Wonderful friends & nature & Help

Today's blog will be divided in three (or more) segments:

We love our 'Ontario friends' as we often refer to them. Shared McGill memories, shared values and similar dreams makes us grow closer each time we see each other. We enjoyed spending time with them around the pool in the backyard, playing Monopoly (though the baby didn't quite approve), eating Mexican food, getting a parking ticket and planning how to get out of it, walking around McGill and the Old Port and going shopping. Can't wait to see you again!

Aren't her sandals the cutest?

Nature: I think I've mentioned we have been going on bike rides, hiking, etc. This week we had a new outdoorsy adventure. We went canoeing around the Boucherville Islands (see it here on the map). My parents rented a kayak, and since Paul & I had once fought in a kayak during our honeymoon, we decided to go for the canoe. A beautiful hour and a half of singing, paddling, and looking at different kinds of birds and fish later and we were done. It was a very fun afternoon. Oh and in other news, on a bike ride the other day, we discovered a vineyard in St. Bruno and it's actually good! If you live in or around Montreal you should try it. Here is the website. 

Please ignore my over-sized bum and enjoy the view.

The Help: My good friend lent me the book the other day and I started reading it. I enjoyed hearing the words spring to life, so much so that on a rainy, dreary Sunday like today, I decided to go see the movie. It was my dad's suggestion, and though I know I should have read the book first, I couldn't help myself. I must say the critics aren't lying. It is seriously amazing. One of the best movies of the year, if I dare say so myself. Now I just have to finish reading the book. I don't think it will be too hard, because I'm expecting the book to have more details anyway. 

Now I am getting ready for the first day back to school. I won't have any students in my classroom yet, but I'm getting that nervous/excited feeling about starting a new school year. I don't even have my outfit picked out yet! I should probably get going on that!