Look what we did today...

Colin and I had so much fun! I was given a whale watching tour from a customer for a late Christmas tip and we finally used it today. They said it was the best day they've had all season. There are ninety resident whales that live in the Juan de Fuca Strait, and we saw all of them! Including the two week old baby. I was so overwhelmed when they popped up out of a deep dive only 20-30 meters away from our boat that I got a little misty eyed (that's the last three photos...I had to zoom out to get so many in one shot). It was a perfect afternoon. And to top it all off Colin was a joy today! That's a great day for mom!

I hope everyone else had a fantastic day too! :)

Sometimes I wish I had a video camera!

Chloe has this stick that she wants to bring into the house. She's standing at the deck door and puts the stick down so I keep getting up to open the screen and then she leans down and picks up the stick so I close the screen again. She's done it about 20 times so far.

So, I guess it's been a while since I updated my blog. Adam is doing way better. He had a little "run in" with something on Saturday and his collar bone is a little more sore than it had been, but his left arm is doing much better. He's used to how much he can use his arms now so that's easier. And he's driving again.

We went to Parksville a week ago and had a blast. The kids played on the beach and the water park and we went mini golfing and went in bumper boats (where I somehow ended up being the target for the water guns). Here's some photos from that trip.






This Saturday I think we are going to try to go to Saltspring. Last weekend we ended up staying up too late so we didn't make it, but hopefully we will this week. They have an awesome market there with all local artists. I could easily live over there. Canada Post doesn't have any employees over there though...well, maybe one or two, but not too many.

And speaking of Canada Post...I started my new mail route yesterday. I drive a truck now. Like the ones that deliver parcels (big...with the sliding doors). It's weird to be driving such a big truck. Maybe one day I'll see if I can take a photo of my car next to it so I can see the difference. So I've had two long days at work (yesterday was worse than today) but I'm sure in the next couple of weeks I'll have it down pat (I hope anyway!).

HI!!!

Our girls weekend was FANTASTIC! Jenn and Karen are SO inspiring! I loved every minute I spent with them. Karen can put together an amazing layout in no time at all and have it look like she spent forever on it and Jenn is just plain amazing! She is so inspiring! I had a great time and finally convinced them to go to the tunnels to take photos. They are of course on my camera at home and I'm at Adam's helping him out this week so I'll post some as soon as I get home.

So if I don't post much for the next week it's because I'm busy helping Adam. And he's going to help me add a banner to my blog. :)

Have a great week!

Adam's injuries

Here are a couple of pictures of Adam's injuries. This is just the road rash...obviously you can't see the broken bones. Poor guy! And believe me...the pictures don't do it justice! It's WAY grosser in real life! And way more...this is just the worst of it. He's most worrkied about his nose scarring.




And here's lazy little Chloe after we took her to the lake. She was too cute swimming out to me and then back to the beach. Over and over again. She's really learned to love the beach this year!

Can't sleep

Last night Adam was racing at the velodrome. It was really exciting because it was his first time racing out there! The bike's are different than a road bicycle. They only have one gear and no brakes, so if you stop pedaling you crash.

So...Adam raced AWESOME! He came in third in his first race! And then he won his second race! And then he won his third race!!!! And after he won his third race he was so tired from the effort of the sprint, that he started coasting...or so he thought! I'm SO happy that I missed the crash because the guys at the track later told me that two people that were right on the side of the track immediately called 911 because they knew it was bad. It was so hot that I had taken the kids to McDonalds for half an hour. And if I knew I was going to miss a race I would have headed back earlier than we did. Poor Adam has road rash on his forehead, nose, chin, both shoulders, center of his back, right hip, both knees and both ankles. How in the world he got that much everywhere, instead of just sliding on one side, I'm not sure. He also broke his left shoulder and his right collar bone. So today when I pick him up from the hospital he's going to have both arms in slings (or he better if he knows what's good for him!). He said last night that the worst part was actually his back. All the muscles in it. It was horrible to see him in such total pain. I'm hoping that he lets me bring him back here for a few days. He can't even really sit up on his own, so I don't think he really has a choice.

