proud new aunty

on july 21, my brother and his wife introduced us to their beautiful new baby girl, nadia janae. she is the sweetest little thing!! she was 6 lbs 1 oz, and 18 inches long. not only am i a very proud aunty, i'm incredibly proud of aurelie, as nadia was delivered breech. all 3 are doing great. way to go you guys! we're so happy for you!

hecla island

the previous post about our camping list wasn't just a random thought. i was packing for the 5th Annual Toews-Polinsky Camping Adventure. this year we returned to hecla island. we love love love hecla. the forests are beautiful. the fine, soft, white sand of sunset beach is littered with thousands of perfect skipping stones. and the campsites are large and very private.
however, the mosquitoes were absolutely terrible last week. thankfully our friends have a kitchen tent where we spent most of our waking hours.and then on the second day the weather turned cool and cloudy. we spent some time exploring the shale cliffs at the quarry.

excuse the hair - it was windy!

on our last night, we had had enough of the rain and feeling stuck in the kitchen tent so we headed off to the restaurant on the wharf where we ordered hot chocolate and played bohnanza. despite the rain and the bugs, i think it's fair to say that a good time was had by all.

camping checklist

i am a list person. i love to make lists and i love to cross things off of lists. if i have a "to do today" list and do something that's not on the list, i add it to the list, just for the satisfaction of crossing it off of the list.

as i think about what to pack for our camping trip this week, i have to thank my past self. and also my mom, who passed on the idea. i have a camping list, saved on the computer, which i go to every summer before a trip, print it out and scribble all over it. we don't always bring everything on the list, but we rarely forget anything. it has evolved over time considerably and i've shared it with numerous people. today i've decided to share it with you. copy and paste it and save it for your next trip if you like. you'll probably have to change a bunch of it to suit your family. but here it is. do with it what you will.

Camping List
Tent/ground sheet
Sleeping bags
Extra blankets
Pillows
Mats
Tarp
Ropes
Lantern and fuel
Hatchet/axe
Firewood/kindling
Matches
Paper
Work gloves
Lawn chairs
Folding seats
Bug spray
Camera & extra batteries
Blue water container
Provincial park pass
Map
Hammock

Clothes:
Rain gear
Clothes for hot weather
Clothes for cold weather
Extra ginchies
Bathing suits and beach towels
Sandals
Shoes
Sunglasses

Food stuff:
Coleman stove, fuel, lighter
Pie Irons
Wiener sticks
Barbeque & fuel
Pots
Pans/Griddle
Cups/mugs
Plates/bowls
Cutlery
Can opener, flipper, spoons, whisks , etc. (look at your menu)
Cutting boards/knives
Lots to drink
Cooler/ice
Containers for leftovers, clips
Ziploc bags
Saran wrap
Tinfoil
Paper towels
Dish soap
Dishcloths/sponge
Tea towels
Basins
Tablecloth
Oven mitts/hot pads
Snacks for the beach
Snacks for the campfire
Snacks for anytime!
Hot chocolate

Personal:
Toiletries
Shampoo/conditioner
Soap
Bath towels
Sunscreen
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Hand towel

Other stuff:
Bible and devo book
Bikes and bike rack
Clothesline & clothes pegs
Flashlight
Sewing kit, safety pins, duct tape
First aid kit & band-aids
Games, books, magazines
Daypack
Kleenex and cold medication
Extra tarp
Extra cash
Water bottles
Swiss army knife
Scissors
Plastic bags
Croquet/bocce ball
Earplugs
Watch
Electric flyswatter
Head lamps
Tent lamp/batteries
Floating Homer