still in my Guelph apartment is now in the Ricebox.

The panelling was sold out at Home Depot last week when Jeff came to help us get that. So everything is done except the floor where the wardrobe was sitting and the path to the laundry room, one coat of trim paint yet, and those pieces of panelling, along with the baseboard & trim to go with it. And a few electrical bits & bobs.

I'll contrast the "what is now" with "what it was" photos.
This is the official "so far" look. It's a MESS!

Remember this? It's my Guelph apartment's kitchen.

See this? This is the contents of those kitchen cupboards.... (ah, & the hole yet in the panelling...)

Remember this?

This is that corner with the wall paint...

And this is that corner nearly done with renos, and almost set up as my bed'room'

This was the last renter's bedroom area. You can see the patch on the wall that was covering a hole which prompted us to remove the panelling....

That panelling has yet to be replaced...but this will eventually be a sitting area....(my painting is in progress...and upside down...)

My Love

^ That's literally what I titled this photo when I saved it.

This guy...is so unbelievable! He has done SO MUCH for me this past little while, and put up with me while I was grumpy too.

And he smiles while he does it.

I am so blessed. SO blessed.

Yes, he's doing some electrical for me. And those baseboards? He installed that too. And helped me paint the walls. And more things that you can't see in this picture...
(More moving/reno updates coming soon!)

I'm moving! A Basement Renovation Story.

I am in the process of moving. That process is nearly complete. I even got my driver's license address changed. It should be coming in the mail soon.

Today, as you read this, I will be packing up the remainder of my first-ever apartment, and leaving it forever.

In this process, I discovered Salvation Army too.

But, more importantly, I am moving from this:

Old photos of my apartment. It seems less crowded and wall hangings have changed...

to this:

Furniture is now out. But note the lovely dragonfly patterned wallpaper!

There's my mattress! Surrounded by 1970's panelling. Avant garde by now, I'm sure. (I'd already started stripping the early 90's wallpaper!)

Stairwell

Almost my favourite part of the entire basement....

Granted, my furniture is not yet moved in (everything in those photos is the last renter's - except for the mattress on the floor) but look at the difference in eras. In light and dark. In live-ability. 

And. Stay tuned for what I did, with a lot of help from Ed, and some help from a few others, to make it into a more liveable space.

Serena's Hair Salon

After the St. Jacob's trip, Ed & I packed up some boxes at my place, loaded the cars, and headed out for dinner. We were headed to Kevin and Andrea's for a bbq, cut short by the fact that I had a meeting to run off to that night :(

When we got there, I was greeted with hand-picked flowers and cries of "Aunt Emily! Hi!" from Serena. Ed got a much cooler reception. For about 3.2 seconds, before he was dragged into a game of "pass the 'soccer' ball."

After soccer was over and Ange and I had had some time to chat, Serena decided to do my hair. It got 'blow dried' 3 or 4 times - each time with a different dryer. Then flat-ironed twice, bushed a couple more, and finally: topped with a tiara.

And of course, such fabulous hairstyling must be captured forever in pictures, right?
And when you bring out the camera, a 4-going-on-5-year-old must have pictures of herself, and then must take some pictures herself.
So some of these specimens are blurry. But hey - she does a pretty good job! (And, my water-cam is all I have right now, and it's a bit trickier to take good photos with. Excuse my grammar, please.)

My hairdresser & I

This princess's turn!

Serena' view (excuse my blinding white arms. I promise, I do have some pigment!)

Another of Serry's takes :)

I love that little girl. And in just a bit, (maybe even by the time this post is published!?) she's gonna have a new baby brother or sister. So cool, right!?! Looking forward to meeting Baby H :)

Kissing Bridge ;)

On the way home from the market, I took Ed on a little detour to see the West Montrose Covered Bridge. This was another coveted part of market trips when I was a kid. We'd generally get out, run around, get pictures by the sign. (One such which immortalizes me in a horrid green-and-white striped button up, short jumpsuit. Ugh. Oh...and topped off by an ill-fitting black and purple Jump Rope for Heart hat. Double ugh. I was quite the stylin' kid. *Cough*)

The locals informally call this bridge "Kissing Bridge" - presumably because it was a favourite area for local courting Amish/Mennonite couples in open buggies to sneak to under cover of dark :)

It was pretty busy with visiting families and their kids.

Wish we'd had time to pull over and enjoy the river, as well as the view. And well.....I mean...

Um. So. Picture?