Ahhhhh camping!

This was the quickest that we have ever left the house for camping (or anywhere for that matter), after I get home from work; I think we were just that excited to be heading out for a weekend of camping! Thursday, when we were out and about getting our groceries and gas, when we driving down the road that we normally head out of town on, both Justin and I were ready to just keep on driving, and it was really nice to be able to do just that the next day.

We made one loop through the campground and only saw two empty sites (my dad had gotten a site Thursday night that we were going to be sharing), and on our second loop both empty sites were taken. I told my boss Friday before he left at the end of the day that my plans for my weekend of camping were to sleep lots and eat lots - and it all started shortly after we arrived at the campsite. Justin put the jacks down on the trailer, put the awning out, set out our lawn chairs, paid for our site, immediately changed into shorts and grabbed a beer. I was happily surprised at how warm it was, and also changed into shorts. We ate hot dogs for supper.

My mum and I went for a walk around the campground, and came back to Justin and my dad starting more cooking. Justin was making salsa, and my dad was deep-frying goodies: sweet poatoto fries, french fries, shrimp, onion pedals and mozza sticks. And the eating continued into the night. My mum and I went into their trailer to boil some water for my tea, we were both so tired that I ended up falling asleep on their couch, and she slept on the chair. My dad came in and accidentally woke us both up, then my mum said I should take my glasses off if I was going to sleep, but I said I might as well just head next door to my own trailer and go to bed!

Saturday morning Justin and I woke up and got the campfire going to make our pizza sandwiches. I ate one.

Prompty follwed by another.

My parents went into town for my mum to get her hair cut, and since my belly was full, I decided it was a good time to have a nap. Justin and I slept for at least three hours, adding to the "sleeping lots" goal for the weekend. When we woke up, my parents were already back. Justin had brought out some ice cream (as per my request), so I made a root beer float to enjoy for an afternoon snack (and I made an extra one for my parents to share).

Then my parents had supper, and we had some more snackies that my dad cooked of deep-fried goodness: shrimp, sweet potato fries, and french fries. My parents left to go to sprint-car races that are about forty-five minutes from the Taber campground. We stayed behind and took photos! Oh, and ate our supper of hambugers and deep-fried battered covered french fries. When my parents got back to the campground, and we told them about the battered fries, my dad couldn't wait until the morning to fry some up for him to taste! We all went to bed shortly after they got back and dreamt off deep-fried battered french fries and hot dogs (oh - that was just my dad)!

When we woke up, it was time for our morning pizza campfire sandwiches, two again (one is never enough!).

After our brunch, we snacked on shrimp and deep-fried sweet potato fries, battered french fries, and battered hot dogs. All of it was SO good! And I tried to curl up on my lawn chair and nap in the sun like Lowie does, but the chair is not so comfortable for curling up, but I made due. I think I managed to meet both my goals!

A big thanks goes out to Justin for doing so much for me this weekend! He kept asking me why I was being so helpless and lazy, but I said that I have to be so independant for the next few days (Justin heads to New Brunswick again on Monday until Thursday), so I have to get taken care of while I can!

Mother's Day Cards

Sunday, we went out for lunch with Sandy at McDonalds (I had a quarter pounder deluxe - oh my was that a good burger!), to celebrate Mother's Day. We gave her a nice yellow gerber daisy (Justin thought it was a sunflower), and a nice hand-made card.

Tuesday night we headed over to my parent's house for my mum's Mother's Day celebration. We got her a nice belt, and I gave her a hand-made card.

It was also decided last night that Brittany will be coming down to spend May Long weekend with us (Sheldon's out of town on a guy's fishing weekend), and we're heading out camping to Taber on Friday with my parents! What - this means I'll be able to cross that off my monthly goals list!!

Weekday Drive

Today I was sitting in the lunch room, minding my own business when I had a grumpy feeling come over me. I had the urge for some retail thearapy. I needed to get away from work and just get away as soon as I could. I grabbed my wallet and keys and decided to grab a hot chocolate from Tim Horton's (I think the first one that I've had since coming back from Mexico, I remember how bad I wanted Timmy's while down there - that and gravy - like always!) and go for a little drive.

It really is nice to see the grass turning such a happy shade of green. It's been about two months since Mexico, and I am wanting bright colours, warm weather and be tan again!

Then (of course), I tried for a self portrait. If you combine two of the pictures you get my whole face, use your imagination!

It was nice to see somthing other than the inside of my work building and the people I work with. I can't really pin-point anything that made me upset, just needed a change of scenery to break up my day.

