Sunday Social

Happy Sunday!!! I am btwn the wedding ceremony and reception of some friends, and while I had a bit of time, I thought I would do a blog post (or two!). Here is this weeks Sunday Social.
 Linking up with Ashley

1. What is one thing you hate doing?
House work. Hands down. Hate it.

2. What is the one thing you hate shopping for?
I also don't like shopping for clothes. Especially pants.
 
3. What is one thing you love doing?
Doing nothing...going for coffee, reading magazines,
 
4. What is one place you love going?
Starbucks, camping.

5. What is your favorite thing to do that you do daily?
Probably go on Facebook. I know, I am lame.

I hope your Labour Day Weekend is going well. Our is going pretty great. I will update you all tomorrow or Tuesday.

Next week’s questions

1. 5 things you want us to know about you

2. 5 favorite things about blogging

3. 5 things you are doing before the year is over

4. 5 favorite fall fashion staples

5. 5 favorite beauty products

Weekend Wrap Up

Does anyone else secretly glad when the new week starts? I am! I know, I am odd.

Anyway...I realized that as I was typing out last weeks update that I wasn't going to do them anymore, unless something exciting happens. I really don't know on how long I will be doing the weekend wrap ups, since most of the time, they are boring; or I work. But at least it's three days of writing about instead of 5.

So....Friday.

I relaxed in the morning, and watched TV.  I went to K and A's around 2 or so. I grabbed some fun Starbucks drinks for us all on the way there. H was still sleeping so we just visited and waited till he woke up. I took H for a walk to the park (well, it was actually an elementary school playground, but same difference). He is such a funny kid!  He talks non stop and is always asking "why". Came home and hung out and we had a late supper. We had fish and chips, and green beans. Watched TV all evening (PVR'd stuff and a Mrs. Doubtfire), and then I had a shower.  At 10:30, my friend texted me and asked if I wanted to come up for a bit. She just got cable and was so excited. We watched TV, hung out and visited. I also had Southern hard iced tea. It was a fun night.

Saturday, we slept in, and watched TV. I know, we live an exciting life. We watched "The Book Thief" which was ok. Finally went out around 12 or so to A and K. Anker hadn't seen their house yet, and H had been asking him to come over. We had a fun time visiting and had lunch together, and then we went to Tim Horton's before we went home, and H went for his nap. I attempted to make these cookies. They did not turn out well.

You see, I didn't have any butter/margarine, and I wanted to make some chocolate chip cookie dough (and of course, make SOME into cookies) for my aunt and my pedicure party on Saturday, cause you have to have cookie dough while you're having a girly party. I didn't have any butter, so I thought I would check on Pinterest to see if I could find a recipe that didn't involve butter/margarine. To make a long story short, the dough looked horrible. Ok, I may or may not have done things EXACTLY the way they stated , but it just seemed a bit odd to me. I even commented on her post, and I have not heard back from her...hmm..:) I even added extra oil. Well, I went out and got some butter and I tried to revive it, but sadly, it didn't turn out well. It is now back to what it was its original intent was; dough.

Saturday night, I went to my aunts house where we did pedicures. We had such a fun evening. We had Ben and Jerry's ice cream, popcorn and pop..and of course, we did each others' nails. We also watched "A Simple Twist of Fate", which was weird. We ended the night by watching a few episodes of Big Bang Theory.

Sunday, I went to church, and then sat in the park and read magazines and tried to catch the last few rays of summer. I totally loved it.

Spent the later afternoon relaxing. Watched a couple of movies, and listened to music and downloaded new ringtones to my phone. (I already had a few, but somehow they got into another file, that I cannot retrieve to use as ringtones.

Well, I started this on Monday, and it is now Tuesday night. As usual, it is a long post, bot not as long as I was going to make it..lol.

Hope your week is amazing!

Week Wrap Up and Blog-iversary

Yes, this will be the past post today. I promise. Maybe.

Today marks 7 years since I started blogging! Therefore, it is what everyone describes as my Blog-iversary!

You can read my first blog post here. I would like to say that my writing has gotten a bit better since then, but sadly, I really don't think it has. I can't believe it's been 7 years since I started blogging! I guess I became a true blogger a couple of years back, when I started linking up with link ups, and following people, and telling more about our life. My blog has gone a few different directions since then. It started out as more of an every day blog, then it went to talking more about childlessness, and now it has come/gone back to being an every day blog again. It started out as a private blog, and then I decided to go public, so that I could make/meet new friends and have new/more readers. I like having it an every day blog, with a few posts here and there about infertility sprinkled in to keep everyone guessing and on their toes...and of course for the occasional surprise.

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and followed my blog. I have met lots of great people and come across some really great blogs. My blog roll is a testament to that, as I am following over 200 of them. It can get a bit obsessive. It's a bit of a problem. In all honesty, I am surprised that blogging is still around. I thought it would have gone away with MySpace, but in fact, the blogesphere has EXPLODED, which is kind of cool. I even got my little sister to start one up!

So, this last week....I was trying to figure out what I have done this week, and I really can't remember...but I will try to figure it out.

I will do the weekend wrap up tomorrow, so I will start with Thursday; I had to write an exam for a position that I was applied for (which I didn't get..oh well) , so I went to work to write it, and on my way home, I stopped in at A and K's to grab some veggies that Mom had promised us. Went to the library, and came home and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Wednesday, I ran downtown to check on something, and then hung for most of the day. My friend and her family came through town and we met up at Starbucks, then went to a dog park so their baby and their dog to stretch their legs. Went to work early as I nothing else to do. Work was a good night, I think. It was a relaxing night, which was nice.

