We've been enjoying a mostly hot and sunny July. And some fun to go with it.

This is our first summer since buying our house that we (read: Dan) haven't tackled a huge reno. It's been a bit freeing. And so nice not to have major areas of our living space unusable.

We still don't have all the pictures from our Ontario trip, yet, but here's some fun we've been up to since then.

Lots of pool fun, in our backyard and at the outdoor pool in town. The kids are really taking to the water this summer. Joseph is swimming up to 5 metres, John Paul dunks his head, and Emilie squeals in delight.

We spent two days in Nipawin last week. Tended our garden, had a great hotdog roast, and homemade ice cream from Grandpa Millette (FYI, it's way better than DQ). Grandpa and Grandma also took us to the Nipawin parade and fair.

Our favourite part of the parade: a team of eight horses.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the fair, but the boys went on rides and we watched chuckwagon races and a display by that beautiful 8-horse team above. The boys were so inspired by the horses, that they ran alongside the fence as all the teams were warming up causing the loud-speaker announcer to compliment Joseph on his speed for everyone to hear. We returned home and they continued to pretend they were chuckwagons racing around our house for the next few days.

Back at home, we pretend we live on an acreage. We dig, plant, cut lumber, and generally make our yard a mess every day.

With our beautiful weather, we took a day trip to the lake last week. We bring stuff for a picnic hotdog roast and plenty of food to snack all day long.

It was Emilie's best day ever. No exaggeration. She was in her heavenly glory surrounded by wet sand and water. She never made it into her bathing suit, but she was much better off protected by her shorts and shirt from the sand.

In expert fashion, Dan erected a beautiful sand castle, complete with turrets, a moat, etc.

And Emilie flattened it...

With a bit of help from John Paul... and proudly sat atop her mud mountain.

We did wash her a bit, don't worry.

Unfortunately, we never made it to the lake last summer, so this was our first time trying out a tube we bought at the end of the season two years ago. It was a hit. All in all, a fabulous day.

   

Anniversary Mass Singing

We've been on the road, or have had guests visit, for most of the summer now. One of the items we were fortunate to join in on was my brother Darryl's 10th anniversary celebration to the priesthood. The Millette choir (my brother, two sisters and me.. and joined by my niece Claire on this day!) joined forces with a mom from the Latin Mass who plays organ. We put together a quick couple of practices just an hour or two before the Mass. Needless to say, our guardian angels sure came through for us.

Now this video will never do justice to what it was actually like. The organ actually shook the church on the final song. It was, I think, my favourite moment ever from singing in the choir. I paid a price though. I threw out my voice somewhat. I've been stuck with a bad sore throat ever since!

Give a listen to some of the hymns and such. Some highlights are at:

27:04 Let All Mortal Flesh
46:30 Love Divine All Love Excelling
49:01 Non Nobis Domine
50:35 Dextera Domine
52:09 Ave Maris Stella (shortened)
57:35 O God Beyond All Praising

Yes there is an important juxtaposition here. That is sacred music being played within a post-modern structure. The church my brother is stationed at is Holy Spirit parish in Saskatoon. What could go wrong with a church built in 1966 titled Holy Spirit? They were tough times, and this church bears testament to that.. However, where there is no beauty, put beauty there, and then there will be beauty.

I would love to have some of our hymns recorded properly. However, as Becca so tactfully encouraged me once this was over: "You know, you should think about getting singing lessons..."

What I actually heard:

C'est la vie.

Jam Session

We had some distinguished guests visit our humble home earlier this week. John Paul Meenan and Joseph Platt stopped by. Meenan was a professor and director of OLSWA when I went there. Platt and I went to school there at the same time.Well Becca and I were putting a couple of things away upstairs when we heard some music coming from the basement. Lo and behold the boys, Platt, and my brother Stephen were having a little jam session.

Prime Time Saints

While in Barry's Bay we were talking with a friend about the differences in the liturgical calendar and Divine Office between the Novus Ordo and Traditional books. He told us that he enjoys praying the Traditional Office, and particularly Prime. Now Prime, along with other "hours" was removed for us Novus Ordo folks. It can sadly be said that the Church prays less now than ever before. Anyway, this is a long preamble. The point is he was telling us how Prime contains readings from the martyrology of the Church. He then proceeded to tell us about one such newly married couple who were... um, after a period of torture crucified facing each other. They exhorted each other to continue to suffer on the cross, and managed to live quite a lengthy time. Oh yeah, and they were newly weds. How's that for a honeymoon? It's quite fascinating. Briefly, for your edification:

The holy Martyrs Timothy and Maura were husband and wife. Timothy was from Penapeis in the Thebaid, a reader in the Church, and had been married to Maura only twenty days when he was betrayed to Arian, the Governor of the Thebaid, as a teacher of the Christians. Arian commanded Timothy to surrender his sacred books, which he refused to do, comparing it to a father's giving up his children to death. For this answer, heated iron spits were thrust through his ears. As he was being put to other tortures, Arian summoned Maura, hoping that she would persuade her husband to worship the idols, but she confessed herself a Christian. The hair of her head was pulled out, her fingers were cut off, then she was lowered into a cauldron of boiling water, but remained unharmed. Finally husband and wife were crucified facing each other, and after nine days, received their martyric end, during the reign of Diocletian (284-305).

http://www.dowama.org/content/righteous-priests

Saints Timothy and Maura, pray for us. 

