Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband, Bob, today. We were married 31 years ago and sometimes it seems like just a year or two ago. Then we look at our children and granddaughters and realize it's been quite awhile ago. We've had many adventures, much laughter, thousands of discussions and more than 11,000 days together!!



I love watching you as a grandfather, always making Helayna smile and taking her around the farm so she knows about life in the country.



I love watching you as a grandfather, tickling Meadow and filling your pocket for her to empty.



I love you - my partner, my sounding board, my advocate, my mechanic, my friend, and my lover! I look forward to sharing days and days with you doing things we both love.

Creating

I needed some creative therapy last week so I locked myself away for a few hours!



Ali Edwards was a guest for Emily Falconbridge while she was busy having a new baby and her challenge was to use some junk mail while creating. It just so happened that was the day we got some stuff from the Bank of Montreal Investor Services so I took the text and pictures to use in my LO. I added some brads, rubons and patterned paper. It was fun to be in my studio doing something totally different and totally relaxing.

Summer Storms

With the hot, hot temperatures it's inevitable that we'll have some summer storms and this week has been no exception. Our prairie skies can change so quickly that it's really fascinating.



It looked pretty scary for awhile.




Two air masses colliding over our house.




Just a little later, great big hailstones came down for a bit and then we got some smaller pieces too. I love how the sheets of rain are coming off the roof here.

Mountain Sheep

In case you haven't figured it out, this week is all about the things we saw while on our quadding trip up at Grande Cache. Today I want to show you a fascinating group of mountain sheep that we saw down in one of the abandoned coal mines. From up high on the ridge above the mine, we had no idea these little guys were 'hiding' in one of the areas. Once we quadded down into the mine, we saw the flock of ewes first and later, further down on a ridge, saw some young rams resting and 'playing' by butting their heads. Bryce and Ed crawled closer to them and watched through the binoculars. At one point, Esther and I thought the 2 boys were bears, as they crouched behind some bushes!! We never did see any bears but were definitely aware of the fact that we were in bear country, their territory.



We were on a little plateau about 100 yards away and watched this flock for quite awhile. They didn't seem the least bit concerned by us and continued eating and relaxing.




"Heads up, Ladies - someone's coming!"
Esther and I slowly drove down the track and quietly drove closer. It was amazing to be so close, right in among them.




Aren't these three just the curious ones of the flock? I love how they posed for us.




Once the second quad came down the trail, the group decided it was time to ramble away a little further. It was cool to see how agile they were on the steep slopes of loose rock.




Heading off, looking for greener pastures - and less people probably!

At the Sand Dunes

After packing up our camp early on Sunday morning, we started home and decided to stop in Hinton and check out the Athabasca Sand Dunes. It was quite the experience as a strong wind sandblasted us periodically. The quadding was very different from the heights and rocks further north. This area is a haven for dirt bikers and racing quads as they can throw sand all over the place. Our quads with their big tires are great for muddy places as they 'float' across but here they just spun out.



The trail to the dunes was very rocky at the beginning, then it changed to sand and many, many moguls! It was like riding a mini roller coaster!




Of course all the guys had to try going up the same hill. No one was successful in reaching the top so I guess it was an even draw!




The dunes shift and change every day depending on the winds. Ed had fun climbing some of them but it would have been a whole lot more competition if Darrin and Bryce had been there!




It was so peaceful to drive along the edge of the lake.




The end of a wonderful weekend spent exploring new places and marveling at God's greatness .

Our Weekend Continued

The weekend provided so many pictures that I want to share a few more with you today. This post features the people who made the adventuring fun!



Our group on the trail, early Friday morning.




My sister, Esther and her husband, Larry - event coordinators extraordinaire! Thanks to them we have all the camping equipment, food and know-how to survive in a grassy meadow for 3 days!




Darrin and Kelsey, on top of the coal mine




Our friends, Audrey and Aime', who were kind enough to share their camper with us. Up some of the steep slopes, Audrey rode 'shotgun' on the front, after one of their quads experienced mechanical difficulty and spent the rest of the time watching the fun from the trailer (to use Aime's words!).




The 3 Amigos from Calgary!




Ed, our nephew, usually is the leader of the pack. With his daring and experience, he's able to get us into many interesting situations but he's always able to get us out of trouble too! I love the way his tire tracks lead right into the water here.

