every day Jesse

Running a photography business means a lot of my personal photography projects get put on the back burner.  I'm still taking a lot of pictures, but don't have the time to do much with them.  This blog was always a great place for me to share our lives with friends and family.  And you've probably noticed the lack of posts that reflect our daily lives.  After the fall rush of family portraits are done, I hope to return here with more of a regular presence.  (I still need to share our finished renovation with everyone!)  

Today I'll stay focused on Jesse and the things he's been doing and saying in the last few weeks.   Last weekend he pulled out the duplo blocks and built himself a Stanley Cup.  He was even cheering while he posed for his picture.

He isn't always allowed to play goalie with the big kids playing, but this day he was very comfortable in net.

 The boys have been very busy with their Playmobil castle.  And both boys love snuggling with Andrew.

As he passed friends with his bike he could be heard asking "Do you notice anything different?"  NO TRAINING WHEELS!

 Caught this one of Jesse minutes after falling asleep.  He has his littlest pet shop toy hooked in his mouth!

Last week was our meet the teacher night at school.  Jesse is now in SK and was eager to show us his classroom.  But a stop at the book fair meant he was completely distracted by his new book.  He still loves looking at books.

Abigail did the boys hair on our PD day last week.

Other quotable moments from the past few weeks...
As Jesse raced to sit on the couch for the start of Free Willy he announced "This is the best movie I've never seen!"  He has also explained a number of times to Andrew and I that girls are more important than boys because "girls hatch babies!"
That's our boy!

rice and grape salad with almonds

I am having a bit of a tough time coming to terms with the end of soft fruit season.  I'm coming across all these great looking recipes using apples, squash and pumpkins.  But my denial of the end of summer means I'm not quite ready to begin the season of cinnamon filled kitchens and comfort foods.  To me this recipe is a bit of a bridge out of summer and into the harvest season.  We're still talking about a salad but it's hearty and satisfying.  Something we all need on these cooler days.  When the weather is warm this recipe would be great chilled.  And on those days when you need a sweater, serving this room temperature is still perfect.

Rice and Grape Salad with Almonds - serves 6

1 cup uncooked rice (I used a mix of basmati, red and black rice; all cooked separately)
1 cup seedless green or red grapes (whole or halved, depending on size)
1/3 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh  flat leaf parsley
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Following the cooking instructions for your rice, cook and cool your rice.

In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard and vinegar.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Add the honey.  Season with salt and pepper.

In  large bowl, add the cooled rice, grapes, parsley and almonds.  Stir in the dressing and toss well.

gatineau park part four

After another relaxing day in Gatineau Park, our plan was to return for a tour of the Parliament Buildings.  We parked in Byward Market, had lunch and made our way along the streets.

When we arrived at the Parliament Buildings we were told that the German Chancellor was visiting and all tours were cancelled that day.  We decided to do a self guided walk around the gardens.  The kids were very disappointed but we suggested seeing the cat cemetery.  The boys were excited about this.  First we stopped at the whisper wall.

While the boys had moved on from their disappointment, Abigail was still pretty bummed.  While walking to the cat cemetary on the other side of the Parliament Buildings, guards stopped us saying they were closing the entire area.  It was time to regroup.  As we brainstormed what to do for the rest of the day, I took the kids to the front in hopes of maybe catching a glimpse of the German Chancellor or the Prime Minister.  We were out of luck.

We made a quick decision to go on a boat tour of the Ottawa River.

After the tour, we drove into Gatineau to visit Andrew's cousin.  I didn't take any photos but we had a wonderful time swimming, eating and visiting.  As the grownups chatted, my kids were introduced to Mr. Bean.  Andrew and the kids even got a ride in their electric car.  It was hard for everyone to leave but it was already past their bedtimes and we still had a 45 minute drive back to our campground.

The next morning we packed up and went to visit my cousin's family in Ottawa.  The kids had a wonderful time connecting with their second cousins.  I managed to get my camera out after supper and just before we left to drive home.  No Nathaniel in this one as he was recovering from a trampoline accident.  He was fine, just a bit grumpy.

That's a wrap of our visit to Gatineau Park/Ottawa.  Can't wait to decide on next year's location!  Any suggestions?

gatineau park part three

After a day in Ottawa, we spent the next day in the park.  Paddle boating and swimming filled our day.  We also relaxed at our campsite.

We also continued our close watch on the very bold wildlife.  We learned from our first day that any food had to be closely monitored.  After leaving the van door open and having a squirrel run out with an entire bagel, we had to practice very vigilant measures.  When food was out someone had to be guarding the picnic table at all times.  In the above picture, Andrew was peeling peaches to have a chipmunk attempt to climb his leg.

As the boys had quiet time in the trailer, I prepared supper and watched the chipmunk feast on the dropped macaroni noodles.

In the evening, we decided to drive into the park and explore the various lookout points.  It was stunning.

Jesse wasn't interested in hiking the trail, so I went with Abigail and Nathaniel.

At the end of our drive, we found the most adorable ice cream shop serving homemade ice cream.  It was then back to the campground for a late night information session on bears.  The chipmunks aren't the only wildlife in the campground.  Thankfully we didn't come across anything bigger than a raccoon.
Highlights of our last day in Ottawa coming next!