My Grandpa's 85

It was my Grandpa's 85th birthday last Friday, so my mum, dad, brother and I made the trip out to Fruitvale (about a six hour drive) to visit him and his wife, Yvonne. The part that I don't like about the trip, is the getting up at five because we're leaving at six.

Saturday we toured the Columbia Gardens Vineyard and Winery. It was nice to get a little bit of sun while being in such a beautiful location (I forgot my camera back at the house, but took some photos with my mum's camera that I will add at a later date). Then we went back inside and sampled. Normally I'm a white wine kind of gal, but the Merlot really spoke to me this time, so I snapped up a bottle. Also got a bottle of their dessert wine (they don't think it's worth the money to be certified to make ice wine), that I planning on having the night of the wedding - just Justin and I.

The weather was really hot, about 35 degrees and humid. Plus, the BBQ was on, cooking our ham supper, some of the time we were sitting on the poarch which added to the heat. Yvonne really likes the heat, and enjoys every minute of it (which makes me surprised she'd live somewhere that gets winter - wouldn't you move to, say Nevada?).

On the way home we stopped at one of the fruit stands in Creston and I took some pictures while I waited for my parents to be finished. I could easily live there, it's a mini Kelowna to me. I love the mix between buildings (buisnesses and houses) and orchards. It's something that looks both out of the ordinary and natural all at the same time.

I find it really funny that Justin doesn't like surprises. His mum's been wondering what he wants for his birthday (August 16 - five days before the wedding), so I've been sending her suggestion texts whenever another idea comes to me. Today I texted her some Saucy Ladies (a company here in town) jarred goods. The next thing I know, Sandy's calling me to say that she dropped a jar of antipasto in the box of the truck (at Justin's work) and for me to let him know to move it inside before he drives so it doesn't break. She called it a "birthday teaser."

When I called Justin to let him know, I wanted to surprise him, so I just said there's something in the truck box that has to get moved. He was begging me to find out what Sandy had dropped of for him. Finally I said that I didn't know what it was; there was a pause, then Justin said "your lying to me." I laughed so hard; I love that Justin knows when I'm not telling the truth - keeps me on the straight and narrow!

Here's a couple pictures from the one month date, last Wednesday. I was a little disappointed that we don't look better in them; we both look worn out and a little gross looking! I later realized that's our life right now: I've been working out to look more toned and lose a couple pounds (eight to be exact, the number I gained back after eating really badly the week when Justin's Grandpa was in the hospital), and Justin's been working diligently on the yard (building the fences, installing the underground sprinklers, leveling the yard and adding topsoil). Why wouldn't I like a photo that discribes our life so clearly a month before our wedding!

P.S. It's way too crazy around here lately to think about scrapbooking, which is kind of sad. When life gets back to normal once again after the honeymoon, it'll be "balls to the walls" for that!

Yard Progress and Street Wheelers

Justin called me from work and said he'd be working this Sunday out of town, so he was going to leave work early and work on the fence. He suggested that I should come home at lunch and visit him (I was going to go home as it was), and thought it would be a good opportunity to take some more pictures at the progress of our yard.

This is the section towards the front of the house that he had completed from eleven until when I came home, at about one.

There was a bit of mis-communication, and I thought Justin said he was going back to work, but then said he'd be finished the fence by the time I got home at 5:45. I figured there was no way he could get the rest of it finished, if that little bit had taken him so long, but let him believe it anyways. When I got home, the fence was completed (except for the cap that finishes off the top). I asked him again if he was home since eleven, and he was confused; he said he had already told me that when we saw each other at lunch. I then understood why he thought he could get it all done - and I appreciate all his hard work - it looks fabulous!

Last Friday night, Amanda and Lincoln picked me up at home, then we headed off to 7 Eleven to get some food. Lincoln bought two boxes of chicken wings, and a box of potato wedges. I bought a slurpee, a bag of beef jerky and a cup of candy. The eating started almost as soon as we got set up, and continued all night long; my jar was very sore by the end of the night, and I was telling people to take the food away from my reach. Lincoln's dad teasingly asked how we were going to fit into a wedding dress (me) and a bridesmaid dress (Amanda) in a month!

I'm sure if you've never experienced Street Machine Weekend, or if your town doesn't do something similar, you might think we're a little messed up - but it's honestly a lot of fun. There are a couple requirements, however: good friends (plus a stand-by date never hurts, for when your fiance is out of town - this also happened five years ago on Justin's and my first street wheelers weekend), refreshing beverages (this year was water), lots of junk food, and nice cars to look at as they drive up and down the street.

At first Amanda and I were just sitting on the lowered tailgate on a folded blanket, then our bums were getting sore, so we were going to set up the lawn chairs on the grass behind the truck, then it occured to us (me I think) to put the lawn chairs in the box. What a perfect spot!

