Family Time in Canada

Grant and I had a wonderful time in Canada visiting and spending time with my parents and little sister.  We left from LA on September 11th and let me tell you I NEVER want a trip like that again.  Grant and I both had the stomach flu.  I was lucky and didn't have the pleasure of puking but I can't say the same for Grant.  The car seat, the flight attendant and I were covered in half digested bananas, applesauce and pretzels. Needless to say, I was very excited and relieved to get to Vanderhoof that night.

Mom and Dad picked us up at the airport in Prince George and we drove the hour to my hometown.  My sister Abigail had no idea that Grant and I were coming to visit.  We woke her up in here bed and her reaction was priceless.  I'll always remember her saying "what the freak are you doing here?!".  It was epic.

The weather was absolutely fabulous and the leaves all changed from bright green to yellows and oranges while we were there.  We ate out on the patio every night for dinner and took walks, which Grant was particularly fond of.  My mom is a fabulous cook so we certainly had some very good food.  I loved running in the mornings on the trails along the river in the cool crisp autumn air and playing with Grant on the lawn in the afternoons in the warm sun. We also celebrated Abby's 16th birthday and surprised her with a surprise birthday party, complete with tea and croquet.    

My absolute favorite part was watching my parents be Grandma and Grandpa to my baby. Grant got so attached to them and would cry at the door every time my dad would leave for work. He loved being outside with mom watering the garden or playing in the dirt. 

 The only thing better than having my mom and dad as my parents is having them as grandparents to my children.  I cannot express in words how much I love my mom and dad, I just well up in tears when I think about it. They are two wonderful examples of who I want to be like.  

While I missed Gavin terribly, the time to leave back to Ridgecrest came too soon and left me wondering when I will see my family next. Mom  dropped us off at the airport and with alot of tears we said goodbye;  I just keep telling myself thank goodness for skype and cell phones.

I will remember and cherish forever the time I had in Vanderhoof in September 2012.

this girl is a character.  She's my favorite 3rd sister.

Fall in British Columbia

Grant and I went to my home in British Columbia for 2 weeks in September and it was absolutely beautiful with perfect weather. All the leaves changed from bright green to a beautiful orangy-yellow. I hope these pictures show why I love my home and country so much. I love Fall in Vanderhoof.

Gavin's 28th Birthday

Gavin turned 28 on the 29th of August.  We didn't throw anything like a mustache birthday bash, but I did make him his favorite meal, parmesean chicken (also the first meal I ever made him) which we ate out on the patio with his mom and dad and Brandon and Christina.  The cake was a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting topped with Reeses Pieces to look like a basketball. I also made homemade peanut butter ice cream, which was divine. Gav was pretty impressed. Some birthday gifts included approximately 16 lbs of peanut butter, Girl Scout cookies and a GPS running watch.
I'm pretty stoked to be with this guy for the rest of his birthdays.  I'm a lucky girl.

a mustache birthday bash

For Grant's very first birthday we threw a "Mustache Birthday Bash".  Everyone chose a mustache to wear to help celebrate while we ate homemade cookies and milk. Gavin actually grew a real mustache for the party!  Grant enjoyed himself as he went around to everyone stealing bites of cookies and sips of chocolate milk.  My favorite part of course was watching him devour his very own personal birthday cake. Among his gifts were a basketball, a BYU baseball cap, some toys, a book, a bib and a blanket.

 We had a great time with family and friends.