Year Four in Review- Part I: Last Summer

I can't believe the school year is done!

Thankfully, it's like most deadlines- it comes and happens whether you're ready for it or not. This is a good thing, since then it can't drag on indefinitely.

So, I figured I'd recap for myself our fourth year of home schooling (which started with our summer last year since there were a few 'educational' trips in there- unbeknownst to our kids!).

Lake Louise, AB
Stayed overnight here the final night of our honeymoon

It started out with our first official camping trip as an entire family. I normally go places with my parents and the kids and Graham stays home to work. He didn't grow up having pleasant family vacations (think driving straight through from Abbotsford, BC to Hanover, ON as fast as possible- stay for two weeks and race back just as quickly. NOT fun.)- so he would just as well rather stay home.

We had talked about doing it for a while, but finally managed to get to Jasper, Banff and Calgary.

Graham & the boys at the Columbia Ice Fields
(We had done one of their tours while on our honeymoon
17 years earlier- unfortunately, with 5 kids, it was too
expensive to do this time around)

A highlight for the kids was staying with Graham's brother and wife in Calgary and then going canoeing on the lake in their community. The biggest highlight came when Elijah managed to upset the canoe enough to send Graham into the lake!

 

Getting ready to head out onto the lake

All the Boys (almost)

Me finally getting in the pictures

Jeremiah enjoying canoeing with Uncle Darren

Graham drying himself off- NOT
a happy camper!

Elijah

Noah

Rebekah

Samuel

We ended up cutting the camping trip short since the weather wasn't supposed to be that great (only to find out after we got home that it was fine).

Having done this trip to Alberta made the recent destruction that the Calgary area has faced because of the flooding all the more real. We could point out places that we'd been to and they could see it submerged and/or being destroyed by the water. It was very surreal and sad.

A few days (and many loads of laundry later), I took the older two boys up to summer camp. At the end of their week, the kids and I went directly to the Okanagan for our week there with my parents.

Growing up as a kid, we went to the Lakeside Resort every year in July and stayed on the same campsite that my parents still have. I now have the site right next to theirs. It's actually officially mine- nobody can have that week unless I specifically give it up to them.

I almost felt like a grown-up when I realized that.

The boys with my mom- we have special things that we
do every year in Oliver

My dad and Rebekah- many hours have been spent
pushing grandkids on these swings

My brood- whooping it up on the water

Anyway, the day before we went home, there was a terrible storm that left a massive amount of destruction and debris. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured or killed- but it was quite scary.
 

Some of the destruction- a man was in the tent trailer
under that tree, but escaped unharmed

The wind was so strong it knocked over these huge trees

I think this one was struck by lightening

A car that didn't escape (was only purchased two weeks
earlier)- thankfully the driver got out of the car just
moments before the tree came down on it

Tuc-el-Nuit Lake- beautiful calm after the destruction

I know that although the kids are looking forward to going back again this year, they are still a bit nervous that another storm could come.

Anyway, all that only got us to the end of July.

After a few weeks at home, we had a short visit from my opera-singing sister (who lives in Germany).

Going to Campbell's Gold Honey Farm
We got to taste honey right off the honeycomb!

Doing a pre-birthday party for my sister since
she wouldn't be around for the real thing

Then, we took a very quick trip up to Barkerville. Both my parents and I have always wanted to go there- so, since the boys had or would be studying the Gold Rush, I thought it was as good a time as any to go.

It was a lot of fun.

 

Getting a stage coach ride- all Rebekah wanted to do
the whole time we were there was see the horses

Proof that I actually was there

Panning for REAL gold with Opa- the kids were VERY
excited to actually have some real gold

And then the summer was done. 

Honestly, it was a crazy summer. A bit too crazy, actually. The kind of summer that, while rich in experiences, was too much to take in by the end of it.

It reminds me of the passage in Prov. 27:7 that says the full soul loathes honey but even bitter food tastes sweet to the man that is hungry. This became so true for me last summer.

As enjoyable as all these experiences were, and my kids still talk about them a year later- I think it was too much all at once. It got to the point where we were so saturated with experiences that we all began to tune out and it almost became loathsome.

Realizing that too much activity packed into a really short span of time isn't the best thing to do, I have purposed this summer to drastically scale back our activities.

We will still do things, but I think leisurely explorations of our local environments and sights will be a much better use of our summer than long drives and quick, jam-packed visits. 

I think in reducing the amount of things we do and savouring every last drop of the activity will give all of us a richer experience. 

It will allow us to hunger, and hopefully, see God in new and different ways.

Keeping it real, by the grace of God...

Tammy