Little Red.

It takes courage to grow up

and become who you really are.

- EE Cummings

Thankful.

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends out there! (And Happy Weekend to all of my other friends :) ).

In the spirit of being thankful, I thought that I would share a few of the special things in my life that I am thankful for each and everyday.

First off, my family. I came from a family of weirdos and I am proud of it! They get me, they accept me (whether they like it or not) and they are just awesome. I am thankful that I come from such an odd but loving family.

Second, the Buckle's (and MacDonald's!). These people... there are no words that can truly describe how incredibly selfless, caring, and encouraging they are. My in-laws are literally better than yours and I love them to bits! (I am sure that your in-laws are pretty great also)

Thirdly, I am thankful for our dogs, Rosie and Noah, who like to cause trouble but keep my somewhat fit. I am also thankful for our cat, Charlotte (she came with the name), for stepping on our faces when we sleep, knitting on my shoes, and catching bugs that invade our home.

Finally, Mark. Mark, Mark, Mark. My husband is an incredible man with incredible patience. He puts up with my crankiness when I am lacking sleep, my high-standard for cleanliness (I am a little insane when it comes to messes), and my outlandish behaviour. I am going to sound like every other woman or girl out there, but I am, without a doubt, the luckiest woman in the world to have Mark Buckle as my partner-in-crime, my husband and my best friend. (Can you tell that I like him?)

Now that I have shared what I am thankful for, I want to know what you are thankful for, whether it is Thanksgiving where you are or just a regular weekend!

 One of my favourite days with a few of the weirdest but most awesome people I know.

(Missing: My oldest brother, Wesley, my sister-in-law, Alex, and my neice, Kamael)

The raddest people on the planet.

(Missing: My brother-in-law, Matt, sister-in-law, Tammy, nieces, Emily and Sarah, and nephew, Nathan)

My big bear, Noah.

My little weasel, Rosie.

The escape artist, Charlotte.

The most extraordinary man in the universe!

Oh! 

One last but certainly not least thing that I am thankful for: 

All of you!

Thank you for checking out my blog and leaving such encouraging and sweet comments! 

It means so much!

<3

The blue-eyed boy.

My nephew, Wesson, is just the sweetest little dumpling with the most beautiful blue eyes. No wonder he has all girl-friends at school :)

Picture Day Practice.

Today is 'picture day' for my niece, Charlotte. Since I was going to be off at school before she even woke up (which is just ridiculous), I thought it would be appropriate if we had a mini-shoot the evening before to practice her smile (and because she is just so cute that I want as many photos of her as I can possibly get!).

So, here are a few of my faves from yesterday's Charlotte-shoot! 

I have a feeling her 'picture day' is going to be a breeze.

Ps. This girl needs a modelling contract, ASAP!

 My nephew, Wesson, wanted to show off his Diego pj's. Haha!

I can't believe she is only FIVE! Ah! She is just the best :)

The First of Many.

I love this little girl to bits and I was blessed with the experience of watching her go to her first day of Elementary School yesterday! 

Watching her excitement and nerves build on our way to the school is a memory I will store away for a long time. She is just the most precious and one of the most bright 5 year olds I have ever known.

I cannot wait to watch as she becomes more of the person she is supposed to become and the stories she will share :)

Manitoba Treasures.

Since my brother and his family got here last Saturday, we have been non-stop (in the best way possible)!

We ventured down to Souris (one of my favourite spots to visit), we have discovered more nooks and crannies of Brandon and we have been enjoying our life in the little town we live in a lot more.

This past Saturday, we squished into the car with family, picked up some extended family along the way, and headed up to the beautifully breathtaking Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park! 

I could not believe my eyes. It was like we weren't in Manitoba anymore. There was a LAKE! And it was actually clear! It was just so magnificent! 

I will let the photos explain how gorgeous this place was and what an awesome day we all had :)

My brother took this funky photo. 

It's 'breaking' photography rules but it really captures how awesome of a day it was!

The Great Escape