We ended our weekend with a few hours in the Athabasca Sand Dunes along Brule' Lake, just outside of Jasper National Park. I'll show you more of those pictures tomorrow!

Views from Our Weekend

We quadded in the Grande Cache area, north of Jasper and south of Grande Prairie this weekend. We got up onto ridges that had so many amazing views!! No matter which way you turned there was another beautiful scene and you could see for miles.




Wildflowers, in every color, lined the quad track. As we climbed higher the flowers got smaller but they were still abundant in so many beautiful colors.




Little pools and streams of cool water tucked in among the trees and along the trails.




Darrin's friend, Bryce, who added lots of fun and energy to our weekend. He and Darrin became friends at university and they are constantly teasing and challenging each other. Just like brothers!




This really was a time for us to enjoy quiet and solitude with some of the special people in our lives. Just exactly what summer vacations should be!

Home Again!

We are home after a great long weekend away quadding in Grande Cache. It was absolutely amazing and the views were breathtaking. The company was delightful and the food was scrumptious. Pictures (I'll have a hard time choosing from the 300+ that I took) coming soon. Catch you later!

Alphabet Soup

Today's thoughts of gratitude are brought to you by the letter "B".

1. my husband, Bob - the man who makes me smile, laugh, think, try harder, attempt the unknown, and who sometimes tries my patience! I can't imagine going through these days without him and I look forward to many shared adventures, quiet talks and debates in the years ahead.

2. books, books, books - for me, for kids, for gifts, for escape - I am blessed to be in a place where the printed word and text are so easy to find and enjoy.

3. beverages - milk, water, chai latte, juices, iced tea, salted Caesars, wine - so many choices for so many occasions.

4. blogs - and so many newfound friends around the world who challenge my thinking, encourage my writing, support me and share their lives and passions via weblogs. I am blessed to have developed marvelous contacts and friends!

5. babies - Thank you, God, for little ones sent to fill our lives with joy and love. Their smiles, their development and their innocence make me slow down and savour each moment. I am reminded that Jesus told us to become like these little ones - how amazing to see the world as they do!

Thanks again for the topic, Morning Glory! Go on over and see how similar our lists are - I think we are 'blog sisters'!!

Some Creating

I took some time last week to create this little paper bag album as part of my baby shower gift for Madisyn and Marissa. I loved making it and I loved the end result. I hope Rhonda will have fun filling it with pictures and memories of her girls.



Front cover




Inside pages




Pockets with little pullout page inserts



The back
Products used were L'il Davis patterned paper and chipboard, Bazzill cardstock, Stampin' Up ribbon, assorted buttons and brads and a big flower punch. I think I'm going to do another one of these for a gift that I'll need later this summer.
Thanks for looking!

Sunday Scenes

Our Sunday drive yesterday took us north to the area where my Mom grew up. This is the church where my parents were married and as a little girl I can remember going here with my grandparents. It was a nostalgic kind of Sunday drive.




When you walked through the tall grass and clover, tiny little orange butterflies would rise up in a cloud! They were so tiny and quick that even when Bob 'stirred' the grass, I couldn't really get them in a picture.




My favourite picture - but it was really hard to capture them with their wings open! As soon as they land, their wings fold up as they sip nectar from the flowers. I was finally successful!




Something about rocks and water just call a guy to throw skipping stones!




My favourite man!

Meet . . .

Marissa Rae and Madisyn Leah, my newest nieces, who were born on June 20th!! (Their dad is my brother, Brent.) They are just so, so sweet and we all cuddled them alot at a baby shower yesterday. They had the cutest little short sets on and actually weren't too hot in the 33 degree Celsius heat that we are having.




My mom holding grandchildren #11 and #12



My mom, Kelsie(big sister #1), Marissa, Rhonda (the mom of 4 beautiful girls), Madisyn, Kayleigh(big sister #2 - no, these 2 aren't twins!), Rhonda's mom




My sister, Esther, who just has a love for all babies!

When It's Hot . . .

Go Swimming!!



We took the marble lady down from the fountain and put a real live baby inside it instead! Isn't she adorable?! Meadow had a ton of fun playing in this little bit of water. I guess we need to invest in a real kids' pool.




