not-so-humble pie

Yesterday was such a great day; not only did I get to spend the day with family, but I also got to cross an item off of my life list!  What a great feeling to accomplish something that I've been nervous about for so many years.

Yes, folks, I successfully made an apple pie.  From scratch.  Crust and everything.  I know that this definitely isn't something that many people would consider a great accomplishment, but it was my Everest.  Ok, that might be stretching it, but it made me nervous just thinking about it.  For some reason I thought it was so difficult to make; I've heard so many people say "I've tried everything, but for whatever reason, I just can't successfully make pie crust".  Not me, not anymore!

so pretty!

Now, none of this would have happened if it wasn't for my wonderful mom.  She guided me through every step, and assured me that her recipes was, indeed, no fail.  She was right.  I really shouldn't have doubted myself while I had her helping me;  she will never admit it, but she is an awesome baker (shut up Mom, you are!) and always has been!

is there anything better than apples, cinnamon, and sugar?  no, no there isn't...

Hubby and I are taking the pie to our friends' house for dessert tonight and I can't wait to share my success with our wonderful friends!

I don't think Martha could've done any better.  actually, knowing her, I bet she could have...

savour the date

I'm so excited for tonight; not only is today Friday, but it's also date night!

I often forget the importance of scheduling a date night with Hubby every so often.  I honestly think that the last time we went out, just the two of us, was for our anniversary in September.  How sad is that?

So, when Hubby suggested that we go out tonight I thought it was an absolutely wonderful idea!  Our date nights are nothing fancy by any stretch of the imagination (usually we just go out for dinner and then see a movie), but they are perfect.  They fit nicely within our budget, yet they always bring us so much joy.  All week we've both been looking so forward to spending time together tonight.

Hubby and I at J&J's wedding

The million-dollar question is:  Why do we wait so long in between date nights?  These special nights make us feel so happy and connected that we should really be doing them more often, yet, we don't.  Or, is it the fact that they are so rare that makes them special?  Who knows, but in any event, tonight is going to be awesome!

nothin' says Christmas like steel drums

I'm back!! Feeling better and ready for Christmas!

With our first snowfall of this year this past weekend, I organized all my Christmas music and transferred it onto my iPod.  My commute is now filled with the sounds of the season; it really makes going to work that much more fun!

I have to say though, I'm pretty picky when it comes to Christmas music.  I know what I like, and certain songs or types of Christmas music just don't do it for me.  I love the classics; it's so comforting to hear Dean Marin tell his Baby it's cold outside, or Frank Sinatra wishing everyone to have a merry little Christmas.  Yes, the classics are wonderful, however, I also like songs or albums that incorporate a fun twist on the classics, I love the album called Christmas Remixed - it's so awesome!



you know all those trendy remixed carols on the Joe Fresh commercials?  you'll find them in this album!



The ultimate Christmas album for me?  Definitely Chiristmas with Boney M.  The songs on this album instantly transport me back to Christmas as a kid; somethin' about the steel drums mixed in with the Christmas carols makes me feel like I'm 10 again.  Another reason why I like this album is becuase it contains what I believe to be the greatest Chrstmas song ever written:  Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord.  If you've never experienced this song, I urge you to listen to it this season.  If nothing else, this song will make you want to jump up and dance; yes, it's that awesome. 

best. chrstmas. album. ever.

My family and friends also share my love for this song.  It's become a recent tradition among our group of friends to get together during the holidays, cook a turkey, drink martinis, and sing and dance to this song.  No lies, the song probably gets played AT LEAST twenty times during the night.  It's epic.

I love Christmas!

kleenex is my new best friend

Life changes, sometimes rapidly.

kleenex, oj, and vicks vapour rub - nothing better for a cold

At 4 am this morning I woke up with a full-blown head cold.  No warning, nothing.  I should have expected it though, as Hubby has been sick all week - there is no way that I could stay healthy while he is constantly coughing and sneezing .  Still, not impressed; I had big plans - French Apple Cake plans.  So, I dragged myself into the office at 6 am, completed all the work that I needed to get done, and then came home and fell asleep on the couch.

who wouldn't want to nap with this?

