THE GOODS BLOG: Erika's Precious Little Life ~ July Edition

SUMMATIME!!! It's SUMMER! I hope that you all have exciting summer plans ahead and that you'll all be soaking up everything that our fleeting summer has to offer! It's definitely an adjustment transitioning to "the mom show" where Archie is home all day and it's up to me to fill our days with interesting things to do. But I also really appreciate the huge amount of quality time that I get to spend with my son in the summer - something that I know won't last forever. June felt like the final push to get us into summer mode! The first piece of exciting news is that I have chosen a new yoga studio! After spending a few months trying some different studios, I have become a member at Prana Yoga Studio. It's not as close to my house, which is the only downside. But apart from that it's a beautiful studio with classes and teachers that I love! The timing of the classes work perfectly with my schedule and it all feels very good. I have landed. <3

Carrie has been coming and going from my house a lot lately and has basically moved into my basement, ha ha. She (and any of you!) are welcome any time!!

We had a Golem & Cox family dinner and enjoyed a Brazilian BBQ feast!

Susan and I had a lovely coffee date! So glad that we make sure to get together (in person!) as much as we can!

And then there were the chicks!!! Our Chick Hatching Experience was a total success and we loved every bit of it very, very much. Of the nine eggs that we incubated, six of them hatched. It was all very exciting and we loved having the babies. It was difficult to return them! Archie named them Champ, Smoky, Sunny, Brownie, Greg, and Dove. Dove was my favourite! Archie literally hasn't stopped talking about the chicks since we had them, so it's safe to say that it was a hit with him. We will totally hatch birds again! Highly recommend!

There was the International Day of Yoga! Still incredibly grateful to have this practice as a forever constant in my life. It cures me. Ha ha.

For Father's Day Tim wanted to have dinner at Flat Boy Burgers, so that's what we did! He's the best dad and we love him the most!

The second that school was over we took off the very following weekend to Stettler! It's about a two hour drive away and it was the kick off to our summer! We stayed at Ford's Farmstead for our third time, always in our same Pioneer cabin! It feels like our little home! This time there were six kittens on the farm and they were a huge highlight!! We also finally did the one thing that Stettler is famous for; Alberta Prairie Rail Excursions. Archie loved the train journey and we had a great time even though it was a rainy day.

And finally, Tim and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! We had a lovely kid-free dinner at an Italian restaurant called Bar Bricco which was very enjoyable and delicious! We also booked a last minute stay at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald and we had a fancy room on the Gold floor. It was all very special! I love that we still make a big deal about our celebrations and life events. These are the moments that make up our life and they matter. <3

Not a bad start to the summer and there is much, much more to come! Life with Archie: June was the last month of the school year! Archie joined the Lendrum Bike Bus for the month, which was a new program that they just started this year. All of the kids follow a route and bike to and from school, picking everyone up along the way! This program was so great and I was happy to hear that they'll be bringing it back in the fall.

And then suddenly it was the last day of school and Grade Three was finished! We were very proud of Archie's report card and how much progress he has made.

As per tradition, Archie got to choose any restaurant that he wanted for dinner on the last day of school... And he picked The Parlour. He's way into lasagna these days and this place has a twenty-layer lasagna that he wanted to try! But disaster - they were sold out of the lasagna when we went!! So he settled for spaghetti and meatballs instead. We also got him some last day of school presents - mostly books and snacks and activities for the summer.

All of Archie's spring programs wrapped up for the summer! We're free!! His Jr. Rock Band program finished with a final big gig and he performed two songs in front of a real audience! Archie has gotten so good at playing the keyboard and performed so confidently with his band, The Turbo! I feel like he has gotten a taste of the spotlight and wants more.

Archie's Swimmer 3 swimming lessons ended... And he didn't pass. But that's okay because he'll try again in the fall. The point is that he can actually swim now and that's all that actually matters.

Archie built a Goalie Game at the latest Kids Workshop at Home Depot and a Duck at a LEGO free-build event.

