Oh Canada!

A couple weekends ago (I'm slow in posting) Matt and I had the opportunity to join my family on a little adventure in Vancouver, Canada.

On the plane ride, we decided to decided to wet our taste buds with some Canada Dry

Our first night there, Dad let loose at a local Italian Restaurant

On Saturday morning we got up early and took the scenic route up to Whistler Mountain

These cute little critters were everywhere

Oh and while on the mountain, we also went white water rafting. Can you tell that I've been working out?

The scenery was breathtaking

Back in Vancouver, we went on a bike ride around Stanley Park. These love birds decided to try the tandum. After a couple screams and several giggles, they still want to get married.

These guys were troopers, rising early Sunday morning and running a half marathon in the rain

Wishing we could stay longer, we packed it up that afternoon and headed towards the border.

Waiting 2 hours to get through customs gave us some great family time in the car

Oh Canada, we'll be back!

Back in the states, we spent our last evening eating some yummy seafood at the Crab Pot in Seattle. Phew! It sure was a whirlwind of a trip. We can't wait to go back again.

Home: The Land of Enchantment

"I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while." 

- Juno 

One of my favorite things about traveling is coming home.

 (source)

Matt and I had the opportunity to go to Vancouver and Seattle this weekend. (Photos to come!) We had a great time, saw some beautiful country and had some yummy food, but I was so happy to come home.

New Mexico has been my home pretty much all my life and until recently I have always taken it for grant it. I used to dream about all the pretty places I would live when I grew up; big busy cities with a lot of tall green trees. I went to a place just like that this weekend and although, I enjoyed being there, I couldn't wait to get back to my home in the desert.  Being away makes me realize how much I love this place and how proud I should be to call it home. The beauty of God's creation is so evident here and I have been blessed with eyes to see it.

So, this week I am going to try not to complain about the heat or the traffic. Instead, I'm going to take it all in; the beauty that surrounds me and remember that there is a creator who knows my heart and has placed me in a place where the sun is almost always shinning.

Oh How Cute

Thanks to my sweet hubby, I was able to cross another item off my 101 in 1001 list Monday.

#57 Go on a bike ride

I was suffering from a case of the Monday Blues and Matt had just the cure, a bike ride to a surprise destination. Now, I have to admit that bike riding isn't really my thing. Matt is the biker in our household and I was tempted to have a bad attitude about our little outing, but I'm so glad I didn't!

We took off down the path that Matt usually takes to get to school. I had no idea where we were headed until we turned into a neighborhood which happens to have a Coldstone Creamery. I secretely hoped that Matt would turn into their parking lot but decided that if he didn't, I wouldn't be upset. Well, Guess what... he put his hand up, signaling for a right hand turn and we rode up to their front door. We decided to share a "Love It" size of Lemon Sorbet and then recieved an "Oh how cute!" from the girls behind the counter. It made me feel pretty special. Actually, the whole date made me feel a little giddy, like when we were dating.

I'm looking forward to many more fun summer evenings like this one and I think I might even want to take up biking. Maybe.

My Chair

On Monday, I will begin a new job. It's a great opportunity that I have worked hard for and prayed for. I'm excited to get started on a new challenge, but in the mean time, I'm training my replacement the person who will fill my position. He is great, outgoing, fun and easy to get along with. I have no doubt he will do a great job, but.... he set in my chair today.

My chair.

My boss purchased that chair as a "Christmas gift" when I kept complaining about the back pains I would get with the old one. No one else uses that chair; it's my chair. And my desk. And my computer, we've survived two viruses together.

I guess I'm having a hard time letting go. The truth is, I really don't care about these things, just what they represent. They represent the hard work, the time and effort I've put into this job and the memories I've made. This job has been a huge blessing in my life and I am so thankful for my time there.

I'm going to have to get over the fact that business will go on as usual once I'm gone. Do you think they'd let me take my chair though?

1 of 31 Flavors: Rocky Road

In celebration of a birthday, a wedding anniversary and a new job, Matt and I joined my Sister and Brother-in-law for a late night ice cream run this weekend. This is a treat in both households and we girls weren't about to let the opportunity pass us by. We didn't drop the subject until we were in the car and on our way.

Before making a decision, we took advantage of the cute little pink spoons and tasted Jamoca, Cookies and Cream and others. My Sister-in-law, Morgan, who loves anything coconut went with an interesting combination of coconut ice cream with caramel on top. Not feeling quite as adventurous, I went with an old favorite, Rocky Road (the first of 31 flavors to try on my 101 in 1001 list) on a sugar cone.

Although I enjoyed the chocolate yumminess very much, it didn't hold up to my favorite combination of chocolate, marsh mellows and walnuts at Cold Stone Creamery. I'd give it a rating of "Just Ok" for it's insufficient amount marsh mellows.

Do you have a favorite ingredient to mix in your ice cream?