My family is the kind of family who actually like to vacation together. Weird, right? We enjoy each other's company, we love to play games and cards and we cherish every moment we spend creating new memories. Tobermory, on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, has long been our destination of choice for a summer getaway. In fact, my mom has been going since she was a child and my parents honeymooned there! About 14 years ago my parents invested in a cottage and we have spent countless summer hours enjoying the peace and breathtaking beauty of our little log cabin. Purchased from a retired school marm, it was sold to us fillled to the brim with furniture, dishes, decor and various oddities and art. We kept much of the kitsch, just to maintain the cottage atmosphere...we are firm believers that a cottage should be the bare essentials and tacky decor , not a second home!
As the years have passed, we have made it a family tradition for everybody to load into the car for the three hour drive up Highway 6 to our little haven to celebrate Canada Day. Some years we had up to 21 people and 4 dogs, all crammed into a cottage (with a separate "bunkie") that sleeps a maximum of 7 at best! It was not unusual to have to step over numerous bodies on the way to the bathroom in the morning.
However, now that my parents are getting older and the family is growing as more babies are born, there is an unspoken understanding that the Canada Day weekend is now reserved for only my parents, me, my girls and hubby and my brother. Sometimes my Grandma joins us too. It feels so good to have our little group together, enjoying books, swimming (if you are crazy enough to jump in when it's only 56 degrees Fahrenheit!) and eating. We love watching from our front deck as fireworks explode in the sky, holding our collective breath as my girls scramble over the rocks with expert balance and coordination, the dog swimming and chasing ducks that stray too close, breakfast cooked solely on the BBQ and talking and reading late into the night, with a sure promise of an afternoon nap the next day. Cottage life is the best!
Here is a collection of images from this past Canada weekend that represent my family and our cottage. Here's to many happy memories yet to be made!
1. Wildflower bouquet 2. Kitschy lamps 3. My girlies 4. Mom 5. Dad 6. Fire for roasting marshmallows 7. Nightly rituals 8. Ben 9. Old School doors 10. Photos of the cottage from the '70s 11. Carl and Brielle 12. Fireworks! 13. My favourite seagull mobile (they are two!) 14. Rustic chairs with well-used cushions 15. Games cupboard 16. My favourite painting, love the mood 17. Bathroom sign...classy 18. Cottage clutter creates atmosphere 19. The official name of our cottage 20. The bunkie 21. Grandma 22. Emery making pancakes 23. Me! 24. My favourite view when reading 25. Happy Canada Day!