Summer Vacation: Ontario Style

After a hectic final week of school and painting, I hastened to clean the house, pack, and drive off to Saskatoon on Friday, June 30th, after work. Thankfully my sister Elaine and her family put me up for the night, and even drove me to the airport at 3:30am on Canada Day. Yikes.

The flight was good. I mean, I haven't flown sans children in a long time. Thankfully there was another baby crying for most of the flight, lest I feel lost without the comforting sound. I then got picked up by Becca's brother Ben and whisked away up north to the Combermere/Barry's Bay region to spend a week at a cabin with my family and in-laws. Whisked isn't the best term actually to describe a normally 4 hour drive. This is Ontario. And it was Canada's 150th Birthday. Highway 401 became a parking lot. Peterborough became a mess of road construction and parades (seriously, who throws a parade in the middle of the day on July 1st anyway?). The final stretch of road became a practice in the virtue of patience. Finally I arrived! It was beyond a relief to see Becca and the kids again. And thus our week began.

I offer you a few pictures of what we were up to this past week. Note that I snapped these quickly with our iPod. I don't really have any pictures of the Mombourquette side seeing as there was a real camera being used for that (Becca will I'm sure add some pics later). And I obviously didn't take a picture of everything I did, or everyone I met. Nevertheless, here's a snapshot of our week:

After arriving Saturday we got up early and went to the 8am Mass at St. Hedwig's in Barry's Bay. Fr. Hattie and Fr. Shalla were there. How comforting. Afterwards I took the fam out for one of my all-time favourite post-Mass endeavours, brunch at The Ashgrove.

Becca mops her brow after a hectic few days. Finally time to relax.

Meanwhile Joseph stole the show by putting together his plate and forming a breakfast sandwich. Bonus points for adding the mini-Canadian flag to make it a Canadian Club. Never mind the fact that he later told me he found the flag on the ground in the parking lot.

And life at the lake (or river in this case) begins. There was plenty of time for canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.

A game called washers. It uses washers.

 Joseph telling John Paul what to do, as usual. John Paul ignoring Joseph, as usual.

 John Paul telling his cousin Oliver what to do. I'm not sure if Oliver is listening.

We took a day trip to spend more time in Barry's Bay. I really wanted to show the boys around.

Picnic.

 Lake Kaminiskeg. In the back is Mask Island where I used to live.

 Always happy.

 They put up an outdoor elliptical. So now people can strap on a baby carrier and work out in public while looking in the opposite direction of the lake, as Becca demonstrates here.

 What the heck! Barry's Bay has a Timmies!

Visiting Our Lady.

Well this is cute. This is the exact spot where Becca and I first met (and fell in love... cough). We were doing a reenactment of the scene, but all these kids kept getting in the way. I guess it was meant to be.

And here is the exact spot where we got married. The boys loved that! 

They wanted to stand on the spot. 

The Academy. Wait!!!! No!!! As we were reminded several times throughout the week, it is now Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College.

I just love this church to death. I want to take it with me wherever I go. But it belongs to Barry's Bay. 

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, our nightly routine involved showers and scrubbing to get sand and blood (bugs were bad) off of the kids).

On Wednesday we had some distinguished guests join us. Three members of the Platt family as well as OLSWA legend John Paul Meenan.

John Paul meets John Paul. The boys loved him!

On Thursday we visited with more friends from our school days. The Craines and Zylstras. Just like that there were 10 little kids around. That's the Catholic biological solution. Liberals die out. We take over. It was almost shocking to me to see other families trying to live the faith out like we are. We're not alone!

On Friday we packed up and left for the Toronto airport. Yes, a very important moment in the lives of me and the boys occurred. We passed a sign pointing to Bobcaygeon. You know, where the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time.

We had a somewhat terrifying drive on the 401. I'll leave it at that. Here's the ride.

 "I would walk 500 miles..." just to get to our gate.

 And look who was there! Uncle Stephen! He was busy watching a boxing match on Youtube. I don't remember what it was like to be single and not be chasing kids all around.

 We cut across and got some food at a classy little bar and grill while waiting for our plane. John Paul spilled water all over. Joseph goofed around. We know how to make a scene.

Now that's beautiful! And Emilie doesn't look too bad either. 

Seriously, what is this thing supposed to be? 

Flying home. What a loooooong day. Thankfully my sister Elaine picked us up and let us stay the night again. We then Latin Massed it up on Sunday morning (and confession too! I love how they do that). Then we headed down for the last leg of our journey. The best part of any trip is still coming home! We just gazed at our little house and yard very proudly. It's definitely home!

Oh and I surprised the boys with some new squirt guns and golf clubs.

It's great to be home indeed! Now I must get some sleep.