L e a n n e   V e r k l e y

Easton turned 15 on October 2!  I really can't believe it!   He’s smart, athletic, musical and so fun to be around! This year for his birthday dinner, he chose Japanese food.  We went to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. We drove to pick up Hadley first so she could join us in the fun.  The ramen was so delicious!  We each got a different flavoured meal and we each liked the one we picked out for ourselves the best!  If you had asked me when Easton was little if this would be his birthday restaurant meal, I would have said no way... but he loved it!  Afterwards we went home and enjoyed cupcakes as we made them for the LAN party weekend ahead but we ate 4 today on his actual birthday... The rest would be enjoyed the next day with friends.  
Easton is still skinny at 145 lbs, up from 130 last year, and 5'11...and a half", up from 5'10" last year.  Shoe size 11 up from 10 last year.  He has some clothes that are size mens small and a few mens medium.  He still loves to sing in the shower.
For his birthday he invited his friends and their dads over for a LAN party weekend.  The boys of course played video games, but there were lightsaber battles in the dark outside, ping pong and hockey in the basement, board games, snacks... so many snacks and laughter.  My favourite part, late night laughter.  
Grade 10 is off to a good start.  He has been selected as the alternate player for select hockey as well as regular house league.  His guitar teacher is impressed with his progress from his summer playing.  This year his birthday gift request was a new pair of headphones for his computer among other things.  

On October 5th Shaye and I went to Unionville to celebrate the 25th anniversary of where the filming of the pilot of Gilmore Girls took place.  This was a fantastic show that we both so enjoyed!  It is still on Netflix today.  We arrived and had lunch together to get caught up, then we toured the town and got pictures by the current welcome sign.  We took photos at the town's gazebo.  It was such a beautiful day! I was wearing the Gilmore Girls sweater that Easton got me last Christmas. Shaye was wearing the scarf that Rory wore in the show.  But we got hot, so they came off and we enjoyed some ice cream in town.
We went by Luke’s diner/Williams Hardware that was inspired by the current Belle Beute Med Spa.  
Shaye came to Easton's hockey game that night!  What a great day!

The Blue Jays have garnered the attention of Canadians this month as they finished first in their division and made it through ALDS and then ALCS, and now the World Series... World Series game 1 we had a watch party at Hadley’s place as Brian was coming home from the airport so we met him there.  She decorated her door for Halloween and it was so festive.  Game 2 was a regular watch at home.  Game 3 in the World Series, again watched at home but it was an 18-inning match between Blue Jays and Dodgers and it was the second longest game in World Series history. I went to bed after 3am! The game started at 8pm. Dodgers win 6-5. That was a long game!  Game 5 was at the same time Easton had a hockey game, so I caught the first part in the lobby, and then the ending in the lobby at the rink.  Game 6 was hyped up as the last two times we won the World Series we won in game 6, but not this time.  This time we will be playing Game 7 on November 1.  It has been so fun to watch them... I have high hopes for game 7!

Thanksgiving we spent picking pears at my dads.  They are Hadley's absolute favourite.  Plus she is excited to take some back to her dorm.  My sister and her family and my brother and dad as well as our family enjoyed a lovely turkey dinner put on by my dad.  Then it was off to Brian's sister Julie's house for the Verkley side.  We played outside, and even ate outside, it was such a lovely day.  Birthdays were also recognized for Easton and Selinah.  

Brian's cousin Patrick and his wife Meg had a baby shower almost one year to the day from their wedding shower.  They were showered with many handmade gifts among other useful things to welcome their baby boy!  Rhett Thorin Verkley arrived early in the morning on October 27th. Despite arriving nearly three weeks early, he still weighed a healthy 7lbs 7oz!

Our deck is finally complete.  Stairs were the last and most challenging part but we have them now and the leftover wood is put away.  Just in time for the weather to change.  The kids were our helpers on this large project.  I think they have a new appreciation for drills and how much work goes into such a project.  Brian was integral in this project, knowing all the building code requirements and cutting all the wood.

This year Easton carved his first pumpkin.  Neither kid enjoys taking the seeds out but Easton helped this year.  The kids usually give insight as to the look but Brian usually does the carving.   However, this year Easton was sure he could carve out a Blue Jays logo instead of a face.  He did it!  It looked fantastic!  I was so proud of him.  Easton dressed up for school as a Blue Jays player, and Hadley a Blue Jays fan.  We ordered a pizza and it came in the shape of a pizza with pepperoni for the eyes with olives, pepperoni for the nose and mouth and pepperoni all around the outside with a stem cut into the dough.  

