It's More Than Just a Word...

It's a cool morning here on the Prairies...the rain overnight brought a bit of a break from the heat we've been enjoying for the past few days.  The forecast says the sun will return this afternoon, but gray mornings like this often leave me feeling very reflective...and today is no exception.

I came across this image on Pinterest yesterday (yes I am fully addicted to Pinterest and not afraid to admit it lol!) and it definitely made me stop and think...

Home.  What comes to mind when you hear the word home?  How do you define home?  Is it a physical locale like your house or apartment or the city/town where you live? Or is it a person or people that make someplace home?

For me, my definition of home has always leaned to a place.  Our family moved several times while I was growing up and home was always where my stuff was.  As soon as the boxes containing my belongings were placed in my bedroom I would start to unpack and within a few hours my room would be all set up.  I think my parents quickly caught on that I was useless to help any place else in the house until my room was settled...just one of those silly quirky things that makes me me...and even when years later I'd pack up some of that "stuff" and move it to the other side of the globe, my apartment there was home cause that is where my stuff was.

I think back to the months before Justin and I were married.  I so struggled because I went between two places every day: I slept and got ready for the day in my apartment (a space I was grateful for, but never really did feel like it was home) but spent many of my non working hours at Justin's condo.  I felt like I lived in two places but neither was truly home.  It wasn't until after we were married that the seed of home being the person I was with, began to take root.

When we were so blessed to buy our first home together almost a year ago now, it was the first time in three years I truly felt like I was home, in every sense of the word (at least with how I'm wired anyways).  Our house is not just a house, but truly our home, the place where my heart and my feet rest.  I've said it many times before, it is the place I look forward to going at the end of the day... it's the place I want to be more than anywhere else on the planet...it's the place where I can be 110% me - nerdy, quirky, thoughtful, quiet...But even more than that, it is home because that is where the love of my life is...and I was reminded of that in a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine last week.  She said "You will always be home whenever the two of you are together - we have always made our house a home - because home is my hubby and me!"

I'm so grateful that I have a home, not just a location to call home, but someone to be home with...
I'm sure I'll always have that need to have a location to identify with, but perhaps my definition has begun to expand...it puts a little different spin on things...and I'm ok with that ;)

A Local Celebrity :)

It's pretty unusual for me to post twice in one day, but today definitely warrants it :)

Justin has been very fortunate to have some great local media coverage as a participant of the World Police & Fire Games.  He was in the newspaper a week ago, a guest on a morning radio show last week and today he was a guest in studio of our local television station!  I "recorded" the interview on my iphone and then had to break up the clip to be able to upload it lol!  I can't wait to see him play in NYC!!!

A Few Additions to the Dirt...

At the beginning of the planting season, my dad gave me a great piece of advice:

"Watch the greenhouses at the end of their selling seasons.  Sometimes they will clear out their left overs really cheap just to get rid of the last of their inventory. Some years I've bought those plants and with a little TLC they have been the nicest plants in my garden."

Up until this past Thursday I have done a very good job of staying away from the greenhouses.  You see, if nurtured, I think I would have a serious addiction to buying flowers.  However, I had Thursday evening all to myself as Justin had already gone out to the lake that afternoon with Doug & Sandy.  {I had to work on Friday so I couldn't meet up with them until after work} So I was curious just when this "clearance" might happen.  Well I wandered into Canadian Tire and found myself in the middle of discount heaven!  

I was so proud of myself when I walked out of there about a half hour later with more than enough plants to fill in all the bare spots in our flowerbeds... all for only $11.76!!! Many of the plants were 25 cents, the perennials were 50 cents and the most expensive pots were the geraniums at a whopping $1 lol! If I had paid full price for everything, the bill would have likely been at least $80 or more!  I spent the rest of the evening planting until it was too dark to see the dirt.  Some of those plants are already taking root and flowering... sigh...I think I should live someplace where I could garden all year long :)

The front flower bed before the new additions

A few close ups of some of my faves :)

They are a rag tag group of plants...but with a little TLC I know they will be amazing!