Archie continued to cook up a storm! His dishes this month were; Cheeseburger Nachos with Cheese Sauce, Breaded Fish Sticks and Tartare Sauce, Crispy Tofu Sticks, and Air Fryer General Tso's Tofu. Amazing as always!

Archie attended two birthday parties, one for his friend Caelyn (Sailor Moon themed!!) and one for his friend Remington (paint ball!). He had a blast at both!

Archie beyond loved having the chicks. His favourite was Sunny. He literally won't stop talking about them.

And finally, Archie had the best time in Stettler and loved all of our favourite things there and doing new things too! He's still a pretty big train enthusiast. Also loves a kitten.

July is full steam ahead!!! The month always starts with Canada Day and our annual BBQ at the Cox house followed by fireworks. Because Archie and I had such a wonderful time last summer on our Alberta road trip... We're doing it again! Except with different locations this time! First we're driving to Calgary and spending one night there as a stopover. Then we're continuing on to Crowsnest Pass where we're spending two nights at Charmed Resorts. I've had several friends stay here and rave about it so I'm excited to give it a try! We're doing one night in the Elvyn's Cottage (my choice) and one night in Hook's Pirate Ship Cabin (Archie's choice). We're looking forward to getting to know the area because we've never been. Then we're continuing on to Waterton and spending two nights at the Prince of Wales Hotel, which we love. Waterton is gorgeous and I can't wait to be there for some mountain time! Then back for one more night in Calgary before returning home. Hopefully this year's adventure is just as memorable as last year! Tim and I have front row tickets to see a play called Hurry Hard at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre and we've never been before so that should be fun to try! I always anticipate the eating extravaganza that is Taste of Edmonton! One of my favourite festivals! Tim and I have third row tickets to see Aziz Ansari and Pete Davidson at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival which was great last year so we're stoked to do it again! And then we're off on our big family summer vacation! We're flying to Toronto and spending two nights there. We have tickets to a Blue Jays game which we're all looking forward to. Then we're driving up to Muskoka and spending three nights at the family cottage (which we still haven't sold!) in Baysville. I'm not sure if any of the other families are planning to be there at the same time. We keep thinking that every time we go is the "last time" but somehow we keep getting to visit again. After that we're driving to Sudbury where we have two nights at the Tudor on Homewood. It sounds like a strange place to visit but we have some things that we want to see in Sudbury! Then we're heading to Tobermory on Georgian Bay (we have to take the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry to get there) and staying at the Big Tub Harbour Resort for three nights. We love this beautiful area and are excited to visit again and to do some hikes and water adventures. And then finally we're ending with two nights in London to actually spend time with the Golem family. Tim's dad can't travel anymore so for the time being we're keeping our summer gatherings pretty small... You would think that the trip ends there (it was supposed to) but you would be wrong. It continues into August with more! That's phase one of the summer and it's packed! I'm slightly stressed about it but also excited. I'm not sure how this always happens (I think that I have something to do with it) but it always does. Should be a whole lot of summertime funtime for sure! Have the best summer ever, friends! Catch those rays and enjoy the long days! THIS MONTH’S SHOUT-OUTS!: July 5th is Candice Weingartner’s 44th birthday!

Wishing you the most sunny and wonderful day filled with all of your favourite things! You've always been a strong force and such a supportive friend. I hope to see you again very soon! Love you always! <3 July 8th is Crystal Hawker’s 44th birthday!

My sweet fellow blond! We need to have a big catch up real soon! I hope that everything is amazing in your life and that your birthday is a total reflection of that! You deserve every wonderful thing that comes your way and much more! Love you! <3 July 15th is Robin Checkowy’s 44th birthday!

I'm always amazed at how much you manage to accomplish! You're the sweetest person with the biggest heart. I hope that you feel very spoiled on your special day and that you get to do something just for you! Love you always, friend! <3 July 26th is Nadine Ottenbreit's 12th wedding anniversary!

Wishing you a romantic day to celebrate the two of you! <3