My Week with Mom at Lasting Memories Cottage

Back in January way before covid lockdowns, my Mom booked Lasting Memories Cottage for a week in June. She planned to spend the week by the lake with her friend Zibby relaxing and reading books. They expected to enjoy lovely lake views and drive into into Bayfield for all the fun touristy things. 

Due to current covid concerns making normal human interactions seem risky and downright scary, Zibby backed out. My Mom understood her concerns but still planned to go. 

As luck would have it, my trip to Boulder in May was cancelled due to covid Canada-US border closures. With no way to visit our grandchildren in the foreseeable future, Mom asked if I'd like to go with her to the cottage instead. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I was excited and looking forward to our get away.

My Week with Mom at Lasting Memories Cottage was all I had hoped for and more. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. A perfect mother-daughter vacation with many lasting memories made. I did my best to capture the highlights in photos.

The weather was perfect the whole week ...warm and sunny. The sunsets were spectacular every.single.night! I took lots and lots of photos of sunsets and lake views. Sunsets ... just glorious!

Early morning lake views ... pretty pinks and purples.

Continuously changing ...never boring 😊

We enjoyed breakfast on the deck overlooking the lake every single morning. It was heavenly. We never got tired of continuously changing lake views.

I prepared plant-based meals for us both all week except Friday night when my husband joined us and barbecued steaks. I appreciated Mom enjoying my plant-based meals. Mom appreciated not having to cook ... win-win 😊 

We made a few trips into Bayfield to enjoy touristy stuff ... shopping and lattes at the Shop Bike Cafe. Covid rules required hand sanitizer for entry to each and every store and physical distancing was enforced. Despite all of that, the shop owners and workers were inviting and friendly. It was fun to wander around the shops after so many months of covid closures.

Mom read books, but not as many as usual. I crocheted, but not that much.

We walked Sadie to the beach, up and down the stairs and around the neighbourhood. We looked for beach glass and stones ...lots and lots of stones. I swam. Mom waded. We relaxed and watched the lake. We chatted. We drank tea. We connected. We sipped wine. We did not NOT watch TV. We watched sunsets. 

And I took photos ...lots and lots of photos. If you'd like to see more photos from our week, check out this album shared on google photos. Lasting Memories Cottage is a fabulous place to stay. We even checked off almost all the rules on their list ...12 out of 15! I'm so grateful Mom invited me to join her.

I absolutely loved My Week with Mom at Lasting Memories Cottage and hope we do it all again next year.

 

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Our Mother's Day

While Mom was away visiting a friend last week, my husband and I bought a few bags of mulch and carried them down to her backyard. Some might consider mulch an odd gift, but I know my Mom and she was predictably pleased with such a practical present.

For the past few years I have taken Mom to Starbucks for our Mother's Day treat. This year after our lattes (coffee for Mom and matcha for me) we enjoyed a relaxing stroll to the Sifton Bog pond where we found four fluffy babies had hatched ... so sweet.

Our Mother's Day celebrations this year also included a trip to the beach. My husband's brother invited us to join them for dinner at their cottage aptly named Lasting Memories Cottage. 

We bundled up for our walk on the beach as the breeze was cool.

Looking for beach glass, fossils and stones ... such fun.

Yellow forsythia covering the banks ... so pretty.

Writing in sand "Happy Mother's Day 2018" ... so right.

After our walk, we sat soaking up more of the afternoon sunshine, sipping our drinks and enjoying the view.

The breeze was still chilly, so my Mum-In-Law layered on blankets making us all laugh with her 'ready-for-the-nursing-home' reference.

After a 'busy' afternoon at the beach, we enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by the Dads. Carrot cake professionally made and decorated by my talented sister-in-law was served for dessert ... so scrumptious.

I am so grateful for this special day spent with family and love that our Mother's Day was full of sunshine and smiles. 💕😊🦋

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Thanksgiving This Year

Our daughter and her family flew home for Thanksgiving again this year. Travel is more challenging with three children. 

