We Are All Canucks

Anaheim Here We Come!
What a game, what a game. There wasn't one person still sitting at my parents place for the last five minutes of game 7, and the Canucks took it home.

GO CANUCKS GO!

Happy 25th Trevor!

This weekend we celebrated Trevor's 25th birthday. The 2oth was his actual birthday and Trevor and I enjoyed a very nice dinner at Steeples in Shawnigan lake on Friday night.

On Saturday we were lucky to have had this lovely face come and stay with us. We ended up at my parents house to watch our Canucks lose their third game in a row and force a 7th and deciding game (bygones, Christy bygones). We were so glad to have Joel come and stay with us and be here to commemorate Trevor's birthday.

On Sunday, we had family and friends over for a big BBQ lunch at my parents house. We were joined there by not just friends, but Trevor's parents, brother and sister and favourite nephew. We felt so blessed to have them here and the day wouldn't have been the same without them.

We had a plethora of food, as any good dutch family would! Burgers, salad, chicken wings, spinach dip, chips and Trevor's mom's delicious potato salad and traditional ice cream pie that had a few people coming back for more. Thanks Mom Mac!

The gang diggin' in...........

My little brother Kevin entertaining himself in front of the camera while he waits in line for grub.

Our "island" friends sitting around and enjoying some good food and great fellowship. We feel so blessed to have amazing friends and that Trevor has just blended in so well with all of the people I grew up with. I know that we are going to have many more birthday parties with these friends in the future!

This is our good friends Kurtis and Natalie's son Tyler who joined us at the party as well. He spent his time enamoured with my parent's puppy Skylar........what a blessing children are!

And speaking of children and dogs, our precious nephew Jacob was getting along very well with the baby puppy Chance. He got a couple pretty wet kisses!

Colin (on the left) good friend, general funny guy and our absolutely favourite person to watch hockey with. Kerry (in the middle) one of my best friends, maid of honor at our wedding and my surfing companion. And Amber, my former worship leader and current friend and partner in crime.

All of the moms cooing over the baby..........

The birthday boy blowing out the candles on his ice cream pie.

We were also joined by our very good friends Dustin and Chelsey and their delightful daughter Sydney (who's first birthday is this Friday). I think that the pictures speaks for itself!

Trevor and his favourite little man Jacob.............

After Sydney's sunglasses show I whipped out the camera and she (obviously) took right to it. After I took this picture I showed it to her on the camera screen and she was transfixed by her own image!Me and Syd cuddling while she has her bottle...............
And here's Adam, our pastors son, who has become a great fixture in our circle of friends.
And now here I sit, eating our Sunday night meal of Kraft Dinner and watching the season finale of The Apprentice feeling overwhelmed with blessings. It's so amazing to think back on what the last year of life has brought Trevor and I. Not only an engagement, and marriage but we've been in our home for year coming up next week. I can only look forward from here to what God has for Trevor and I in the future and continue to be grateful for everything and everyone he has enriched our lives with.

Two Words....BRAD PAISLEY

Pretty much enough said. After much waiting and not knowing for sure is he's even coming, the announcement was made last Tuesday that the tickets were going on sale on Friday. So since I work, it was left up to my bestest friend Kerry to get us sweet tickets. So I left my house key under the door and she came by and after, apparently, some struggling with the computer got us tickets on the floor in the eight row! Needless to say we are SO excited and are planning on making a big trip out of it. We'll go over in the early afternoon on the 22nd of May and probably stay until late the following day.

Here we come Brad............!

My Restored Faith In Human-Kind..........

So, I was at Canadian Tire last week picking up some random things for the house. It was right after a full day of work and I all I wanted to do is get home and get changed and flake out, so standing in the ONE line up that is ever open at that place for any long period of time didn't really appeal to me. But none-the-less, in line I waited. The gentleman in front of me was just finished paying and ready to leave when he very unexpectedly turned around and passed me all of the Canadian Tire money he had earned. I was definitely caught off guard and bumbled out a thank you but was so deeply convicted for my attitude. And at the very same time I felt that God used that man to bless me just because he wanted to make me smile.

What a great Father we have............