The thing is, I was really looking forward to all the new and exciting things that I was going to accomplish with all this freedom, and now all those things are on the back burner.  Oh well, life happens and the cake can wait.  This weekend is looking like it will be full of hot tea, fluids, movies, and cat naps.

freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better

Lately, my life has been filled text books, projects, and supreme court cases (oh my!).

yes, that's right, I'm taking Aboriginal law - ugh

I'm not finished the semester (my final isn't until December 8th), however, I have now completed BOTH of my projects for the course.  I didn't realize how much all these school deadlines were weighing down on me, but now that they are done I feel absolutely FREE - what a wonderful feeling!


best homework helper ever


I feel like I have my life back, so after reading an inspiring quote, I decided that I couldn't let all this delicious free time go to waste; I needed to challenge myself with new and exciting things.  Suddenly, the message printed on my lululemon water bottle was pounding in my head: "do it now, do it now, do it now"!

So I'm doing it now, er, tomorrow.  My plan is to make a French Apple Cake to take as dessert for our dinner date with friends on Friday.  French Apple Cake, really?  I know.  This is huge for me.  I'm not a baker, I never thought that I would buy a springform pan much less actually USE it.

Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes :)



the gift of love

A little over a year ago, I received one of the best gifts from a bunch of my wonderful girl friends!  It's a book called 101 Nights of Grrreat Romance.  This isn't a regular book, but an ACTIVITY book, and it's awesome!  The book is filled with perforated pages (that you and your significant other take turns opening up) which contain instructions for some romantic surprise that you have to do for the other person.  The whole idea is that you don't let the other person know when you have opened one of the pages, and they get an unexpected surprise!

I love, love, love doing the "tasks" in this book; it makes me feel so awesome to do something so romantic and thoughtful for Hubby, and it's not bad being on the receiving end of the tasks either!

I wanted to share one of the surprises that I did for Hubby, as I thought this was so simple, yet brought so much love and happiness to both of us.  After opening the page called "The Write Moment", I was instructed to write and send to Hubby a list of reasons why I love him.  So, I got writing.  There were little things (I love you because you kill spiders) and big things (I love that you love my family and consider them your own), but all were reasons why I love him so, so much.  After I finished, I emailed the list to him at work, hoping that it would brighten up his day.  Well, he LOVED it, and I loved writing it; actually sitting down and writing out exactly why I love him was an amazing feeling.

true love

I really encourage you to do this for your significant other; it doesn't have to be long, but you'll soon find that once you start writing, it's hard to stop.  Even if your list only contains five reasons, that special person in your life will be so happy to receive such a romantic and meaningful gesture, especially if it's unexpected!

PS:  Hubby was so inspired by my list, he also wrote out a list for me - it still makes me cry when I read it :)

a day of remembrance

Remembrance Day is one of the many moments each year where I'm especially proud to be the wife of an Officer serving with the Canadian Forces.  I happily stand (usually in the freezing, cold rain) among my fellow citizens and remember those who have fought, and are currently fighting, for our freedom.

Yes, I don't get to spend Remembrance Day at home, in my pyjamas watching movies, my day is spent visiting various armouries and legions, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I get to stand beside my husband (who looks oh so handsome in his uniform!) and proudly introduce myself as his wife.  Also, since most of our friends are also in the military, the day always includes being surrounded by good friends.

This Remembrance Day, please don't forget to take a moment at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month to remember those who fought, and are currently fighting, for our awesome country!

just you and me at the b&b



the honeymooners


After our wedding last year, our wonderful friends surprised Hubby and I with a honeymoon at a Bed and Breakfast on the Sunshine Coast.  Just thinking about this trip brings tears to my eyes, I can't even believe what an absolutely wonderful gift this was.  Hubby and I, just the two of us, as husband and wife.

Lately, I've been thinking about this trip a lot, as it was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life.  The trip itself was nothing extravagant or glamorous, but it was 100% perfect.  We got to spend three whole days with each other while exploring the beach, eating delicious food and drinking fine wine, reading our books, and reflecting on our beautiful wedding.  It was so nice to take a relaxing break from the craziness of the wedding, with no cares in the world.

Whenever I'm having a bad day, all I have to do is think about this special time that Hubby and I shared, and I'm instantly bursting with feelings of love, joy, and happiness.  I truly have wonderful friends, a fantastic husband, and an amazing family - what more could I possibly ask for?

bucket list

To be honest, I don't really like the term "bucket list" - I don't want to think about kicking the bucket.  However, I do really like the idea of making a list of all the things that you want to do in your life.  I'm going to call mine, "My Life List".  So, here it is:

• Visit Egypt and explore the inside of an ancient tomb.
• Zip treck!
• Host Christmas dinner for our whole family.
• Attend an Olympic event.
• Be a mother (no, fur babies don't count!).
• Successfully make a pie crust from scratch.
• Learn not to take what others do or say personally.
• Travel to Germany and visit family.

