A Much-Needed Escape

Last night Russ and I got home from our week-long excursion to Vancouver Island. We drove down last Sunday and drove home yesterday. It was a fantastic escape, and I'm sorry it went by so quickly, but I am grateful for the many memories we made, as well as the chance to get to know some friends better. I celebrated my birthday while we were there, and I've decided that since we were in a different province, it doesn't count. We also attended the wedding reception of our friend Morgan. He met his wife in Kenya while working there for a year. He spent two years trying to get her into Canada. In February he went back to Kenya and they got married. She is finally here in Canada, and so his mom held a reception at her home in Lake Chowichan to celebrate, as well as provide an opportunity for friends and family to meet Besho. It was a wonderful day. The Island is a beautiful place, and it is incredibly tempting to relocate. However, right now, there are too many things to keep us here in good ol' E-Town, so in Edmonton we shall stay.

The Empress Hotel in Victoria

Pier in Sidney, BC

Morgan and Besho


The Legislature Buildings in Victoria

Wayne and Theresa Got Married!

Yesterday we had the privilege of being invited to our friend Theresa's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful day. We had so much fun with friends and were honoured to be a part of such a special day. Congratulations, Wayne and Theresa!!

Happy Birthday, Canada!!

Happy birthday, Canada! I'm so grateful to be living in a country where we have so much freedom.

If You Tolerate This....

Father's Day

You can see where I get the goofy from...
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Love you lots!!

Oh Where Art Thou, Dear Summer??

I am seriously beginning to doubt whether we will actually have a summer this year, at all!! Just when it promises to warm up and be sunny and delightful, we get highs of 12 degrees, cold winds, rain, and, in some areas, SNOW! It's JUNE!!!

On the positive end of things, we are gearing up for our road trip to Victoria in July, to meet Morgan's wife, Besho! I've never been to Victoria, and hear it's full of flowers and old people, but is a pleasant place to visit, nonetheless. It should be an interesting trip, and a nice break from the E-town routine. (Though, I do wish we could go to Hawaii...)

Love is Friendship Set on Fire.

Congratulations, Lisa and Tyson! It was a beautiful day!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, mum! Love you lots!

Caryn in Cairo.

One of my sisters, Caryn is in Cairo, Egypt for three months, working at St. Andrew's Refugee Services. She is a teacher's assistant for a second grade class composed of children mostly from the Sudan and Darfur. Caryn used to be a major homebody, but one day, she got the travel bug, and has been going ever since. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous of the experiences she has had and will have, but it's still really exciting to hear about her adventures. If you want to follow along, visit her blog Caryn in Cairo, which she has been updating almost every day.
(The photo is from her blog.)

In Remiss...

Oops...so apparently I haven't posted anything in almost two months. Please don't think that it's because I'm boring. I'm really not...I just have had no time to blog. This summer promises to be chock full 'o bloggy goodness though, what with two weddings, a trip to Victoria with my lovely husband, and our first anniversary! The weather is finally starting to look springy, (it should, it IS MAY, after all!!), and I'm ready to start running again. I've even broken out my inline skates. When you live thisclose to the river valley, it would be stupid to not take advantage of it!!!

Her Morning Elegance.

Family.

Friday was my mom's 50th birthday. Russ and I took the week off, and showed up at my parents' house on Monday. My mom had no idea. She had thought that the only daughter coming home was Cher, who was on reading week. Mom and dad went to a B&B on Tuesday. Tuesday night, the doorbell rings, and Cher runs up to get it. Russ and I remain downstairs. We hear Cher squeal, so we go running upstairs, and there, in the entry way, is Caryn!! Caryn is going to school in Winnipeg, and so no one had any idea that she would be able to come home! She planned it in January, and told no one except her friends Leesa and Brandon, because they picked her up from the airport. Christine came home on Wednesday, so when mom and dad got home on Thursday, we were all there. Mom was speechless. It was a great birthday surprise!

Escape...

I've had the last four days off from work, and it should have been the perfect time to run about getting things done and being ultra-productive, but alas...no such thing has happened. Instead, I went to my sister's basketball game on Saturday morning, where they lost a very close game, but went on to win the next one by a long shot. I then didn't leave the apartment for the next three days. I sat around and read, baked, and slowly made my way through my latest boxed set. Not that I sat on my bum all day, but aside from some yoga, a sculpting dvd, and Wii Fit, I didn't do much. I am quite enjoying the advanced reader's copy of this exciting new release, though!

Another Year...

The new year is always a time of reflection, as one year passes and another one begins, a sort of death and rebirth takes place. People always try to reinvent or improve. Some stick with it past January, some don't make it through the second week. While I avoid "resolutions", I definitely reflect on the past year. 2008 was actually a pretty great year. I got to marry the most wonderful man I've ever met. We traveled to Hawaii. My dad celebrated his 50th birthday. Of course the year also held the usual (and unusual) issues, complications and problems, as well as some real tragedies, but what is important is that we survived. I look at each new year as an opportunity for change and to venture into the unknown. Who knows what 2009 has in store, but I'm interested in finding out...

Christmas Time is Here!

I enjoyed my first married Christmas with Russ and the fam, and it was wonderful! I hope your Christmas has been merry and bright.

In the Deep Freeze...

One of the wonderful things about living in Canada is the glorious Arctic cold fronts that move in and camp out, plunging temperatures well into the negative digits (centigrade), as well as dumping delightful piles of crunchy snow everywhere. As delightful as all this wintry weather is, it has angered our car Max, and Max now refuses to start. On top of that, our apartment building was bathed in the warm glow of a fire last night. No big deal--fire in the garbage room, which filled the halls with smoke and forced the residents to wait in the cold for 20 minutes, but a neat little bit of excitement, to be sure. Oh well. Only a few more days until Christmas, and only ONE more day of work until a bit of time off and getting to spend time with family!!

Merry and Bright

Temperatures are plunging and snow is falling...the most wonderful time of the year? In spite of the icky weather, all is well. I'm nearly done gathering my gifts, and am looking forward to spending time with the fam! The mall is crazy, and people are frantic to get everything done. I refuse to be sucked into the vortex of stress and instead, attempt to remain an outside observer. I refuse to allow stress to get to me, and I shall emerge from the frenzy, cool as a cucumber. I can't wait!

Something that Makes Me Smile...

This is one of the many things that makes David Usher so awesome.

It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown...

Retail tries to ruin Christmas for me. Being forced to listen to stale, boring classic Christmas music on a loop right after Halloween, being surrounded by crazed shoppers day in, day out...Christmas isn't about the gifts. It isn't about the baking and treats (though they are really great!), it isn't about the lights and the decorations, but it's been eclipsed by them. The consumerism of this holiday is especially frustrating because I'm surrounded by it daily. Being stuck in the mall at Christmas is frustrating. I love Christmas. I love listening to the good music, decorating a tree, (even if it as tiny little one on our table), I love spending time with family, making and eating treats...Christmas is a sweet time, outside of the mall.

Touching.

This broke my heart, and I had to share.