Seawall

This summer got off to a great start by going to the Seawall with Dana.

I'm not sure I've ever walked around the entire Seawall, but today was the day.

Gorgeous scenery!

At the end of our walk, we hung out at the pool for a few hours and just soaked up some sun, enjoyed the scenery and had a few snacks and beverages.

What a great way to kick off summer!

Playland!

Playland brings back so many great memories from when I was a teenager.

It's not quite the same these days, but it was still lots of fun!

One of my favourite rides...the Helevator.

Ohhh....the anticipation!

I love this pic...although it appears Kenton is a little less enthused :)

Okay...I was wrong...THIS is my absolute favourite ride at Playland!

It makes me laugh every time I go on it!

Had to go for ice cream to end the day off right!

July 4

You haven't experienced fireworks until sitting on the beach on July 4.

We've done this for a few years now and hope we can continue this tradition and make it even bigger!

The usual bunch...my parents and Aunt Judy and Uncle Bill.

Had to get a sunset pic with my mom :)

Sun is setting...the show should begin soon....

Let the show begin...

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy Canada Day!

Working in health care on a rotating schedule means working weekends and holidays.

Fortunately, I work with a great bunch of people, which means we don't let work stop us from having a bit of fun!

Happy Canada Day Y'all!

Summer Kick off at Birch Bay

Chris and I decided to get away for a quick trip to before summer life got busy.

The easiest thing to do was to go to my parents' place in Birch Bay.

It didn't take Chris long to grab a glass of wine and get the fire going :)

Chris couldn't resist playing with some of my dad's power tools...

Chris and I have gotten to really enjoy biking in the last little while...

of course it's always the most fun when your destination is the ice cream shop. :)

Gotta love a beach photo op!

Since this was going to be our only chance to celebrate our anniversary, we went out for dinner one night.

Our choices were limited in Birch Bay, but we were not disappointed with Bob's Burgers n' Brew.

Anywhere I can find a yummy drink is good with me!

Here is Chris trying to figure out the tip on his phone's calculator...

Chris will be Chris...need I say more?

Ummm....how did that get in there? I guess it's not hard to guess who was operating the camera at the time!

It's always great to get away as a couple...already feels like it's time to get away again!

Family and BBQ's

                                              What is summer without a family BBQ?

As soon as the weather turns nice, I love heading outside to eat :)

The men in my life and their grills...

Hmmm...my brother sharing his specialty with his nephew....

Margaritas will make a man of you...

Chris's Surgery Day

Early in the year, Chris found a mole on his leg that just didn't look right to him. He made an appt. with his doctor, who then sent him to a specialist. I was at work one day when he called to tell me that the specialist had cut the mole out and was going to send it to be tested. He pretty much told Chris right then that it was melanoma and further action would be needed. This would require him to see a plastic surgeon to cut more around the mole "just in case" and also to have a few lymph nodes removed to have tested to make sure the cancer had not spread.

Sponge Bob was a great comfort to Chris as he was being prepared to be put under.

This is Chris's leg post-op.

I'm happy to report that Chris's leg has healed just fine and most importantly...no more cancer!

My Little Piece of Paradise

When I can't get away for awhile, or have to work a weekend, I pretend I'm on vacation for a few hours in my own little piece of paradise...my backyard.

My hubby built a beautiful deck a few years back and we haven't had to do much to it over the years but we have made a few small improvements.

Last summer, we took the window out of our master bedroom and added on french doors.

This is the view from my bed. :)

This year, Chris added a few panels of acrylic to the roof area over the hot tub. This will come in handy when our beautiful summer is over.

My one little spot of colour...I mostly have low maintenance greenery in the way of a garden, so this is my little ray of sunshine!

Our newest addition is the fire bowl...the perfect way to make the evenings last a little bit longer!

There is a very good chance this is where you will find me if I don't seem to be anwering my calls....

BFF Girls Weekend 2012!

I try to make sure I make a trip up to Kamloops at least once a year to have girls-only time with my Best Friend, whom I've known since elementary school.

