Weekends at the farm

Well after 2 months of being a bored blogger I decided to

give this a go again. June and the first half of July have flown by.

I've spent almost 4 weeks trying to get over some

sort of virus. Thankfully I'm feeling like I'm on the mend.

{except for today- my throat and chest are killing me}

But hopefully this is the last of it. After almost $150 in

cold medication, an entire puffers worth of Ventolin, 21 

doses of antibiotics, and countless ice packs, July is looking up!

We finally ventured out to my parents place this last weekend

and had such a great time. We were even able to get

2 rounds of golf in! The dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE being

at the farm and hanging out with Ruby {my parents dog}.

It was such a treat to get a good visit in with my 

3 favourite little people. My nieces are seriously the cutest 

kids around. Ellie is such a little helper. She is 

almost 8 and such a dolly. Lucy is almost 6 and 

stuck on the couch for the next few weeks with a broken leg.

And last is PENNY. She is the cutest little monster around. 

At 3 years old she is such a little personality. When

Penny is in the room you know it!

The weekend playing golf got me hooked again. 

Every time we play I always have so much fun but it 

doesn't take long to forget that! Rhys bought me

some new shiny clubs so now I have to get out and 

use them! We are excited to play our little hearts out for

the next few months and then hopefully get some time

in Phoenix this winter to keep up the skills!

How's your summer going?!?!?!

Eddie loves being in the sun all day

This is us after a weekend at the farm

Going green

I decided this week that it was finally time to get my butt

in gear... Mostly ALL had something to do with the fact that 

the bridesmaid dress is tight- ugh. I guess

that is what I get from not trying it on before buying it.

Well I hit up Costco, loaded up on lots of fruits and veggies

and the rest is history. The eating has been going well and 

I've been out walking every evening. Nothing too 

strenuous but everything counts. I start my rotation tomorrow 

eve and hopefully I can kick it into gear while I have 

nothing planned for the next few days.

Green Goodness

Pineapple

Spinach

Coconut Greek yogurt

Coconut water

 

 

 I'm trying to go dairy light and gluten free for the next 2 weeks

to see how I feel. So, while that coconut Greek yogurt is a dream

in this smoothie- I'm cutting it this week!

Long Weekends

For the most part Rhys and I have decided that long 

weekends are the way to go. My rotation is always 

Wednesday to Tuesday which makes long weekend plans

perfect for my schedule. 2 days to chill at home and catch

up on laundry/housework. Usually a grocery shop at some

point. Then it's Friday! Time to pack up the car, grab the

essentials and hit the road! By the time we return on Monday 

{if Rhys takes Monday off} we unpack, do some laundy,

 and I can get organized for my next stretch on. 

We sold our Boler last spring

and while we still know it was the right choice... 

I loved that little egg! 

 My parents were nice enough

to loan us their little tent trailer for the summer and boy are

we happy about it. It is NOTHING fancy but it has

2 beds and counter space which suits our 

needs perfectly for now. 

We have taken it on the road twice already. I've set this 

thing up tons of times over the years and I think Rhys

is finally getting in the groove. The first weekend away 

had a bit of a dicey start with us both being annoyed.

Mostly all my fault because I just assume he should

know what I want him to do next...

Am I alone here ladies!

Last time, set up went a lot more smoothly and I think

we have our duties down!

The weekend was rainy but it was perfect. 

Long weekends in Fernie tend to be BUSY but the rain

kept everyone inside which was perfect because we 

took the dogs for big plays and mostly had the parks

to ourselves. Eddie is surprising us lately and behaving

his naughty little self. I think he may actually make 

some friends! 

Eddie playing in the rain

The curry bowl was a disappointment. We knew

that it had changed owners and unfortunately 

it's just not the same. The food was okay. Serve

was on the verge of bad. Both points used to get shining

stars from us. But that's okay because Blue Toque 

did not disappoint and as always Yamagoya was

delish! 

Soul food of the Andes {Blue Toque Diner}- YUM

The benefit of cheap camping weekends is that:

 1. You get out of the city/house

 2. You feel like you got a little getaway

 3. No TV and limited electronics so you reconnect

 4. You aren't paying hotel bills so you can

still eat out and enjoy without it feeling like you've 

broke the bank upon return.