The back bed BEFORE (left) and AFTER (right) 

(left pics) a few of them had already started to bloom by the time we got home on Sunday!
(the small plants on either side of the petunia)
(right) the Virginia Creeper has really just taken off... can't wait till it's completely covered and green!

(I can't believe how much things have grown since my last post Some Dirt of Our Own! Love, love, love it!)

Back for a Second Installment...

Fact #1: I am not a lover of Monday mornings... never have been... likely never will be {except for when I worked at the church in Moose Jaw and I had Monday mornings off! :) }

Fact #2: While I typically dread Monday morning, it does make it a little easier when the weekend that has just passed by was a gooder...{yes, I know "gooder" isn't a word, but there are places where it just fits in my world, and this is one of them :) }

After the success of last weekend's camping trip, we thought a repeat would be in order lol.  So we headed back to Reesor Lake, this time with my in-laws, to enjoy another weekend of sun, fresh air and a little campfire smoke :)  We had a great time together, of course eating way too much, but I'm a firm believer that everything just tastes so much better when cooked at a campsite.  I had taken a new book with me too, so it was a treat to take the time to just relax and spend some time reading as we all just chilled out on Saturday afternoon.

So needless to say, the blow of this Monday morning was definitely softened by the smile left behind from a great relaxing weekend :)

Yes that is our dog in a swing... lol don't ask :)
The sunset was amazing on Saturday night...what a treat to see all the amazing colors reflecting on the lake...

The Countdown Has Begun....

Remember when you were a little kid and you counted down to something big by the number of "sleeps"?  I was totally that kid... I remember being in my grandma's kitchen crossing off the days on the calendar and counting how many "sleeps" until whatever I was waiting for...

Well I'm 30 and I'll admit that I still countdown to major events by "sleeps" lol!  I doubt I'll ever change in this area... I hope I don't actually... I want to giggle with my kids some day over how many "sleeps" until their birthday or family holidays or their first hockey game :)

Our past two summers have been filled with lots of hiking all leading up to hiking the West Coast Trail.  Both have been amazing summers and one day we plan to go back and hike the Trail a third time... but this year's holiday will be a little different, still lots of walking, but without 35lbs on my back.  Justin is playing in the World Police & Fire games for the second time and this year the big event in New York City!  (These games are actually the second largest sporting event next to the Summer Olympics!  Police officers and fire fighters from 85 countries will proudly represent their homeland.)  He played two years ago when the Games were in Vancouver, BC and for the past two years we have been talking, dreaming and planning to be a part of the 2011 Games. This year's games will also have extra significance as it will be the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, where so many officers and firefighters gave their lives.

And now we are only 41 sleeps away from getting on a plane and writing another chapter of our adventures together!  We are so excited  to see NYC (and DC as we're taking a little jaunt down there by train, very excited for that too!) and take in the sights and sounds of the big city...

As far as we know, Justin is the only officer from Medicine Hat participating in NYC so he's been able to raise some awareness for the Games through the media.  This morning he was interviewed on my96, a local radio station's morning show as well as being featured in the newspaper last week.  I'm so proud of him and so excited to watch him play in just over a month!!!

(click on the photo below to see a larger view of Justin's article)

That Was a First...

This past weekend was two and a half days of "firsts" for me...

The first time Justin and I had been just camping
Every other time we've camped, it's always been a hiking trip first, where we happened to camp along the way.  It was so nice to just be able to kick back and relax and know that there was nothing for me to do except relax. I read a little, played around with my camera a bit, hung out with the dog & chatted with the locals (while Justin was fishing) and enjoyed some down time with my hubby around the fire.  Even today, I find myself so much more relaxed and laid back...I need to be this low key on a more consistent basis I think...