Tuesday; I relaxed in the morning, and went to the library, and then to work. I was finished at 9, and I came and relaxed for the evening. I know, I live an exciting life.

Monday, I had it off, so I relaxed and Anker had an appointment. I had a nice day of-what else?-relaxing! I did go to Starbucks and read and relaxed for a bit, then I went over to visit A and K,  and I brought them Pizza, and spent time with H. I put him to bed and hung out with him while his parents went for a walk.

Well, that's my week (what I can remember of it!). I hope your week went well, too.

Baby Loss: My Story

I have been debating about whether or not I should write this. I don't like writing stories that are not mine to write, however, I thought I would do this and (at the risk of sounding selfish), write on how Baby Loss effected me (sorry, I know there is a word that I am trying to say, but I can't seem to find it at the moment).

My mom had a few miscarriages and I won't go into all the details, but I remember one in particular. I was certainly old enough to run the house, cause I remember doing just that. I remember feeling really sad when she lost the baby, but also, exhausted and overwhelmed. I was the oldest girl in the first (well, still am!) and was pretty much running the household (along with Dad) while Mom was recovering. I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I do remember feeling like I had lost a little brother. I remember seeing the baby after, well, you know, and I remember thinking on how formed it was. Mom and Dad named him, and buried him under one of the apple trees in our yard. I think I cried after a few days, probably more from being tired than anything else.

The point I am making is that it takes the toll on the family too. If the family have older kids (in their teens, and young adults) and if they are living at home, it can take be stressful for them, too. Let them know that you understand if they feel, sad, overwhelmed, etc. Even if the loss is "just" a miscarriage, it still sucks and it is very sad. Go easy on the older kids. Yes, have them help out, but make sure they have down time, too. Make sure it's ok to ask questions. Allow them to help you name the baby, if you decide to name him/her. Allow them to make their sibling a little memory or shadow box. If you decide to have burial service, allow them to be a part in the planning. Even younger kids can be/get involved in this process. Allow them to send balloons off, or write a note to God, or to the baby; something that allows them to be involved. My family was pretty open during all this time. We could ask questions, and be involved if we wanted to. Allow them to express sadness. They have lost a little brother/sister; and (if they knew you were expecting) their dreams of having a new baby to hold and love on is gone.

I guess I thought I would let you all know that even though I haven't experienced the loss of a baby (that I know of..they say that some periods can actually be miscarriages), I DO understand it from a siblings' point of view.

Sunday Social!

1. What are you most looking forward to about fall?
PSLs/Football/Thanksgiving/Cooler temps.

2. What is your favorite sports team?
For hockey it is the Vancouver Canucks. For football, it is BC Lions/Seattle Seahawks

3. If you could go back to college, is there one thing you would change?
I would have done more of a "career" course earlier on. But then again I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I guess I went back to school when I ready to go back, and when I had more of a career that I knew that I wanted to do.

4. What was your favorite class you ever took? HS or college.
Even though I really didn't do well at it, I did love my psych course I took for my course. I also loved lunch.

 5. Reach into your purse. What is the first thing you grab?
My availability sheets for Nov/Dec that are filled out for work (I shuffled everything around..honest!)

 

Next week’s questions

1. What is one thing you hate doing?
2. What is one thing you hate shopping for?
3. What is one thing you love doing?
4. What is one place you love going?
5. What is your favorite thing to do that you do daily?

Linking up with Ashley for this weeks 

Ten Things of Thankful

Yah, I am back doing the TToT!

So, what am I thankful for this week? They are going a few doubles from my Oh Hey Friday post. But it's my blog, so I will double some of them if I want.

1. Thankful for my Mini Break. I had a few days booked off, since my friend was supposed to come, but since she didn't couldn't make it, I decided to just leave it booked and hang out here. It has been fun watching movies, relaxing, and visiting family.

2. Thankful that my brother and his family have moved back. I have been having SO MUCH fun with them, and of course H, since they have moved back. I visited them three times since Thursday.

3. Thankful for Summer. I am trying to squeeze out the last bit of summer. I spent today (Sunday) reading outside, and loving it.

4. Thankful that fall is nearly here. PSL's, the colours, yoga pants, hoodies, You know the drill.

5. Thankful that our car is (sort of) working. It starts. It gets me (us) where we need to go.

6. Thankful that I was able to meet up with my friend and her family this week. We spent an hour a park and had a nice visit on Wednesday.

7. Thankful that my sister made it to her Destination safely. Don't forget to check out her blog.

8. Thankful for the many friends that I have made and connected with through this blogging world. I just checked, and that I have had over 100 views just today!

9. Thankful for fresh Veggies from my parents' garden. As I stated in Friday's blog, I got some veggies from my parents' garden. They are delish!!!

10. Thankful for great friends who are neighbours. Hung out with my neighbour/friend K on Friday night. Had hard Iced Tea and chatted and watched TV.

Oh Hey Friday!

Happy Friday!!

I was going to do a post on BabyLoss (and I still might), but I don't feel 100% comfortable, since it isn't really my story to tell (I try not to tell too much about/of my family and their stories), but I still would like to talk about it, so I might (if they were bloggers, I might have them guest blog...does anyone else have anyone that isn't a blogger do a guest post?) do a short post.