Well, I'm off to call the hospital, clean my room and pick up his car. Have a good day!

A necklace and a purse

So I was blog reading yesterday and went to Elsie's (it's ALWAYS my first one to read every day) and she had pictures posted of herself signing her first book, and she was wearing these amazing necklaces that I'm pretty sure she made. So I felt inspired to make some myself. I went downtown today to get the stuff to make it and now we'll see if I can turn this...


into what she was wearing.


And as I was walking from one beaad store to another I saw this in a store window and had to have it. It was made locally and has pink flannel lining. Too cute!

Photoshop fun

So, I look at Tara Whitney's blog all the time and I absolutely LOVE her photographs! The colour just blows me away! So tonight I decided to try it (after reinstalling Photoshop because it was missing off my computer). The above photo is my before and the one below is my after. It's not perfect, but I love it! I can see myself doing this to all my photos now!



We had a great weekend with the kids. Once I get the photos from Adam I'll post one or two. We ended up riding our bikes downtown to a paint in (a street was closed for about 10 blocks and lined with painters). It was fun. Then we went to the old Spaghetti Factory for dinner and stopped at the Inner Harbour to watch the street performers.

After we got back to Adam's house we went to a barbecue that a friend of mine from work was having. It was Elvis themed and they even had an Elvis impersonator come. It was a fun night! Of course we both forgot our cameras for that.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday Adam!

Today he did a triathlon upIsland. We went up yesterday with his bike racks that he's made that all the triathlons around are using and set them up (actually...it was him and a couple of volunteers). Then we went camping. He was thinking campsite or motel and I said either. I turned down a motel. What was I thining? Camping was so much fun though. And when you get up and leave at 6am then paying for a room isn't worth it.



So Adam raced today and the kids and I made this sign for him this morning, sitting in the back of the van. I know it's hard to see, but we used the 97% Complete stickers (Wow) from 7 Gypsies around the edge and then Elsie alphabet Fontwerks stamps with the polka dots and some AC ribbon. And I have some Technique Tuesday stamps that have a couple of stamps that say #1 and ATHLETE, so we used those after his name. And the arrows are SassaFrassLass stamps.



And then here's Adam crossing the finish line in 23rd place. The kids wanted him to be #1 (it even says so on the sign) and he was aiming for 37th (that's how old he turned today...I hope it's okay to tell people that!).

Colin went sailing with my parents Friday night after being at a birthday party Thursday night. He came home from sailing with a cold and has been asleep since at least 5:30 tonight. Maybe he's going to sleep like I did last weekend. He has a fun skimboarding camp to go to on Tuesday so I hope he's feeling better by then.

And check out this kit. Memory Lane (the scrapbook store I work at) does monthly kits and this one has been flying out of the store. I love it!



I hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Fun weekend!

Wow! This weekend was full of fun! Saturday we went to a cabin with a friend of mine from work. There were tons of people there and so Adam and I kind of just hung out and Colin and Else had a blast in the lake. I don't think they were out for more than about half an hour the whole seven hours we were there! And the three of them went tubing together and had a blast!



When we got home I had a nap and then Colin and I went to Adam's and we rode our bike's downtown to watch the fireworks.

Sunday i didn't do much of anything but I fell asleep at 6:30 and woke up Monday morning just after 8:00! I can't believe I slept for more than 13 1/2 hours! I must have needed it!

Monday Colin and I played on the trampoline and made up a couple of games for it. We played War and I won (but I totally cheated!!!). Then we went to see Click (better than i thought it would be...we both cried!). Last night I was expecting Adam to come by and watch the Tour de France for a few hours and then we were going to go to the lake, but he showed up with flowers that he picked on his way over and after 20 minutes of watching cycling he suggested that we go to the driving range. Between the three of us we hit 135 balls. Adam is pretty good! He was getting them far!



That was SO much fun! I haven't been since high school and I really enjoyed it. Then we went to the lake with Chloe. This is the first year that I've been able to get her into the water and she seems to really enjoy it. And Colin loves flipping off Adam's shoulders and being tossed into back flips.

