Invitations

Sarah and Kari came over last night to help with the invitations. It was a delight to have their company.

Aren't you all so excited to see yours arrive in the mail?

A new route home

So, since I moved into the house, I have been fairly diligent in taking the bus to work. For the most part it is an easy ride in - the #17 at the end of my block has me to the office in my cubicle in under a half an hour consistently. For the trip home, I catch one of 2 buses that drop me off a 10 minute walk to the house - again a 30 minute trip door to door. Pretty easy.

Well, I met a friend on the bus one day that lives in the same area and he was surprised to see me on the 100 series rather than the 17 home. After a fairly in depth conversation about how easy and convenient the 17 would be I finally decided to give it a go on Thursday.

Although it was Jimmy's bday, I knew he would be out of town until 6 or 6:30, I wasn't needing to stop at the gym and frankly I was feeling a touch lazy so it was the perfect trial day. Let's just say I won't be taking that route again - I diligently checked the schedule but the bus was 5 minutes early which of course meant i was waiting at the redlight to cross the street when it pulled into the stop; after waiting another 20 minutes I finally did get on, it took forever to get through to Bow trail and then took me on an indirect route through the south side of bow and weaving through wildwood. Had to try it at least once but by the time I arrived at the stop for my 2 minute walk to the house over an hour had passed . . . think I am sticking with the 100 series and the 10 minute walk.

Hee hee - so much for being lazy!!

A day at the zoo

When my family was out for the remembrance day weekend, we took the boys to the zoo. It was sooo much fun, the boys were pretty excited, the day was nice comparatively speaking and the animals were incredibly interactive in a 'natural environment': lionesses fighting, bears snacking on pumpkins, zebras doing whatever it is that zebras do. Jimmy and I could have wandered around there all day!



Serenity

There is something so incredibly serene about a busy city covered in a blanket of fresh snow under the twinkling lights. The calm that is in the air. Everyone hunkers down. Snow covered cars stay where they are; the trees look like they were dipped with fresh snow frosting; the roofs twinkle under the streetlights. It truly is a feeling that nothing else mimics.

(To all my friends who live in snowless places, I wish for you one night of such serenity. It truly does make time feel like it pauses just for a minute or two).

Hump day

Today was the best of hump days I have had in a while:

• I didn't have to panic and then rush to catch the bus
• I finally broke down and treated myself to some war wonton soup
• Shan had time to quickly chat as I grabbed lunch
• An extra hour found it's way into my day freeing me to catch up on some emails
• I had 2 great project sessions with clients
• Jimmy picked me up a smidgen early
• I was able to relax for a couple hours before heading out
• I edited the wedding website and ordered our favors
• Jimmy and I shared some laughs and a diet soda at the hockey game
• I got to see the Iggy dance
• the flames won
• this hump day was the middle of 3 work days as I already had Monday off and I am taking Friday off

The only sad thing about this hump day is that I missed dinner club!

Happy Wednesday all.

Patterns and Stacking

Are some people more prone to recognizing patterns? Is it not in everybody's blood to find the best way to stack items? Or maybe I just spent a little more time in preschool then the average person - pushing shapes through holes, stacking towers and determining what comes next in the sequence . . .

I like order - my tupperware stacks quite nicely, the measuring cups fit perfectly in the cupboard if stacked appropriately and plates work best largest to smallest.

I like opening cupboards and seeing patterns - like glasses should be in the same place, spoons were meant to be separated little from big and the good towels go in a separate place from the back-up towels.

But maybe that is just me . . .

Karma

It was an early morning and I was still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I pulled into the parking lot.

Normally, I like to pull up by the ticket kiosk and grab my ticket quickly so that I don't need to go back after I park.

This day, someone was already at the kiosk.

I pulled in to park instead.

By the time I got to the kiosk, another man was also there. He was struggling with his ticket. I remember those days when you hope the credit card will process the payment.

So I decided to offer this man some grace and I bought his ticket for him.

When I went to buy my ticket, the machine wouldn't process my card. Oh dear - maybe it was the machine and not the credit card for the gentleman before.

I went to call the impark service line - 1-877-771-PETE if anyone needs it anytime in the future.