But on to Friday!

1. Mini Break// I am on a 4.5 day mini break. I was supposed to have a girls get a away with my friend, but due to car issues, she wasn't able to make it.Since I already had had it booked off, hubby and I were going to the ranch, but we don't really have the money to do that, either. So we are staying here. It is nice just to relax and watch movies and basically do nothing for 5 days.

2. Meet up With Friends// Met up with a friend from out of town and her family the other day. Remember when I talked about Baby T? Well, it's his momma, daddy, and little sister, N. We had a fun hour in the park and had a nice visit.

3. Fresh Veggies// Mom gave us some fresh NON GMO'd, ORGANIC veggies from their garden. Yum! We were going to have a nice supper with them last night, but I didn't feel like cooking, and we really weren't that hungry.

4. A Casual Husband// Yah, he drives me nuts some of the time, but I LOVE that we a) don't have to specific time to eat dinner every night and b) we don't necessarily have to have meat and potatoes every night. Last night we had pie. And I had rice cakes. He had grilled cheese sammies.

5. My Lil Nephew// He (and his parents) have moved back here. I had fun the other night hanging out with him; playing with, giving him his bath, reading stories, and hanging out. He says the craziest stuff. I heart him.

Linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September Farm for this week's OHF link up!

LAST Week and Weekend's Update

Yah, I am a bit late, but hey it's my blog, and I can blog when and if I want to, right? I actually won't do a complete update, cause basically my life is relaxing, working, and running errands, and going to Starbucks and other coffee places, which is pretty much what I did last week. But just for fun (and because I can), I will do a quick recap of LAST week.

Monday, I slept most of the day, since I had worked the night prior. Hung for the day and watched TV and spent time with hubby. I think hubby made dinner.

Tuesday, was my day off. It was also the day of my Gr. Uncle's Celebration of Life an hour away. Since Dad and Mom were going, I thought I would hitch a ride. Ran a few errands before we left, and came home and relaxed in the evening. Not sure what we had for supper. I think we had steak.Yummy! I met my friend for coffee at about 10 or so. I think I went and grabbed a late night Starbucks and read for a bit, before I picked her up. Went to McD's and had a nice chat. I got to bed around 1 am.

Wednesday, I cleaned out our fridge. I know...exciting stuff. I said goodbye to my sister, as she was heading to Calgary, then Toronto, and then to DC. Ran home really quick, as I forgot a few things, and then grabbed a bite to eat at McD's and wound up seeing a friend, and we chatted for a few minutes. I grabbed Tim's and went to work. Work went pretty well. We thought the A/C was broken, so it was a hot few hours. My shift got changed for this day, so I worked 4-11, instead of 3:30-9.

Thursday, I relaxed, and went to work. I grabbed a Starbucks on my way. Went work from 4-11. Found out that A/C was working again..yay!

Friday was pretty much the same. Relaxed in the morning, and hubby and I went to grab a parcel at the post office, and had lunch at DQ. Yum! Visited the staff at the church, and grabbed my moms vacuum that she wanted me to pick up and drop off to a friends (long story for which I won't bore you with), and then went to work. I worked 4-11. Went to start the car as I was leaving work, it took a second to start. Oh goody. We had been having some problems with the car, but it was still starting (although it was resetting the clock at times..grrr). Thankfully, it started ok, and I went home, and relaxed until I went to sleep..another late night.

Saturday, I met my lady friends for coffee, which turned into lunch (as it usually does) at McD's. Went to start it up, and it wouldn't start. Oh Goody again. I tried 10 times, and it still wouldn't start. I went back into McD's and found that some of my friends were still in there. My one friend call her son, who tried to jump my car. It didn't work. I finally called BCAA, who came and was able to jump start my car. Followed me and then explained to us that the battery wasn't connecting. It still sounds funny when we start it sometimes, but for the most part, it is ok. Thank you, Jesus! I didn't feel like going out again that evening, even though my Brother and SIL asked me to come for a movie. I just relaxed and watched shows on our PVR. Didn't do a whole lot that evening.

Sunday, I worked 12 hours. It was a great shift, and I was in a great mood. And worked paid for Starbucks. Anytime that works pays for coffee ANYWHERE is a good day. Came home and relaxed and watched TV/Facebooked.

So that was last week and last weekend. I will update soon on this week/end.

Currently (A Link Up)

Linking up with A Mama Collective for this weeks Currently!

Thankful For/SO many things; For my sisters safe arrival to her Far, Far Away Destination. She had a great flight, and wasn't too sick on the plane, and she arrived safely. That our car is (sort of) working, that my hubby is cleaning up his junk from our storage room. It's a long and lengthy process, but I hope it will be done before winter.

Watching/ My 600 lb Life. I have a ton of stuff on my PVR that I watch when I am bored, or doing stuff on the Computer. So ya, I am watching that now. Good show, but sad.

Thinking About/ The sadness that is going on in the world, especially in Ferguson, MO. I am shocked and appalled.

Enjoying/ My job. Right this minute? Enjoying the morning of relaxation before I have to head to work. I should be doing things, but I don't wanna. LOL

Reading/ Well, this blog, obviously (and others in the link up), but I am still reading Danielle Steel's Power Play. I am almost finished.

Listening To/ The fan, the show that I am watching (see above).

