Friday Love List

I know I missed it last week!! And I know that I have been shirking my "posting" responsibilities...so, again, without any pictures, I give you my list for this week!
(In no particular order)

.:1:. sunny days
.:2:. friends...mine and my girls'
.:3:. sushi with Jim - after 7 sushi-free months....yum, that was good!
.:4:. getting my hair cut and dyed
.:5:. still being on the Sunshine Coast - but this one's bitter-sweet because Jim isn't here with me anymore:(
.:6:. all the new songs on my mp3 player - makes me want to get out there
.:7:. crazy, unexpected, new opportunities - makes life exciting
.:8:. seeking God's will
.:9:. good books - open for suggestions because I just finished mine last night!
.:10:. the Ocean...nothing else like being this close to such a glorious wonder - yes, I have missed it!

...here's hoping that you have a great "long" weekend, lots of sun, and happy times!

As I Mentioned Earlier....

....I love surprises!!! Receiving them and giving them!! And that is just what we did, as a family, on Monday morning!!! Bright and early, at the wee hour of 4am (!!!!), we peeled our weary eyes open, got the girls up and in their seats, packed our things and headed out on our journey...to.... Sechelt! Affectionately referred to in our family as "the promise land!"

So...8 hours later we drove into my Mom's driveway and gave her the surprise of her life - okay, maybe it wasn't that spectacular, but seeing as how Karys had done such a convincing job the night before telling Gram that we were just about to head out to the lake for the rest of the week, she was pretty surprised to see us land on her back deck before she even had time to get ready for the day!!

Thus, our week has been cram-packed with doing things we've been unable to do living where we live! Visiting friends, going for walks along the beach, enjoying the amazing pool, making eye appointments to get new glasses (because even though I haven't lived here officially since I was 17, I still have the optometrist and dentist here), and more visiting!

So, I apologize for the lack of pictures in this blog, but I end with the vow to make up for this deficit in an upcoming post!! And, with the thought that one can never be too sure of the path that God will lead you when all you've asked is to do His will! It could change in an instant and, because He takes you seriously when you voice a desire to live His will, He will hold you to it!

~ Davis Bay ~

Friday Love List - a day late!

So...here's a list of 10 things from this past week that I love, am thankful for, need to hug, or want to remember....in no particular order! (something new I'm hoping to continue!)

.:1:. unexpected sunny days

.:2:. long chats with friends

.:3:. Fathers - in particular...mine! Wishing I could give him a big hug tomorrow and say "Thanks for being such a great Dad!" ...sad that I can't...

.:4:. having docked 53.5k since June 1st!

.:5:. fresh baking

.:6:. having new friends on Facebook (I find joy in small things people)

.:7:. getting to go bottle our wine

.:8:. celebrating Karys turning 2 1/2....already!

.:9:. having such a nice neighborhood to run through

.:10:. surprises - they will always be my favorite - to give AND receive!!!

So...that's my list for this week! Hope yours went swimmingly, and hope you have some Dads to be thankFULL for tomorrow!! Here's who I'm thanking God for this weekend - a loving, devoted, and fun Daddy...

...with Karys

...with Avery

...with both His girls!

Blessings, Blankets, and Blisters!

Well, I know you are all chomping at the bit to get a peek at our summer abode....HA! I know my Mom is at least:) Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of where we were staying before Jim, his Dad and brother graciously constructed us the first permanent structure on the property! But, suffice it to say, I am sure your imagination can construct a pretty accurate image of: a black utility trailer....inside there's a double bed at one end, a string across the middle with a sheet draped over it, and the girls' beds (crib mattress and play pen) on the other side! Yes, quite glamorous!

And now, the bitty place we call a cabin is a blessing to say the least because it is somewhere we can call home for the times we are out at the lake. A place where the girls can know they will always have their naps - instead of switching between campers, depending on which wasn't being used when nap-time came around! A place that we were not expecting to be in at all! And a place we humbly accept and call home while we're there! I guess it's such a blessing for us because the property is not even ours! And we knew while Jim helped build it that it was going to be a bedroom/bathroom cabin, but all the while assuming that his parents would be living in it! It only stands to reason! But then, one day it was just mentioned in passing that this particular "shed" (as they fondly refer to it) was for us! Yay! So, yes we feel blessed for having a family who cares about us enough to give us this little place to call home....

Our Room...

Girls' Room...

Soaking It In...

I know it's nothing much at all, but it's something permanent, a place where we can set things up for good and not have to worry about eventually packing it all up! And Karys loves it! So there ya have it! And here are a few other shots of our living quarters...

A Far-Off Glace of It All....

Path To the Kitchen....

Our Living Room....