I saw a friend walk passed as we were sitting there; I knew Lincoln knew Damien, but I didn't know that they were now working at the same shop together (Damien just got hired). Lincoln, Damien and his dad all struck up a conversation. Then Damien's cousin, Carmen, stopped by, along with a friend Sara (and a whole bunch of other people I didn't know); I hadn't seen the two of them since we graduated. It's such a small world: Carmen, Damien and Lincoln all used to hang out back in high school. If Justin and Lincoln would have hung out more at that time, who knows, maybe him and I would have met back then!

Saturday night was amazing! Nicole and I headed to the casino for supper (they have really good, cheap food - which I've talked about most times when her and Corey have come over recently), then to pick up a couple drinks (wine and Malibu rum), then to her shop to drink said wine, then finally out dancing at a country bar. One of Nicole's friends, Morgan, met us at Bos Hogs. She had brought a camera to document the night, but when we asked a random guy to take a picture of us, it slipped out of his hands, and broke on the ground - so no photos. We ended up getting most of our drinks bought by a couple guys that we met, we decided to be wing men, although did not do a good job! We stayed right until close, and walked home. Sunday we went back to pick up Nicole's car, and stopped to get a couple Booster Juices to help cure our headaches!

I really do feel it's best to jam-pack my weekends that Justin's out of town working with lots to do. But, I am looking forward to the next time, probably this Sunday: I plan on making a ton of sushi (and also eating a ton), and just kicking back at home.

New Hair Cut

Yesterday morning, I woke up, and the way my hair looked was awesome! My long bangs (they were down to the tip of my nose) were light and fluffy looking. Then I thought about cutting my bangs; I've been thinking about doing this for awhile again. The next thing I knew, the scissors were in one hand, my hair was in the other, and snip snip, and I was done: I had bangs!

Of course, last night I had to take about a million cute pictures of myself - my favorite subject! Everyone at work yesterday was surprised to see my hair cut, even more blown away when I told them I had cut them myself at seven in the morning before work! The service manager told me a couple times he really likes bangs on me, as well as a few others. Then there were some that didn't notice at all, remember I work with a bunch of men - I can't take offense!

Looking forward to a busy weekend, Justin's out of town working, and I've decided that I need to pack my weekend really full, spending time with friends and family (maybe co-workers too) while he's away to make the time fly by. So, tonight I'm hanging out with friends for "Street Wheelers" (which is a bunch of vehicles driving around on two streets in the city, and all you do is sit back on a lawn chair on the side of the road and watch); tomorrow for lunch, I'm getting together to have a few beers (or martinis, or long island iced teas) with a few guys from work, one of the mechanics is leaving; Saturday night I'm going for supper at the casino with Nicole, then we're heading out dancing; Sunday I plan on cleaning the bathrooms, maybe get some vacuuming done, and watching some DVDs.

Happy Birthday Brian

Keeping it up again tonight. Tomorrow we're going out for supper to celebrate my step-brother-in-laws 15th birthday. Yup, he's getting up there! We're going to the Keg, and I already know I'm having prime rib; I can't wait for that meat to melt in my mouth, and the buttery potatoes to be eaten like soup! I've been thinking about it all day, and can hardly stand it!

So, I thought I had better get to making a card for Brian, since it's the only time before tomorrows supper to be able to make it. I think every card I've made him has involved some sort of game animal on it. I've made lots with just cut out deer heads, glued to the paper. So, this one I wanted to be a little bit different. I looked through my scraps, and found that usual sheet, but veered away from it. I found a brown base, a stripped paper with brown and blues in it, and a textured cream paper. Then I looked through my new (read recently purchaed, lots of these papers were in the clearance section at my local store) patterened paper and found a travel themed page with signs on it. Deer, check; fishing, check; added bonus, cow; perfect. And I started putting it all together.

I actually really like how this card came together and find it interesting to look at. I still find it more difficult making "man" cards than soft, pretty, girly cards, but I'm working through it. It's sure helpful that theres lots of manufacturers out there making manly products now, even if that's not the use they were intended for!

I Think The Curse Is Over

Guess what I did when I got home from work this evening? I scrapbooked. Plus, I completed the layout, and really like the page I created! It's the first time in a while where I didn't agonize over every little detail, I accepted my ideas, and saw them though. I'm kind of proud of myself actually.

Somehow getting out camping this weekend with my family kick started my desire to scrapbook. I was planning how I was going to do that page while taking the photos. The juices were flowing through my brain, and it was addictive! I didn't really want to stop at Walmart tonight to print off those pictures (it was raining out), so I scrapped the photo that's been on my desk for a couple months now.

On your next layout: create a page based off of a sketch. (And to save even more time use a sketch you saw on a website).

While browsing blogs this afternoon, I found a sketch that I really liked on the Studio Calico website. I really liked the clean "white space" area on the left side of the layout. Because of the white space (or maybe the other way around), everything is justaposed to the right. I never make a page that is right-aligned. I prefer doing it on the left.