The first time I've planned a camping menu
While this may seem rather silly to some, I rather enjoyed this part of our trip.  I've been camping plenty of times before but someone else has always planned the menu and organized the food.  I've helped but never been solely responsible for it, and for a girl who likes to cook, plan & organize, I was in my element :)  And I think I did pretty well - forgot salt & pepper and a flipper for the pancakes (only took me two tries to realize I couldn't use the big bbq grill flipper and another try to figure out that if I made the pancakes small enough I could just use a fork as a flipper...I'm a nerd, it's ok to say it lol!)  The best part?  We didn't eat the same thing all weekend long and our meals weren't Sidekicks and peanut butter :)

The first time we've forgotten a couple of important items
We've hiked the West Coast Trail twice and always had everything we needed (well except for my rain jacket last year) but this weekend well....I'll just leave it at that :)


The first time I've seen a group get evicted from a campground
The bass started mid evening on Saturday.  We fell asleep, or shall I say attempted to fall asleep, to a loud steady thumping bass and constant yelling from a group two campsites over from us - this went on well into the night.  We woke earlier than we would have liked to the same thumping bass & music and more yelling.  I was doing my best to not be completely and totally irritated but I wasn't doing a very good job.  As we started making breakfast a Fish & Wildlife officer came and escorted them out of the campground...ahhh peace and the sounds of Mother Nature were restored...

We had such a great time that we're going back this weekend with my in-laws!

Chilling with our pooch enjoying the view of the lake while my hubby fished...
I'm glad my nose doesn't look as red as it really is in this picture lol!

An afternoon on the lake makes for a very happy husband :)

One of my fave parts of camping - roasting marshmallows...mmmm
And Kalli relaxing after our neighbors were evicted...

I'm Checking Out...

Well I'm checking out for the weekend....no I haven't gone completely crazy and being locked up for the next two days lol!

We are making our first camping trip of the season... come to think of it, in the three years Justin and I have been together, with all of the hiking etc we have done, we have never actually just gone camping - it's always been a hiking trip with a little camping thrown in.  This time I'm not carrying 30lbs of minimal weight in my back pack.  This time I get to plan a real menu that extends beyond itchyban & Sidekicks :)  So needless to say we are excited!  Justin will spend part of the weekend fishing and I will spend it either on the beach (if there is a beach where we are going?  I've never been there lol!) or at our campsite in the sun with a book.  No cell service apparently where we will be so it will definitely feel like I've checked out of life for a few days!  But I think we both need it.  We aren't taking holidays until the end of August this year, so a relaxing weekend getaway like this is just what we need to settle our itchy feet for at least a few more weeks :)  I plan to come home on Sunday with a sun glow (instead of the blinding whiteness my skin currently is) smelling of campfire, feeling relaxed and rejuvenated....see y'all on Monday!

For the first time, our boots didn't even make the list!
I'm opting for flip flops instead :)

The only thing the JetBoil will do this trip is boil our water, we get to cook for real this time!

"Do You Remember Dave?"

I often chuckle to myself when I hear a bell ring, you know the little bells that are sometimes found on a reception desk?  Someone recently added one to our front desk at work - although not particularly out of necessity but rather out of annoyance...
{side note: this bell at the shop is never rung just once... after the 4th "ding" I cease to chuckle...}
As I chuckle, my mind wanders back to my days working in the office at International Bible College...I made some amazing memories there... I was the Administrative Assistant to the President...a great job with amazing colleagues...and yes, we had a bell at the front desk.  On many occasions a student would walk by and ring the bell just to get a reaction out of us.

Our Office Manager, Michele, and I one year concocted a tale at registration for those who dared to ring the bell...

{student rings bell and awaits our reaction}
Michele {to student}: Have you ever met Dave?
Student: Dave?  No I don't think so... there's not a student here named Dave.
Amber {joining Michele from the back office}: Hmm... ya well Dave was once a student here.
Michele: Yup he was... but sadly he rang the bell one too many times and Amber and I had to take him out.
Amber: Ya, too bad for Dave... we had to have the carpets cleaned after Michele and I were finished with him...

Ok, so the tale sounds a little more twisted as I write it out here lol, but our story got a good reaction out of some of the students :)

And sometimes, if we got lucky, the bell got rung a few less times... at least for the next few days...

Michele and I... those were the days... giggle :)