Monkey See - - -




Monkey Do!! She is so smart! Grampa did it one time and quick as a wink, she copied him. Our grand-daughters always make us smile!

Alphabet Soup

Morning Glory's got a new creative writing challenge on her blog so here are today's thoughts of gratitude brought to you by the letter 'A'!

1. Albums - scrapbook, photo, or music, albums bring so much joy to my life. I love to leaf through old ones and marvel at the memories captured from long ago. The new pictures that fill the most recent one are snippets of our days, preserved and precious. The musical ones fill my heart and my home with joy and praise.

2. Apricots - have long been one of my very favourite summer fruits. The soft orange color is one that I love and the apricot pies my Mom makes are scrumptious. No one makes pie like she does!

3. Adventures - we have been so lucky to travel often! For a time, it was across Canada when Bob was involved in the dairy industry and more recently, it's been with our family as we are scattered now. And always on those trips, we've had amazing adventures and side trips. Ones that quickly come to mind: walking the Great Wall of China, visiting Fort Louisburg, walking on the ocean floor at the Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy, biking the seawall in Stanley Park, parasailing in Mexico, hiking along the Grand Canyon, riding subways in Taipei and Beijing, caving in Belize, motoring across 2 lakes to get to the fishing cabin in Minnesota - the list could go on and on!

4. Airplanes - I love the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when the wheels of the plane leave the tarmac and we lift off into the air. Such an engineering marvel and I am thankful to those who manufacture, maintain and repair these giants. I think the love of airplanes must be genetic as my brother and 2 of my nephews are all pilots!

5. Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Africa - so many places to still explore! I am thankful for an adventurous husband who is full of ideas and energy to do these things and the resources to pursue some of our adventure dreams!

Stay tuned for the letter 'B' next Wednesday - and feel free to join in!

More About Farming

Here's a little glimpse of what it looks like in the field when our silage making grinds to a halt. Actually it usually happens in a split second when a bearing seizes up, a belt breaks, a gear is stripped or a shaft is bent.




Up close and personal with bearings, gears and chains. This one didn't take too long to fix (after Bob spent 2.5 hours finding and getting parts) but it led to a more major catastrophe before the situation got better. However - today was a pretty good day with machinery but it was blistering hot for people. It's supposed to be +32 again tomorrow so we're hoping to get a very early start while it's still cool.

The best thing about yesterday was that Naomi and Meadow brought us supper! That was a big treat and we got to play for a little while too. Meadow had her first tractor ride in the field too.

From Our Garden

This is what you'll find in my kitchen sink this morning, fresh from the garden!



The swiss chard is ready to be used and I found this cool recipe online (via Ali Edwards') at Taste the Seasons that I hope to try soon. I've been intrigued to read more about local food and the green movement, especially the thoughts on how so much of our food comes from far, far away and the huge energy costs to our environment while shipping food worldwide. I like the idea of growing our own food and supporting local farmers. In Alberta, the hardest part of that seems to be getting fresh fruit. We are not blessed with a climate for peaches, cherries or blueberries so I guess I will have to buy those if we want to eat them. But vegetables are easier to grow so I'm trying to make good use of our garden this year.

While I was doing some weeding, I realized that there were a few turnips ready to use! It's good to get to them before the little bugs do! And my 2 pots of herbs are doing wonderfully - I picked parsley and basil this morning. And I found one pink raspberry on a bush this morning but it'll be a while until the berries are ready. Can't wait for that - hopefully Melinda will be home right in the thick of them - they are her favourite summer fruit.

And in case you are wondering if the silage project is finished - ah, no - we had a breakdown yesterday and Bob's busy welding this morning. Hopefully we'll be back in operation soon. I'll show you some of the not so happy pictures tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary, Melinda and Tyler!

It's Mel and Tyler's 3rd anniversary today! We want to send them our love and best wishes for many more shared adventures and joy as they grow in love and service. They are packing suitcases again and departing from Poland tomorrow morning, bound for Nova Scotia. Their summer will be spent with Tyler's family and their friends in the East as Tyler does a job shadowing assignment for medical school. Melinda's coming home in 2 weeks to visit us for a little bit.



One of my favourite pictures from their wedding day - taken beside the ocean in Nova Scotia

I was going to share another more recent picture but blogger has other ideas - maybe tomorrow!