The Ground Is Broken

It's finally begun. On a sort of whim on Monday, Trev and I decided to go for it and take the first step towards the long waited for deck that we have been diligently saving up for. We went out and rented a jack-hammer to to bust up the concrete pad that needed to go. Neither Trevor or I had ever used one and we sure enjoyed it. The hammer was quite heavy but we traded off and on and managed to get the whole job done in under 2 hours.

Here is our official before shot.......

Making the first few breaks.........I think I may have found my life calling, I had SO much fun with this thing.

Our dear and beautiful boy just sat at the screen door all day watching and sleeping in the sun......he's gotten so big!

Trev's turn........once we got closer to the house the slab got weaker and just start cracking off all on it's own. Made things easier for us!
Much to Trevor's sheer dread, we found this very hairy little fellow under one of the hunks of concrete that came up. It was about three-quarters the size of my palm.
All done with the hammer......we had to wait for my dad to show up with the utility trailer before we could clean out the concrete. My dad brought my youngest brother Ryan with him and they managed to get the chunks and all of the surface level pea-gravel and dirt shoveled out in just a few hours. My other young brother Kevin came over a little later and I cooked everyone stir-fry.
This ones a little dark but we had my dad, brother Kevin and Trevor's co-workers Bodie and Kevin help Trev and I a few days later. After our work earlier in the week we still needed to dig down another 4-5 inches in order to make the deck good and sturdy. After almost a couple hours we got half done and called it a night. We have SUCH great friends and family. Many bodies make the load light and keep the budget down :)
My dear ol' dad taking a water break
No date set for the next digging party but it feels so great to have come this far in such a short amount of time. We've been making our way around to the different building centers in town buying them all out of their 4-way deck blocks and so far we've got 20 and are going to need 10 or so more.
I will keep updating as our adventures in our first big renovation continue!

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY KERRY!

On Saturday night we offered up our place to host a birthday party for my best girl Kerry!

We had an amazing night full of laughs and good memories............

Me and the birthday girl

The Gang (minus a few early leavers)

In keeping with tradition for special occasions, Kerry and myself and a couple other people enjoyed a shot of tequila..........

Kerry opening her gifts. I gave her a gift certificate for a pedicure

Happy Birthday Kerry.......May year #23 be the best ever. I love you with all my heart and I treasure your friendship dearly!

Uncle And Auntie.....Again!

We are so excited now that it's official (via Shawna's blog) that we are going to be an uncle and auntie again! Our dear brother and sister are expecting their second wee-one and we are so thrilled. Congrat's Paul and Shawna and Jacob, you and the new babe are in our prayers! We love you so much!

The Real Meaning Of Easter...........

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One, bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross my sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished

I will nost boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward ,I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom

Today, in memory of what Christ did for us, Trevor and his co-worker Bodie and I hiked up to the cross on the top of Mount Tzouhalem. The day was just perfect for a hike and it was Trev's first time seeing the Cowichan Valley in all it's glory.

Looking south towards Victoria.....
Trev and I at the cross
Bodie and I

On our way back down the mountain we came by this little area off to the side of the path with these neat rock formations that took someone a long time to put together. What's even cooler is that thousands of people make use of the mountain for hiking, running, mountain and dirt biking and quading, and these formations remained untouched, simply out of respect.

Another rock tower.........

We had an awesome day.........and look forward to Sunday, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!

Well, I've finally done it....I've given into the blog. My sister and brother-in-law make it look like too much fun so, here goes nothing............

Since this is my very first blog I think some basic introductions are necessary.

This, is my "family". On the left is my husband of 9 months, Trevor, and he is the love of my life. We met on the internet and within a year we were married and honeymooning in Hawaii! That's me on the right, no further explaination needed. And there on Trev's lap is our only son, Elmo. Elmo came into our lives on October 2nd, 2006 and although he is quite a lot bigger now than he is here, it still seems like the tiny kitten he was when we got him.
Currently I am working as a Medical Office Assistant at a very busy office in a small town 15 minutes from where we live. I've been there for almost three months and have never enjoyed a job more. Trevor works at the local Kal Tire store and has been with the company for almost four years and is still learning and training and increasing his knowledge of the tire world. He has become the go-to guy for everyone we know for anything to do with tires! And Elmo, he drinks out of the toilet, unravells entire rolls of toilet paper all over the house and likes to sleep in the sink. He seems to have a thing for bathrooms.....who knows.

Guess that's all for now..........until next time...