I soon discovered that Impark has a built in security feature which will not allow you to process more than one payment per credit card for the same lot.

Curses.

They said they would send out a bulletin to the parking crew who look for those rule breakers parking without a ticket. Alas, I still got a ticket.

So much for being a good samaritan . . . or maybe that is what it really means - to sacrifice and pay the price for others wrong doings!

An Accomplished Week

I feel as though I have had a very productive week.
On the work front, I have caught up on a couple of my projects and feel a little more prepared to attack the other projects. Some timelines have shifted which certainly has relieved some of the stress.

On the health front, Brenda and I are back at 'er at the gym. My body has that familiar ache the day after a great work out and we have our work outs planned for this week.

On the beauty front, I have a little hair appt booked for this week. My christmas face cream is fighting those winter skin blues. And my new accessories are brightening up my seasoned outfits.

On the friends front, the long awaited meeting of a special someone finally happened. It is fun to see a dear friend with that  'glow' that only 'butterflies' can bring out. Sar planned a spa night last weekend so the house was filled with lots of girl talk and that long awaited chance to catch up after a busy Christmas season.

On the wedding front, well, lots has come together on the wedding front! The first fitting of Jimmy's vest was ready at the same time that the boys were going up for their measurements. I was excited to see it come together and looking as good as it did in my mind. She even finished one for my nephews to take home and try on! Yaye! Two of the bridesmaids are good to go with their dresses. Some more of my ebay purchases arrived for the wedding. The hair appointments are confirmed. We have the logistics finalized for the wedding day agenda. And . . . drum roll please . . . I got the first draft of the invitations done! Whew - quite the week.

I hope this week is full of as many accomplishments!

The Christmas Season

And what a fun season it was

hockey games

the first christmas with my future husband

learning the family secret behind the stuffing

beautiful christmas eve service

shortbread

a kitchen aid mixer

buying the perfect gift

45's

beautiful weather

a girl party for my beautiful friend's wedding

my first turkey

boxing day parties

catching up with new family

frivolous gifts

the drive to the farm through a winter wonderland

fun earrings

a new year's eve party

hugs from the nephews

kisses at midnight

pinwheels

hugs from the uncles, aunts and cousins

visits with beautiful friends

accessories, oh how i love new accessories

the game of life

homemade ice cream

yummy itallian dinner with great friends making fabulous plans for the new year

Spa Night

One of my lovely friends, Sar treated me to a delayed birthday surprise - an in home spa party. And what a party it was. Great friends, yummy chocolate fondu and all the pampering a girl could ask for . . . pedis and manis were the service of the night.

It felt like forever since I have had a chance to catch up with the girls and what a perfect night it was. Talks of vacations, crazy day homes, new loves, old friends, weddings and bridesmaid dresses freely flowed. I love these times when we can just sit and be in each other's company.

The only thing missing on the night was the opportunity to freeze time. Oh if only that could be possible. It would take me forever to get through this year. Well, on the other hand,  maybe freezing time wouldn't be quite so much fun, I am too excited for all that April brings to pause through much over the next few months.

p.s. my toes are a sparkly grey blue and my fingers a sparkly nude just in case you were wondering

I just spent the last half hour

Soaking in my new foot bath

Whilst sipping tea out of my new tea pot

Wearing a new pair of earrings

Looking at the Christmas lights around the house.

Christmas truly was delightful!

Maybe I will go put on my dead sea mud face mask now

And read a new book

Cuz tomorrow I need to take the tree down.

Winter Roads

Why do winter roads have to be sketchy especially when I have somewhere to be??? Honestly, do they not realize that I have a life that doesn't include icy patches and multiple car pile ups?

Argh :(

No wedding for me today - it was down in High River. I should be leaving now. Jimmy is glad I am not as he says the roads are slick!

Sure hope the roads clear for Sask . . .

What fun it is to go to a hockey game when you have a few goals to cheer for

When the Enmax flames lights up more than once

And when the bad guys can't find there way to the net.

What fun it is to go to a hockey game when Iggy scores a sweet one

When Kipper stands on his head to stop the shots

And when Kotalik gets his first of the season.

What fun it is to go to a hockey game when friends see us on TV

When it is the first NHL game for Jimmy's parents 

And when you get to watch the fun highlights all over again

What fun it is to go to a hockey game!!!