And, in other news, I have finally finished making Avery the same things I had made for Karys! I had her quilt and wooden letters for her name made before she was born, but the hooded towel and soft "ni-night" (our word for blanket) took a while longer to complete. Mainly because I really didn't want to pay local $15.98-$19.98/meter pricing when I know I have a Fabricland membership that could get me 40-50% off!! So, after a little web-search, I finally figured out that Williams Lake has a Fabricland!!! Only took me 8 months!!! But we got the material and the projects are done....

Avery and her purple swirls...

Karys and Avery with their towels...

Ultimate Comfort....

x2....

And, I guess that's enough for now! Oh right...about the blisters...after a week off from running, when we went to the lake last week I slowly got "back into it" by going for a nice run one day and then re-acquainting myself with...my bike!! And went for a grueling ride along the dirt road for about 10ks! How I did that for over 60 days in a row, I will never understand! Since returning home, I have realized how fortunate I am to have the running trails I have available to me! So this Saturday I decided I would do it! Run that dreaded route I had mapped out last month and never got around to doing...the 10.3kms around both lakes! And....it wasn't even that bad! Much easier than any Sun Run I've done, so that's a plus for sure! No I didn't have sidewalks full of people cheering me on, but I also didn't have to share the path with 57483920 people either! So maybe that was why the distance didn't seem as long?! Either way, I completed my own Sun Run...Cariboo-style!!

Best be off the bed, my book is calling!

Blessings to you all...

~C

A Very Happy 1/2 Birthday.....

...to you, Avery!!

Yup, it's true!! Our baby is 6 months old today! And although my next post was supposed to be revealing our "cabin" at the lake, I thought that this topic took precedence!! And as far as "accomplishments" go, she's nowhere near to doing what Karys could do at this age, but I don't mind one bit! She's happy and thriving and not showing any evidence of being the "preemie" she was classified as!

So here is a picture tribute to our baby girl!! We are so glad she's here, healthy, happy and ours!!

In the beginning....

Sometime between then and now....

Today....

Our little black-eyed beauty!

~Thank you Jesus for this precious life you've blessed us with in Avery! May we raise her

in a way that pleases You, may she grow up to know you, being confident in herself

and her abilities!~

I'll leave you with this video of Avery, earlier this morning, enjoying her newest jumpy toy!

Thank Heaven...For Little Girls!!

Well, we're almost set to head out the door to the lake, but I remembered I had these pictures that I forgot to post yesterday! We are just having such a great time with our girls and feel so blessed by them! They are lots of fun (most of the time) and we are really enjoying watching them grow into their individual characters!!!

So...here, enjoy!

Avery and her two cute birth marks - one chocolate and one strawberry!

Just being them!

CHEESE!

Trying out their chairs and sporting their outfits - from Gram!

And stay tuned for pictures of our "cabin"....coming soon!

~C

Insert Catchy Title>>>HERE!

Well - I am back from my blogger sabbatical! And have enjoyed a great week with company and without running...bad Mommy! But honestly, there was never an "opportune" time to leave my ladies - we were always so busy having fun!

So, to spare you all the details, I'll simply insert some pictures from our week and you can think of it as sort of like a picture-book...those were always my favorite - no words!!

As usual - with Gram's arrival comes a tidal wave of gifts!

Here they are, Karys, Gram and Auntie, playing with some of the new things

And here's Avery's gift...SO FUN!

And here she is enjoying her new toy,

And of course, how is a girls' closet complete without a overly stylish...hat!

Speaking of stylish....and all things girly....here's Avery's first official Piggies!! At 5 1/2 months!

Here are the girls enjoying their new sunglasses - looking cooler than ever!

And next are pictures documenting events never before seen...

Words canNOT convey how incredibly hilarious it was to watch my Mother attempt to 1) get ON the trampoline 2) figure out how to jump and 3) get off the trampoline!!!!

Get a load of that face!!

This is how Gram spent most of her time on the trampoline...

begging me to help her get off!!!

If only I could figure out how to upload a video on this silly blogger - yup, I got it on camera, and boy is it funny!!

Anyhow, now that I'm done laughing...again...now we're off to Canim Falls.....

sightseeing...

looking cute....

gorgeous....

one big happy....

So, our weeks was enjoyable to say the least! And, now back to real life! Meaning: getting my butt out there for a run! So...that's what I did this afternoon, while all the others were sleeping after church! Hard not to envy them, but I had to get out - so out I went! And it's done! I am not yet at that stage where running is actually enjoyable, but I do enjoy getting out and getting it done! As for training for a 1/2 marathon through the summer...yeah, not too sure what I am thinking?!

Anyhow, we're back off to the lake in the morning for the week, so if anyone is still out there reading this blog, you can stay tuned for pictures revealing our official "cabin" at the lake!!

Until then, be well and God bless!

~C

ps. not wanting to go into much detail, just say "NO" when ANYONE comes to your door asking if you want to receive further information on locking in your gas prices! And, if you really want to know...leave me a comment and I may divulge the frustration!