Loving/ My brother and SIL being back in town. I hung out with them last night, and put H to bed, and then ended up looking after him for a few minutes while his parents went for a walk. He is adorable, and says the cutest and darndest things!

Looking Forward To/ Heading to my parents' house this weekend for one final weekend of camping. I feel like we haven't done much this summer, but we have had some nice camping trips, even if they were at my parents'.  I am also looking forward to Fall. Yes, I know it's a little early, as we officially have two more weeks before school starts (even if it does-teachers' strike), and over a month before it is officially fall, but I hear that Starbucks is coming out with their PSL's at the end of the month! Yay! I also am a bit tired of this HOT weather!!!

Proud of/ For the first time in well, FOREVER, I didn't buy my weekly magazines! It was hard for me to do (especially since Robin Williams was on the cover of PEOPLE), but we really can't afford anything super extra right now. I also am not eating out much (if I eat out alone, it is usually lunch at McD's or something) this week, though I did eat out yesterday.I have also made some good food choices this week (yesterday's lunch not being one of them)! I didn't have any TimBits (donut holes) the other day, and I usually try to have my drinks half sweet. I also only had one Reece's Peanut Butter Cup (and they were small) last night. It's the little things, people!

Sunday Social

Happy Monday! I worked all day yesterday, and I was too tired last night to do a blog post when I got back, so I am doing the SS today.

1. What is one item you wish you could splurge on right now?

A nice little vacay for Hubby and I. I don't care where we go (just not camping), as long as it includes a hotel or a b&b, I would be happy.

 

2. If you had an entire weekend of no plans what would you do?

Facebook, watch movies, grabbing a Starbucks with a good friend, Blogging.

 

3. What is the next place you are visiting outside of your current city?

Probably my parents place later this week.

 

4. Are you a neat freak or a clutterbug?

I am definitely both!!!

 

5. What is your favorite summer purchase?

I honestly don't know. I still think that buying my hubby his summer sandals were one of the best things I purchased. I also just bought new underwear, and a couple of t-shirts (well, one was bought awhile back). And I bought pillow protectors yesterday. I know. I live a wild and crazy life.

Linking up with Ashley for this weeks Sunday Social

Next week’s questions

1. What are you most looking forward to about Fall?

2. What is your favorite sports team?

3. If you could go back to college is there one thing you would change?

4. What was your favorite class you ever took? HS or College

5. Reach into your purse what is the first thing you grab?

Oh Hey, Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amy for this weeks OHF!

It's been a bit of a week. Definitely not the greatest week in the books. It seems that every day there has been something that has made the day really frustrating, tiring or just plain bleh. But here are a few of the interesting things (at least for me) from this week. Warning, it's not all gonna be unicorns and rainbows.

1. A New Niece.

Since they did the gender reveal photos on FB, I can now say that my brother (the one below me)  and his wife are having a girl in the new year. We are all so excited for them. N is so adorable, and I can't wait to see how she will respond to being a new sister, and what her new sister will look like.

2. "Finding" new BC Bloggers.

Just for fun last night, I Googled BC Bloggers, and I came up with a bunch of new bloggers in our province. I have added them to my blogger list, and I hope to get to "know" them a bit more. It was fun seeing/reading bloggers that live (sort of) close to me.

3. Cancelled Plans.

My GF from AB was planning on coming to town, and we were gonna have a few days of girl time. Sadly, her aunt died last week, and due to other things beyond her control, she had to cancel. I am very sad, but it is probably for the best. We hope to connect in the fall sometime.

4. Robin Williams

I already said this, but I am so sad that RW has passed away. Even sadder to find out that he had taken his own life. So sad. He was such a wonderful actor. I think my favourite movie was Mrs. Doubtfire. I also loved Patch Adams.

5. Saying Goodbye

I had to say good by to my sister on Wednesday. She is off to her Far, Far, Away destination. I am sad, cause I won't see her for at least a year, probably longer. She is off to Calgary to visit family before she heads out East. She also has a blog. Feel free to follow her at thesheepishmidwife.

That's all for this week. See, told ya it wasn't all gonna be rainbows and unicorns!!


Here is one picture to leave you with....

Memories/Whatever Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!!!

I am linking up with Thank Honey Blog for this weeks Whatever Wednesday!

First off, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of the wonderful, ever so funny, Robin Williams. I was shocked (like everyone else) to find out that he had died on Monday morning. He was such a funny guy, and he will be missed. I think my favourite movie that he was in was Mrs. Doubtfire. I also liked him in Hook, and Patch Adams. The world has lost a great guy. My prayers and thoughts are with his family.

Yesterday, I attended the funeral, er, I mean Celebration of Life, for my Great Uncle, who died in early July. Since his daughters were already travelling at the time of his passing, this was the earliest that they could have done the service. I was wavering about going, even up to the last minute, and I am SO glad I went. We originally thought it was going to be a come and go tea, and maybe people sharing a few things (which is was), but it was more of a service-like style, which in some ways made it more meaningful.

Over 200 people were there, and his oldest daughter (the one who we are all the closest to) MC'd and did a great job. All four daughters shared, along with their husbands, and their kids. Also a few long-winded old teacher friends (20 minute speech, anyone??) (he was a teacher for years in Kamloops). The daughters sang a song, and there were lots of pictures, and his book that he had written (which I had forgotten about..oops). I was glad I went b/c I was the only great grand niece/nephew that was represented on the Phillips' (my dad's mom's) side. Yah, it was a little long, but it was great hearing about what everyone said about him. It made me miss him more. He was a much loved man, teacher, friend, father, husband, and grandfather. He served in WW2, contracted TB, and raised four lovely daughters. Oh, and did I mention that he grew up without a dad? His father died before he was born. He lived such a wonderful life.

