New Winds...

A new season has arrived and thus, a fitting time to announce that I'm taking a hiatus from blogging. Since 2011, I have shared my life: the ordinary and the special. I truly enjoyed reading your comments and sharing my stories and pictures with you. I feel like at this time in my life, I need to take a break.
Instead of keeping you (and myself) in limbo, I have chosen to say goodbye for now. Rest assured that it will not be forever. I will reappear on the Blogsphere someday…

Now, for the EXCITING news: Simon has decided to create a part deux of his blog. I invite and encourage you to read his weekly postings. I'm sure they'll be entertaining and quirky at times. I will probably be a guest contributor :)
His new blog is titled: Tough Cookies Hintonburg: http://toughcookieshintonburg.blogspot.ca
His blog will reflect our "new" urban lifetsyle and I'm sure there'll be lots of Margot stories and pictures of our experiences.

See you on Tough Cookies!
Jen xox

Summer has begun!

RIP Luna

 May was a month of moving, packing and organizing. It was a month of wrapping things up and saying goodbyes.

Boxes and furniture lined up in our garage: ready for the big move

The kids were great helpers!

At the storage unit

Lending a spade

For a week, we ate our meals on our laps.
We're practising for summer camping :)

Empty living room. Just the necessities: the laptop, a few pillows
and a yoga mat

Saying goodbye to Marcel-Chaput.
7 years of great memories!

On May 31, Luna joined Animal Heaven where cats get served unlimited butter, tuna, salmon and cream cheese everyday .

Going with the flow...

An explorer of the outdoors!

She will be crowned Queen of the Cats 

She was loved and Margot was never shy in
expressing her love. 

In her early adoption days, Luna joined me on the yoga mat.
She mostly lounged on the mat next to mine and sometimes
snuck under me while I was in my downward dog.

Such a pleasant, quiet, chill cat.

June has been a month of transitions. Living in rental accommodations, we (I) are feeling rather antsy and ready to move into 103 Sherbrooke Ave! We still have a month and a half to go … arghh!

The condo we were living in for a month

The view of our street from our current house in urban New Edinburgh

Margot has been incredible during this whole year-long process. She has kept my spirits up and has demonstrated such resilience and adaptability. That's my girl!

Splash pad season is in full force!

Margot finished kindergarden with a big smile on her face. By moving to Ottawa, we are saying goodbye to Montessori.  This school was absolutely fantastic. I console myself in knowing that, in her three preschool years, she gained a strong foundation and learned life-long skills.

These days, Margot loves:

-Caterpillars and all insects.

-Riding her 2-wheel bike (finally!)

-Running.

Running a 2km on the Ottawa Race Weekend.
Sweltering temperature 

Simon also recently ran a race: The Perth Kilt Run

There he is, in all his beauty ;)

a few meters before reaching the finish line
(please ignore the lack of cropping of this pic)

No June would be complete without our annual Strawberry picking day:

I wish you all a lovely summer! It's a short season (except in the South of France!) so take advantage of it and spend lots of time outdoors.

Our awesome trio!

To Inspire: Pebbles

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives".

                                                                                             -Annie Dillard (American author)

This quote speaks to me. 

I personally adhere to that thought (or try to in my best - or worst - of days)

It makes one aware of how crucial the present is and how every day is a pebble that you add to your non-linear path.

Autumn Manifesto

Autumn has officially begun! (although it's been here for the entire month of September)

Here's the Khouri-Parham Family Trio Autumn Manifesto: (sorry, but you'll have to bend your head to the right to read it, since I can't figure out how to rotate the picture)

Checked for September: all those things!
I know it might not seem like a lot, but it's realistic for us. And, if we do something extra (like two cultural activities!), then it's a bonus!


HIKE 1:
Pink Lake, Gatineau Park
Saturday Sept.6 2014
Note: We had a crazy rainstorm the previous day, which caused a lot of fallen trees on the path. Regardless, we made it around the lake and felt like jungle explorers when we encountered unrooted trees and fallen branches along our path.

HIKE 2:
Mud Lake, Ottawa
Sunday Sept.14 2014
Note: a cold morning! Showing the natural environs to our Toronto visitors (the little boy, Asher, is Margot's 2 year-old cousin)

CULTURE:
Museum of Nature
Saturday Sept.13th 2014
Note: What to do on rainy Saturday afternoon? Go to the museum!

CULTURE (bonus)
The Tempest for children by Rag and Bone Theatre Company at GCTC (studio)
Sunday Sept.21
Note: It was entertaining. I'm not a big puppet fan, but it worked and Margot chuckled at the comedic moments (especially the part she vividly remembers: the dogs).  I don't remember Trinculo and Stephano being chased by dogs… hum… I'm a bit concerned that the stuffed dogs may have warped Margot's first experience of The Tempest...

NEW EXPERIENCE:
Raspberry picking at Potager Eardley
Saturday Sept.7th.
Note: It was the second batch: the fall raspberries. A bit on the tart side.

I'm a list maker. I'm a memory recorder. I like checking things off. I like making plans. I think that it's so easy to fly though a month and not really experience anything "special". By having a Manifesto (and sticking to it), we "force ourselves" to go out and do things. It's sometimes too easy to fall into the hum drum of daily life. Sure, I think it's important to have a lazy weekend once in awhile, but I don't want to get too comfortable. It's not good for my vagabonding spirit...

My February Plans + Margot's Story

Well, January was cold! Let's see what February has in store for us. If today is any indication, it will be a snowy month. Welcome Snow!

Trees and snow….

 … and children wearing colourful clothes

are great photo shots!

Are you curious about my January plans/manifestos? Did they manifest?

• yes, I did complete my Yoga Challenge. I actually did 22 days-in-a-row of practice, then took a one day break, and then picked it up again. Awesome! The beauty of yoga is that there's a practice for any type of mood that you are in (and any length for that matter).
• I wrote my January letter. You know who you are ;)
• I read my book of the month: The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler.
• Soup on Sundays: most Sundays we had soup.
• Winter Family Manifesto: 



• Skate on the canal and on a local rink. Check!
• Winter Walk. Check! (our trusty Sugarbush Trail)
• Cultural Event. Check! We have a subscription to Kinderconcerts (3-8 years old) at the NAC [National Art Centre]. This month, the show was about Mozart. Margot's favourite instrument was the violin.

(this video was taken in October)

A fresh month. The shortest month. Here's what I have planned:

• Family Manifesto: stays the same.
• 28 days Meditation Challenge: 10-15 minutes every night before I go to bed. Doable. 
• Continue my daily yoga practice.
• A new book to be read.
• A new letter to be written.

Here's a funny video of Margot. She was "reading" a theatre season brochure. "Casse Noisette" is The Nutcracker. "J'ai pas fini" = I am not finished.  Her reference to MNM is her nickname for her and Noa. Yes, she wears her bathing suit around the house. And yes, those knives behind her are sharp (didn't even realize that while I was filming her). Good luck trying to understand her story! enjoy!

Friday Frivolities: Hello!

It's been awhile.

Here's what we've been up to these last two weeks:

A visit from cousin Asher:

A visit to Valleyview Petting Farm:

Playing:

(i love that the bunny and the cat are confined!)