A non-comprehensive list of (beautiful) things that kicked my butt in June

Also known as I apologize for every time I complained about being busy in May.

We hosted a wedding shower! I only took one picture: the food. We have officially entered the stage of our friends’ *children* are getting married. It’s exciting and we can’t wait to dance the night away in August with Andrew and Myla!

The day before the shower we cleaned up all the dead trees and branches in the yard, the next day we woke up to this.

Sangerfest. Our oldest has been at MCI (a Mennonite boarding school) all year. This has been an incredible experience for him. However, this was the first concert we were able to attend. It was the first time I felt connected as a parent, I was finally able to put faces to names. And we got to participate in my favorite Mennonite tradition: The Hallelujah Course with audience participation! (this might not just be a Mennonite thing, but I have only done it with Mennonites). I panicked a bit because I haven’t sung the hallelujah course in a while, but the altos just sing like 5 notes, so I nailed it.

Middle kid gives up on school for the year, begs to work instead.

Attended the Westman tourist awards gala. Boissevain- Morton Arts Council and the Turtle Mountain and Cherry Creek Metis Locals were nominated for the Bison Mural we collaborated on last summer. I have been a part of many mural projects that I have been so proud of, but this one was special because of how much I learned about the culture and history of the Metis people of our area, as well as the relationships I made with these Metis elders. We didn’t win the award, but we did get to cheer loud when our local Bakery was awarded small business of the year.

More baseball, the regular season ended, and provincial team practices started.

We found out MCI is closing and our oldest is going to have to change schools for his grade 12 year. This was a gut punch and wave of grief. This was the school Ben graduated from and the school we worked at for four years when we first got married.

We went camping, and during that camping trip, Ben became obsessed with Frisbee golf (also attended a birthday party and church picnic, because one can’t just go camping.)

We researched school options. We are seriously considering online school/ homeschool. Who am I?

I got the stomach flu. Being sick makes me introspective and I want to become a new person.

Start a skincare routine.

Baseball in Virden (1h 30mins away) Z forgot his ball bag so we had to turn around, meet grandpa north of town and start the journey back to Virden.

Attended MCI academic awards (R highest mark in art!), and we moved him out of residence. And cried.

We camped in Morden. Our friend recommended we should bike around the lake. I had no business doing so, he clearly thought I was in shape and a competent mountain biker. I am not.

Two ice creams at George’s in Morden.

Attended Dirt Track Races. Growing up in the suburbs, this would have been a thing I would have placed firmly in the category of things I would have never attended. But I was wrong. It was so fun. Z had a buddy racing in the slingshot category (he swept every race).

Attended MCI grad. Cried again.

Do a million loads of laundry.

Put my back out.

Attended Boissevain grad. Swell of pride for my hometown. It is hard being a teenager (I could end the sentence there) in a small town. But our town is so supportive of grads, there was a seriously ridiculous number of scholarships and bursaries handed out from community groups. I think last year I counted over $10,000 for 25-30 grads.

I napped.

Cleaned my house for the first time in a month.

Realized that summer hasn’t officially started and I have already run out of groceries. How do I keep these boys fed?

I was so busy this month I barely had time for an existential crisis’

Best Book Fiction: Demon Copperhead b Barbara Kingsover (maybe a new all time favourite book)

Best Book Non Fiction: Menopause Manifesto by Jen Gunther, especially chapter 22 when she takes down the wellness industry.

Best podcast episodes:

armchair expert: revenge specialist James Kimmel

Trevor Noah: meet John Stewart

New Fav *Canadaian* wine

Jobs/camp starts next week. Right now, we have a little breather, to hope for rain, watch some Bombers football and eat rhubarb crisp.