All You Need is Love...

If you knew Alysha and Brian it wouldn't surprise you that this phrase made an appearance in their beautiful wedding last weekend.

To call Brian a Beatles fan just doesn't cut it.

And Alysha, being about the sweetest girl you'll ever meet, would insist that anything important to Brian be a part of their day.

Don't get me wrong, Alysha's gorgeous style was woven all through this laid back affair.

The moment we walked into the downtown brewery it felt perfect.

Homemade Salsa and matchbooks {for the cigars} were the perfect favours.

The bride was perfectly stunning and the groom styled to perfection.

 The real perfection of the night though was how much fun we had.

Again, knowing these two, that would be their goal.

 And they succeeded, without a doubt.

We don't get out a lot so I may or may not have taken 516 pictures of us.

Give or take a few.

Thank you Alysha and Brian for including us in your celebration.

...love is all you need.

Kids and Crowds

Last night we finally made it to Taste of Edmonton.

It was packed as usual but with our 3:2 ratio of adults to children and lack of stroller it was a breeze.

Cedric showing off how much he enjoyed the food.

Am I the only one who finds having a stroller at festivals a huge stress?

When I do have one I feel apologetic to and begrudged by my fellow festival goers.

Also at Churchill Square you need to be able to navigate over curbs, lawn and the occasional stair.

Granted, I am very lucky to have a toddler who listens well and stays close.

{Talk to me again when I expect this of Cedric, I feel like it may be a smidge different.}

But I really feel like Fiona should be able to walk with us in a crowd at 3 years old.

I will admit that my expectations of her can be high for her age.

I've said before that I may have urged her to grow up before her time when Ced was born, this is just another example of that fact.

It wasn't intentional.

I researched and planned to purchase a double stroller when pregnant.

I was waiting for a deal or maybe even a used one to pop up when I was forced to make it work with the single one day.

I was nervous but was pleasantly surprised by my then 23 month old.

{She does this a lot you know, surprise me.}

After that I never looked back, Fiona graduated to a walking companion.

As I said, I'm not sure that Cedric will be ready quite so early.

He has all the tell-tale signs of a runner.

Luckily, at almost 17 months and only 21 lbs, I can still easily wear the little guy.

I'm certainly less eager for him to grow up.

Water Auto

For the first time in over 3 years I'm happy to report that we made it onto the lake.

This was Cedric's first real boat ride and he was immediately at ease.

Mama was most certainly at ease.

The dogs had a major hate on for us for forcing them into donned their lifejackets {I know, I know} and came along for the ride.

Fiona was nervous at first, we expected as much since this has been her reaction in the past.

By the time we were in the middle of the lake and putting around, though, she was in love.

She even took a turn at the wheel {with Daddy's help of course}.

Jeff was in his element.

Not only does he love anything with a motor, he loves the water.

Of the two of us, he was the only one brave enough to take a dunk in the cold water.

I made up a lame excuse about not having my suit on which won't hold up again I'm sure.

I'm just taking my time reintroducing myself to the lake, ok?

The truth is I can't wait to be comfortable out there once more.

It felt like Grandad was with me as I tied the boat up to the dock.

 The knots he taught came back so naturally.

Our dreams of raising water-skiing/wake-boarding/knot tying lake kids are alive once again.

Shrimp Skewers

This was a first for us.

To be honest, we really don't "skewer" enough.

I took some shrimp out of the freezer {yes, I buy the cheap frozen stuff} to make a shrimp risotto last week.

I was underwhelmed at the thought of further heating up the house by cooking inside.

 I also remembered the bamboo skewers I had purchased for my wine club dish.

A quick online search {and alteration of recipes to fit my pantry and level of laziness} produced this combination.

Garlic Shrimp Skewers

1lb of shrimp {deveined}

1 yellow bell pepper {chopped}

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup parsley 

{ideally fresh but I keep a bunch of chopped and frozen stuff because I can never use it all before it wilts}

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper {this is an estimate as I just used 4 turns of the grinder}

Mix it up in a tupperware, throw in shrimp and bell pepper, shake it up and let marinate for preferably an hour or more.

Soak your skewers for this hour as well.

Skewer it all up, alternating, and grill until pink.

{Overcooking makes them rubbery so really, as soon as they're pink, off they go.}

You could obviously add a lot more veggies but this was what I had and it complemented the shrimp well.

Don't be fooled by Fiona{the perpetual ham}'s face.

The kids loved these, definitely will be a regular this summer.

Unwanted Mouse Call

Fiona as an Alberta Ballet's Nutcracker rat.

This morning, as I opened the door to let the dogs out, I was jolted out of my groggy morning state by the scurrying of little feet.

I'm not talking the cute little feet that pitter patter.

I'm saying really little feet, mouse feet.

{Pause for effect.}

Now if you grew up on a farm or even in an older house I'm sure you just sighed and are now wondering why this is even worth talking about.

Well, I didn't, grow up in those places that is.

I grew up in a new suburb where the mice hadn't really established their colonies and the houses were new and pretty mouse-entranceless.

The first time I had an experience with a mouse in my own house was at 17 when our cat brought one in to taunt for a while before having him for dinner.

So yes, it's irrational, but I just can't help that natural urge to jump on a chair when in close proximity to one of these furry buggers.

We have had mice in the past.