Morning view from our cosy bed

Anywho... Hopefully I will be around more

in these parts. I haven't felt much like writing but it feels good

to get something down!

XOXO B

Planning Our Escape

After escaping to Fernie for the weekend we arrived home last 

night and both of us felt deflated. After some much needed

time in the mountains, returning to the City was a bit 

disappointing. The one good thing that comes of all of this, is 

the realisation that if we really want to make Elk Valley home, 

then we need to make a move. I've been trying to decide what

the best way to move forward is in terms of the job market for

myself. Rhys has it figured out- he started his pipe fitter 

apprenticeship this week and gets credited 1 year worth of hours

plus he can challenge 2 of his 3 exams which means he only needs

to do one year {2 months} of school in order to get his ticket.

On top of that his current company will keep him at his regular

Journeyman rate and sign off on his book. It looks like it was

meant to be and everything slid into place. My job on the 

other hand needs a bit of attention. I've been humming and hawing

what the best course of action is for me. The one thing that keeps

popping into my head is getting back into esthetics. I have most 

of my certification anyways, I would want to take some refreshers

but I think it would be like riding a bike. On top of that I might 

take an eyelash extensions class as well as perhaps a medical

esthetics course which would allow me to do some laser hair 

removal, chemical peels, and micro-dermabrasion... 

the combination of those plus the ability to make my own hours,

keep my mind occupied with the business side of it might be the

ticket. Plus I would obviously start SMALL {perhaps out of the

house} and then expand if I could/needed to. Ultimately,

we want a change in lifestyle. Rhys would be 4 on 4 off at the mine

and if I did bookings properly, we could be spending more time 

together in the spot we adore. PLUS- I love daydreaming so all 

this is very exciting. Here's what we got up to on the weekend...

 {walking in Annex park along the river}

   

{wandering main street- and finding my NEW FAV shop Clawhammer}

  

{Eating scotch eggs benny @ Cincott farm organic market}

{Calling our cosy tent trailer home for the weekend}

{having a handsome chauffeur for the weekend}

{having big bang bagels x 2}

{Rhys curled up with a curtain for a blankie}

{eating at Yamagoya 3 nights in a row}

The best part of the weekend was definitely spending lots 

of time outside wandering around. Even though the bottoms

of my feet were rubbed raw from my sandals- it was sooooo

worth it. I also found my new fav store in Fernie called 

Clawhammer. It is a printing shop that has all these old school

presses. The owner started in his garage after getting a new media

degree and his business took off. It's no wonder why because this

place is seriously SOOO neat. I also found my new fav on the menu

at Yamagoya! My go to was always the tuna bomb but after trying

this little dream, it has stolen my heart. If tuna is your fav you NEED 

to try the Ahi Poke Chop Chop. The plum wine also wasn't too bad ;)

The most disappointing part of the trip is definitely that Curry Bowl 

was closed! Such a bummer- it did let me have sushi 3 nights in a row 

though. It was such a treat to be able to have a few drinks together

and not have to worry about driving home. We walked everywhere

all weekend and it could not have been more perfect! 

Which is why we will be found there next weekend!

May long can not come fast enough!!!!

Home Sweet Home

I always thought that home would be wherever I made it.

Turns out, home is wherever your parents are!

I decided about day 5 of my rotation that I should

venture down to the farm to spend a couple 

days instead of hanging around Calgary with

nothing to do. 

We are saving for our holidays this year and

a few other things so staying in town means

temptation to wander into home decor stores.

Hence why I made the decision to head south!

It's nice being home, spending time alone with 

my parents which I haven't done in years. 

It was not the best sleep but perhaps a pillow change

will help tonight! In the meantime Kristin {oldest Vint} 

is bringing the kidlets by for supper tonight and

then off for Lunch with Amie {not the littlest Vint}.

I'm not sure if I will head back to Calgary tomorrow 

afternoon or Friday morning yet... I'm

playing that by ear-

{very unlike me}

and then Friday after Rhys gets home from work

we will head to Fernie for the weekend.

We hummed and hawed whether to 

spend money on a mini-cation or just

keep saving for the coast but after the long couple

weeks working and not seeing each other

{we're talking 1 day in 3 weeks}

I made an executive decision to call Fernie home

for 2 nights. 

And we can't wait!

Curry Bowl here we come!