What fun!!!

p.s. and to the boys sitting behind us who yipped the whole game

there was an amazing game on the ice that you missed

and I hate to tell you but you really don't know everything

Royal Obsession

Aunty Robin noted today that our wedding date is barely a week before the Royal Wedding date. She was teasing me that maybe we should have our wedding live for public viewing as well. It made me chuckle and for a few minutes day dream about what it would be like to be that royal couple with all the glorious wedding details, not worrying about the budget and having a million people at my beck and call to make my every wish come true.

Then as I was icing my last batch of cookies (which turned out the best of all of them yet), Entertainment Tonight (what else is a girl to watch whilst in the middle of domestic bliss) talked about the latest in the Royal Gossip.

Sure, it would be nice to have the perfect wedding but at what cost? All of Jimmy's and my dirty laundry aired out for all the world to twist and turn into untruths? Would I want every one's eyes upon me guessing if I was pregnant or just gaining weight due to stress? Or perhaps I would look like I had bulimia or anorexia to get that perfect body for the wedding? In the season when I am supposed to be head over heels infatuated with the love of my life, would I want to hash and rehash out our previous fights just because everyone feels like they have a right to know?

So I will stick to my non royal budget. I will bask in the worlds shadows knowing that I am in Jimmy's spotlight. EBay will be my best friend for all the little important accessories. My diamonds don't need to be 32 carats. I will work my butt off at the gym after indulging in Christmas treats knowing that the only one who cares is me. I will blissfully forget about our previous fights, knowing that we learned our lessons and have moved onto a stronger and healthier relationship because of it. Tonight, I will thank God for all the humble living He has blessed me with. And I can tell you one thing, future princess or not, our love is just as real, just as painful, just as exhilarating, just as precious as any in this world.

Wedding Preparations

In the midst of Christmas craziness, I am trying to keep up on all the wedding plans. Thank goodness for online shopping.

I have a little confession to make - I think I am slowly becoming addicted to online shopping. Okay okay . . . maybe it isn't so slow after all. But first there is the thrill of bidding, then the delightful exhilaration that comes from winning and finally It's like any random day is my birthday with the staggered deliveries.

But seriously, from the comfort of my home, I have purchased a beautiful pair of yellow shoes, the most adorable little brooches for the bouquets, a beautiful little something blue for my bouquet and my veil.

Next up, ordering the invitations!

Siamese Chickens Part II

So I finished up the last post and proceeded to whip up a second batch and then the third batch.

You are not going to believe this - but it happened again. These little baby eggs were joined at the liver I think. Crazy! Better buy a lotto ticket or something cause I must be on a lucky streak. Too bad I wasn't on that lucky streak last night when I bought the 50/50 at the Flames game. With a cool $30K I could have ordered all my Christmas baking. And been writing this post at the spa. In Paris.

Okay - back to reality and onto the shortbread. They don't have eggs in them so I think I am safe.

Next up - some crazy sandwichy icing cookies that I am trying for the first time (the other recipe in this little book is a delight though so I don't think they will disappoint) and snickerdoodles. Jimmy ordered snickerdoodles cause they are fun to say. Hee hee - snickerdoodles!

And a quick trip to the mall to exchange a shirt.

Busy day.

Siamese Chickens

I witnessed something today that I may never see again in my life. I am busy finishing up my Christmas baking and cracked an egg for the first of three batches of my chocolate chip cookies (they are on popular request this year). And there, plain as day in my little glass dish, was an egg with two yokes attached - I have never seen such a thing and believe you me have done a lot of egg cracking my in 20 plus something (we don't need to talk about the details on the 'something') years of life.

Siamese chickens - who would have thought that was possible!

I met the seamstress today. She is the one who will work the lovely armani wool into a dapper vest for the handsome men on the wedding day. I cannot wait!!!

On the way, I needed to pick up the rest of the fabric. This found me at Fabricland and I am not going to lie - I get enamored with all that fabric. And the possibilities of what one can do with all of it. So I stopped in again on my way home. Bought some fabric to recover the chairs with. And a little nova scotia tartan to do something with at the wedding. Any ideas anyone???