When we first moved into this house we had a major mouse battle on our hands.

We started by setting some humane traps.

We were delusional in the assumption that we could catch them all and release them into a beautiful field where they can all live happily together as a family.

Delusional indeed.

Cut to a couple of months later when we broke down and brought in an exterminator.

"Poison, that's the only way" he said as he caught a very pregnant mouse by the tail and flushed her down the toilet.

Brutal I know, but wise, filthy with years of experience.

We're pretty sure Jeff was able to chase our buddy out the open door this morning but are still taking precautions.

So today I pulled out a couple of those trusty green blocks of warfarin disguised as a delicious snack and placed them strategically.

My apologies if you're now feeling somewhat disquieted.

I hope, however, that my story can save someone that time wasted trying to be a nice guy.

Go straight for the poison, keep it well out of reach of children and pets and try not to think about the dried up carcasses in your wall.

On that note, happy Friday folks!

33 Down...

Just wanted to make sure I didn't let this day pass without embarrassing a certain birthday boy.

That's right, it's Jeff's birthday today and he still doesn't want anyone to know about it.

{He also still eats his cake like this.  I know, weird right?}

Well, too bad for you.

We love you Daddy.

Not an Auto

I know I've mentioned that I started a new job.

Well, it's actually a new position at an old pharmacy.

I used to manage this store but left that life behind when I took on the Mom role.

I missed the store and staff a ton but didn't think I'd have the opportunity to return.

Surprise, I was wrong {the surprise because this rarely happens of course}.

I have now been in this position for almost a month.

 And let me tell you, the learning curve, she's steep.

I miss my most recent position but am happy to be so challenged.

The other big bonus is that I'm within biking distance to work.

For Mother's Day Jeff and the kids bought me this new cruiser from C-Tire.

It's the simplest bike {I mean, I have back brakes folks} but I love it.

I actually find myself longing for more simplicity lately.

Now my commute has gone from one of the most stressful to the most relaxing part of my day.

Don't get me wrong I love a good drive but not in the city and certainly not at rush hour.

In fact, it often takes less time to bike than drive in this particular part of town.

Now to see how long I can keep this up.

Ask me in November how much I love my bike.

Track and Shield in July

This one snuck up on me.

I didn't even get a chance to tell you about our July leisurely stroll race.

We also didn't get a chance to organize our team so it was just owners representing at this one.

No Jeff in the photo since he sat this one out.

Chloe suggested we participate in Pets in the Park in support of the Edmonton Humane Society. 

We were all on board but decided to stick to the 2.5K walk this time.

 On account of the length {or lack thereof} of our dogs' legs, you see.

You also won't spot Fiona, who was enjoying a sleepover at Gram and Grandpa's. 

Probably better that way since you really need to have a love on for all sizes of dogs to enjoy this event.

It may have been slightly overwhelming for our cautious toddler.

Cedric, however, loved all the dogs as well as the lone bird {pictured below}.

It was a hot day and it seemed like the dogs would have traded all 4 legs for some shade.

Luckily the walk route was lined with water stations complete with dog bowls full of the stuff.

Auntie Brie and Uncle Tim were also there with Cedric's best friend Halle {the boxer}.

This was a great event for a great cause and you can count on us being back.

Thank You

Thanks to everyone who read and responded to yesterday's post.

It was difficult to write only because I didn't want to sell Grandad's amazing life short.

In the end I focused on my memories of him and I can't wait to hear more from his other family members' point of view.

Again, this blog and everyone who reads it have given me such an amazing gift.

I would never have taken the time to reflect so thoroughly.

Or to browse through so many beautiful photos.

Or {let's face it} to have such a good hard cry.

So again, thank you.

I did want to share some photos of the weekend still since it really was great.

The kids spent most of it almost entirely nude but I tried to censor the pics a bit for you.

We finished off the weekend watching the fireworks from our house then promptly passing out.

{I mean, staying up until dark in Edmonton is hard.}

Charles Roy Horney

March 19,1923 - July 1st, 2013

Dear Grandad,

We had a really beautiful long weekend with the kids.

On Canada Day we received the news that you are at peace.

It wasn't a surprise.
You said you were ready and it was what you wanted so I feel glad for that.

I just want you to know that I felt your presence and influence profoundly on that weekend.

I always do though.
You have helped mold me into the person I am.

You gave me a desire to speak French and excel at math.

You are the reason I can't look at a group of numbers without making them into an equation.

You are the reason I love porridge and blueberry pancakes.

You play a large part in my love for cottage life which is one reason that I had you with me this weekend.

And do every time I'm at the lake.

You were the master of reuse, repair or recycle.

I can still see those old computer cards you saved and used for lists. 

I have a vivid picture in my mind of you hunched over a broken radio. 

You could fix anything.

You inspired me to be strong and healthy.

Physically of course, you were inspirational.

Always so able, getting right down and showing the grandkids up with your somersaults.

Even as you were battling a major physical disease you stood tall.

I'm certain that those who didn't know the details of your medical history wouldn't believe them.

Mentally though, you were downright impressive.

You had an amazing mind and a kind heart.

You never complained even when you had every right to.

I'm so thankful that you held my children, that they met you, and you them.

I know they may not remember but it meant so much to me to watch you sing to them.

As my Dad said, we will forever celebrate your life with fireworks.

Love always.