PNE and Mike's Parents Visit

I haven't done a post in quite a while because of how busy I've been with starting my MBA at SFU, a new job and preparing for our little guy.

But I see I have some pictures that I haven't blogged about yet, so here goes:
A while ago (around late September/early October) Mike and I visited the fair at the PNE (Vancouver's version of the FREX) and Mike's parents came to visit us. Here are some pictures of this:

I mainly wanted to go to the PNE to see the superdogs. This is a free sponsored show where very well trained dogs do some amazing tricks.

They race through obstacles, dance, tow carts and much more.

The great thing is that all these dogs have been trained by their owners and many of them are rescue dogs from the SPCA.

The show promotes adopting from the SPCA and supporting the local shelter.










After the show, we walked around a bit. I wanted to see the farm animals so we were looking for that area.

We just caught the tail end of the RCMP's horse show.

The RCMP breeds their own horses for their mounties on horseback.

Not a great picture but it was quite a site at the time.






























We saw tons of other animals. For me the most amazing was the Oxen. I don't think I've ever seen oxen up close. They are HUGE! They are like three times the size of a cow. I couldn't believe it.



After that we walked around the midway looking at the games and rides and looking for some tasty treats.

I couldn't get over the rides. They are way scarier than when I was a kid. There were maybe one or two really scary ones when I used to visit the FREX, but we must have seen maybe 10 that looked like we would be screaming our faces off.
We didn't go on any though because the lines were crazy given it was a Saturday night and I'm not even allowed on many of the scary ones.


Around the time I started school (the second week I believe). Mike's parents arrived for a visit.

Barb had a conference in Penticton so they came a little early to spend some time with us and then Raymond drove Barb to the conference and spent some time in Calgary with Kim, Tina and Dax.

It was Mike's birthday while they were here.
Raymond made a very nice dinner and we had icecream cake which is Mike's favourite.



Here is Mike blowing out the candles ;)

Other than that things have been going well. School is going well so far and I seem to be doing good. The new job is good too and flexible enough that I am able to handle everything and keep my sanity ;)

We've also been preparing for the little guy as well. Shopping for everything we need and attending a prenatal class.
I've been keeping healthy eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising and doing my prenatal yoga. Mike joined a men's hockey league and is having a great time playing. It's fantastic exercise and he really loves it. That's about it for now! Take care everyone.

Beaver Lake

This summer we hadn't booked a cabin stay or two like we normally do. I guess with our trips back East and my studying for the GMAT and getting into school, it just slipped our minds.

So before the summer was over, I wanted to rent a place so we could have some BBQ, maybe do some hiking, have a fire, etc.

I found this retreat on Beaver Lake which is near Kelowna. There wasn't anything available in Penticton, Kelowna, etc. where we normally go so I decided to try this out. Maybe it would be a winner and we could come back.
It gave us a chance to take the new car for a long trip on the highway and I must say it was more comfortable. Tala and Unos had a lot more room as well in the back.

When we were getting close we turned off a road in Winfield (where we had previously stayed in a cabin a few times) and headed up a mountain dirt road for about 20 minutes.

The funny thing was there were cows everywhere. It seems that most of the mountain is part of some farmland where the cows are left free to graze.
I had thought that by going to the Okanagan, we'd get some hot weather as it was starting to cool down in Vancouver, but I was wrong. It was hot in the city, but very cool up on this mountain. I think the lake must actually be a bit of a micro-climate due to the fact that it is on the mountain.

The main attraction for us was to rent one of the motor boats they have and go for a little ride. We'd contemplated fishing as they also rented all the gear, but neither one of us wanted to clean a fish and we weren't too keen on eating them either so we figured we should let them live :)

Here is Mike driving the boat. Unos and Tala just loved it. Just like sticking their head out the car window, but 10 times better :)

They really wanted to get out and swim,



but it took them a while to figure out how to jump out of the boat.

As usual, Unos took the plunge first. Tala is always so hesitant to do anything new and he's sort of like "Out of my way if you're not going to do it." Then of course after having an example she follows.

Unos didn't last too long in the water. He never does as he doesn't have the lab coat like Tala does. She could swim all day and the cold wouldn't bother her because the water never really touches her skin. Here is Unos watching after being pulled back in. That is a bit of an art too, pulling them back in.
It was easy to pull Unos in, but Tala was a different story. First, she swam around for ever not seeming to want to come in because she loves the water.