'Who Doesn't Carry Cash?'

So apparently I am the epitomy of the thorn in a tax driver's side.

You see, the work offices aren't always in the most convenient locations even though they are all downtown. As of late, my schedule seems to consist of an average of 7.79 hours of meetings a day and sometimes that is over the course of a 60 block radius. The Ctrain is great when i am only a block or two off of 7th Ave but once I get to be 5 or 6 blocks off, it takes me almost 25 minutes to get from my office to the clients. So the best option is to walk down and catch a cab. I am at my destination in 7 minutes!

Despite the fact that hands down, this is my best option, to the drivers, I seem to be hands down their worst fare. Over the past few months I have been yelled at on more than one occasion. One day, the driver was irate that I wasn't needing to go to the airport. Another time, a different driver couldn't believe that I was only offering him $10 (the fare was $5.60). And on more than one occasion, the fact that I would like to put this on a credit card seems to put them over the top.

Well, this week was no exception. I had a meeting onsite down by EauClaire and had 13 minutes to get there. I trot on down to the Sandman, politely ask the gentleman for a ride to 2nd Ave and 3rd St. He graciously complies and we are on our way. As we near my destination, another lady tries to hail the cab. The taxi driver (on my dime) pulls over, rolls down his window and lets her know he will be right back for her. Once I get to my stop, I hand him my card and say 'a receipt for $9 please.'

His reaction was the best yet. He proceeds to alternate between yelling and me and mumbling under his breath. I catch snippets of comments about how stupid I am, annoying, a dumb lady all while he is gruffly trying to take an impression of my card. I finally was able to sign off on the transaction and am stepping out of the car when he throws his pen down on the passenger side floor and yells 'WHO DOESN'T CARRY CASH?'.

You would think that would be enough for one day but I still needed to get back to the office at the end of the day for another meeting.

This gentleman was the most polite of gentlemen, but the cab was disgustingly dirty. I got in on one side only to find the seat cold and wet (apparently he had just picked up his kids from soccer?). Once I move over to the other side in my grey wool pants that are now soaked, I notice that his head rest is filled with hair clippings. The seats were dingy and crusty. The door handles had junk on them. My over active gag reflex kicks in and for the rest of the ride, I can be seen looking out the window intently thinking 'watermelon watermelon'.

I think instead of a raise this year at the office, I am going to ask for a segway. That way I never need to worry about a cab downtown again!

Chinese

I had a delightful little phone chat with Julie yesterday. We talked about the shoes I ordered for the wedding, custom tats, Christmas plans and other such goings ons. We had also discussed Julie and Lonnie's plans for the evening - Chinese and movies.

Well, Jimmy and I couldn't find a movie we wanted to watch but we did agree on Chinese food! Yummy!!!

And my fortune? Well it did say 'you will be a great success - both in business and socially'. If I believe it does it make it so??? ;-)

It's Friday!!

And even though I have a tonne of work to do this weekend
It sure is nice to not think about that right now
And instead just enjoy the weekend

the perfect weekend

it starts by picking up a dear friend at the airport
you then chat the night away before finally dragging yourself to bed
the alarm awakens you early but you don't mind
you hop out of bed, whip up smoothies and a coffee and head out to the spectacular mountains
next up is your workout which passes in the blink of an eye as you chat the whole time
you then head back to the locker room, shower, put on your swim suit and robe
muffins, water and a delightful massage
next order lunch in and dine lounging next to a fire with a blanket chatting the hour away
then you head out to the outdoor hottub and gaze out over the beautiful snow capped mountains
finish the afternoon with a pedicure and manicure
drive back into the city making sure you talk non-stop
have another fabulous friend over for the evening
sleep in just a little
have a yummy breakfast
head to the mall to meet the girls and try on potential bridesmaid dresses
a little lunch with more chatter and laughter
then try on the most beautiful dress a girl can dream of buying
head home to a yummy dinner and an evening filled with lots of catching up, online shopping for the perfect shoes and lots of giggles
all too soon you find yourself driving back to the airport and saying good bye
only to head over to a fun little birthday party for one of the newest additions to your friends

you have no idea how much I would like to rewind and start it all over again - not changing a thing - but just enjoying everything to its fullest one more time

I tried my dress on for a couple of my girls yesterday.

