9 Hour Adventure- Part 1

Dusty and I decided to go to Elk lakes. It's a provincial park in the middle of

NOWHERE.

We had heard that it was pretty and that there was some great fishing.

We decided to take a gander.

We left our house at 12pm, hoping to stop somewhere and have a picnic lunch. About 130 we got to mile marker 120 and to the beautiful

Blue Lake

(that's actually it's name... I didn't make it up.

Although if I was going to make up a name for it I would of called it Blue lake.

It is crazy blue.

The pictures don't do it justice.)

The water is so shallow that it is actually warm. If you've ever swam in a mountain lake.... then you know that's AMAZING. The girls had so much fun throwing sticks to Ruby (my parents dog.. we were dog-sitting) and rocks and splashing.

Ellie got a little rambunctious and went in a little farther than her jeans would allow.

Dusty decided that it was fire time.





It was a great place to picnic. There are two campsites, only one with a picnic table and there's also an outhouse. We were the only people there. It was an awesome spot. A friend told us about this spot so I'm so glad we went out there.

Ruby was glad too. She kept trying to sneak off for a swim....

Naughty dog.

Belle also went for a dip but she preferred the picnic.

Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 cups shortening
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Mix the shortening, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar and buttermilk until smooth and fully combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the peanut butter mixture and mix until well blended.
Drop cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork that has been dipped in flour.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com

I've used it twice. The exact recipe comes out flaky and dry with a soft center.

I'll post the "tweaked recipe" it makes a soft chewy cookie.

Back with a Birthday

Oh my Gosh!

I feel like I've been out of the loop for AGES.

Seriously.

It speaks volumes to my Internet addiction.

I do everything on here. I check the weather, email, blog, news, everything.

Did you know Micheal Jackson died??

I'm sure you would have to be under a rock to not have heard it. I was under a rock today. i didn't find out until I checked my phone messages... thank-goodness my friend remembered the oh-so-primitive form of communication!!

Okay but seriously. SOOOO SOOO much stuff has happened in my life.

I'm going to start with the most important.....

Lucy's birthday.

She's two.

That's unbelievable.

This is my BIL. He brought a friend. She is now Lucy's best friend. She (the friend) fed Lucy smarties all afternoon.

The fastest way to Lucy's heart is Smarties.

(who doesn't like candy coated chocolate... everyone does...)

These are Dusty's Grandparents.

We love 'em.

we also love her.
and
she loves presents.


These are Baaaaaaa's and (whatever a panting sound is).
They were supposed to be cows.
Good thing she's two.


This Luc eatin' cake with my mum and dad.
They were leavin' on a jet plane so they had to come the day before.


Her party was fun. We had a great time. We're so thankful to all the people who could come and party with us. We're also really thankful for all the people who couldn't come (but really really wanted to be there)... oh shoot well I'm at it. I'm also really thankful for all the people who we know that didn't even want to come. We're just thankful for the lot of of y'all.
(I'm mostly thankful for those gosh-darn genius' that came up with this wonderful world wide web and computers)

My computer is broken. BUT when i'm back i have A LOT to say.

100 Things

Okay so I was browsing in peoples blogs and I saw a "100 things about me" list. I do love a list. But I have to admit I'm a little intimidated of trying to come up with 100 things sooo this might be an on-going process.

1. My favorite movie is Shrek.
2. I love lists.
3. I have a very specific style that I LOVE but none of my houses have been it.
4. I don't like noise
5. I am a dog person BUT
6. my pet peeve is people who think their dogs are "children"
7. I have lots of peeves.
8. I enjoy cooking BUT
9. I LOVE to bake
10. Chocolate cake is my favorite
11. I have had lots of really close friends BUT
12. I've lost a LOT of close friends
13. I have two friends that I would move earth and sky for
14. I am a prairie person
15. I hate wranglers.
16. My favorite color is pink
17. My closet mostly consists of black.
18. I'm easily intimidated by "cool" people
19. I prefer "nerds"
20. I don't understand how people can have 400 people as friends on facebook.
21. I like to keep my life simple
22. I should of been born my the water
23. I actually believe I am a princess.
24. I'm sort of embarrassed for writing the previous statement.
25. My favorite smell is lilacs.
26. I love the rain
27. My favorite season used to be winter, then I had kids, now it's summer.
28. I have two girls
29. I wanted two boys
30. Now I don't want any boys
31. I think everyone should be "semi-retired"
32. Life's too short to work.
33. I don't get how to make work fun. Works always been work. blech.
34. My favorite book is "the Red Tent"
35. I love historical fiction and horror books
36. I have perfect feet.
37. People have told me that I'm self-absorbed.
38. I'm okay with that.
39. I journal.
40. I like blogging
41. I wish I was artsy and creative in a craft sense.
42. I have always wanted to go to Greece (maybe in my next life)
43. I don't like jewelry
44. Both Dusty and I don't wear our wedding bands
45. I am compulsive.
46. I am also passionate about whatever I'm being compulsive about.
47. I enjoy motherhood more than i thought I would.
48. I will go back to school to get a degree
49. I tell people my favorite number is 12 but it isn't.
50. I'm superstitious.
51. If something bad happens to me I will write down what I was wearing and not wear that combination of clothes again. EVER.
52. I wish I was extraordinary.
53. I feel very ordinary.
54. I don't like books or movies that don't have happy endings.
55. If I could live in any books it would be Harry Potter.
56. My favorite flowers are daisies.
57. The biggest lesson I learned in life came from my sister.
58. I went to Disneyland on my honeymoon.
59. I got married in a black dress.
60. I am passive aggressive.
61. I work really hard at being assertive.
62. Being married has helped ;)
63. I would like to travel across Canada
64. My favorite food is a sandwich.
65. I am terrified of birds. Particularly chickens.
66. There wasn't a single person I am close to that didn't question my decision to get married.
67. I don't regret making it.
68. I am a night person.
69. I play an excellent damsel
70. It drives my mom crazy
71. I get satisfaction out of getting people all riled up
72. I ask my husband every day why he loves me and every day I get the same answer
73. I love sex
74. I'm weirded out by publicly writing that BUT we'll move on.
75. I love pretty dishes
76. Dusty's grandma gets me dishes as presents and I LOVE it.
77. My feet are always cold.
78. I daydream all the time
79. I also talk to myself
80. I dream of living "off-grid"
81. I hate socks and shoes
82. I used to hate tights
83. I spent $4 on my favorite pair of walking pants.
84. I know how to build a fire but I let Dusty believe that I can't.
85. I also know how to change the oil in my car but again, Dusty is unaware.
86. I graduated with 7 other people.
87. I only talk to one of them.
88. I write poetry.
89. NO ONE reads it.
90. I secretly want to write a book. Not so secret anymore.
91. I think I'm funny.
92. No one else does (except dusty and my dad.... explains why I like them so much)
93. I've gotten a speeding ticket for 250.00 and it should of been more......much much more.
94. I don't speed anymore.
95. I don't own an ipod- nor do I know how to work one.
96. My cell phone used to ring at least every half an hour now I get one MAYBE two phone calls a month. They are all from my dad.
97. I have been admitted to hospital three times in my life.
98. I have had broken bones.
99. I'm really good at cranium just don't ask me to act out a Mermaid.
100. I can't believe I found 100 things. Did I mention I love lists? Especially grocery lists.

