Fam Jam 2014-August 24, 2014

Michelle made jelly Michelle made jelly rolls and lemon bread that Mom had taught her a few years ago. She brought the picture I took and the original recipe card.

Supporting and loving each other is what we do as a family. Celebrating the good and helping out during the challenging times-always together. Everyone pulled together to help Mom/Nana during her last 6 months and surrounded her as she left the earth last year.  I decided to use Nana's gift she left to me to honour her memory and spend a week together as a family. We had such an amazing time together and created memories to last a lifetime. As always, everyone pulled together to make this a reality. Justin and the kids were first on scene and opened it up and captained the pontoon boat-as only Justin can do, he had never driven one before but "taught himself". Master of the self teach. He also brought up his guitar and kept us entertained. Also the fishing champion. Try as they might to knock him off that title, it could not be done.

Fishing Champ Justin

 Racheal and Brian brought their beautiful boat up and took everyone out. We tubed and rode around the lake. 

Cassandra and Tyler Tubing

They also helped bring lots up and we such a help packing up to go and during the clean up-- last day, they were the last ones off the dock. Shawn and Michelle brought up the amazing T shirt painting and Michelle made and brought up Mom's jelly rolls and lemon bread that Mom taught her to make a few Christmas' ago with a picture I took of them and the original recipe card on display. I wept with joy. Tyler brought chinese lanterns and we lit them and sent them off with intentions. Samantha waited around all day for me to be ready to leave to go to the cottage and we left together and stuffed everything I couldn't fit..into her car to take, her friend Bryce carried "lots" of the stuff up and down hills in Muskoka, he "passed" his initiation into our group with flying colours.

Sam and Bryce playing games

 Christian helped with everything before, during and after the trip. Loading and unloaded and cleaning up. Cassandra had everyone write down on a piece of birch bark one thing that we wanted to "let go of" and throw it into the fire. Many people talked about what they wrote and it was moving to hear things from the heart. We celebrated Racheals 29th birthday, fished, ate, 

swam, boated, tubing was fun, games, reading, guitar and singing around the fire, roasting smores with some success, rock hunting, exploring and wonderful conversation in the many nooks and crannies of this magical island. Cass, Taylor, Jack and Lydia kept us looking at everything with new eyes as they explored and learned new things. Taylor would play baseball 24 hours a day and fortunately there was almost always a willing pitcher or catcher. Jack was the explorer and made me see things I would never have noticed and Lydia kept the cuteness factor always high. Her songs were precious and she loved the water. We had 4 cottages. Will and I in the boathouse cottage, Daily requests for essential oil treatments. "Can you do your voodoo" was heard daily and I loved to do it. Yoga and mediation on the deck and beach was lovely. 

Doing the "crow" on the beach

Sam and Bryce and then Tyler in the bunkie, Shawn, Michelle and the kids in the guest cottage and Racheal, Brian, Christian and Justin and the kids in the main cottage. All on an island that gave us some privacy and kept us connected. Amazing things in each cottage and even several "ghost sightings" by a few of us. The two hawks appeared one day to Will and I off the north end of the island. Circled around and it was a beautiful sight.

The Hawks appear off the north side of the island

 I am in awe of the love that I receive from these precious souls that I was entrusted to raise.

My kids are each others best friends

 The fact that the weather wasn't perfect made no difference to any of us. We just continued to embrace each day to the fullest and have fun. I would not trade what I have for anything anyone else does. When it is my time to leave this earth I know I have lived a well lived and well loved life. 

Cassandra and Racheal having fun in the sand

My beautiful family

Miigwetch for that. It is Ojibwe that means thank you but more then that. It's humility and gratitude.