Today is the last day of August. Summer always seems to fade quickly here in Alberta. The nicest season is also disparagingly our shortest. Hot spells are few and far between and short lived when they do come. With Layla starting Kindergarten this year at a year-round school, we were getting into ‘fall mode’ even earlier than most. Her first day was August 10, so we were off on our school supply hunts even before the stores had any displays set up. However, I’m doing okay with our summer time ending a bit earlier. I enjoy a nice, long fall, and getting into the school mindset early helps stretch it out.

Luckily, we began our summer vacation jaunts in April, which helped us get into our summer mindframe early and keep it there! April was great, with our 11 day Annual Mother-Daughter Birthday Roadtrip! This year we journeyed to Portland, OR and back. Then June had us down in Florida, with a little jaunt to Nassau, Bahamas. July found us roadtripping to Cranbrook, BC with Brandi. As well, I had a girl’s trip (without Layla, oh my gosh!) for hiking and canoeing and camping in Jasper! So, it’s been busy, and it’s been wonderful!

At five years old, my little one is off to a good start. She has now officially played in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and she’s traveled to three countries. I, on the other hand, never even got a passport until I was 22 years old. Not because I didn’t want to, there were just never really opportunities. I just hope Layla will grow up appreciating travel and the opportunities for learning and growth that come with it. I never want her to be spoiled. I don’t think she will though! People wonder how I can afford to take so many trips, but they don’t realize that when we’re home, we’re very tight with our money! We just cut back in other ways to indulge in travel. We eat a lot of white rice and ramen noodles. Yum!

We’ve got our priorities, that’s all I can say!