Catch up of the last few months!

We are back! We have been back for a while, actually.

At the end of April, just before our vacation to visit our families out of province (in Ontario), we had Fina's 7th birthday party. This was her first party with friends and it was a lovely time. We had some snacks and muffins at our park and a bunch of her friends came. It was a wonderful time of free play.

Here are just a few of them, running around.

While we were away, visiting our families, we had many great outdoor experiences. Here are just a few of them.

My parents took us to this lovely park where Fina waded in this creek and climbed this hill. She was ecstatic! "Mom, I just climbed a mountain!" Poor prairie girl!

We got to see a swan on her nest.

Fina climbed this lovely magnolia tree.

Princess Leia fashioned this swing for Chewbacca.

Fina did some gardening.

We took a quick mini-break to Montreal.

Fina climbed along this entire temporary art exhibit 

for many blocks down St Catherine street.

We climbed up a real mountain (you know, comparatively!), Mount Royal. We went up to a lovely lookout, 300 steps up. 

Fina is in the green shirt. I was tired, about 2/3 of the way up, so I sat at a bench while Fina ran up to the top and back a few times.  The two ladies in front of her were too slow, so after a bit she passed by them, saying "excuse me."  Ha!

Because I was tired, she offered to carry our bags up the final flight. 

"Mom, you have been carrying these heavy bags all day!"

The view of Montreal from the lookout.

A group going core training at the lookout. Fina joined in from a distance!

Also in Montreal, we happened upon this large reprint of Rembrandt's Prodigal Son. Wow, were we ever excited!

Visiting grandparents. Fina made herself a nice store, complete with clothesline. She played for hours in that store.

Visiting the other grandparents, Fina got to swim in Lake Ontario!

It is so cold. I couldn't keep my feet in for more than 15 seconds and they would hurt. 

She would not be deterred!

And she swam in Lake Erie.  To actually swim in waves!

Port Dover, Lake Erie

We visited various gardens. The RBG in Burlington has a lovely "Imagination Garden" under a huge willow tree with building materials to build fairy houses. Fina's dream come true!

Fina got to have a one-hour horse riding lesson (courtesy of my brother's friend who owns this lovely ranch). She brushed the horse, learned to ride it (going forward, backwards, "whoa" to stop, and "steering" it. It was incredible!

A lovely park on the Niagara escarpment.

Fina did lots of bike riding. Here is my little prairie girl riding up rather steep hills. She had to get off and walk her bike only up the last 10 meters.

Fina also got to ride Jenny, an elephant!

Incredible!

Look at how cute and small the baby elephant is!

During our time in Ontario, we rode many trains, buses, planes and ate many ice creams! It was a great visit!

She lost two teeth while we were away and a third once we returned home. She has lost 5 baby teeth in total.

I will start another post with what has been going on since we have been home! Thanks for reading. We've missed you, blog followers!!!