Finally she started to look like she was trying to get in, so Mike pulled her in. We got pretty wet with cold water from our shaking mutts.

There was a little island in the lake, so we pulled up there and walked around for a bit. We threw some sticks for the dogs to retrieve.


Here is Unos literally biting off more than he can chew.

They compete pretty fiercely to bring in sticks.

It's really Tala's thing, but Unos will not be left out.

After they had got their fill, we started to head back.




Unos was ready to go first. Of course now he was cold and shaking and I bundled him up in towels for the short trip home.

When we got back we started a fire in the fireplace. We weren't allowed to have a campfire because of the fire ban :( but it was nice to have the fireplace given how chilly it was.

We had an unlimited supply of wood with an ax and a wood pile beside the cabin. Mike took advantage, he is good at making a nice fire.


We also brought lots of things for the BBQ, so we had some dinner after our adventure.

When we go "camping" no one is on a diet, so Unos and Tala helped us with the massive hamburgers we couldn't finish.

This had all the components of a great vacation for them.

We (mostly me) also did a fair amount of walking and hiking around with the dogs. There were quite a few trails to walk on. There were also as I mentioned earlier cows everywhere. Tala couldn't care less about them and totally ignored them, but not our little dummy. He was a mixture of scared to heck yet very curious about them. He would run up to them and just bark his crazy head off not knowing what they were. A couple times he got waaay too close and we had to call him back. He's so stupid, I'm sure that he might get kicked. The stupid dog still chases skunks for crying out loud. So that was that. I was nice to try it out but we won't be back. It gets a thumbs up for the boats and the fireplace, but the dogs have to be on leash around the main cabin area all the time, there are no outdoor fireplaces for the cabins and the cool air and the cows were not our scene.

Other than that we're doing well. Mike is actually in Fredericton attending a friend's wedding as I write this. I am getting ready to start school next week and am very excited. We're just enjoying the tail end of the summer and getting ready for a very busy year :)

Fredericton Visit

A week ago, I got back from a trip to Fredericton to see family and friends.

I went by myself as Mike had recently taken a trip to Quebec by himself so now it was his turn to hold the fort and look after the puppies.

I had a great time while I was back. I got to see all my family including some my Grammie in Woodstock, aunts and uncles and a couple of cousins I haven't seen since they were very small who are now taller than me!

On the Friday I got to go out to my aunt Julie's for my Nanny and Grampie's anniversary celebration which was a lot of fun.

My cousin brought over his party boat from his house on Yoho lake to my Aunt and Uncle's and took everyone on a tour around the lake.

Here are Heather and Mom on their boat ride. Heather I think is auditioning to be one of those car show models.

Julie as usual had such a fabulous spread and I stuffed myself silly on BBQ, corn on the cob and cake. Mmmm.


Here I am taking a dip. It was a gorgeous hot day and the water was beautiful.

Really makes me want to make sure Mike and I invest in cottage real-estate when we can.

After going to Julie's I had a party to go to that night. There just happened to be an old friend's 30th birthday that weekend that was being celebrated and there were also a lot of us who had moved away over the years back in town.

Some happy coincidences allowed for me to see many old and dear friends who I generally only get to see on facebook.
Here is a reunion pic of the three amigos.

I get to see Kim fairly often given she is now my sister-in-law, but it's a rare treat to see Amanda. We all agreed that we actually are better lookin now than we were about six or seven years ago for the last reunion pic.

Funny how some things get better with age ;) A special birthday shout out to Kim who will be turning a landmark bday on Tuesday. You're looking awesome girl!


My trip was jam packed with family visits, but I also got to fit in some Diplomat Chinese food with the whole family and up to Barb and Raymond's for some home cooked roast beef and meat pie. Raymond gave me tons of leftovers to take home and I'd been eating them the whole week. Then on the weekend we were off to Shediac for a few days staying at a cottage Mom and Dad had rented.

Emily were in charge of packing the car. Some people are not light packers so here is a shot of the car after packing for five. Reminds me of vacations when we were kids.
I thought the packing job was so well done, it deserved a pic.
Here is a picture of the cottage. It was very nice inside with a very modern kitchen.

When we arrived, we unpacked and went to the beach. I didn't last too long at the beach as it was kind of windy and cool, so I went for a jog.

When everyone got back we all played a game a scrabble waiting for Dad to get to Shediac and join us for dinner.




