In Canadian Thanksgiving tradition, we closed down our family cabins this weekend, officially bringing Summer/Fall to a ceremonial close. Altering our tradition, however, was an unexpected snowfall, giving us a little extra time to reflect while we were at it. Here’s what we discovered:

2012 has been quite a year. We already knew this, but extra time to think made us realize how much we have to be thankful for, especially this summer. In June we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary, and in July, we maximized our warm weather — attending outdoor/indoor weddings of 3 special couples. In August, we were fortunate vacation for 10 days to Western Canada, visiting our wonderful families along the way. In September, we reaped the rewards of our modest, yet plentiful garden, saw the leaves fall in spectacular fashion, and even managed to complete a number of projects around the yard. In between, we saw our families continue to change, welcoming in healthy new members while witnessing the loss of others, and we watched as friends moved forward in their own lives. Through it all, we remind ourselves that life is but an experiment, and the ups, downs, lefts and rights are all part of the journey.

We hope everybody had as wonderful weekend as we did, and that upon reflection, you have much to be thankful for. And finally, we hope you enjoy a look at our last cabin weekend of 2012. – Tyler + Jessie