Pretty much every girls weekend is the same, but it's such a good formula that we stick with it!

A bevy of some sort...this year it was a Strawberry Dacquiri.

Lucky Larry's Lips (chicken strips) and Pacho fries...delish!

Dinner out is always followed by a chick flick, which was "The Lucky One" this year.

I highly recommend it...in fact I can't wait to watch it again soon!

This is a typical car ride for me and Sonya...in fact, it's part of the entertainment....

Enjoy!

Can't wait to see what mischief we get in to next year!

Decorating

Life has been busy, but I haven't gotten my camera out as much as I would like due to the dull weather we've been having lately. So, I thought I would share a few odds and ends.
The first pic is my solution to organizing some of my jewelry. I find that I have lots of nice stuff that I forget about because...out of sight is out of mind. I found this great set of wall hooks at Pier One and thought it was perfect for putting all my necklaces on! The rest of my stuff, like earring and rings, are in a jewelry box that my grandma gave me.
The second pic is of a beautiful pillow that I bought awhile back for my bedroom with a gift card from my BFF. Again...a great find at Pier One.
Hopefully, the weather will turn soon and I will be able to have a few more interesting posts. :)

Christopher's New Wheels

This winter it was time to trade in our mini van for some new wheels for Christopher. Chris has the use of a company vehicle so we didn't really need the mini van any longer and this is much cooler and cheaper on gas for a young guy. It's definitley been a great lesson for responsibility and budgeting since he is in charge of insurance and gas (although we have been helping with the gas while he is in school). We can always tell when his tank is getting empty because he spends more time at home with the fam!

Reflections and Happy New Year!

I am so thankful we get to have a new year every 365 days! 2011 was a year filled with wonderful milestones, but somehow as a whole it was also one of my most difficult years thus far.

My oldest child graduated from high school, got his drivers license and got accepted to College. My youngest entered his first year of high school. I finished my schooling and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. All great achievements!

A combination of things made this year difficult, but I have faith that this year will be much better! I plan on getting healthier in every way this year...physically, mentally and spiritually. I know many people close to me have also had a rough year and I pray for good health and many blessings for all my family and friends dear to me.

If I could narrow it down to one thing to focus on this year it would be relationships. Life is so short and I really want to work on my marriage, deepening my relationship with God and seeing my BFF more, as well as other good friends that our busy lives have prevented us from seeing as much.

Well, there you have it...a very broad sort of resolution...
Happy New Year everyone!

Me and Grandpa

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day that I lost my first grandparent four years ago. I remember the day so clearly...and thankfully I also have many memories of the love my "papa" had for me. The harder the whisker rub...the more you were loved. :) Papa always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. We bounced on his knees, swung outside on the swing he made and made trips to A&W with him.

In his younger years, Papa made beautiful dresses for my Grandma and they went out dancing every weekend with their friends. My grandparents owned a motel together and worked hard so that they could retire early.

Me and Papa on his motorcycle...

I love you Papa!

Annual Bevy Stories

Please don't get the wrong impression of us...but every year it seems that some of our greatest camping tales revolve around a beverage.

Firstly, my BFF and I are always on the hunt for the perfect Bellini, so it was a given that the best way to kick off our vacation was to enjoy the evening with a treat at Hoodoo's.

Delicious!

Secondly, each trip must involve a slushie drink that requires a blender.

Provincial parks are top of the list for beauty and peacefulness, but unfortunately do not have power to each site. Us being the resourceful people that we are, loaded up the truck with all our drink making gear and headed for the public washroom...Yes, that's right....the public washrooms have electricity!

Chris is checking out the situation...Gary is MIA...something about checking on some meat....hmmmm...

After all of our hard work we meet at the tailgate...oh, so refreshing!

In another bevy story....the first night we were playing cards outside when we started get dive bombed by bugs! Ewww! Sonya's solution was to tighten up her bug helmet and find a cover for her straw.....

I think she may be on to something here....

Can't wait to see what stories we will have to tell in the years to come!