My list is small as I plan to add to it slowly.  I only want to add things that have real meaning to me; things that I would be really disappointed about if I didn't accomplish in my life time.  Some are big dreams, some are little, but it doesn't matter - these are all things that I aspire to do!

Germany v. Sweden - February 17, 2010

mushaboom

Isn't it funny how sometimes certain songs just speak to you?  The other morning I was in my usual 7 am i-Pod coma, when the song "Mushaboom" started playing.  I've heard the song a million times (at least, it's one of my favourites!), but on this day, the words really resonated to how I've been feeling lately.  The first two verses are my life, at this very moment:

Helping the kids out of their coats

But wait the babies haven't been born oh

Unpacking the bags and setting up

And planting lilacs and buttercups oh

But in the meantime we've got it hard

Second floor living without a yard

It may be years until the day

My dreams will match up with my pay

Hubby and I have been talking lately.  Not just any talks, but real talks, life-changing talks. We are trying to figure out our future - where we see us, our family, in the years to come.  It all seems so surreal, we are making decisions that are in the best interests of our children.  Ya, we definitely don't have any kids yet - and we won't be having kids for another couple of years; that is, if everything goes to plan.  Sure, it's a lot to think about, but we're both excited for what the future has in store for us.  We currently live in a one-bedroom apartment (yes, on the second floor, just like the song!) and we are dreaming of the day that we can buy a bigger home.  We dream of a yard, stairs, and more that 671 square feet to call our home.


It will be a couple of years until our dreams match up with our pay, however, in the meantime, I've got a wonderful man to stick it out, and make a home of our little space.  We'll collect the moments one by one, as I'm sure - years from now - we'll look back on this time in our lives and remember all the great times we've shared in our tiny apartment.

mining rocks!

This past summer, while Hubby and I were visiting the Maritime Museum in Victoria, we realized that we both really enjoy visiting different museums.  So, we decided that we should start taking advantage of the different museums and attractions that Vancouver has to offer.

We figured that we should stick to our plan, so just over a month ago Hubby and I (along with our bestest friends M & J) visited the Britannia Mine Museum.  I had been once before, but that was many, many years ago when I was in elementary school, so the experience was pretty much new to all of us. 

 If you've ever driven to Squamish or Whistler, you will have (probably) noticed the massive white structure from the road.  This is known as Mill No. 3 and is the mine's old concentrator which was used to separate the copper from the rock.

Mill No. 3 is pretty neat, but I have to say that the coolest part of the museum is the fact that you actually get to go into the mine itself.  You hop aboard a train which takes the group deep inside the mining tunnel and, once inside, the tour guide demonstrates the different tools and machines that the miners used - pretty cool!

During the time that we spent inside the mine, I kept imagining what it would be like to work in this environment; how hard it would be to spend your day in a damp, dark, and cramped space.  This experience was also personal for me as my Opa spent a number of years working at the Britannia Mine.

Apart from the Mill and the mine tour, there are lots of other interesting things to discover and explore.  You can pan for gold, view rare and gorgeous gems in the Mineral Gallery, and even watch a short video on the history of the mine. 

It was a really neat experience and a fun weekend activity.  If you've never been (or haven't been in a number of years) I encourage you to check it out!

christmas? bring it!

I officially started my Christmas shopping this past weekend and realized something - once Halloween is over, people immediately start thinking about Christmas.  Unlike our neighbours to the south, we don't really have a holiday in between Halloween and Christmas.  Yes, there is Remembrance Day on the 11th, however, it's not the type of holiday where you get the family together and carve up a turkey.  It's usually spent lounging around the house, soaking up the goodness that one can only feel when it's Thursday and you're not at work (unless, you're in the military - more on that later).

So yes, most of us moan and complain when we see that stores are setting up their Christmas stock and decorations mid-October.  This is definitely how I felt the other day when I spotted my first Christmas tree of the year.

However, I have to admit that I love that the SECOND Halloween is over, the Christmas season is in full swing.  I know that a lot of people cringe at the thought of braving the cold (and sometimes snowy) weather and to push their way through a crowded mall in the search of the perfect gifts for their loved ones, but it brings me so much joy.  I can't wait until all the stores start playing Christmas music, until our schedules are jam-packed with various festive events, and the best of everything - the Christmas Train!!

So, Christmas season starting November 1st? Bring it!