Perfection

Tomorrow marks the beginning of September. I guess that means summer is officially coming to a close. Craziness! As a last hurrah for summer and before I take off, I had my friends out to the cottage for the day (Graham, Kristy & Norah - your absense was duly noted and very much missed). The weather wasn't great, but it was a day of playing Yahtzee, enjoying hot tea/coffee, chatting, sitting around a fire, eating good food and just enjoying each other.

*Note: 90% of the pictures are of the kids because let's face it, they are cuter and way more fun to take pictures of than us adults.

impromtu photo shoots for Sweet Dreams

my sweet India

G was making records seeing how far he could throw stones.

kisses for auntie Kara

Hayley was determined to brave the chilly waters and dip her feet in.

All in all it was a pretty fabulous day. I went to bed that night extremely thankful for the friends I have been blessed with and who continue to do life with me, yet I was sad that it will be a whole 10 months before we get to do life again together. A 10 month hiatus seems like an eternity. I can't wait until next summer when we all get to reunite and enjoy more cottage days together.

10 Days

Yup, that's right. We are almost into single digits until I am on a plane, bound for Abbotsford. The emotions are definitely mixed. As I had my bff's out at the cabin yesterday for the day, it hit me that it's going to be a year before we get to do this again. That makes me sad.

I have no intentions in crying while writing this post, so, moving on. 

I have had a number of people ask me if I was going to be blogging, etc while away. The answer is YES. However, I have created a new blog for my year away. I will be keeping this updated as well, but a majority of the postings will be on the new blog. 

Check out the new blog here:

Under Open Skies

Tea Time

I just spent a very lovely afternoon with 3 fantastic ladies. Heidi, Ella, Sophie and I made our way out to Captain Kennedy's Tea House for lunch as a last horrah before I leave on Trek. It was a lovely afternoon eating amazing, yummy food and walking the grounds. It had been a long time since I had been there and I had forgotten how beautiful it was.

 Gotta love the beautiful tea cups.

There is something so elegant about drinking tea from a cup like this.

 On my plate would be a fresh blueberry scone with coddled cream and raspberry jam.

One word... Devine

 Thank you ladies for a lovely afternoon. I am so glad we had the chance to spend time together. Today will definitely be a repeat upon my return home next summer!

17

17. That is the magic number of days I have left in Winnipeg. Does that seem at all unfathomable to anyone else? My days are currently filled with list making, organizing papers and bank accounts, packing up my personal contents for both storage and the next 10 months. There are last minute appointments I need to make. I am trying to squeeze in as many clients as I can over the next 2 weeks and most importantly, I am soaking up the time I have left with family and friends. Looking ahead at the next few weeks, I am currently scheduling my life by the hour. Sleep has become minimal as I lay awake going over my "To Do" list in my head over and over.

My heart is anxious and excited to just begin this new journey. It's been talked about for months and now, with only 2 1/2 weeks to go until I leave, it seems a tad surreal. My heart is ready to be stretched and challenged and I am excited to meet passionate and beautiful men and women of God. I am ready to make my way out to BC. I must admit, the change of pace will be nice and I will joyfully celebrate the day when I no longer have To Do lists running through my head at warp speed.

*For the record, I realize that me leaving also means that I will be needing to say some temporary goodbyes and for that, I am not excited.

In an effort to keep myself in a somewhat sane space, I am devoting this evening to quality me time. The family has made their way out to the cabin (I have to work tomorrow morning, so I will head out after that) and I have the house to myself - something I am going to be soaking up before. The weather has very quickly become humid and stormy outside. The rain is pelting against the windows and the constant tapping has quickly become comforting. I have blueberry muffins baking in the oven. "Sister Act 2" is playing on the TV (don't judge - it's a great movie). The cat is peacefully snoozing beside me. And I am enjoying a lovely glass of Relax wine. It is my definition of a perfect evening. My guess is that I won't have many of these evenings ahead of me in the next 10 months, so I am making the most of tonight.

Happy Weekending.

Backstreet's Back....

Alright!!!!

Who: Aimee, Heidi, Toni and Kara

When: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Where: The MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

What: Backstreet Boys Concert - This is Us tour

BSB fans forever

 We have been fans since 1996 - we were in grade 6.

It was a night to remember...Ahhhh!! Complete bliss. And no, that is not an exaggeration. The boys put on a fabulous show for their die hard fans and we went away, far from being disappointed (well, maybe Toni was a little disappointed - it wasn't her favorite concert ever, but she was definitely a good sport).

 if only I was cute and sitting right by the stage, maybe I could have gone ON the stage with Brian!!!! Maybe next time.

 I  HEART A.J.

Aimee and I may have had sore throats the next morning due to our incessant screaming and singing, but it was soooooo worth it.

Next time the boys come to town, Aimee and I decided we would pay for the $100 seats - definitely worth getting a rose and an up close view of our favorite boys.

These boys will always have my heart :)

Thanks for a night to remember boys (and ladies).

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

It's been a good summer thus far. I can't believe it's already half over! One of the highlights of the summer has been spending time with Aimee and Hayley. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am beyond blessed with amazing girlfriends!

Last weekend, Aimee, Hayley and myself ventured out to my cabin for the day. The weather was perfect...30 degrees and sunny - not a cloud in the sky, which also made the water a beautiful temperature. 

*Note - most of the pictures we took are of Hayley cuz let's face it, she is much cuter to photograph than ourselves :)

A stop off at Starbucks is a MUST before heading out on any sort of road trip. We teach this to our children at a young age.

*disclaimer - don't worry, Hayley's drink was only water :)

Hayley L-O-V-E-D the water!

...she just wasn't so sure about sitting in the sand

Peek!

The day together was perfect. We are definitely planning on doing this again before the summer ends. Cheers to summer and a few more weekends at the cabin ahead of us!