All in all a wonderful October!

Throughout the summer, Hadley and I did many shopping trips and packed many boxes for the anticipated September 1st move in day.  On that day, there were many things to navigate.  To back track, over the summer, Hadley matched on the roommate app with two boys who had similar personalities.  It wasn't what she was expecting, she was expecting to be in a room full of girls, however, after much conversation, it made sense to begin talking with these two boys over the summer to see if their study style, living style and the such made sense and they got along so well.  So, on moving day, when Daniel arrived at his movie in time, he came to realize that the room type they requested had been changed.  So after a morning of back and forth with property management, it was finally changed back to the room style Justin, Hadley and Daniel wanted after asking Lucas, who nobody had talked with up until that day, who was in the room from the previous semester, that these three roommates would be a good fit.  Next up, Brian did a fantastic job of tetris packing the van with all the things she would need/want.  We arrived and Hadley signed up for electrical and water before heading to her assigned room, only to realize that she had been given the wrong room number to put on the forms, so after sorting that out, we finally got access to her room but no key yet.  Also, note, the electrical and water couldn't be changed until the next day as it was the Labour Day holiday. (Side note, this was easily fixed the next day but not ideal to deal with on move in day).  We managed to get access to her room with the help of security who promised to get her key sorted out while we moved her in.  By 5:45 no key yet, so Brian and Hadley went to sort that out while Easton built Hadley's new desk chair and I organized some food staples and other things in her room.  Apparently the office was closing for the night when Brian and Hadley arrived but they managed to get a sympathetic worker who figured out a key for her room for her before ending his shift.  Thank goodness.  
On their way back Hadley and Brian came across the leftover food that had been given out the hour before and they brought pizza up to her room, so her new roommates and our family enjoyed a pizza together.  
I had given Hadley a few gifts but the family frame with photos inside was the real tear jerker for both of us.  That night was hard, for both Hadley and I.  Saying goodbye was A LOT!  She was emotional which made me emotional.  I woke up at 2am, after tossing and turning all night to that point  and finally just went and slept in her bed.  She, however, had to go to class the day after moving in, so when we talked later she was able to send me a photo of her in front of her door for the first day of school.   I drank my morning tea from my Seneca Mom cup.  Holding on to the warmth and hope for a great day for her.  The next two days I think we talked every time she had a free moment from class.  I think we both needed it.  But slowly, she started to be okay with a little more space and now a month into school, she has gone to a BBQ, a residence party, and met up with two girls to take the subway to go see a movie at Yorkdale.  We still talk daily and she is learning lots of life stuff daily.  But I think we both feel more comfortable.  She came home the first weekend after being there and I think that filled her cup.  Lisa had just driven here from the Yukon, so we met up with her, and she was able to show off her room (including fairy lights, new bedding and posters that reflect her so well) and she gave her a tour of the school grounds and we went out for dinner before spending the weekend together playing games and hanging out.  Hadley's first semester schedule is amazing.  She has Fridays off and Monday mornings off!  
So with the offer from the 407 that allows me to drive between 7am and 9:30am weekdays between September 1 and November 30th, this will make picking up and dropping off a breeze.  
Easton also had his first day of school for grade ten and it was strange to take photos of just him on the first day.  His year is off to a good start.  We have already had a parent council meeting too.  House league hockey has begun, he made AP (call up) for Select too.  

Now, it was time for a little girls outing.  I met up with Lindsay, Stacey and Andrea for a fun day out at Toronto Premium Outlets.   We enjoyed dining, shopping and lots of catch up time!  Lindsay and Andrea I have known since kindergarten and Stacey since grade 9.  What a fun day!

Mid month we found out that the Northern LIghts would be possible to see, so we went outside and we could see them from our backyard.  Better with the camera but also with just our eyes.  

I was able to get out for a few different walks, one with my friend Patti, another with Melissa, both down by the lake, as well as a third walk with Barb to go see the salmon run again this year.  I love that this is 5 minutes from our house!  

I have also signed up for line dancing again with Marsha and Melissa and a few of their friends, as well floor hockey but going this year will be hit or miss depending on when Easton has hockey. However, I'm still glad to be playing.  
So far the school year is off to a busy but good start!