So it was an awesome start to summer!

I still want strawberries!

So I just went outside to check my strawberry plants in daylight. And they have strawberries. And then I see a spider! And a whole bunch of spider web down in the strawberry pot.

I just watched a documentary about spiders with my dad. They move FAST.

So I decide to come inside and get a very long wooden spoon to help me lift the strawberries up high enough that I can grab them without having to put my hand inside the pot where the spider can pounce (or crawl) from it's web nest it's created. I lift the strawberry up, grab it and it slips from my hand and falls right in the dirt beside the web. I only ended up with ONE teeny, tiny strawberry! The rest are all sitting right beside the web, where I'm too scared to grab them.

No more insect documentaries for me!

Strawberries...

Yummy! I LOVE local strawberries! But it's 10:41pm and I can't go get any now. So I thought I'd check my strawberry plants outside. If I can buy local strawberries then I should be able to pick them too, right? Nope! I have REALLY big strawberry plants, but NO strawberries on them! Argh! So now I'm totally craving strawberries and I have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's a gorgeous day!

As soon as Colin gets home from school I'm taking Chloe and Colin to the beach. I'll let Chloe swim to tire her out (awesome new discovery!!!) and Colin will have a blast with her.

I had so much fun with my camera and the trampoline today! Here's a pic of me jumping. Not the most flattering picture and I do love the bright colours lately!





And here's Chloe in the super cute argyle sweater from Sue! Isn't she a cutie pie?

Oh...and I've discovered how to wear out a Jack Russell!

Take her swimming! Twice in the last week I've taken Chloe to the lake and thrown sticks and pinecones in for her to fetch. And when we get home she spends the rest of the evening sleeping. Today she couldn't find a stick I threw in and I thought she was going to keep going out until she found it but she luckily turned around. She is just too cute with her little legs paddling! I'll have to remember my camera next time!

Have you seen this?

Mail box



I love it! I've ordered one from Shauna's Shabby Shoppe and she should be getting them this week. I'm so excited! I can hardly wait to decorate it and then leave mail for Colin when I go to work in the morning. I just wish he was still young and would get really excited about it. i'll just have to jazz up the mail once in a while. *S*

Yesterday I spent the day scrapping with Karen. It was atotally fun day! She had a few new sets of stamps that I couldn't say no too! I couldn't find them on her site yet so I'll have to use them and then post it. SO cute though!

Then Adam and I went to a wedding and reception last night. Man...you should have seen the food at this reception! Five or six different salads, turkey, ham, chicken corden bleu, rice potatoes and a huge amount of other food! We ended up leaving around 9:00ish though because...

Adam did the Half Ironman Triathlon today! Adam is so funny! He has been so busy organizing all these other races that he had no time to train. So two weeks ago he went on a bike ride or two and then last Sunday he decided to go for a swim. He went on another swim on Monday (only two swims since labour day) and he's done a few runs (none as long as today's though). His time was around 5:27. I'll post when I know the exact time. And being the lovely girlfriend that I am I forgot my camera. But his friends girlfriend said she got 4 good photos of him so I'll post one when he sends them to me (which you will...right *S*).

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Yesterday was awesome!

Trudy, Sandra, Julia and I all went to the mainland for scrapbook shopping. Spending the day with the three of them was so much fun! Here's a pic of Sandra, Trudy and I (with my new haircut).

I got the cutest wicker purse from Bath & Body Works while we were down there. SO cheap too! I looked on the site and didn't see it there so when I get home from work tonight I'll post a pic. It's so cute! I also got the new MM Photo Decor chipboard. SO cool! I think all four of us bought the flower and then we all bought a letter. I got the "C" of course!

Hope your all having a great weekend!

Hero Arts stamps

I have some of their boxed sets and I'm wondering if you guys keep them in the boxes, or if you break the sets apart and just stick them in with all your other stamps? I am trying to decide what to do and I need help! I have a couple of old jars that I got from a garage sale and I remember seeing or hearing recently that someone was keeping wooden mounter stamps in them and I love that idea. So help me please!

