More Brooks photos......

Pictures tell a hundred stories they say. Brooks is such a happy little camper as much as he keeps his parents regularly a bit short of sleep. Below a few of the many pics that come our way....

 

In the meantime, Carly is ready to drop her baby girl. She is "all baby" as Mary says. Within the coming two weeks we expect the delivery to take place. I still can't believe both our own babies will be parents soon. Certainly not used to the idea of being a grandparent myself.....

While we had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner a few days ago (once again hosted by Sue & Ralph), my sister Ger celebrated her 82nd birthday with all her kids and grandchildren in the east of Holland.

Start of Fall

I made this photo my screensaver for the time being. Once pumpkins get displayed everywhere in Canada, you know the Fall season is around the corner. Brooks - with his little pumpkin-style hat - is checking out some pumpkins. You cannot resist smiling when seeing a photo like this.... 

Hilary and Brooks are back home in Penticton now that the sky is clear again after the terrible wild bush fires in their area. They got together with friends Hilary met while being a year in Australia and there was a nine month old baby. Brooks seemed to enjoy another little person's company....

Mary had her second knee surgery and now the 6-7 week long recovery requires her patience. The pain the first few weeks after the surgery is nasty, but we are already two weeks into that period now...

Meanwhile Ralph started another 3-4 day cycling trip to Windsor along Lake Erie with 3 or 4 camping stops along the way. Good for him! His colorful outfit and set of bags makes him well visible for the cars along his route. Just sent this photo to Ger and Bert, because Bert has done this kind of cycling for so many years himself. 

Family, family

Hilary, Carly and Mark went to Sarnia to visit the Vandenboom clan there, just before Hilary and Brooks went back to Penticton. The air is clear again there. In the meantime - in Holland - Bert celebrated his 84th birthday together with their kids and grandchildren. They went to play a fun minigolf game and had coffee and cake afterwards. They send me this nice group photo:

And this post will have a few photos again of our little super star Brooks...; such a cutie.....

Back in Penticton on the beach with his mama; not a bad spot to be (as long as there are no big bush fires nearby....). The air is clear again and the Okanagen Lake is as beautiful as always...

40 years Sue and Ralph

Fiona decided it was time that her parents had a proper wedding ceremony forty years after they met each other. The two of them did a brief townhall wedding after Fiona was born, but they never had a big wedding party. It had to be a surprise party Fiona decided, so secret planning went on for weeks. When Sue and Ralph arrived at the farm house where Ralph's sister Roos lives (and where they grew up with younger brother Mark and baby sister Tina), we were instructed to hide.....

The setting of the farm is very nice for wedding ceremonies, and both Tina and Roos had their weddings taking place there already. About 25-30 good friends and family were invited for the surprise party for Sue & Ralph. The ceremony master Rich had a fun short speech prepared and afterwards the guests had a nice meal together on a long table in the garden. The evening ended with dancing....

The dress Sue was made to wear after arriving at the farm was produced by Fiona under guidance of Hilary. Hilary also continues to make cute clothes for Brooks and kids of her friends. Brooks showing one of the "made by my Mom" pants (obviously aimed at his rapid growth if you look at the legs....):

Frequent flyer Brooks

Brooks is already a frequent flyer at four months old. The bush fires near Penticton kept going (and are now already burning for three weeks), so from Vancouver, Hilary flew with Brooks to Hamilton to stay with us in Fonthill again for a few weeks. Shayd drove back to Penticton and confirmed that the fires continue and the air quality continues to be poor. It is pure joy to have the little "mannetje" with us again. His smile is golden, but he can also protest loudly when having stomach cramps or when he is not in the mood to do one of his needed sleeps. Nice pics with Mary, Mark and me.....

This week we had a few campers in the "famjam": Marcy, Joe, Sue and Ralph camped in Algonquin Park and had fun cycling and canoeing together. It is a beautiful park just south-west from Ottawa.

In our neighborhood, Bill - who is in his early nineties - lets a bunch of people play at his private tennis court. It keeps him entertained, he says. Recently, Bill was also kept busy by one of the players making wasp catchers from used plastic bottles. He is always a good sport and still handles his beer ok.....

Brooks' first swim

Just three months and a bit, but Hilary & Shayd took Brooks already to their community center pool for a dip. According to the photo, he enjoyed it (sort of). This was just before the terrible wild bush fires started in the Okanagen valley between Kelowna and Penticton. Shayd & Hilary took Brooks to stay with friends in Vancouver, because the air quality was so bad in Penticton, which was also on alert for possible evacuation. The fire fighters work hard to control the fires. 

Hilary and Shayd regularly post photos of Brooks. Hereby a few. Brooks smiling, Brooks having fun with himself in the mirror and Brooks being like a movie-star with sunglasses on a beach. 

Friends in Amsterdam have a grand-daughter born two weeks before Brooks who apparently has similar cool baby sunglasses..... Her name is Luna.

In order to make the looking after Brooks a bit easier for the time being, we are having Poncho as our guest for a while. Here hanging out with Mary on the new deck....

Ralph has been cycling in Quebec last week shortly after the cycling in Holland. Below an impression of the route he cycled there one of the days last week. Quite the distance 5 or 6 days in a row, and also quite the up and down of the road. Impressive....

Beautiful region to cycle for those who have the leg muscles for it. 

In the meantime, I continue my volunteer work at the Welland Tennis Club clearing the clay courts from the weeds and wild grass along the sides of the courts. Three hours of that work was a good work-out, also clearing the patios of some of the weeds growing in between the concrete pads...