Shoving

So Yard work is on our agenda for this summer.

Our Yard needs A LOT of work.

We were outside all last week. Dusty was digging stumps out and putting up a fence. We have some BIG plans for the yard. We have an old shed in the back corner and I measured behind it to see if we could put our dog run back there but we were shy 6 inches!! I think Dusty needed a break so he came over and started "investigating" and soon enough I saw the "look" in his eyes.

The look like, "This is gonna be fun!".

Soon dusty had straps hooked on to the building BUT he didn't have enough straps so then he was off on a rope search. He came back into the yard holding a rope that seriously looked like it had been around for a century! He got that all tied in and then disappeared again. I then heard the familiar sound of a diesel truck. He backed the truck in and hooked up all the ropes.

He got in and pulled.

Nothing happened.

The building has also been sitting there for 30 years and I think it's grown into the earth. So he pulled harder and then the century old rope broke. It did this three times.

I seriously thought he would of packed it in and called it quits but no. He went searching for another rope. He brought back this tiny white rope we used to tie up the dog.

I thought he was kidding.

He got everything all situated and pulled and that dang building actually moved.

Incredible.

Dusty had so much fun.

It was ridiculous to watch him.

I learned two things that day,

1. As serious and hardworking as Dusty is, he is still just a silly boy and
2. when push comes to shove, the big red ford truck somehow always earns it's keep around here.
   
   

Eyes and Ears

I haven't been to sunbeams the last three weeks. One thing after another keeps popping up so finally today I was back.

I struggle in my calling.

I look around and I can always find someone who either

a) thinks that it's an easy job to do and/or fun OR

b) they would be AMAZING in that calling.

So I struggle.

I struggle with feeling inadequate.

The first week I was gone I got an email from a sunbeam's mom to tell me that her son was really upset that I wasn't there. I appreciated getting it. I felt like I actually connected to the kids. Week after week I have been left feeling like they haven't gotten ANYTHING out of the class and that I was some boring old (ok maybe not OLD) grumpy lady who wouldn't let them play with toys. BUT a kid ACTUALLY likes me. That's a good feeling.

Today upon arriving at church I inspected (glanced) around my room to find..... TOYS. That's right. So I fully expected that all through class I would get, "teacher, can we play with toys now?" BUT I didn't hear it once. and they were all happy to see me....

now if only they wanted to hear me...

(maybe that's pushing my luck)

Front-Yard Car lot

Our front lawn is starting to look like a car lot AND we only have some of our vehicles here!!!

We have my car, Dusty's red truck, and his white post-high school truck parked at our place. His blue high school truck and my grandpa's old truck are parked else-where but he's hoping to be able to bring them here so he can "work" on them.

Somethings gotta give. Dusty's finally admitted that perhaps it's time to let go of something (I'm hoping maybe two) and so he is selling his white post-high school truck.
It's a Chevy 1/2 ton loaded. It's a short box, extended cab, 2 wheel drive. It has 320,000 km. It's in good shape. He wants $2500. So if any of you guys know someone who's looking for a truck... there is one on my front lawn!

Floater or Sinker?

Ellie started swimming lessons in May. She LOVES going. I am so glad we took her. She's improved so much. She'll float and put her head under the water. She will lift her feet off the pool floor and try to swim. It's been fun.

Verbal Diarrhea

Are there moments in your life where you find your mouth moving but your brain is telling you to STOP and yet you can't... you're mouth keeps going?? It happens to me. I wish I had an over-ride button!