They gushed.

Not too much that it seemed fake.

Not too little that it seemed hesitant.

Just enough to know they think I am beautiful and loved.

Oh and by the by . . . Julie arrives today . . . I am soooo excited!!!

Spa day tomorrow!

Shopping on Saturday!

Good byes on Sunday! Okay not thinking to goodbyes yet! Just hello's in 2 hours!

Miss Manners

I am quite confident that if you look in the Miss Manners book clipping your fingernails on the floor of an office meeting room is not appropriate.

Quite Confident.

The Tree is Up

I can't quite take pics yet as i need to find another snow blanket for the village (which is partway under the tree) but the tree is up and decorated all pretty, garland is hanging gracefully from the bannister and the fireplace mantle, snowflakes are twinkling in the light, the outdoor lights are well underway (another two or three strings should do the trick) and energy efficient (solar - if all the homeowner horror stories of the power meter dial moving quicker then the human eye can register - this  should help) with a natural timer and the garland is ready for a bit of spice along the kitchen cabinets.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

Now to decide what deliciousness I need to start filling the freezer with -

Shortbread
Pinwheels
Ginger cookies
???

But first - GO RIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goings on and happenings

Mercies - this fall totally flew by. Between planning a wedding (who knew that there were so many details to consider), moving into a house (it is still absolutely beautiful and I am quite excited to decorate it for Christmas) and trying to stay on top of things at work (which seems to be a losing battle these days) I haven't had much time for anything else.

The place did welcome it's first house guest. It was officially initiated when my whole family came (including the nephews). And has been proven to comfortably host a 13 adult dinner party.

We have a church, hall, wedding dress, photographer and on the path for invitations. Our wedding guests have a place to sleep and we have fabric for the guys vests. My hair will look delightful in Sask at least and we are slowly crossing things off the list for NS!

I flew down to Philly for a 3 day demo for work that went superbly! It was during my birthday which made for a fun trip but also kind of felt like the birthday fairy passed me by this year. Does that mean I am still 34??

And honestly that sums up all the goings on in my life.

Oh - and the Riders are officially headed to the Grey Cup again. Can't forget that excitement.

It snowed today

So I turned on the fireplace

long drives

planning

coffee

soccer

hunting monsters

combining

nature walks

snuggles

wedding plans

laughs with old friends

trucking

dinners in the field

scavenger hunts

turkey dinner

giggles

ice cream

saskatoon pie

Daniel and the Lions Den

new rooms

old treasures

Thanks Mom, Dad, Kim, Trev, Joshua, Rhyder and Chase for the best thanksgiving weekend we could have asked for. Missing you guys tonnes!!!! Looking forward to your visit this way!

i love this moment

sitting on the couch

with a pot of hot tea

the fireplace is burning warmly

this was worth all the events that i said no to because of the budget

this was worth the last three years in the apartment

this . . . this is delightful

Eep, these are from the backyard of our new house . . .

I Survived

The big day has come and gone. Every muscle in my body has ached at some point over the last few days. Many hands have lugged boxes, mopped floors, hoisted furniture, eaten pizza, washed baseboards and filled garbage bags. After a sleep, we have done it all over again. And every single sweaty stinky second has been worth it.

In the organizing mode now so will post pictures once the boxes are cleared and I have had a chance to add a touch of flare to the place!

It's 2 sleeps until the big day. I cannot wait. Have some more packing to do today and my throat is a bit scratchy so I am loading up with zinc lozenges and echinacea. Taking a lazy morning card and watching a couple shows from this week. And then it's time to start loading up the boxes with all my kitchen treasures.

Eep

Soooo if we can make it through moving week, I can start on more fun wedding plans!

Yeah!!!!!

(p.s. Private Practice and Grey's . . . love those coffee mornng shows)

The Spare

I can see the light

It started out quite faint

But it's getting brighter

I am getting closer

There are a lot of empty cupboards

My bathroom is pretty bare

I just packed my handbags

I kept out one handbag though

After all, moving day is still 4 sleeps away

Cape George Auxilliary Coast Guards

We had a very important rescue mission one evening when we were in Nova Scotia. Brent and Jimmy had stopped in at the wharf on their way to pick up the truck when they met Uncle Gerard. We had been summoned to help a poor family that was stranded in the middle of the ocean.