After my dad's parents passed, they kind of became our grandparents. They came to our weddings (if they could manage it) and graduations. They would send us cards on our birthdays and sometimes at Christmas. He gave my mom tips about homeschooling (even when he wasn't partial to himself)we kids when Mom would get frustrated, and would spend hours talking to we kids. He loved hanging out with us all. When we were younger, they had a house on a lake in the area, and we would go and spend time there for a few days. Their house was so cool, and we had many happy memories there. As I got older, I would call them (thought not NEARLY enough), and we would chat for a bit. The last time I saw him (our great aunt is still alive), was at Vienna's grad a few years ago, and I don't even think I said hello. I wanted to take Anker there and have a visit with them for an afternoon, so he could tell Anker all about his WW2 adventures, but we never got there, and I am wishing that we would have just made time to go.

I could go on and on (and I may in another post) about how sad I thought the service was because as far as we know, he wasn't a Christan, and had raised his kids (and taught others) not to believe in God, or on now people, although they said great things about him, didn't say anything about his being in Heaven, or on we all thought that it was sad that he taught others that doing good things on earth was the most important thing, or that the people that did tributes to him didn't know his Jesus, and they thought that doing good on earth was the most important thing, but I won't, as I want to remember his life as he lived it; good. And I have to leave for work.

An Update, and a Give Away! (yes, again!)

I have many different posts always running in my head, but I never seen to get them down. They always seem great in my head, but I either don't end up getting to blogging, or I forget, or it doesn't seem relevant anymore, or when I get to write it down, it doesn't look/sound good. Anyway, today, I am excited about blogging, as I am catching up on a few blog posts (I follow 173 blogs, and no, I don't read them all every day), and they are all written so beautifully, I got all excited to do a few blog posts. Does anyone else like that? I find I get bleh about blogging, then I get excited about it; blog a few posts, then get bleh/meh about it again. Am I normal?

I have another follower. I have hit the big 3-0. Yay! And yes, I had said that I would do a contest/giveaway for my mom's book when I hit 30 followers, but when I ran it a few months ago, only one person entered, so I didn't go through with it. SO, I am going to try it again. This is my first time doing a give away, and to be honest, I don't know how to do it, so you will have to bare with me. I was going to give away 2 (one to the followers who enter, and one to ANYONE who enters), but I think I am going to give away just one. This is a draw. I am not going to give a book to EVERYONE who enters (I wish I could!). So, please leave a comment on my blog, and I will do a draw. I will give you a link to my mom's book at the end of the post.

But first, an update. Yes, I know, you all live my (our) week/end updates...LOL. I do this mainly so that I can look back and see what we did. Yes, I have a journal, but this makes it easier to check on what we have done in the past (holidays, birthdays, etc). I don't do one every week/end, b/c frankly, it  gets boring, and it adds an extra blog post, and I just don't feel like doing them each week. (although I do try and do some sort of update in some form via Oh Hey Friday, or any other blog link up).

So, last week was much quieter than the week prior, for which I am grateful. Sunday (last) we left the ranch and came home and relaxed. Anker was still not feeling well at all, due to his quad accident, so I had to help him do simple things, like dressing. Monday, I worked a 12 hour shift. It was good, but long. Tuesday, I spent the morning relaxing and hanging out on my computer. I went out later in the afternoon for some Starbucks and Sushi. Just spent the evening relaxing. I think. Wednesday, I watched "Labor Day", which was ok, but I wouldn't go out and buy it. Went to the chiropractor, and ran a few errands, then went to work.Thursday, I met up with my cousin and her family for a few minutes as they were on their way through town to Seattle. Got a few groceries, and went to Walmart to grab a few more things for the weekend, and came home and got ready to go. Stopped in Clearwater for a few minutes, and carried on our way.

Thursday night, we had a great time with family. We had a yummy bbq and enjoyed time with H, and his mom and dad of course. It was also a farewell supper for Vienna, before she leaves for her Far, Far Away Destination. We had a great evening, filled with lots of laughter. Anker and I slept in our tent, which had already been set up in my parents' yard from the week before. We LOVE camping. We really enjoy camping at my parents', as we get to sleep in our tent, but we have electricity for my sleep machine, and if we want, we can cook our food in the house. And there is a pool. Yup..we love it. I sometimes don't always sleep well when we camp, but I slept pretty well this past time.

Friday, we just relaxed most of the day. I won't go into the hourly play by play, because that would be boring, but I did chat with my friend, finish one of the books I was reading, and went to Clearwater to get/do things we forgot on our way. We had a family supper outside again, which was nice. Relaxed for the rest of the evening, and went to bed.

Saturday, I relaxed in the morning, and went to a Gospel Music festival that was going on down the road. My friend who I grew up with was there, and she suggested that if I could, come on over and have a visit. It was great to see her and two of her kids, and sit in the sun and listen to the music. Came home and swam in the pool and suntanned for a bit, and Anker and I chatted for awhile. Visited with my mom, cousin, and aunts, and had supper with the family again. Mutton roast. YUM! Enjoyed the evening with the family, and then visited with my cousin, and played cards with her kids. Went to bed at 11.

