Summer 2010

I think it has has been a full 8 if not 9 months since our last post. Hard to find the time to sit down and hammer it out. But here we are on our first long weekend of our 2010-11 school year. We have been back in Sao Paulo since the last few days of July. Yes, the school year begins way too early here but with the early June finish date and 5 week Christmas break it all comes out in the wash.

Gavin is back as a K5 in his Montessori class. He is now in one of the oldest in his class and stays for a full day (his class has ages 3-5 year olds in it, they actually stay with the same teacher for 3 years). He loves having lunch at school and is starting to do some "harder" work. Zoe has begun in the K2 program at our school. She too is one of the oldest in her class and it doing great. She has been so ready to go to school. She very excited to go each day and has not cried once about it and in fact she complains about the "babies" in her class who cry after their mommies drop them off.

Here is the standard first day picture of them heading off to school.

However, more on our life here at a later time. This post's title is Summer.

So I'll throw up a bunch of pics and let you know what we got up to in June and July.

Once we roll up to the cottage there is always a lot of work to be done to get the place fixed up and ready for the summer. Raking and hauling the leaves off into the forest is always a days work. Gavin was actually a great help this year. No I really mean that, Gavin is actually starting to help out with jobs like this, meaning that it actually takes me less time to do the task than it would if he were not there. This is a welcomed mile-stone in the life of a father.

Early on during our time in Canada, Kim had to leave us for the better part

of 2 weeks to take a couple of courses towards her Masters, on the beach in Miami. Well, maybe it wasn't the beach but the sweet hotel/convention center she was trapped at sounded pretty darn rough.

Dan and the kids used this time for a small road trip up to Barrie, Penatang and Toronto to see all of Dan's family.

A highlight was hooking up with cousin Kyra and heading to Uncle Nolan's place in downtown Toronto and "doing Toronto" for a few days. Heading up the CN Tower, catching a Blue Jay's game (after eating a big sausage dog out front of the Sky Dome). The next day there were some patios and a

ferry out to Center Island for fun and beach time.

Kim returned for Canada Day which we spent at Grandpa and Nana Mary's place in Cobourg. There is a big festival there that weekend and they live right in the middle of it. We've enjoyed the last few Canada Days there. Lots of rides to try and crafts and things things to buy. We also had a little celebration for Grandpa Doug's 60th birthday which was later in the month.

The next big highlight of the summer was Kim's brother Greg's Wedding. He and Val were married at a Quebec ski lodge just outside of Ottawa. It was a beautiful wedding, great weather and a great chance to catch up with family and friends. In true wedding fashion there were many pictures taken. Here a a few:

Gavin loved his tie and looked very dapper. Zoe was beautiful in her dress that Grandma Betts made for her. They worked the dance floor and charmed the guests. Gavin and Zoe with their Grandma Betts:

Greg and beautiful Val, Grandma Betts, Paul, Heather, Great-grandma Dot and the Bentley Crew.

Little brother Greg and his two beautiful sisters Kim and Heather. Heather made it back from China for the wedding - it was great to see her!

The rest of the summer was spent at our favourite place, the cottage. Lots of family and friends made the trip up for a summer of great weather and loads of time on the lake.

Uncle Nolan bought his first motor cycle and drove it up one Friday after work. It was the longest drive he had ever made on it. We made sure that we had a cold one waiting for him as he pulled in just after sunset. As quickly as the next morning came, Gavin wanted to be taken for a ride.

Granddad John helping Gavin with his Lego Birthday present while Grandma Joyce hides Zoe's soccer ball on her (or is she telling Zoe about the new aunt she is about to have?) Grandpa and Nana Mary celebrate Doug's real birthday with a few eager munchins trying to get at the cake.

Auntie Heather showing G and Z how to rip worms in half to make the tub of worms last longer.

Friends are so much fun to have at the cottage. Owen and Logan dropped by for a few days.

Oliver and Ella spent yet another few action packed days on Wollaston Lake. Art projects turned into paint wars.

Kyra and her friend Olivia helped ice some cup cakes but decided that icing their faces would be way more fun.

Gavin and Zoe loved the water. They have both been in swimming lessons for a while here in Brasil so they were ready and eager to take their new water skills to the lake. It made everyone else's life so much easier to know that they were less likely to drown if they fell off the dock this year.

Our good friends from our time in the D.R. Paul and Janice and (new to the lake, Sam) , join Wollaston Lake regulars: Mark, Karil, Oliver and Ella some fun times and much needed catching up.

Sad to leave before August even arrived. This year will be our last in Brazil as we look to head out on a new adventure in another part of the globe. One thing for sure is that we are hoping to find a school with a little more time off in the summer so we can enjoy our little slice of heaven a little longer.