When I went past one farm house, a dog was gunning it towards the Blazer. I was laughing so hard thinking about how Justin calls dogs that chase after cars "tire bitters!"

Some days my hour long lunch seems too long, but on days like today, it's not long enough!

Sunday Afternoon Drive

Yesterday Justin and I seprately came to the same conclusion: we needed to head out on the road for a little trip. We didn't really have a location in our minds, although Justin did give me three options (heading up for lunch in High River, going through the Porkupine Hills or going to the Crowsnest Pass). Even after we started driving, with a bag filled with pop and rice chrispie squares, we didn't really have a clear idea of our trip; although we decided that we weren't going to High River since Justin is there too often as it is for work.

The weather was perfect, with a little bit of wind and temperatures about 15 degrees. The grass has slowly been turning green, and it's a welcomed sight.

As much as I admittedly hate the windmills, they do make for some nice photos, and remind me of trips that my mum, Grandma and I took around Southern Alberta after we first moved here. And now Justin and I have continued on this little tradition; after we first started dating we drove to Waterton, The Crowsnest Pass, Elkford and along highway 22 (which is where the ranch that we got married at is actually located), then the next weekend we made a trip to Medicine Hat and Brooks - love going on trips with that man, even if it's just a day's drive!

Eventually, we decided that we would stop at the Cowley Restaraunt and Pub (formally the Millview Restaraunt). We didn't know it had recently been sold to new owners that spruced up the place, adding class with new tables, chairs, big screen TV's and a totally new atmosphere. Prices are fair, and food is SO good! I had a club house sandwich (which Justin said he didn't know that I liked - I'm not a big fan of bread, and the last one I had was probably before we were dating), and Justin had a hamburger (he looked at me after looking at the menu and said he would have to ask the waitress if they had just a plain burger, as all he saw was bison and fancier burgers than he wanted, then I pointed out the one at the top of the menu which made him a happy guy). The french fries and gravy were really good too!

I had heard that the mountains had a lot of snow still, but Justin and I were shocked to see just how much snow was still up on top of them. I don't think we will be going camping in them any time soon!

After our meal, we headed by the Oldman River Dam to the Cottonwood Campgroundfor a drive through to see how it looked. We plan on doing some camping here this year, and are just itching to get out.

I think we were only gone from home a total of about three hours, but it was a relaxing time spent with Justin on the open road. I just hope next time we head out that we can be away longer, and our trip will involve camping!

5 May 2011 Goals

I've realized that I like to accomplish things, challenge myself, cross things off a list and see improvement this past little bit. Since my birthday, I've been working hard at my "26 Before 27 List" (eventually I'll post this list once I make a layout about it); I've been researching and making some plans (mostly in my head) for some items on my list and finishing lots of parts of a whole tasks on others (like completing one of twelve of something). Doing these monthly goals helps me out monthly, and my yearly lists helps to keep me progressing on bigger plans throught the year!

1. Now that the trailer is back, I want to get out camping. Justin and I have a goal to go twice a month, lets make this start in May! Between all the good times, good food and wonderful memeories (and seeing as how we only made it out three or four times last year), we really want to jack up our camping trip ratio! (Amanda Sipko's photos from our camping trip with them September long weekend in 2009.)

2. Drink a warm cup of tea each and every day. This has kind of been floating around in the back of my mind for awhile, and I think it might be able to help me de-stress a bit more.

3. Since the last few books I've read lately have been about spirituality (especially Eat Pray Love), I think it would be a good idea for me to sit down and come up with some of my beliefs in life. This will most likely include a bit of research, and maybe getting a couple more books read.(Photo taken March 30, 2008.)

4. Buy some new work pants. This is long over-due, (don't even ask me why this has been something that I have procratinated on) and it's time I just go and do it! (Photo taken March 17, 2008 - St. Patrick's Day.)

5. Cook two meals per week in the crockpot. After last month's goal of not eating out, I found it always easier if there was something quick on hand to eat, rather than having to make something when coming home from work tired. Well, I can make this even easier if the meal is already cooked when we arrive home!

Now for April's update: 3/4 completed to what I see as successful. I decided while out for supper one night (I know, I know), that if I could make it to 80% efficiency with not eating out, I would consider that a success - and I made it (at 83% and spending about $183). I did a resoundingly good job reading Flylady and tackling my cleaning "duties;" I've done my weekly home blessing hour each Saturday since reading the book, (and I surprise myself each time that it actually does only take an hour to accomplish), and it's making my life much happier! And I really liked doing things daily that wre just for me; some of my favorites: having a bath, shaving my legs, spending the day reading Eat Pray Love and then watching the movie.