Sunday, we packed up, and left around 10. We spent the day relaxing, and I had a nap, then I went to work the graveyard shift. I may or may not have grabbed some DQ on the way. I had a good shift; I made Shepherd's Pie for the first time, in like, EVER, which is weird b/c I grew up on the stuff. I think it turned out really well. I also watched (while I worked, and after I was finished) a few movies on my Laptop. Made of Honor (I love that movie), The Wedding Date, and Pretty Woman. I love that I can watch movies while I am working at night. I love my job. Just sayin'.

Well, as usual, I have gone on too long, and it's too wordy, so I will close with the link to my mom's book (and coaching website). Silk on Fire website. Go and check it out.

Sunday Social

1.) One show that I wish was on Netflix that isn't.

I don't watch/have Netflix. But if I did, I would want the old shows back (if they aren't on there), Cosby Show, Family Ties, etc.

2.) One song I wish they would play on the radio more.

I usually only listen to our local Country station...oh, and sometimes the light rock station...I like River  Bank, so I guess I wish that were on more...I also like Roar, by Katy Perry....and I enjoy hearing that while I listen to the radio.

3.) My favorite song to become a total rockstar to in my car.

River Bank. Yah, I get kind of crazy when I hear that.

4.) One movie/tv show that I quote a lot.

Grey's/Friends/FEDS/Mr. Mom

5.) One silly thing that I do daily.


I have been sitting here forEVER trying to figure out what I do that is silly on a daily basis. I am sure there are lots that I do that is silly, but probably one would be procrastinate. A LOT.


                                                   

                                                                 Next Week's Questions.

1. What is one item you wish you could splurge on right now

2. If you had an entire weekend of no plans what would you do?

3. What is the next place you are visiting outside of your current city?

4. Are you a neat freak or a clutterbug?

5. What is your favorite summer purchase?

 

Linking up with Ashley for this weeks Sunday Social

 

Oh Hey Friday

Linking up with Karli for this weeks OHF!

Well, this week was MUCH quieter than last! At least I didn't feel as busy. As I type this, I am at the ranch for a few days. I had this wknd booked off, in case my friend from Alberta was coming, but she is now coming in a couple of weeks, so we thought we would go camping in Clearwater (or somewhere in the NT Valley), but when Anker hurt himself, and when we found out that there were going to be a lot of family here, along with other things that came into play, well, we decided to come back here (plus, we left our tent up..). The weather is GORGEOUS; a perfect summer day.

Here are five things for this week.

1. Family Weekend.

It's a family weekend! I love family times!!! A and K are back from their time out East, and of course, H is with him.  We are having SO MUCH fun with him. He has said some hilarious things already, and he is such a talker. We had a BBQ last night, which was yummy! I will post pictures in another post.

2. Sushi.

Yes, I have said this a few times already, but I am LOVING sushi. I went out on Tuesday and had Sushi and Starbucks.

3. Late Night Reading

After a 12 hour shift on Monday, I came home (after grabbing Starbucks, of course!) and read for an hour on our balcony. Loved it.

4. Parking Lot/Driveway

Our driveway to our complex and our parking lot is FINALLY fixed. There were a few potholes that developed over the winter, and they just now got to them.

5. Quiet Time

Yes, I realize I get a lot of this, but during my errand-running, I was able to (I MADE time) stop and sit for a few minutes and catch up on the news and grab an iced tea.

Currently (a Link Up)

Linking up with Jenna for this weeks link up of Currently!

Thinking about: Going back to the ranch to see family TOMORROW! Anker isn't 100% still, but he says he is coming with me.

Reading: Two Danielle Steel Books. And many magazines.

Thankful For: Anker only sustaining MINOR injuries from his quad accident last weekend.

Loving: Sushi

Bits n Pieces

Because my last post wasn't long enough, I thought I would add a few things that I forgot, and also talk about our anniversary.

So, first of...randomness.....

H is coming back from out East, and he is so kind to bring his mom and dad back with him.

My gr. uncle died a month or so ago.The funeral is on the 12th, and I am tentatively going.

The zipper thing on my new purse broke on my purse, and now I am sad.

My sister in law's gramma died over the weekend. She was at their wedding, but I don't remember her being there at all (she gave a talk, which I don't remember either...and no, I wasn't drunk).

I am into two returning (Who Do you think You Are) and new (The Audience) shows this summer. I also watched Hotel Hell today. I kind of like it.

My grandpa came out of the hospital today. Yay! Now he just needs to get better so he can get back home.

And now on to our Anniversary from LAST Sunday! On July 27th, we celebrated our 7th anniversary. Because I had to work the night/morning before, we didn't go away as I had originally thought we might have. I slept until 5 or so, and we went to Boston Pizza for supper. We had Artichoke Spinach Dip as our appetizer, and I may or may not have had two adult bevvies. Anker had his regular order; the Calzone, and I had the quesadilla with extra corn and fries. We also shared the Chocolate Explosion cake. YUM!

 They now serve it with Pizza Bread, so it was a win-win for both of us.

 Yummy!!! I only ate two and took the rest home.

 The portion had shrunk from the last time we ordered it. It was still VERY good though.

 I accidentally asked for Hard Lemonade, instead of Hard IT. They brought Twisted Tea, which was all they had, but I mixed the two, and it tasted good, anyway.

We got home and then it was such a lovely quiet and warm night, that we both sat outside on our balcony for an hour and visited. It was a great evening.

