Friday's Fave Five #494

This is Friday and this is Friday's Fave Five.  Here we are intentional about looking for the blessings from our last week so that we can cultivate gratefulness in our hearts and attitudes.  Interested?  Then please join in.  If you've never participated or you haven't yet read the guidelines, please take just a moment and click here for the guidelines.  We'd love to have you join the rest of us.

This last week we took some time away, just Hubby and me.  We went to the Okanagan which is a favorite family holiday place for us.  But this time it was just us.  Which was a whole lot different.  This location for holidays had always been so geared around the kids, so we had to find a new kind of normal this time around.  It was different but wonderful.  Anyway moving onto the FFF, in no particular order:


~lake time~ part of the thing that really makes me feel like I'm on holidays is some kind of day spent by water.  My favorite beach in the Okanagan that I've found so far is Sun-Oka in Summerland.  I just love it there.  This time was no different.  My hubby is NOT a beach sitter or water person but he likes it there too because they also have tons of shaded lawn area where he and the dog hang out while I beach it.  They also have a dog beach a short walk away that he takes the dog to 'cause our dog is in his own little heaven in the water.  I spent the whole afternoon soaking up the sun while reading, relaxing and cooling off in the exceptionally warm water.  

Sun-Oka beach on the left and Kootney Lake on right

~hiking time~  we got our act together one morning and made it up to Myra Canyon park to walk the trestles before it got smoking hot outside.  The trestles used to be part of the Kettle Valley Rails and now you can bike or walk them.  The scenery is absolutely stunning and it is a most enjoyable way to get some excercise.


~friend time~ while on holidays I was able to reconnect with a friend I had lost touch with.  We had not seen each other in 20 years and yet it was like no time had come between us.  Conversation flowed easily and naturally.  It was so nice to see her again.  

~bowls full of cherries~ the Okanagan valley is filled with orchards of all kinds and we took full advantage of the tail end of cherry season.  I have never eaten so many cherries.  So delicious!

  ~safe travels for all~  almost my whole family was travelling in one way or another last weekend.  We were on the road for 11 hours coming home through mountain passes, my daughter and son in law were on the road coming to visit us and my youngest daughter left for Italy.  I am so grateful we all had safe travels especially since the long weekend in August usually sees quite a few accidents on the roadways.

Bonus~fairly smooth transitions~ I was a bit nervous starting this work week as holidays do tend to throw some children off and they have a hard time transitioning coming back to dayhome.  Throw in some kids who had only come a few times before I went on holidays and I was on edge.  But for the most part, it went pretty well.  There were a few tears but nothing like the scream fest that I was expecting.  

What were your favorite blessings from the last week?