At work and at play in the garden

Much of our time in Vancouver was spent, to the delight of all, mucking about in Meo and Doco's garden. What a treat to get to dig some real earth! Alice and Lily were very quickly hard at play with their dear cousins Molly and Ellen.

Tiger Lilys

Alice and Ellen with Soap Berry

Lily, Molly and Alice with currant

 Alice and Ellen in the sand box

Meo in the raspberries 

Lily and Molly at work on Doco's new garden 

Lily in the Hazelnut with violets

Alice and Meo planting... what were you planting Meo?

Ellen, the water nymph

Easter roses

Alice and her new sandals

Lily and Molly the 'ferocious' wolves

Spring in Vancouver

Alice, Lily and I stole away for Easter and a week of spring  in Vancouver! Our eastern eyes that are so used to white and grey of the Montreal winter were hardly ready for the explosion of blossom and greenery. Such a lovely week we had. Here are some of it's moments...

Depature

We felt a little bit like a family of russinan migrants traveling over the steppes with all their wordly goods. Thankfully we did not have that far to go.
That is our "Paradis Perché" in the background.

La vie au diable vert

 Probably our principal activity of the week-end was playing cards. Many exciting games of racing demons were had once Mummy could get the rules straight!

Here are our fifth and sixth daughters (Taryn and Brianne) who were also and essential part of our trip. Mostly they seem to spend their time getting into just the right outfit for every occasion. Here they are in their fine new hats and scarves knitted by Taï-Taï.

Highlanders

Off for provisions

Here goes Eric off for a fresh supply of water. It makes one realize what a luxury it is to have a tap though a husband is indeed a very good alternative :)

du ski au diable vert

intrepid snow-shoers

The snow being too slick for skiing we were on our snowshoes most of the time. 

 This is our little house in the background.

 At the end of the day Alice declared that the snow-shoeing had been the worst part of her day...

but the licorice that we had on our break was the best part.

Le Paradis Perché

This is our very snuggy home for three days - le 'Paradis Perché' au 'Diable Vert'. All four of the girls were instantly enchanted.

a stop in Freligsbourg

On our way to the 'Diable Vert' we stopped for one day with Louis and Louise and Charlotte and Raphael and Ian in the house that they had rented for the week. We discovered on arriving that Ian is also a fan of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' and also knows all the songs! We had quite an evening with an improvised Joseph performance!!

Ottawa ski

 Such a nice morning of skying we had while accompanying Teagan to his training session up in the Gatineau hills. Eric and I had a very new experience after Colin had very expertly waxed our skies the night before.

A happy Mama.

Eva and Philippe for breakfast

So nice to have a bit of a visit with Philippe and Eva. The three cousins lost no time in getting in to full play mode. They soon concocted a play compleet with bear, puma and indian princesse.

the rue Fabre readers

Alice seems to be at long last joining her sister in Lily's favourite solo activity - reading. Lily meanwhile gobbles books faster than I can say 'library'.

Galilée for tea

Galilée (my friend Maya's daughter who is almost 6) came over for a long awaited sleep-over. The highlight of the week-end being high tea compleet with cucumber sandwiches served by tree lovely damsels.

On the slopes!

On our last day in Sutton we brought Lily and Alice for their second ever downhill experience... Once Mum and Dad had got over the shock of ticket prices and the girls had got down their first slope we had a marvellous time. What a delight to see them figure it out! A very chilly day but oh so beautiful especially up high on the 'mountain' where the snow coated everything. Alice is a bit of a speed demon while Lily is predictably prudent.

Music at Le Renouveau

What a lovely time we had this year at our dear Auberge du Renouveau. Beautiful snow, wonderful people and we even fit in a bit of music thanks to Francis having balanced his electric piano on the roof of his car to get it there and thanks also to having a real musician in our midst in the form of Thomas and his trombone.

Quelques extraits vidéos:

1- Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

2- So This Is Christmas (John Lennon)

3- Je ne regrette rien (Édith Piaf)

Cross Country

This is the first year that I could say that Alice and Lily can ski and once more they mostly enjoy it provided that there are not too many up hills.

 The ever determined Alice.

 One Lily beginning to run out of steam.

Nothing like a bit of competition to keep us going!

Play, play, play

The principal activity of the holiday is of course play... hours of it. Endless scenes are created and shifted and recreated covering every available surface of the upstairs.

the record snow

 Out the front door.

 Connecting chambers.

They say that it is the most snowfall in one day ever in Montreal. Hard to believe, but there was lots of it. Certainly enough for some good fun!

Lily in her last day as an 8 year old...

 ... and wearing her new Christmas garb. Not yet pierced ears but she begins to make rumbles about them.

Christmas 2012

 Before and after Santa.

A backyard visitor

 I think that this is a rough-legged hawk. What do you think Mum? A strange sight out our back door.