July started with maple bacon poutine and tornado potatoes on a stick with cupcakes decorated with Canadian flags for Canada Day!  Again this year we went to the strawberry festival in Stouffville.  I think it was better the last time we were here but still time together with live music, fun food and fireworks, made the day special.  
I got my hands on some fresh rhubarb so there was crisp to enjoy as well as some homemade strawberry jam.  
I bought tickets for the kids to go to the Minecraft experience, which in my opinion was really well done, but unfortunately I think it was geared to a younger crowd.  However, it should be noted that the props were really photo-worthy.  They had some interactive games but again, I think it was geared to 12 or younger.  

It was nice to get together with the mommy group for.a girls night out.  We have known each other so long and have gone through so many milestones with our kids together.
We always talk like no time has passed since our last visit.  

My nephew Jayden came to play ball near us, so of course I went to watch him.  #50!   9-7 win for his team.  

I helped my friend Shaye pack up her old house on one of the hottest days of the summer at 35C with no air conditioning, a tornado warning and branches flying all around as we drove from the old house to the new house in the pouring rain.  What a crazy day!  I will never forget after hours of work, when she revealed that the storage room still had to be packed.  After a little shock... we got it done.  We enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the end of the day and then... I drove home because the next day I had to pick up Easton from camp.  Easton spent two weeks at camp this summer.  He came back all smiles and with a great tan from spending so much time outdoors.  A few badges too.  I always miss him so much when he goes but I also love that he gets to experience camp.  

In August we took Easton golfing for his first time.  We went to Hawthorne Valley Golf Course.  The owners are great (I volunteered with Ed at the kids school) and we had a fantastic time!  I think Easton wants to go again before the season ends.  

After what I am sure is months of Brian pouring over building codes rules, we spent a week as a family building the deck at the back of our house.  The stairs will come hopefully in September, but we just ran out of time before our week at White Lake cottage. (Near Lakefield). The summer has been so busy that we booked a week to just relax together as a family. There were lots of fun water toys, from canoes, to kayaks, to pedal boats, and paddle boards. Brian and I got up for almost all the sunrises except for one day that had lousy weather. I enjoyed the hammock, and other locations around the cottage throughout the week and finished three books. There was also a lovely reading room. Hadley made her cucumber pinwheels, we played Settlers of Catan, and Risk among other games. The kids and I tried out the fun foam mat for the water. It was like a giant flutter board sort of that you can sit on. Cooking could take time, because we had the time. Among other delicious food we had steak, corn on the cob, stuffed baked potatoes and more! We enjoyed walking amongst the trees and the loon calls on the lake. Easton brought up a guitar and serenaded us all week. We were so lucky! My birthday rolled around again, and there was an escape room with the Bender family. Shawn, Delena, Todd and Julia. At Looking Glass Adventures: Mystery at Maryweather Mansion. We took 32 minutes as a group to finish what was supposed to take an hour. They gave us a bonus adventure because we finished so quickly. Even though we finished quickly I would still say it was well done. Then for my birthday dinner, Mandarin with the family and Dairy Queen ice cream cake. The next day Hadley and I ventured to Square One Shopping Centre for a One Piece pop up shop. She loved it! She has watched so many episodes. This was really fun for her!

I had a great day at the Toronto Zoo with my cousin Megan, her husband Paul and their very sweet little girl Ember. They were coming though after a cottage week of their own. We wandered around the zoo and I think the footprints painted on the ground were her favourite part! However, there were penguin waddles, polar bear flips, and standing flamingos.

For Christmas we bought the kids tickets to the Toronto Fan Expo. We spent much time in the marketplace, we saw the Back to the Future De Lorian for the 40th anniversary! R2D2, Yoda and other Star Wars characters were raising money for charity. Hadley saw No face, a character from Spirited Away. A Studio Ghibli film. RetroKid presented Polka Dot Door props and stuffed animals from the show. So nostalgic. We watched a talk with Mary Steenburgen who played Clara and Bob Gale who was a writer for Back to the Future. The kids really enjoyed the panelists from Avatar.
I think we all enjoyed Ewan McGregor, who we have seen in Star Wars, but also, from the Long Way series. A travel show we enjoyed during Covid and beyond.
From here it was shopping and getting ready for the new school year ahead. What a fast paced summer!

