an extended leave

it would seem as though i have been on a bit of an extended leave from my blog. it's not as though i haven't thought about this site, or my regular followers ;) just that i seem to have been in an extended state of busy. with school starting up again in september, it has been full steam ahead at work. with the return of school also comes the return of extracurricular activities. between powerskating, hockey, union meetings and photography class, i am busy with regularly scheduled activities 3 evenings a week and saturday afternoons. then add on top of that time to complete my photography assignments in addition to all of the usual activities of daily living including laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, and who can forget spending a few minutes with my tremendously understanding boyfriend? needless to say, it's the middle of november and i am wondering where the heck the last two months have gone!

but alas, i am currently on vacation! which means, i have cooked dinner the past two evenings, done numerous loads of laundry, had three lunch dates in three days, put a dent in my christmas shopping, enjoyed a generous sleep-in/lazy morning in bed, contacted a tv repairman, had a physio appointment, made cupcakes, and i still have two more days off before the weekend. while some people may strive for relaxation on a week off, i am need of a little bit more balance. i have been so busy that my list of 'things i would like to get done' seems to get longer as i try and keep up with my list of 'things i must get done'. so, i am quickly checking off items on the former list and subsequently reducing my impending stress as the holiday season approaches and the year draws to a close.

in the meantime, i have made a few updates to my blog, and will post a pic or two from the past couple of weeks.

enjoy!

a foggy day hike in lynn headwaters park was the perfect setting for an eery shot a few days before halloween.

ryan joined me one night on the pier across the street for my attempt at a 'rule of thirds landscape' shot for my course. i wan't to do something a little different than the typical mountains shots out here, so chose to shoot the city waterfront at night. the whole time ryan kept saying the dry dock would make a cool shot. he was right.

when he wasn't feeling very well, i had to drag him outside on the most perfect afternoon for this pic. i'm so glad he humoured me.

long weekend, beautiful day

just in case all of you easterner's were wondering just what it is like to spend thanksgiving on the west coast, i made sure to tote my camera along with me... last sunday ryan and i joined wade for a beautiful afternoon at the driving range before hitting up the patio at one of our local pubs.

i had a blast taking photos of ryan hitting off the roof of the driving range. can you track his ball? (it was a beautiful shot!)

wind up...

and up...

what is it that barkley was told? a pause in your swing?

whack!!

if your eyes can see it, you win! (not sure what yet, but it will be something...a hug from me? a high five?) and i'm not joshin', it's there, when you look at the pic in full size you can clearly pick out the ball! i pointed it out for you to give you a head start...

it's still goin'!

after a few buckets of balls, we went for a pint. or at least the guys did. can't say i'm a fan of honey brown...

ryan was blinded by the hot hot sun.

and just in case the previous picture of the pitcher had you curious, yes, deep cove has turned wade into a true mountain man! check out that beard!

if you are ever craving a warm thanksgiving weekend full of golden sun, green grass and golf, visitors are always welcome!! then again, this weekend is offering up much of the same! it has been one beautiful october!

let's keep it going....

a long weekend, a wonderful afternoon

saturday i had the joy of visiting one of my girlfriends and her beautiful new daughter on her one month birthday. after a long restless night, anna had slept most of the morning and early in the afternoon. she then was hungry! erin had asked me to bring my camera along, and take a couple of pictures for her. what a treat! in an effort to capture a few moments of anna's special one month birthday, this is what I snapped:

there is something that is just so perfect and pure about a mother's love for her child. recently i have had the pleasure of seeing some of my girlfriends embark on this bond with their babes. erin and anna are a wonderful example!



anna is a pretty content little one, but that doesn't mean she doesn't speak her mind when she wants to be heard.



on a few occaisions, anna slipped into her most peaceful moment of the day, her milk coma.

she was even willing to show off her daily exercises, her post feeding stretching routine. it was impressive!

grandma has been asking for more photos, so anna decided she would cash in on some tummy time for just a few minutes while i snapped away. it was a challenge to capture her beautiful blues while they were open, but i think i succeeded.

and before i left, anna gave her first monumentous speech. i think it was about milk. or sleep. or poop. or how the combination of the three can really keep a girl busy all day.

thanks for a wonderful afternoon erin and anna!!

back in the saddle...

that's right! i'm back in the saddle! or desk chair, classroom, college, however you want to say it. but the point is, i'm a student!!! when i finished physio school, i thought i would never dare step foot inside a post-secondary institution again. or not for a long while anyways. i was done. 2 degrees, 7 years, 6 co-op terms, 5 placements, 11 different aparments, 20 roomates, 23 moves, who knows how many textbooks and more exams than i would like to recall. i was done.

now? bring it on! i am so excited to have enrolled in my first photography class at langara college. in the past year and a bit, i bought my first dslr, took an intro course that taught me what the buttons all meant, took another intro course that taught me how to use them, went to rome and sailed around the mediterranean, took countless photos of family, and then decided that i wanted more out of my camera, so upgraded to my second dslr. now, i want to learn how to really use it. i want to figure out how i did this:

and this:

and how to help out my girlfriends by getting better at stuff like this:

the truth is, i love my job. i have worked long and hard to fulfill my dream and get where i am today (note previous stats...ugh), and work every day to get a little better at it all the time. but i have been dying to work on another love, and that is photography. i cherished my time in highschool working on the school yearbook as editor of my own section. and better yet, going back for a second year to assist ms. vandenbelt with her next group of young pups and providing input for the book as a whole. it was, without a doubt, invaluable experience and loads of fun. (anyone remember quinn in the ladies shower at brock university? hahaha)

what will this new adventure bring?