 

Normally we would meet them at Detroit airport with a borrowed van, help collect their luggage then all pile into the van for the drive to London. This time they had to manage on their own renting a vehicle big enough for a family of five with three little ones in car seats. It is a logistical nightmare. We were impressed with how well they managed.

They arrived on Thanksgiving Saturday around 10 p.m. a little later than planned as the border crossing was busier than expected. We didn't take pictures. It was late and the kids were tired. After a quick bath and story, they were happy to snuggle down to sleep in their lovely new tent.

This year we delayed closing our pool hoping our grandchildren would be able to use it when they visited. Thankfully we awoke to warm sunny weather perfect for swimming on both Sunday and Monday. It was fun unwinding in the pool before everybody arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. 

We loved swimming so late in the season with our grandchildren. 

Instead of swimming, our newest grandson enjoyed cozy cuddles.

This year we hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. My husband cooked both a turkey and spiral cut ham outside on his new Kamado ceramic smoker and grill. I prepared mashed potatoes, baked vegetables, cream corn and stuffing inside. My Mom brought pies (pumpkin and lemon meringue) and butter buns. My mother-in-law made salad. It was a fantastic feast with enough leftovers to last all week.

Our newest grandson slept through most of the festivities ... so sweet.

We managed to squeeze everybody around two tables in the dining room.

I love how our grandson was mesmerized by the flickering lights.

Our grandson was also entertained by ceiling fans and smiling faces too.

Thanksgiving Monday, we spent the morning swimming before heading to my brother-in-law's cottage near Bayfield. They call it "Lasting Memories Cottage" aptly named as so many happy memories are being made there.

 

 

It was a perfect day for a walk on the beach ... collecting stones.

Stones gathered from the beach were used to construct an Inuksuk back at the cottage. I think our son did a good job with a little help.

With tired kids, we left for home before the sun had set. Our sister-in-law sent us this photo ... a perfect end to a special Thanksgiving This Year.

This year, my husband and I both worked while our grandchildren were here. He was too busy to take time off and I have used all but three days of my vacation. I am saving those days for when they visit at Christmas and New Years. It wasn't a problem as they had planned activities with our parents every day.

In the mornings before work, our grandson would play and chat with me while I relaxed with a green tea latte in the living room. I learned to step carefully as Lego "disappeared" on that carpet. Our granddaughter woke up early enough only once to join in on the fun.

I managed to get a few snapshots showing how they spent their week while we were at work. They kept busy with lunches out, parks, visits to great grandparents' houses plus a trip to Stratford ... so many things.

My Mom (aka GG) joined the kids for story time one night ... so much fun.

In Stratford, they visited an "old" family friend Zibby and Gus where they posed for a group shot. I heard they enjoyed fresh baked treats.

Thursday night, they visited our niece and her husband to meet Pippin their kitten and play Wii.

Cuddles with the baby ... never get enough.

On Friday, we got off work a little early. My husband made good use of his Kamado smoker and grill making pizza for dinner ... very tasty treat.

Our grandchildren enjoyed another swim before dinner.

Our niece and her husband joined us for 'games' night Friday. Actually I sat and chatted while the 'kids' played Pictionary ... lots of laughs.

Saturday was a warm day, but rainy. Instead of going to Kustermans Berry Farm as planned, we went to Adventures on Wonderland - an indoor play area. Although it was crazy busy and noisy, our grandchildren loved it.

Our grandson loved these shakers. I could keep him entertained for ages.

On Sunday, my husband put his Kamado smoker and grill to work one more time preparing beef brisket for dinner. It was a relatively warm day so I went for one last swim with our grandchildren before finally closing the pool for the winter. 

As he often did, our littlest grandson slept through our 'good-bye" dinner. Our son had to drive home later that night while our daughter and her family started packing and preparing to fly home the next day. 

We enjoyed our week with the little ones and look forward to seeing them again at Christmas. They have not been home for Christmas since forever. I can't even remember when. This year they will be joining us for two weeks. I am super excited and already feeling more interested in decorating for the holidays. Only 60 more days ... yes I'm counting.

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