I don't want to brag or anything, but I'm sure you can guess who won.












When Dad got there, we went over to Captain Dan's so we could get our seafood fix.

Emily and I can't take advantage since we now live so far from the Maritimes. Sure, there is seafood in the West, but it's not the same. Most of it comes from the East coast (PEI mussels, Digby scallops, Maine/NB lobster) and it's just not as fresh when it gets here. However BC does kick but for fresh salmon.
Here we are at captain Dan's on the dock. Emily and I both ordered lobster dinners and the lobster was fantastic!

The next night we went to a very nice restaurant and Emily and I had...you guessed it.. lobster for dinner. I could not get enough!

We are brats and putting Mom and Dad in the poorhouse with our champagne tastes ;)

The pic at the beginning of the blog of me is from this dinner. I love the lobster bibs, gotta have the bib!




On our last day, Kim and the family came up to Shediac. Again, not a fantastic day for the beach, but there were some moments of sun.

My nephew and Kim were playing in the sand and then everyone went back to the cottage for a few drinks.

So that was pretty much it. Short but sweet :)

I was glad to get back home too and see Mike and the puppies.

Tom Petty

Not that long ago (early June), Mike and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They are one of my all-time favourite bands and on my must-see list.

The concert was great. They played a lot of the old hits that I love and some great new tunes from their Mojo album.

In other news we've been enjoying the summer. It's finally warmed up in Vancouver and we're getting some heat.


Mike was in Quebec at the family's cottage recenty and the whole Blanchard family was there. Three generations now.

When he returned we went to a great BBQ and a UFC event with our friends.

We also caught some of the Jazz festival, but not as much as we normally would because the weather until recently had been rainy and cold!




I'm really looking forward to coming home to Fredericton. I can't wait to see everyone and it will be great to have all of us sisters home at the same time.

Maui 2010

Mike and I just got back from a trip to Maui. We'd visited the city of Honolulu in Oahu last year, but after visiting Maui, I think this is our island of choice. It isn't as commercial and as big of city as Honolulu and there is much more beauty and many more undeveloped places remaining.

I actually think it might be the best vacation we've ever had. Perfect length, great weather and good location. Here we are at a luau. I picked this one. "Feast at Lele" in Lahaina because it was known for it's gourmet food and romantic setting.

This is a pic of the beach we stayed on. The condo was great. Nothing spectacular but clean, fantastic location on the beach and it had nice ammenities like a pool, towel service, snorkel gear and boogie board in the room, coolers, beach chairs, balcony, BBQ, etc.








This was the view from our balcony. We tried some water sports like snorkeling and boogie boarding.

The snorkeling was right beside our hotel on the beach and we saw all kinds of beautiful fish and coral.

The waves on some parts of the beach were great and people were surfing and boogie boarding. I managed to take a wicked tumble and had sand EVERYWHERE :) but it was fun.















The photos below are from the drive we took to the Hana Coast. We'd just done the volcano trip so after a half hour or so of the turns in the road, we'd decided that if you'd seen one waterfall, you'd seen them all and turned back, but we had managed to see a few of the sites.






























































A few people told us that we had to visit the volcano Haleakalā. So we jumped into the rental and started on the trip. The photos above are of this drive. Once we got to the road that goes up to the volcano, we definitely knew we were on the right path. It was a road with so many turns it was unreal. We were following other cars who were taking the same tour and Mike had to make sure he didn't run into the cars in front of us. Every turn took us further into the clouds. On one part of the trip there were tons of lavender trees. We opened the windows to let in the sweet smell. The vulcano was beautiful and there was a weather centre at the top as well.


































As I mentioned above, we also attended a Luau. I picked one that was supposed to have really great food. I especially love the pulled pork they have as a tradition at the luaus. It was great. The entertainment was fantastic and the food and drinks were perfect. One of the pictures above has a Hawaiian brand of beer. I thought Dad would like that one.















































Also while we were there, we took advantage of the bbq'ing ammenities, we took car rides to the different cities along the coast. In the little town of Paia, we visited the flatbread pizza company for some delicious pizza with fresh organic ingrediants, we explored the beach, running and walking on it every day and had plenty of great food and just relaxed. It was fantastic and I highly recommend that if you haven't visited Hawaii, try the island of Maui first.

Well I must get outside. We finally have a gorgeous day after nearly non stop rain in Vancouver.