I looked at my list of layouts to be completed, and couldn't think of any that had the three vertical photos, like the sketch suggests, so I thought I'd just use one 5x7 in there place. Sketches are meant to be interpreted, altered and changed to fit what products, photos and items you want and have at hand to use.

For the journalling, I used a section of the Studio Calico fab rips. I was a little concerned at how it would handle my pen ink, but it worked wonderfully, and nicely held my writting.

Although I really like the "white space" that comes from everything being on the right side of the page, I felt it wasn't really me, and added a little something to the space.

I'm also really liking the collage technique still, and tried that again, of course on the left side. This is still something I'm working at getting better at, any hints or tips?

I wanted to keep the flower the same on my layout from the sketch, and used it to help hide part of Justin's shirt logo. (It was red lettering that I found distracting.)

Journalling says: With temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees we couldn't have asked for better camping weather. Justin and I enjoyed the sunshine and spent most of the time outside on our lawnchairs (we both ended up burnt). We spent both nights talking around the campfire and Sunday we celebrated Brent's birthday (even Grandma Bea came out). It was great to get away just the two of us!

There we go, the first Monday Challenge in quite some time. Don't forget to leave a link to your layout using the challenge.

July "Long" Weekend

We're back from our family camping weekend. Basically the "campout" of the year; technically we're not having one because our wedding lands in summer (the first of family wedding that's been in the summer time - the others have been in November and October), and nobody wanted to have two major trips just to spend time with family.

Everyone really wished the weather would have been nicer. I made a frozen vodka slush that I thought would cool us off when we were sunbathing in our lawn chairs; that's not exactly how that picture ended up! Oh well, we did enjoy them, in our hoodies and jackets! (The cups are from our first trip to Las Vegas, they work really well for camping!)

For Grandpa Pearse's funeral, there was a slide show put together of his children, and grandchildren. Justin and I went to Walmart to print some photos off the card of him, and a couple of us. Well, trying to find a picture of him was a little difficult. I made him promise to not complain anymore when I make him smile for the camera - that's exactly the reason I take photos, scrapbook and document our life; for others to see what we did, what we looked like, and how we were. I did have to remind him of that when I tried to take this picture, but look how good it turned out!

What is our camping trips without some yummy deep-fried food. We had deep fried turkey, french fries, and homemade onion rings.

Saturday afternoon, we got everything ready for the surprise birthday celebrations. There was a picnic shelter, that we decorated with a "Who's Got Birthday" banner (how my dad wrote it on a sign a couple years ago for my mum and I, and he's never going to live it down) and ballons, then ussured the 50 year olds, and have them sit down for the party to start. My dad and Thom were really

When Brittany and Kas were down last weekend, they talked about some skits that we were going to preform, little mockeries of my dad's and Thom's lives. Little memories of funny events that we all remember, that we talk about still, and always make us laugh. Kas was the only one that brought the script along, so Brittany was having me read the lines of "Steph," a female that had her car into my dad's shop, and she'd write them on a paper to use as her new script. After reading her a few lines, she asked if I wanted do that skit; she liked how I acted the part. So, I got promoted to a new part!

That skit was about Steph, a naive female that had her car in to be worked on. My dad was trying to be sly, and try and up-sell a whole bunch of services that were not needed, aren't real, and could never happen. (I'd like to say he never prays on women, he'd never do this because he's an honest man). For instance, the halogen fluid needed to be replaced in her headlights; the left side tires somehow got on the right side of the car, and vice versa; and while she was parked somewhere, the transmission disappeared, and she needed not just one, but two! What made it even funnier - the fact that I'm a parts technician, but I played the part pretty convincinly - you could say I have a lot of material to draw upon!

The second skit was about a pile of funny moments that happened to the both of them: my mum betting Thom that he couldn't eat a whole one pound burger; my dad being afraid of a mouse, and my mum video taping the instance when he tried to open a cupboard to see if the mouse was inside; Thom killing a gopher on a campout two years ago in Drumheller (also the same campout that my appendix was removed); my dad making the "Who's Got Birthday" sign; my dad commenting that a certain potato looked like a seal (arr, arr, arr), a granade, and a perky lady; Thom warming his bum on the campfire, falling and forgetting the sequence of "Stop, Drop and Roll"; then they just sat around the fire, Thom saying how his garage was having to get moved in order to fit their new trailer in their yard, and my dad falling asleep, but Thom just telling the story just as if he was awake! Both my dad and Thom were laughing so hard they were crying from the skits! I think they were both actually surprised, so we'll call it a successful birthday celebration.

Then came present time. This moose sang a song, moved his mouth and wagged his ears along to the rhythm.

This hat came along with a bag of goodies for camping.

My mum got them both rubber oven mitts that have the index finger separate from the "mitt" part. Apparently 50 is not too old for horsing around. They both took the boxes and were hitting each other over the head with them.

Then just random goofiness.

Even with the weather not co-operating, we still had a fantastic time. Spending time with family can not be over-rated. It's when memories are made, giving more material for more skits!