At the beginning of June we had Julie's kids here for three days.  I love having them here and every year I remember how much energy you need for little kids. We played with so many toys, spent hours outside, on the swings, slides, and chasing butterflies.  They built things, coloured things, read things, and so much more.  Freezies were definitely a favourite.  I think I wore them out as they both easily went to sleep when it was bedtime.  Jordan has major preferences for food, with spaghetti being a staple in his every day diet, so I tried to put out a variety of things for him to decide upon with no spaghetti for the entire time he was here and was pleasantly surprised when he ate cheese as this is not normal for him.  

Easton is filling the house with music and it fills my heart.  I love hearing him play.  He will often just pick up his guitar and play or learn something new throughout the day.  

Summer hockey has started, but it isn't every week.  He was moved up to the U18 league and his team is comparable to other kids in the league even though they are 14 and 15 year olds.

My friend Lindsay owns The School, and I offered to help out with her dance recital for two days.  Day one was a dress rehearsal making sure everyone had what they needed for costumes, and knew where they should be when they were not on stage, and of course the stage run though.
Day two was the actual show...twice.  There were makeup fixes, costume fixes, hair fixes, bathroom breaks and lineups to make sure everything ran smoothly.  It was fun but a very full two days.  Lindsay gave me some cool The School swag.

Easton was invited to the Athletic Celebration for his school for the athletes that were on school teams this year.  There was a BBQ, awards, and this was followed by sports/games.

Easton also had to write the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) test.  It is a province wide assessment to evaluate student achievement in reading, writing, and math.  He said it went well.

Both kids wrote exams this year.  Hadley being in grade 12 had exams a little earlier than the grade 9-11's, but both did very well.  I think they were both ready for summer when they were finished.  

Brian's uncle and aunt: Tom and Cathy went on vacation to Greece and asked to keep their car at our place while they were away so we had a lovely visit with them before and after their trip.  

Brian and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with dinner out at Tavola with the kids.  Happy Anniversary to us!  We also celebrated Father's Day.

Hadley and I made our way into Toronto walking around the city to see the building where I used to work and then to the Genshin Impact (video game) pop up store.  Hadley loved it!  

The Line dancing class that I have been doing wrapped up in June, and while I think I could do the steps okay enough in the class, I don't know if I would remember them on my own.  I may need to do the class again.  Haha.  But it was fun to get out with Marsha and Melissa and the new people I met.  

There was a big celebration for Mr. Cooper, the music teacher at the kids elementary school as he was retiring. He was such a beautiful human and wonderful teacher and taught well beyond the years where he could retire.  However, with big changes to boundaries coming up next year, it made sense for him to choose now to retire.  I am thankful that my kids had him as a teacher and that we and others were invited to celebrate his retirement at the school with a BBQ.  We wish him all the best!  

Pickering had a public information night for the North East Pickering project.  We took the kids and showed them what the city is planning near our house for the next 20 years.  We let our concerns be noted and we will see what happens next.  

Hadley Graduated!  I really can't believe that she is 18, and finished highschool.  She graduated receiving her diploma, graduating as an Ontario Scholar (six or more classes in grade 12 with over 80%), honour roll (an average of 80% or more), SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major for Information Communications Technology), as well as a technology certificate.  We took so many photos, and she looked so grown up in her cap and gown.  She picked such a lovely dress to wear under it as well.  She looked beautiful with her hair curled.  I was so proud of her.  She worked hard!  With roses, and a cute graduation bear she walked around afterwards with such a bright smile.  It was so lovely to see.  I only cried once but it was uncontrollable for a few minutes after she walked past us to the pomp and circumstance music.  I was fine until she walked past and then, emotion filled my soul.  She is growing up.  Afterwards we met up with Brian's mom and we took her out to dinner at The Villa and opened the rest of the presents.  (She opened a new necklace before the event).  A spa day is in her future but we didn't realize that she needed to be 19 to use it.  However they said there could be age 16 plus days coming up, so we will look for those as possibilities too.  

Brian's mom stayed with us for almost a week, so we decided to treat her to a drive east to visit her cousin Sharon and her husband Frank, who she hasn't seen in a long while.  We even stopped at The Big Apple.  Her joy for this visit made it all so special.  

I can't wait to see what the summer holds.  I want to take it all in!