Drama, Drama, Drama + AND a Weekly Update

I love the link from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" where they say "Drama, Drama, Drama" when one of the girls has guy problems, cries, etc. I thought it was a great blog title for this post, as my (our) last week has been!

The first part of the week was fine. Sat/Sun, I worked a graveyard shift, and then we celebrated our anniversary (I completely forgot to post about it...will do another post about it in a bit). I worked Monday, but I can't remember what I did Monday before I went to work. I probably relaxed a bit, like I usually do. Tuesday, I spent a day reading, both on our balcony and at Starbucks. Yay! Tuesday night, I decided that I would try and do something nice for my aunt/uncle/grandparents. More about what happened...

Not sure if I posted, but my grandparents, who live in Calgary, decided to fly out (with the encouragement and help of their daughters) to Kamloops. It is a central locale since D1 (my mom) lives two hours away, D2 lives in Kelowna, and D3 and her hubby and house sitting here in town. While they were still at the airport, Grandpa (who is already frail, walks with a cane, and is nearly 89), fell as he was getting out of the wheel chair the WJ provided him to walk through the scanner. EMS came to check him out and asked him if he wanted to go to their hospital (which they probably should have done), but they wanted to continue on. He was feeling well (or so he thought) enough to continue on. EMS said that they didn't think he had broken anything, so he thought that coming would be a good decision. It wasn't. Or maybe it was. We don't know. Well, to make a long story short, he had broken 2 ribs, and instead of doing road trips and exploring our town and doing fun things, they have stayed home. Well, they have gone to the doctors, the hospital, and to the drug stores! Grandpa had to go in the hospital on Thursday morning. He is doing ok, but still not close to getting back to Calgary. I am calling it "The Nightmare Vacation" that never ends". Oh dear. They are doing well, though, and D3 is doing AWESOME helping them out; cooking, driving them places, etc.

So, back to last Tuesday night....I decided that the best thing I could do was to make/bring a meal over to them, so that D3 didn't have to cook. I made chicken and brought potato salad, and a yummy crumble pie. She made veggies, and so that made it a meal. Yum. Anker was doing his project so he didn't end up going. We had a nice meal and time together.  Wednesday, Anker and I drove to the ranch so that he could participate in the big sheep move. We had a nice drive; the weather was perfect, and even the traffic wasn't so bad. We set up the tent, and I spent time in the the pool and read magazines in the sun. Mom came out and we spent time reading and swimming together. I always tell Mom that she is the reason that I am a magazine addicted to magazines. I think the first magazine I read was Good Housekeeping. I always loved their column "My Problem and How I solved It". I am so sad they don't have it anymore. Anyway...I will do a magazine addict post another time. I ended up bring Vienna back with me, as she was trying to catch the birth of the baby from a friend of hers, that she needed to witness in order for to be able to graduate from MW school. On our way back, we both decided to stop for supper. I hadn't been to this particular restaurant in years, which is weird, particularly since I have been living back in this area for 10 years. I had their Fish and Chips which was SO GOOD!

I have a lot of childhood memories of this place. This was also my first job. I was a bus girl/hostess. Yah, fun times. Anyway, we got back into town around 9, and Vienna wanted to go to a bar (let me say that she NEVER goes to bars, she is not like that at all...I then told her that she wanted to go a pub, not a bar..haha)  I wasn't  going to take her to any one of our bars in town (although a few bars down town are OKAY, but not great), as they are sleezey, so I thought I would take her to a pub (which is better, and where she really wanted to go to anyway). We went to a local pub that I have been to a few times (well, ok, once). We both ordered Shirley Temples. No food. This apparently raises concerns with the wait staff, who kept coming over and asking how we were doing. Oh, and did I mention that I had brought in a First Aid kit, since Vienna had cut her finger even BEFORE we went in. I mentioned to her that you are supposed to get the cuts while IN the bar (bar fight), not before. Not to mention that the place was well, pretty quiet. The only cute guys in there were NOt the ones for her. Oh, and we were sitting in the corner, and we were laughing. A LOT. That may have raised concerns. Or at least made them come over and ask how we were, and if we needed anything, Yah, I may not be able to set foot in there anytime soon. Hahah.
 Pictures

Anyway...we had a fun time, and came home and relaxed a bit with some FRIENDS episodes and went to bed. I introduced her to FRIENDS while she was here. I wish we could have spent an ENTIRE day watching them, but we just didn't have time.

Thursday, we thought we had missed the birth of L's baby, since my phone was on silent, and our LL cordless phone was broken, and we only had the corded phone, so we weren't able to have the phone in our room. Thankfully, it was a false alarm. Mom also sent over our aunt to make sure we weren't raped or murdered. Oh dear.

The rest of the day was great. We just relaxed and watched FRIENDS and we played on our laptops. Oh, and did I mention that Vienna made us eggs and did our breakfast dishes? Yah, pretty sweet.  This was also when we found that Grandpa went to the hospital. Drama #1.We then went off to find some lunch. We bought sushi. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this food now? Sushi in the park with my sister. Yum! I was sad that I had to go to work, but hey, what can you do? I dropped Vienna off downtown (later, she realised she had no idea why she was down there, but I thought and told her later that it was so that she could be closer to the hospital), and I went to work. She and I kept in touch via FB (she has no phone), and then she went for a walk downtown, which apparently scared Mom. I reassured her she was probably ok, since it is summer, and there are tourists everywhere. Anyway, afterwards, V was unable to connect online, which scared Mom, and even me a little bit, but she was finally able to connect via Skype. So everyone was happy. I picked her at the McD's downtown. Went home and we watched FRIENDS and went to bed at 2 am. True story.