Well, this mission was not for the faint of heart and no-one knew the severity of the situation so of course Brent and Jimmy bee-lined back to the cottage to pick me up, along with my camera. After all - someone needed to be the acting photojournalist.

Uncle Gerard was waiting for us on the boat. The motor was running and the ropes were untied. We quickly jumped on the stern and were off. The time it took to reach the family felt like an eternity. You could feel the tension on the boat as we all prepared for the worst!

Finally after 10 or 15 minutes (I know - they were a long ways out there) we spotted them. The family was huddled together trying to be calm. My camera was ready to capture this miracle in action. The next few minutes was a flury of activity, Jimmy and Brent threw the to-line to the sailboat's port side while uncle gerard checked and rechecked his knots to ensure they would hold. The family frantically rearranged their buoys to ensure the least resistance and damage for the ensuing tow.

Uncle Gerard was ready to bring them in. He revved the motor and started at a steady pace. These waters can change in the blink of an eye - all sea faring folks know this - and so uncle gerard wasn't going to waste a minute. The sailboat's captain in his greenback ways was concerned about the speed. But we all knew that Uncle Gerard's knowledge of the seas was where we were placing our bets.

Our timing was perfect, just as the sun started to drop (an no-one wants to be out on the atlantic at dark) we floated them in port side. Someone was looking out for that family that night!

(You can see how serious the guys are)

(don't the skies look ominous)

Julianno the Tyrannosaurus Rex

I met my dear friend Colleen at the Calgary Farmer's Market on Saturday. (as a total aside - I absolutely love the market everytime i go and always wonder why I don't go more often). She was going to be busking and so we took the opportunity to have coffee first.

I absolutely love spending time with Colleen. and watching her at work is a delight as well.  There was this little guy around the 4 mark I would guess that only roared as he was a tyrannosaurus rex, silly. So Colleen made up a song on the spot for Julianno the t-rex. The next thing I know, his hands take on the look of ancient creatures of past, he starts to circle Colleen stomping to the beat of 'his song'. It was absolutely adorable.

Colleen you are a delight in my life and judging from the faces on the people you met today - you are a delight to everyone who has a chance to see even a small glimpse of your soul!

Fall is here

I know fall is here because all my favorite shows are back.

That and the fact that my toes are freezing in flip flops.
(But I refuse to put the flip flops away cause I am not ready for winter yet)

And already I am in love with Lauren Graham and her show, Parenthood.

20 minutes into the second season and I had tears.

Counting down the days until Grey's, Brothers and Sisters and Private Practice!

Just have to get all settled into that new house.
(But I kept out my Gilmore Girls so I have some packing company and such delightful company they are!)

YEAH!!!!

The signs

Jimmy and I have each been on a budget for well over a year. And in case you have forgotten, I have had a few lows and highs that have impeded the progress at times but in April we made the big leap and were pre-approved for the mortgage. Next step - finding a realtor and figuring out our must haves!


To get an idea of the communities we liked and what might possibly be available, we went for a Sunday afternoon drive. Wildwood was our most favorite location, and there were numerous listings but once we came home and looked them up on MLS, very few were actually within our budget. There was this little yellow house in particular that we quite liked. From the exterior - it fit all our criteria including being a 4 level split. (Sign #1 - the perfect house in Wildwood)

Jimmy and I tried to keep our chins up; we had talked at length and were both comfortable that we had lots of time to find the perfect house. In the meantime, we were not going to stress about it. Rather we would enjoy our summer trip back to Nova Scotia and plan to start looking seriously in September and October.


The Sunday before we left for Nova Scotia, we called our realtor (who, if anyone is looking, is absolutely amazing - I am quite confident we wouldn't have necessarily had the same success with many others), Tracey and forwarded over the master spreadsheet I had created (okay, I am a bit of a spreadsheet geek . . . ). This was all done in hopes that by the time I got back from Dallas (4 weeks later) we would have a few places to check out. I was ready - I had made us spreadsheets for everything. The deal breakers, the nice to haves, the important details we needed to check out when we looked at the house!

