Reasons I love my family (PART 1)

...Picnics on the porch in the rain.

Berry Picking

Yesterday me and the cousins went to the country to pick raspberries. If you were in Winnipeg yesterday you will know how it rained cats and dogs all day....but not in the berry patch. In the berry patch is was sunny and warm.

The girls had never been berry picking at a farm and I was delighted to be with them for this monumental experience (because in Revanna's world berry picking is a huge deal).

Annie Rose's favorite part was, well, at first she said everything but then decided it was "being with you guys".Nathalie's favorite part was "the satisfaction of picking each berry off the branch".And my favorite part was listening to the Hutterite women talking on the other side of the saskatoon bush!

We had a lot of fun! And we left tired and satisfied with 8 pints of raspberries and an ice cream pail full of saskatoons! I can feel a tradition coming on!

My Prairies

Today I was out at my friend Brenda's working in her garden. Brenda's house is one of my favorite places to be in the world, not only because of the people that live in it, but because of what surrounds it.
The prairies. I love the prairies. I love the wide open spaces (call it flat, if you will), I love the gravel roads, and I love the smell of canola. You know those Prairie girl t-shirts you can buy? Yeah, well they were made for me. I never feel more at home than when I'm surrounded by fields of gold, periwinkle, and green. And I've never loved a place more. If you come from the prairies maybe you'll understand, and if you don't maybe these pictures will have showed you a different side to the dull, flat, and ugly land you may think the praries are.

My Helpers

I spend at least half my day in the kitchen, whether its cooking supper or just playing around, and I am lucky to have one (and sometimes two!) helpers. They'll pop in to help get dinner ready or we'll spend the afternoon baking cupcakes together. Sometimes I'll get some funny looks (like tonight while cutting up a chicken) but it's mostly smiles and many, many giggles.

They are both a joy to cook with and I am proud to say that they are on their way to having some pretty darn good knife skills!

Thanks guys! I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the summer in the kitchen with you!

What I love

I've been busy. But busy doing the things I love. Days pass quickly, most of which you'll find me in the kitchen, apron on, hopefully with a smile on my face (although those sometimes come and go!).

Here's what I've been loving recently...

Going to see the new Harry Potter movie on opening day...

Cooking supper with my brother. (If you haven't had grilled pizza's yet...you should have them tonight!)
Welcome home cupcakes!
Making heart shaped Imperial cookies....that didn't turn out. But at least I had fun!
Going to a Taylor Swift concert. Yup, I loved it.
The funny faces that Stacey makes.
Making rhubarb cobblers with my Granny at 10:00 at night!

And I love the fact that my cousin does my laundry.

I love my Ma!

19 years = 19 Folk Fests

Today was my 19th consecutive year attending the Winnipeg Folk Festival. That's right, the first time I went to the Folk Fest I was 2 weeks old and I have made it each year since. I love it there. I love the dancing, I love the people, and I love lying in the sun listening to music.
This is my second family (I have quite a few of those!!) but this family was my first second family, if that makes sense! I have known them my whole life and love each of them. I have spent quite a few folk fests on their tarp and can't imagine folk fest (or my life) without them!