Calebs got a new job.....

So Caleb is our aussie shepherd.......and i have given him a job. He is now the official carrier of all our 'gear' when we go out hiking, walking, etc.

Today was his first day on the job and i haven't seen him this happy in ages. Seriously, it is now 6 hours after our walk, and he is still sitting at the front door with that 'smily' face on. I bought him a saddle bag that he wears on his back that has a big zippered pouch on either side of his body. He LOVED it.....today the boys and i went to the floating walkway together -- caleb carried some toy binoculars and a bob the builder phone on one side and pistacios, craisons, and a water bottle on the other side!

The boys would run up, unzip, and take out toys, or snacks, or put their shoes in for him to carry.....so fun! Every dog should have a backpack!

This is what happens......

Here is Isaac with one of his oldest and best friends; Olivia - they have known eachother since birth...... And this is what happens when your oldest friend has grandparents who own a McDonalds and can give you the whole wall of Star Wars bobble heads that were part of the last Happy Meal promotion.....
And this is what happens when mom thinks her kids are pretty adorable doing regular daily stuff......

Funny Saturday morning blips.....

Don't tell chris this story....but this morning i decided to clean out underneath sink in the spare bathroom - and there was a big glass jar of those thick epson salts that was never ever used, but i would say there was a good 15 cups minimum of the stuff......and enstead of dumping the whole thing in the garbage (my thought process being 'i don't want to carry this heavy thing to the garbage, it may break the bag!)--i dumped the whole thing in the sink assuming it would melt like its supposed to in the bath!!

NOPE.......apparently they don't melt quickly in huge doses down a skinny drain.

After the initial panic was over that i would look like a total idiot, i boiled a bunch of water and slowly poured it in.....it eventually melted.

But the 2nd funny thing actually tied into the first event...as i raced around looking for a coat hanger to unbend and shove into the pipe (i know! i know! real plumber thinking...), i looked in isaacs closet and this is what he said to me:

"What are you doing mama? Looking for toys to sell?"

haahaha....oh, hmmm....maybe later!

Sun...Sun...Don't go away!!

We had surprise visits from friends and family today - Christie and her kids came this morning and we had my buttermilk blueberry pancakes and played out the sun until lunch. They left and tag teamed Marg and Tysh who came for a visit this afternoon. Here are some shots from the day:

This is grandma carefully placing the pretty caterpillar on Elliot.....
This is Elliot dumping the caterpillar on the ground.....

This is Isaac interupting the fun Grandma and Elliot were quietly having by the fountain......seriously...such a firecracker!!

10 Year Anniversary

It was a blissfully relaxing, quiet weekend filled with lots of adventure!! The boys stayed with grandma and uppa for 3 days and 2 nights - and i am not sure who had more fun; them or us! But i am exhausted from a long first day home!

So, here are a few shots, in the order of the weekend. This won't be a long winded post, my couch is calling (actually, its been yelling my name for the last few hours, but i needed to get some things done for work--so here you go--narrowed down from 300!!)

It started with a high ropes tree adventure at Wild Play in Nanaimo (thanks mom!) - Chris was a natural - and i was a natural baby on some of the high elements...but its my post, so i don't need to elaborate on that....

My tarzan!
We continued to Mount Washington where friends of our generously let us use their "cabin" as they call it....we called it "amazing". We seriously walked around the whole time we were there saying 'can you BELIEVE we get to stay here???'

It had breathtaking views........and just outside was the entrance to Strathcona Park where chris and i hiked Paradise Meadows on the Forbidden Plateau. I won't post any pics of all the scenery shots we took, but it was like a Nymph Fairy Land...stunning stuff--like in dreams!

We hiked and brought our picnic which we had by the lake and were joined by some little friends:

After our hike, we went home for a nap (i know! we're getting older...we were tired!) but we then took the chair lift up to the top of the mountain. There was a wedding going on! Cool hey? they day we got married 10 years ago, and we got to see a wedding on the top of the mountain!

