Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein

My dad (Don), sister Cheryl and her two sons, Taylor and Nathaniel, came to visit from Winnipeg for a few days this week. Although our time together was short we really made the most of it, spending both beautiful days on the beach where we swam, played, picked berries, chatted, read and relaxed. Back at the cabin, no one even noticed that I do not own a television as they were too busy having fun playing Scrabble, Yahtzee, Chess and football.

 Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

The advantage of growing up with siblings is that you become very good at fractions.  ~Robert Brault

It was particularly nice for me to take this time off from my regular routine of chores and projects to enjoy some ‘end of summer time’ and connect with my family in a meaningful way. Living alone (with Lucy), I often get busy and forget to take periods of rest throughout the day and week. Discovering Ma-Me-O Beach here at Pigeon Lake was lovely as it reminded me that I am living in an Alberta tourist hot spot and should make the most of it by enjoying it when I can.

 You don’t choose your family.  They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.  ~Desmond Tutu

Taylor is a natural in the kitchen and we have been cooking together since he was very young. Back at the cabin, we cooked all of the delicious meals together.  Nathaniel helped out a bit there, too. Nathaniel joined Lucy and I on our evening walks and we had fun talking about fishing and snakes and just exploring nature together. My sister and I got all caught up on each other’s busy lives, and my dad (with Cher’s help) installed a beautiful new ceiling fan in the living room. Surrounded by people, Lucy got non-stop smooches and cuddles from everyone.

Beach, sunshine, time with family… end of summer fun. It was a lovely few days!