It took a couple days for our registration to kick in to receive the automatic property matches and so when the house we had spotted in Wildwood showed up, it was the Wednesday before vacation and we were leaving first thing Friday morning. Incredible - it had dropped a hundred thousand dollars! (Sign #2 - our dream house was within our price range after a crazy price drop) I emailed Tracey to let her know that if it was still free, we would like to look at the house.


Then we were off . . . both of us were sooo excited for our vacation and the warm weather in Nova Scotia that we really didn't think much about house shopping. In fact, I had totally forgotten about the Wildwood house. It wasn't until a couple of days before we came home that we had any further discussions.

We were only supposed to have 2 nights in Calgary together before Jimmy left for a golf trip to Vancouver Island and I was leaving for Dallas less then 7 hours from when he was supposed to fly back into Calgary. This didn't leave us any time for checking out places but through a few random events his golfing trip was cancelled. (Sign #3 - we were able to look at houses together)


It worked out perfectly as this opened up Wednesday night to go house shopping. Tracey was leaving Thursday morning for an extended weekend and we just wanted to get out with her once so that she could have a better idea of what we were looking for.


I sent Tracey a list and at the last minute, remembered the house in wildwood and went searching for it (Sign #4 - God wouldn't let me forget about it). We had a list of 6 houses and Tracey asked us to sort them in order of preference. Since 5 were in Dalhousie I thought it easiest to start there and so put a couple of houses in that community at the top. As luck would have it - our top pick and then our second top pick were both conditionally sold by the time we headed out. (Sign #5 - the houses were conditionally sold earlier in the day so that we didn't 'think' we were in love and rush into an area that wasn't our first choice) The first 2 we looked at were quite a disappointment and I was trying really hard not to get discouraged.  The next one was okay. The fourth house we saw restored my hope as we quite enjoyed the living, dining and kitchen area. Then we headed to Wildwood.


About half way through checking out the house, I ran into Jimmy and we both expressed how much we liked this one. (Sign #6 - without speaking to one another we each felt that it was 'the one') We each went our ways again and circled back to talk to Tracey about it. By the time we left the house, Tracey had a feeling there might be another offer on the table and so we briefly chatted about next steps. (Sign #7 - Tracey had an intuition that we needed to seriously consider putting an offer on it soon) We went from 'let's sleep on it' to 'okay Tracey will head home and pull some comparisons and we may put in an offer tonight' to 'Tracey will go to her friend's house to pull comparisons' to 'Tracey will come to my apartment to pull comparisons and we will put in an offer'!  (Sign #8 - throughout the process, Tracey's intuition got stronger and stronger) None of us were prepared for all of this to be coming together so quickly.


The next two and a half hours are a blur. It involved signing a stack of papers, agreeing on a price, Tracey calling in the quote, Tracey handing in our official offer as they were about to sign the other offer (Sign #9 - our timing was impecable - 5 minutes later and we wouldn't be at the table), Jimmy and I heading over to sit outside the house and eat A&W in the van with Tracey, the sellers realtor coming out and asking us to each put in our best offer and that 'God will decide' (Sign #10 - assurance that none of this process was in our control), the sellers realtor mentioning how emotional the couple were; Tracey telling the sellers realtor about our new engagement (Sign #11 - Jimmy's timing was also impecable) and driving past the house wishing upon it, the sellers choosing us (Sign #12 - need I say more - they chose us!!!) - - - financed offer for less money then the other ladie's offer - - - all because they wanted to give us a break! I still get goose bumps!!! This story has God's gracious hand all over it.

p.s. It happened so fast we didn't have time to bust out my spreadsheet once . . . hee hee

p.p.s.  Possession is in two weeks from tomorrow

p.p.p.s. I haven't started to pack yet . . . eep!

A love letter a day . . .

It is stories like this that grow my trust in love everlasting. Stories like this that reminds me that I cannot take a moment for granted. Stories like this that fuel a burning desire that all of my loved ones can experience the same kind of love.


Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Remember to tell your special someone how much you care for them today.

I love you Jimmy!