And to top it all off - we gave eachother some pretty special gifts: For Chris, i gave him my name....after 10 years, i will be a Burdge. Chris, in stealth mode, gave me the best gift - he printed and bound my blog from day 1. I couldn't put it down! it was a real page turner!! ;-)

Happy Anniversary my love........best 10 years of my life

My PreSchooler

Here is he folks--a young, confident Isaac Burdge on his first day of Preschool! Check out the swanky new snack bag - given to him by the preschool with his name on it and everything! He is in the "frog" group which is where he puts his lunch bag (as opposed to the 'butterfly' group).
He is only allowed to bring good food - fruit, cheese, crackers -- no cookies, juice, junk.....that made me happy - so happy in fact, that for a treat after his first day, i agreed to let him make smartie cookies with me - see pics below - he thought that was just awesome. ( i know! i know! a little backwards of me....but he LIKES smartie cookies!!) First day of school went smoothly......i suppose he paid closer attention at the orientation day than i did (for some reason, my eyes were a little watery that day and i couldn't listen as well as i normally do!) - but we got there on the official first day, he marched up, saw the box with the frog on it, placed his snack bag in it and off he went. Found a couple little blond girls and he was like 'see you mom'!!

i even pathetically stood under the shady tree in the parking lot hoping he would look for me, but no luck......i suppose this is the goal isn't it? Sure doesn't make it any easier though....but i am terribly proud of this little guy!

(as a side note too: they weren't the healthiest cookies, so after 2 cookies, the rest went into the garbage - but don't tell him that!)
Here i found him cleaning up after we finished the cookies--with no prompting...i figure i better document it!!

The summer weekend weather i've been waiting all summer for!!!

FINALLY!! Some gorgeous weather!! This is seriously some good stuff! So, we filled the weekend with lots of play time with friends and family and being outside and getting dirty (see below pic) - but its exactly what makes me have many 'happy moments'.

Today started with a blueberry pancake breakfast out in the sunshine in our pajamas...absolute best way to start the day, don't you think??!!

We took in the fair yesturday and met up with Marg and Gordon, who make all our family outings much easier with their ability to chase and entertain the 2 and 4 year old!! (i am not sure what they were looking at to both look so terrified....)

Checking out bunnies......Elliots favorite part i think! (please note, that at this time of his life, his little bum fits right into the palm of Chris's hand!! imagine!)
Took in some VERY expensive rides......

Here is Elliot getting really frustrated not being able to find his way out of the labrinth of mirrors - it was sad for him but funny for us that he walked right into one of the mirrors--like full tilt!! he was mad at that one!

The boys and i canoed out on the lake this morning and explored the whole perimetor of the lake in the canoe - the weather was hot and wonderful, the boys were well behaved and loved it - it was a great moment considering i haven't been canoeing since the boys were born and i LOVE canoeing, being outside, working your body, with the sun shining on your face....it was all so good.

Outside is where i feel closest to God, so it was so good to be outside playing on a sunday - its exactly where i would love to spend every sunday (this is also a current battle in my head between where i feel closest to God and where i feel i SHOULD be (aka church). But here is a picture of the lake....how can one not see the majesty in that!? And how lucky and blessed are we that this is our backyard?

Stinky Socks and Muddy Sneakers....

This is my friend Megs...... She made me laugh all night, almost cry at some points, and made me eat hot liquid that tasted like stinky socks (green tea) and muddy sneakers (name of the sundae)! She was lucky i didn't have much fight in me!!

i think you are such a gift megs......even if you steal your sisters lip gloss (but please note her incredibly shiny lips in most of these pics!!)....and even though you have shorter legs than me that make us bop as we walk arm in arm!

yup--here she is again, being in her (and my) 'happy place' about to embark on the best sundae ever (though i wouldn't let her near my man hole, she still gave me the last bite of caramel from her man hole awwww)

i wish we lived closer....this night was pretty special.....so Megs, this shot is for you!

Right in our own Backyard....

It felt like we were in hawaii today...and we only had to drive a few hours!We were heading to the Sooke Potholes because we had never been and heard it was a beautiful spot.....but we stopped at China Beach and stayed. I have learned something about myself here at this beach today.....outside, watching my boys and my favorite man play, is where i am happiest...with my toes in warm sand..there is no better place on all the earth.
I have also learned that life is full of moments...amazing moments, hard moments, trying moments (the last 2 often seem to be fighting the amazing moments for the lead role in my life!) But for me its all about the ups and downs....i have never been consistently happy or consistently sad....its all about balancing the 2. I wish i was a more patient, happy, carefree woman....but in all honesty-i am on a road that goes up and down, and i am the woman on the wobbly bike, trying to balance my way through without damaging the scenery around me too much!

but i watch them....and am always amazed and humbled that this is my road.