who knows!!

but i can't wait to find out...

labour day...or the opposite of...

this weekend we got away to escape the stress of our regular routines, breathe some fresh air, and relax. as we headed across the border, it felt like i left work light years behind and could feel every cell in my body collectively sigh with relief.

i love the ranch.

i love that i turn my cell phone off.

i don't check my email and don't look at facebook.

i don't set an alarm.

i don't keep to a bed time.

i wear the same clothes two days in a row and don't care.

i shower in the afternoon.

dinner is almost always cooked on the bbq. and always by someone else.

beer is cheap. and tastes better.

i read.

i knit.

and now, i golf.

i don't care what i do, or when i do it.

i don't care if i do anything at all.

i enjoy every minute that i spend with ryan.

i enjoy spending time with his family.

i enjoy some time alone.

i enjoy unplugging.

i am very thankful for the opportunity to take advantage of all this greatness.

road trip

this weekend ry and i headed off on a road trip!



thursday night we packed up the car and headed off to kelowna to visit alison.
it was the fastest drive. ever. 3 1/2 hours later we found ourselves pulling into the hotel parking lot, about an hour sooner than we had anticipated.

with a marathon scheduled for saturday, the hotel was fully booked. we got the last king bed in the place thanks to pre-booking. and it was fantastic!

on friday ry got up and walked across the street to the golf course while ali and i headed down to the water for a walk, to enjoy lunch and to just generally hang out. it was, far and away, the most gorgeous day.




friday night found us eating sushi in peachland and then hanging out at the hotel. ry and ali enjoyed a game of cards. i, not so much.
saturday morning ryan and i got ourselves packed up and headed back down the highway to merritt. nothing like a beautiful day in the desert. (seriously, dad? not the desert.)


we had a fun drive checking out the scenery, having great conversation, and looking forward to seeing two fabulous people tie the knot.


we arrived at our hotel to find the gang hanging out in the parking lot. to be joined moments later by the groom.

after getting ourselves checked in, grabbing some lunch, dressing ourselves up a bit, it was time to head to the wedding. on foot. hell ya! my kind of wedding. around the corner from the hotel, an a&w on the way, roadies in your hands, and important warnings abound...



the wedding was beautiful. set in a family member's backyard, with a creek running along side, foliage abound, beautiful blue skies with a few perfect fluffy white clouds, and smiles galore. not to mention the fastest ceremony i have witnessed. greatness.



after a short walk back to the hotel for a few drinks in the gazebo, it was time to head out to the reception. on foot. in the community centre behind the hotel. greatness! let's just say, party!!

this morning was not the most pleasant of mornings. ryan and i both awoke wishing we could sleep the day away but at the same time looking forward to escaping the econolodge. after a quick stop at tim horton's for a bagel and coffee, we hit the road again, this time driving through wind and rain as we headed back to the city. ry was a trooper and drove the whole way while i dozed off in the money seat.

congrats spence and gina! wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!

it's a dog's life

this is how I spent most of last weekend:


ryan and i watched rex while laura and tor were at a wedding in pemberton. for the most part, rex did this:


it was broken up with a few short walks around the block, peeing in gardens, and taking a poop...in the middle of the sidewalk. what dog poops on the sidewalk? i will give him one break, he's blind. but what about the tactile difference between concrete and grass? don't...exactly...feel...the same. rex is just lucky he made it out to the sidewalk. had it happened indoors, he would have found himself sleeping here:


i don't know what it is about dogs in bc. when i grew up, my dog lived outside. he had a custom built home that he didn't have to share with anyone. it was insulated for the winter, and had a nice big open area with a roof to shade him from the sun for the summer. he had free reign of the entire backyard, where he could do his business at will. he could run as much as he wanted, chase any rabbit that dared enter his territory, and talk to the neighbourhood kids as they walked behind the back fence in an attempted short cut to school. he was allowed to sleep inside, on the laundry room floor, and as he got older and more mature, graduated to the kitchen. but never during meal times. he ate dog food. and dog biscuits. he drank water. if he was lucky, he got a little gravy poured over top of his food, or a little bacon fat. if he was really lucky, he got an egg in his food. usually it was because there was a broken one in the carton. he was loved immensely. but he never was allowed to sleep with us. or lick our face. he was a protector, a playmate, a confidante, a member of our family. he left a big hole in our family when he died. he is thought of constantly. he was laddie.


so while i think rex is a bit of a princess, a snob when it comes to his high expectations for steak and chicken heated to the perfect temperature and insists on his water chilled with ice cubes, and a suck when you leave him alone for 5 minutes too long, i know he occupies this giant piece of both ryan and laura's hearts. while he will never be allowed to sleep on my bed, he is always welcome to warm a piece of the floor beside it.


and i will always pick up his poop off the sidewalk (sick!).