So much love - and colour

Dear Arthur provided a chopsticks lesson

and made delicious food

Our kids love colour

some quiet time with quiet red hair

 

Celebrate good times, c'mon!!

 Sophie & some of her fan / fun club

@ her Champagne Toast

These youngsters got her through COVID & more. And are off

 on great adventures

And where will our dearheart go?!!

UFA Commencement 2024

Graduation ceremony / commencement

 

Gramps & Nana made a special trip

Everyone was on hand for a special late brunch

And then tea and memories on Fern

Grace & grit

 It's been a delight to see Sophie progress in her form over the years, while retaining her love of dance.

As parents, we have put in countless hours volunteering for the Nutcracker and other shows; waiting in the car park for rehearsals that overrun; guiding her home alone by bus; exploring the various ballet stores of the GTA; watching year-end recitals (recalling how cramped and sweaty those June afternoons were in the old studio); and so much more. 

Thank you, Ms Bouman and all the instructors who brought her from year 1 to year 9 - through modern dance, movement and classical ballet (and "dance from home" pandemic style!)

The two dance school leavers with their farewell balloons

A hug from the indomitable Pia Bouman

Hugs from the teachers 

Oh what a night, what a lilac delight!

Heading out to Prom 2024!

Ready with Rigsel and her new strappy shoes

The group convened at Henry's

Always time for a snap with Lena

That's our girl - ready to dance on the party bus in her beautiful, backless dress!

The summary was: she danced; fun was had; she did indeed see the sun rise over lake Ontario: and everyone made it home safely!

But the backstory had some great details - like the Grade 12 rugby players were in the final tournament the day before and of prom! But they were fairly confident they wouldn't get through the first round, so skipped the Monday night hotel and dashed home to prep. That - for Sophie - meant getting her lilac nails done ASAP!

It was the season of finals for the athletes and Sophie's boyfriend, Rigsel, was also in the year-end tournament (for soccer). At one point, he was scheduled to play the morning after prom! Fortunately, that wasn't required.

Sophie had put in countless volunteer hours on the seating (a thankless task if there ever was one), name cards, decorating and more. Hopefully, more photos will emerge of the Palais Royale with the UFA Class of 2024!

Let this day be marked

There is no photographic evidence but today marks the start of youngest's final term at high school... and she drove herself to school - having backtracked to pick up dear Lena (of course!)

Sophie's loved ones

Darling doggo

Ballet buddies

 

Canada Day

When your Canada Day camping plans are thwarted by forest fire smokiness,

you do city things

like a ballgame

 

Friends through wet and dry

Easter in le petit village

Never too old for chocolate

and happy to search for it!

Quite the haul - merci Eva et famille!

bisous de France...

hanging out with buddies

and enjoying the D&D movie and fun fair (front row)

heading to the garden centre

but we still didn't get an olive tree

 

She decided to semi-formal

She looked gorgeous in her new dress (Simon's for the win!)
and comfortable in her borrowed (!) hightops

And could she be a teen in 2023 without the bathroom selfie?!

It seems like it was a load of fun with a pile of friends 

and good memories of great dance moves abound

 

The guncles & pearls

As a young woman, Sophie's Auntie R espoused that with pearls and penknife, a woman could go anywhere. So 16 rolled around and it was time to ensure that Sophie had both. The latter updated for 2023 with dear and multi-talented Uncle Arthur.

 

New Year's Closed House

Given the prevalence of COVID and different people's comfort levels, we debated long and hard about what to do this year. We settled on a New Year's Day "Closed House" for 20. Everyone tested before coming and we had fun!

Family friends are fabulous!

Some of the youngsters

New Year's Day is new presents day

Sophie just adores spending time with these women