It's six o'clock

on Mother's Day and Colin has been asleep since 11:30 this morning. He doesn't have a fever, but he obviously isn't feeling well. He did get up and make me breakfast in bed though. Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Frozen waffles of course. Cute though!

And he had made me a card too. Here's the inside.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and moms to be!*S*

And look what I found on Colin's camera. I had to use his to take a photo of his card and thought this was funny! And y'all thought I was bad! *S*

National Scrapbooking Day

Did everyone have fun yesterday? I did! I totally scrapped! I only got two layouts done, but that's really good for me!

The first one is one I started in Tia Bennett's class at the Pick of the Patch retreat (her Scriptologie class) a couple of weeks ago. I had actually lost the layout and started it over and finished it yesterday. It was for Elsie's show the love contest. I really like how it turned out. Adam helped me with it too! *S*

The second one is one that was a challenge on Two Peas. It was to use as many manufacturers as you could on one layout. I used 31 (not including adhesive). It was so much fun! The winner used something like 58! Crazy!!!

Have a great week! Hugs!!

So, I am standing at my deck door...

and what do I see? Chloe is eating cat poop!!!! YUCK!!! I was talking on the phone with Adam and I said I would have to call him back and went chasing after her. Where did she run? Into the house!!! And when she runs into the house that usually means onto my bed (with bird pieces and snakes that the cat leaves her)! Luckily she dropped it (right on the carpet) and I grabbed her and put her into the bathroom. And the poop is now in the backyard where she won't get it...hopefully! No puppy kisses for me for a while!

And to make Mary happy I'm finally posting a layout! I promise there will be more! Colin is going camping tomorrow afternoon so when I get home from working at Memory Lane I'm planning on getting on my pj's and staying in them until late on Saturday afternoon. So I will take pics of a bunch of things and then post them over the next couple of days.

This is Colin with his head leaning against his skateboard. I think I've scrapped it before, but I love the picture! I put Glossy Accents on the arrows and painted the cardstock and then put on one of Rhonna's rub-ons.

I'm so blonde sometimes!

So, Saturday I put my contacts in and they were totally bothering me. I wore them for 12 hours anyway. Then I wore them for 12 hours yesterday. This morning I went to the optometrist. I had them in the wrong eyes! I don't know how I did it because i was sure I'm really careful...I guess not. So they feel much better now.

Colin survived camp. He seemed to enjoy himself and came home with VERY dirty clothes.



I went to the Pick of the Patch retreat with Jenn and
Tammy this weekend. Tammy was there as a representative of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.



Those girls make me laugh! I seriously love them both. Jenn's friend Danielle too! She was so much fun to have around. I enjoyed the whole weekend. Jenn and I took all three of Tia's classes. And then we took one from Tracy Kyle with Tammy (Tammy took five classes I think, including both of Kate Teague's classes). I loved all of them! Tia taught a Freestyle class, Ribbonerie class and then put together her Stampilicious class with her Scriptologie class for another great class. I seriously loved the Scriptologie class! I'm going to be doodling every chance I get! She taught us how to shadow things and how to write a word with tails. So awesome! If I ever do it then I'll post it! I asked her for her photocopied transparency after the class was done because then I'll be able to do what she taught us (hopefully!!!!).

I think we only got eight hours sleep all weekend (Jenn and I had 8:30 classes both days), and I was SO tired when I left on Sunday, but it was seriously the best weekend (I look bad in the photos because of no sleep. And that's Tia's Cafe Press sweatshirt I'm wearing!)! I think we are planning a Modge Podge meeting (tee, hee) in June so we can go down to Treasury of Memories. That should be a fun day!!!!

Here's a picture of Elsie and I from a few weeks ago. When I showed it to some girls at the scrapbook store they said we looked like sisters!!! I was excited about that!



Karen is coming this weekend. I'm so excited to see her! And I hope Kelsey comes! I miss her! She's always fun to hang out with!

I'll post some layouts from both weekends sometime soon. I just have to take some good pictures of them. :)