We didn't just work this labour day weekend, we played a little too. We went to one of our favorite parks in Fremont at Elizabeth Lake. Unfortunately, our stroller tire was out for the count so we couldn't do the walk around the lake like we had hoped, and I'd like to say we still managed to have a good time, but I was feeling tired and stressed. #keepingitreal But, I took some cute pictures and am going to pretend like it was the perfect morning at the park.

This labour day weekend, we got to work. I've been craving a good project that requires some hard work and this was just the ticket. A couple months ago we had purchased unfinished pine bunk bed from Ikea for Holly and Greta with the intention of finishing them. However, our apartment at the time didn't have a great place for us to do the work. Lucky us, the new place that we live in (we moved in last weekend) has a backyard with a patio. I was very excited to make the bunk bed look a little more upscale. We used a dark walnut stain and applied a couple coats of protectant. It was about 10-11 hours total of work for me, and a little less for Conor. I'm so glad we did this! The bunk bed looks so much more refined. Now I'm dreaming of doing a dresser and I think I have a good idea brewing in my mind. Pressure's on to get cracking and finish up the quilts I'm working on for the girls! I'm very excited about their room!

Conor assembled our bookshelves this weekend too, which means we can finish unpacking all the way. It's starting to feel like home... and was definitely a weekend of labour!

PS: my instagram username is bekatelyn. Feel free to follow!

This is my last Yahk post. The vacation feels like a dream and too far away! I want to go again!

On our very last full day in Yahk, we went to tour a dairy. It was a big hit with the girls! The poor cows, Holly really wanted to feed them and they probably felt forced fed and worried they were going to slaughter. There were cows of all different ages, some very, very new! At the end of our tour, we bought some delicious cheese that's made right there at the dairy we went to. Next stop was berry picking. A massive success with both children. We picked just over a pint of raspberries and then picked blueberries. Greta was picking blueberries and putting them into her mouth as fast as she could! She completely ignored us when we asked her to stop, and instead, she moved to a bush further away from us and continue to pluck the fruit and eat. At lunch time, she ate half a pint of fresh raspberries on her own. Later in the day, she puked them up. Oi! But, the entire morning was picturesque and happy. I loved it and I'm so glad we snuck that into our schedule!

One of the lake days, our old kayaks were pulled out to play with. I have so many memories with those! My cousins and I had so much fun playing with them. There were lots of bumps and bruises and we learned very quickly that the paddles are sharp! The fun never stopped with those yellow boats. When we used to go to Shuswap Lake, my brother and I would carry them down to the beach in the morning. I always held on at one end (I can't remember which) and moan and groan about the weight and rocks in my sandals. But it was all so worth it! I loved sharing the kayaks with my children and husband and including them in my sweet memories. The entire time we were at the beach, all four kayaks were being used and played with. It was especially fun to see my cousin's children play with them the same way my cousins and I used to play with them. Sweet, sweet memories. 

Holly had her very first day of "out of the home" school today. It felt like a special morning getting everyone fed and dressed and then taking photos of our big grown-up girl. Holly has been looking forward to attending school for a long time. She was disapointed that school didn't start on her fourth birthday! I could tell Holly felt a little apprehensive or nervous about going into the classroom when it was her turn. But, she did great! I felt such sadness when I walked out the door leaving my baby girl in someone else's hands. How on earth did we get to school age so fast? Where did the baby and toddler stages go? I'm so excited for all the experiences Holly will have as she grows older, but at the same time I want to hold her a little tighter and keep her in the shelter of my arms forever. I'm going to do my best to focus on the positive and soak in as much of her as I can in the next year while I still get to keep her home most of the time.