Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The newest member of our family...

We said good-bye to the Volvo a couple of weeks ago.  It was a great car and we made a lot of great memories with it, but it was time to let it go.  Time to invest in something that wasn't going to require $3,000+ in repairs in the next few months (honestly... we did the calculations and the Volvo was probably going to need $3,000-4,000 worth of repairs, and knowing our luck, it probably would have all happened at once).  

Fair well good and faithful friend... 

... Say hello to the newest member of our family... 
We got a 2008 Toyota Yaris and absolutely love it so far!  And I am LOVING the gas mileage I'm getting with it.  Just to give you an idea, I only got about 25-27 mpg on the highway with the Volvo and the Yaris is already getting about 50-53 mpg.  Let's just say that I will now be seeing the benefits of that raise I got at work a few months ago.  It will finally be going back into my bank account rather than into my gas tank :)    

Jack Johnson LIVE

We get to see Jack in concert on Thursday night at the Thunderbird Stadium @ UBC. I CANNOT wait! Both Jon and I are huge fans. Plus we get to spend the evening with the Taylor's which makes it even better. Its going to be an awesome night!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Strawberry Shortcake turns 2...

Our beautiful niece Ava, celebrated her 2nd birthday yesterday. Well... we had her birthday party yesterday... her actual birthday isn't until next Sunday, but in order to have the whole family there for the occasion, Erich & Naomi had the party a week early.

It was so much fun watching the excitement on her face as everyone arrived and the gifts started rolling in. Last year was cute too but she was still so young and didn't really understand the concept of the party being just for her. It was more entertaining just watching her experience cake for the first time. But this year was much different. She knew very well that it was her birthday and she was extremely excited about the festivities! The funniest thing was watching her snatch the card out of Naomi's hand as soon as she would start to read it aloud for everyone, and then Ava would pretend to read it herself. The picture above captures it perfectly... I just love this picture... look at her cute little toes!


Seeing as Erich & Naomi took the kids to Saskatchewan to visit family last week and didn't return home until Saturday afternoon, I volunteered to prepare Ava's birthday cake. Now obviously baking a cake isn't that difficult and I've done it many times before, but this was my very first attempt at a kid's "theme" cake. The theme for the party was Strawberry Shortcake and let me tell you, the decorating was highly intimidating for me. It didn't take long for me to question why I had volunteered for such a daunting task. Naomi has made such incredible cakes for the kids' previous parties and I soon felt very "out of my league." Probably doesn't help that I'm a total perfectionist when it comes to "artistic" things. But after a lot of fussing and re-icing, I think the finished product didn't turn out too badly. Pretty amateur, I know, but hey... practice makes perfect and I'm sure this won't be my last cake decorating experience :)

The kids entertained everyone with a little 'swimming- goggle fashion show'...

These pictures make me laugh out loud! The expression on Ava's face is totally priceless :)

And Calvin worked his magic with that lovable, squeezable, kissable face of his...



I think Ava really liked her cake and after a few attempts at blowing out the candles, she was finally victorious!



Happy Birthday Ava Indiana! We're so proud of you and love you oh so much!!

Thursday, August 07, 2008

3 Years

It feels like just yesterday that I was writing about our 2nd anniversary, and already we're onto #3. As cliche as it sounds, I have to say again how amazingly time flies.

I remember that special day so clearly. It was a scorcher and the morning just couldn't pass quickly enough. I was so eager to get the "show on the road." :) The ceremony was at 2:30 in the afternoon so considering I was wide awake at 6:00am, and we were done hair and make-up by mid morning, the waiting was agony. I don't remember ever having a second thought about the commitment I was about to make. No cold feet. Just incredible joy in knowing I was about to tie the knot with the most unbelievable man I had ever known.
I remember walking up the trail with my Dad, through Minter Gardens, to the bottom of the hillside that looked up to the gorgeous white tent. The sun was shining and I was completely flattered by the many tourists that kept pulling out their cameras and snapping shots of me... complete strangers, but eagerly trying to capture pictures of me on my wedding day. They were so friendly and generous with their compliments. I felt so beautiful and so special. And I remember the proud look on my Dad's face as he stood beside me, holding my arm tightly. Still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.
And then it all began. The guests were seated beneath the big tent and my wonderful friend Leah began my favorite Amos Lee song on her guitar. Time to go. We walked up that long, winding path to the many smiling faces of friends and family.

And then our eyes met. I'll never forget the look on Jon's face as he saw me for the first time that day. A moment that will stay frozen in my mind forever. Through his teary eyes, it was the look of deep love. The kind of love that melted my heart in that instant, and continues to to this day. The kind of love that everyone should get to experience in their lifetime. The kind of love that fills your heart to the brim and spills over the edge. Life felt perfect in that moment.

As many of you can probably relate, the rest of the day was a bit of a blur. From pictures in the gardens, to pictures on the railroad tracks and the basketball court of Rosedale Middle School, to the receiving line before the reception. Greeting the wonderful people that had come to share in our special day. Eating amazing food, enjoying laughter and reminiscent memories during the open mike, and the many speeches and tear-filled thank-you's. The day passed by so quickly even though we didn't get away from the reception til after 10:30pm that night. I didn't want it to end. Such a joy-filled day. Such a sweet, lingering memory.

Three years later, I'm still amazed at how my love for Jon grows deeper and deeper every day. He's my best friend, my comforter, my pillar of strength in times of weakness, my spirit-lifter when I'm feeling down, my buddy, my confidant. He's the smiling face at the end of every day that reminds me of why I can be content in this life. He's God's gift to me.

Jon-- Thank you for choosing me. For investing in me and for loving me when it feels like the world is too much. Thank you for being here no matter what. For walking this journey of life with me. There's no one I'd rather spend my life with. I love you more with every breath.

Happy Anniversary honey.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Beach bliss...

Nothing like a day at the beach with the girls...

Jen & Vicky looking pretty for the camera...

Finishing off a perfect beach day with the perfect summer treat...
I'm so thankful for such wonderful friends! Love you girls!