Friday, was NUTZ. We slept in (yay!) and relaxed for a bit in the morning. We decided to grab brunch at Tim Horton's.  We had JUST sat down, when L called to say she was in labour. Drama #2 We quickly gobbled down our breaky and I dropped V off and I visited G & G. I stayed for a couple of hours, and then I ran errands, which seemed to take longer than they should have. I bought two CD's and a new cordless phone for our LL. I love Dallas Smith's CD and I also got Miranda Lambert's new one. I now have two CD's of hers. I ran a couple of errands, and went to work. I picked up Gramma from the hospital on my way back, and picked up Vienna at our Aunt's. Stayed up and chatted, and she told me about her experience from the day (she was able to witness the birth..so amazing!) and watched FRIENDS (we skipped a few seasons, and went to the ones where Rachel is in labour), and stayed up until 2 am. Again. And not a good idea. Oh well. Fun times anyway.

Saturday, we slept in again. Yay again! And was planning on relaxing for most of the day, when Vienna realized that she had to the midwife to sign a form she needed. We were a bit annoyed, but we decided to make a fun time out of it. Grabbed Timmies for everyone and she went to the library to print out the form (we don't have a printer) and went to the hospital. Had a nice visit with G & G and then grabbed Sushi and Starbucks on the way home. We watched FROZEN, and other than not being able to multi-task (I kept missing things in the movie) and getting Anna and Elsa mixed up (I had no idea it was a CSI-type movie.haha...lol), it was a fun movie to watch. I had watched it at work, but I hadn't been able to finish it, since I was well, working. Did I mention that we had Starbucks and Sushi? On a Saturday? That was sunny? With Sister? Happy Girls, we were!

After quickly getting ready to go, we left around 5:30, after grabbing gas, and Starbucks, of course for the road. I stopped half way to grab a few things for that night (chips, s'mores, etc, you know the important things in life), as Anker was still camping in the tent. When I came back to the car, Vienna had told me that Anker had had an accident with the quad. Drama #3. Mom was taking him to the hospital. As soon as I got there, Anker was just going to get x-rayed. Mom took Vienna home, and I stayed on at the hospital with Anker. In the end, it turned out that nothing was broken, but he was (and still is!)  very sore. I took him back to the ranch, and instead of sleeping in the tent, we stayed in the house (it has started raining, anyway). Sunday, I went to church, while Anker slept. Vienna had a final little speech to say before she leaves for Far, Far, Away. Came home and was FINALLY able to relax a bit. I read a magazine, a book, and I also napped outside in the front yard. We left around 6, grabbed DQ on the way home, and got in around 8.

So THAT was my week last week! Yes, it was pretty crazy!! I am hoping that this week will be a little less crazy!!!

I am sorry this is such a long and wordy post, but I had to get it all in there somehow :)

Sunday Social

1. Gum or mints?

Both. I am not a huge fan of either, though.

2. Tea or Coffee?

Both! Or neither..Mocha/iced tea.

3. Fruits or Veggies?

Fruits/berries.

4. TV or Movies?

Both. I love me some tv shows, but also love me some movies.

5. Candles or Diffusers?

Candles!

Next week’s questions

1. One Show you would love to see on netflix that isn’t there

2. One song you wish they would play more on the radio

3. Your favorite song to sing loudly to in the car

4. What Movie/TV show do you quote the most?

5. One silly thing you do daily

Linking up with Ashley for this weeks SS.

Oh Hey Friday

It has been a BUSY week for me. Yes, I know have a more relaxing week than most, well, with all of my coffee-ying and spending time alone and all, and there are a lot of weeks where I just work, hang out at home (watch TV, read, etc), and go for coffee, so a person may think that ANY week with more than one thing that week is busy for me, but I AM used to busy weeks, believe me, but this week was EMOTIONALLY crazy for me, too. So let me just say that I am very glad it's the weekend!

I will do an account of the week in another post, but here are my top five for this last week!

1. A full day to/for myself.

I didn't mean to, but I ended up taking one full (almost) day to read and relax. I may have had a Starbucks drink or two. Pure Bliss!!!

2. Spending LOTS of time with Sister.

For reasons I won't explain on here, Sister has been in town a lot this week. So we have been spending time before she goes away to her Far, Far Away destination. She We spent time last last Saturday before I had to work, and she came back with me when I came back from the ranch on Wednesday. We have been having lots of fun and laughs ever since. We went to a pub, went to the park, I introduced her to FRIENDS, she introduced me to Sushi (ok, NOT introduced, since I had it before, but introduced me to Superstore Sushi.

3. Sushi.

Yes, I can actually say that I LOVE sushi now.

 Sushi in the park on Thursday.

K, this was technically taken today, but isn't it a pretty picture?

4. Swim n Sun

I had me some great time at my parents' pool on Wednesday. Even Mom came and spent some relaxation time with me.

5. Spending Time withe Grandparents.

Because of Grandpa's fall on their trip, they have been spending more time here than they were planning to. He has also landed himself in the hospital. That's no good, but spending time with them has.

Linking up with Karli for this weeks Oh Hey Friday.