The Camp

Brent took us up to The Camp again this summer. I must say, the camp is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit when we go home to Nova Scotia.  There are a few others that can be included in this list: the cape, the beach, the wheel . . . so I was quite excited to take a trip up Brown's Mountain.

It was my first trip up during the day. The trees were a rich green and the ferns so lush. You could breathe it all in! It was the perfect afternoon to listen to Brent's tall tales, snap a few photos and enjoy the sunshine.

If you are dying to see the inside of the cabin, you can check out these pics I took last time.  Thanks Brent for the perfect afternoon!

A tale of things to come

So . . . I am back - finally!! Hee hee

It has been such a fun month though that I can't possibly wish to trade a moment of it for anything else.

Sneak preview of some posts to come:

Nova Scotia in all it's beauty (i love spending time with family and friends)

A little PEI (and some raspberry cordial of course)

Dallas and all my drawling friends (they are quite a delight . . . it is true!)

Wedding plans (eep . . . no we don't quite have a date yet and I am not positive on the colors but I am thinking about bachelor buttons . . . )

Road trips to the Gorge for a little Dave Matthews and Ben Harper (sigh . . . I do enjoy them)

And last but not least . . .

A new house (for the grown up painting of course)

My first grown up piece of art

I absolutely love it . . . and am so excited to call it my own. I think that Rebekah Joy Plett is an awesome artist and I love the expressions that she captures on her faces. She just did a little art sale on ebay and I happen to be the lucky winner. This painting is my favorite that I have seen of hers.

Don't you just love the little octopus, pearls and pink flowers in her hair??

It was another beautiful day in Antigonish. After a perfect day of fish and chips, sun, beaches and good friends, Jimmy suggested that we head over to Arisaig to the waterfalls and watch the sun setting over the ocean. We packed up a beach bag and were off.

The evening was perfect. We walked through a canopy of trees stopping at the ocean lookouts along the way. I was a bit worried that we weren't going to find the waterfalls but Jimmy's quiet confidence soon had me enjoying the night.

As we neared the falls we could hear their quiet strength. The evening seemed to fill with the resounding vibration of the water crashing down below and the waves crashing to shore. We stopped to enjoy the view, breathed deeply to take in the salt water. This is why I love summer.

We rounded the corner to the falls. The water is dancing in the sunlight. Jimmy gives my hand a little squeeze. I love moments like these. Everything feels so right. So perfect.

The sun was starting to color the sky. Jimmy came over to where I was standing. He told me how much he loves me. My heart smiles. I never knew that my heart could be this full. He whispers words of endearment and begins to fumble in his pocket. Could this be? The moment that everyone dreams of before they even understand what love is all about?

As Jimmy gets down on one knee my heart is beating louder than the crashing waves. I begin to do a little dance and I vaguely remember motioning him to hurry with the question. The rest is a bit of a blur . . . I remember hearing 'Juliane Lynn Berkan', I remember my heart hurting as it stretches to encompass my growing love, I think I might have squealed and there was a beautiful ring in a box.

And I am quite sure that somewhere in there, I said yes!

I love you Jimmy with all my heart!

long flights

sunsets

wheel pizza

pei

great friends

fishing

swimming

ferries

waterfalls

boyds

swinging the clubs

laughter

potato patch fires

hikes

the camp

playing in the ocean

rainbows

steak dinner

boatting

green gables

new friends

family dinner

red beaches

live play

donnair pizza

sunrises

wildflowers

cheese factory springs

coffee

the cape

It was the best weekend yet. We had played the whole time, talked well into the night and giggled so much our stomachs hurt. The bags were all packed waiting by the door with everyone's pillows on top but we weren't ready to part.

All too soon Uncle Dale's voice called up the stairs saying that it was time to start the trip. Maybe if we didn't answer, we can get a little more time together. A hush fell upon us as we wish they would forget that it was time to leave. Please. Alas Uncle Dale is calling again. We contemplate hiding. Would the weekend together never end if we found a secret hiding place? If we don't answer its beckoning will time stand still??

Many years later and I still feel that way. Can I hide in a secret spot so time has to stop and the summer has to continue? If I pretend to not hear when Jimmy says it is time to pack my suitcase can I steal a few more minutes?  Oh if only it were true . . . it was the best weekend yet . . . I am not ready to part.