Christmas & Holidays in Guelph

Christmas this year was great! Now that I live away from home, I can savour and cherish my family time even more than I did before. I had lots of great food and meals shared with my family and nights together over movies or board games.

Someone got a Barbie Camper-Van!

On Christmas day we went over to my aunt's house for an all round multi-family celebration. Around 10 pm I took scamp out for a walk and we discovered an injured mourning dove! These birds have a knack of falling into my care. I took her home in a shoe box and let her dry-out from the melted snow in Icicles old cage, ironically replacing hers on Christmas. The little bird's tail feathers where missing and she is now spending the rest of winter and spring at a bird sanctuary in Rockwood, Ont.

I never ended up naming her, but if I could now, her name would be "Snow-Drop"

For Christmas my aunt and cousins got my a round knitting loom set. Its been great, I've made four circle scarves/cowls and a few other things since I started looming. Its so easy to pick up and do while I'm watching TV or reading. Lastly I've been so lucky to catch some of Bronwyn'sfigure skating while I'm home. Each time I watch her she is getting better and better, she truly loves this sport, I'm hoping to start sewing her some dresses, and expanding it into a hobby-job.

Look at that stride!

Bronwyn's 7th Birthday

I can't believe she is already 7 years old! Where did all that time go! At least I can look back on all that time in photographs and movies that I took. Let's just say she is a very well-documented child. Like all of Bronwyn's birthdays, we have the full advantage of the summer, using the pool, the grass and the sun to our advantage. Not to mention the kids are all out of school and most summer-attractions are open for birthday groups. I set up a dress-up photo shoot for her and her friends, they swam in the pool and played games on the grass. We served ice cream cake of course because Bronwyn hates cake. We actually stuck candles in a pie on her actual birthday... yup that's my weirdo kid sister.

A bunch of Goofy-Groovy Girls!

She loves to pose right now...

The Big Birthday Pie!

Hillside 2011

Mainstage on Saturday Morning

Little Guelph Lake

Its was that time of year again! Definitely a favourite on my summer activities list, is going to a summer music festival! The Hillside line-up this year was great, and there was only a short wisp of rain, unlike the monsoons of yester-years. Although the heat was ridiculous, and the lake had a bacteria warning, so we couldn't even cool off in the water. I had a great volunteer position in the office, so I didn't have to work during the festival. It was so hot, everyone was up by 6 am and all the soap and plastic in the tents melted. Here are some pictures!

Foot-view...

Notorious Smiley Mugs!

Hillside 2011 Program

Bright and Hot Morning in the tent.

My Brief Encounter with Ottawa

On my way to Peterborough for Nationals, I had a quick lay over in Ottawa! There I got to see some very good friends; Lyon and Erin. Erin is at the University of Ottawa and Lyon is finishing high school there. I was so happy to see them! I can't wait for them to visit me, here in Montreal! They best part about visiting Ottawa when I did, was that no one was there! I had the whole "classic" tour with only a few tourists and my friends. (It was at 8:30am) Here are some pictures, enjoy!

Lyon and his handmade long-board, (beautiful!)

standing by the Women's Rights Statues.

Erin and I enjoying hot chocolate in a cafe, in the market, where Obama visited.

It had lots of baked-goods! Canada-cookies!

Canadian Parliament building,

so much pride, so much disappointment (Haha)

Apple Picking in Oka, Quebec!

Today was so much fun! I got up early (for the weekend) and headed down to the sports complex to go apple picking with the girls in Oka. Turns out it was just me, Estair, Sarah, Jackie and Graeme and his kids; Gavin and Morgan. Jackie also brought her chocolate lab, Buffy. It was a beautiful ride and there were grey clouds all day. It didn't rain until we finished up at the orchard. The orchard is called "Jude-Pomme" they have 8 varieties of apples and 3 varieties of pears. The only apples available to pick were; Macintosh, Spartan, Lobo, and Crispin. I filled my 25lb bag with a mix of all of them. We weren't allowed to pick pears, but I snuck some grounders into my back-pack. There was also an Oka Cheese stand, where I bought some very reasonable "Fou du Roi" organic Oka 9 month cheese. Graeme's son, Gavin loved the strongest blue cheese and they bought a chunk of that. Later we drove to the ferry docks, past the Oka cheese factory and stopped at a Frits & Croutes resto for a quick lunch. I had the home-cut fries, the Quebecois love thier fries. We then boarded the ferry and drove home. It was a great relaxing day.

Moving off to University!

It's hard to believe it's been just about a week since I've moved to University. Most of my friends move in this weekend and Monday. I have a really big room and I lucked out, some other people share a room just as big with two single beds and a communal bathroom. In Montreal the vacancy rate is so high there isn't a huge demand for residence, thus allowing them to make larger single rooms for most students that apply. The residence is really comfortable, nice people, two TV rooms, a small kitchenette with a microwave and kettle, a nice laundry facility (Yikes! I have to do that today!) and finally I am a 4-5 minute walk away from Rugby, which helps at 10:30pm when it's over. The Cafeteria is actually less-fried and fatty than I imagined, with a "Best-vegetarian" award hanging in the front hall, and local food posters explaining each recipe, I am delighted. They work specifically with each season, bringing in fresh, organic and free-range foods as much as they can. There is always salad, chocolate milk, veggies, a tofu-option and pasta. In my dorm I have my own mini-fridge, where I always have; milk, OJ, fruit, yogurt, cheese, salsa, jam and other perishables. In a large cabinet I also have; Cheerios, tortillas, corn chips, bread, nuts & trail mix, granola & bars, peanut-butter, Nutella, tea, tuna, popcorn, crackers, hearty soup, apple-sauce and assorted noodles/pasta packages. I am well fed.

Some challenges here have been the temperature of last week and some of this one. My room was reaching temperatures of about 45-50C in the morning to mid-afternoon and about 30C at night. Finally after the help of my small fan, a no cover, a sports-bra and undies, I was able to survive the night. Now I know what it was like for my friend Alec, who spent 2 weeks in Cambodia. Hot, humid, UV. Other challenges include; difficulty getting a transit pass, waking up at 6 am due to the hot sun, ugly dorm room and being asked every night by my non-athlete res neighbors to go downtown and party until 5am. I did manage to join them three times, and I had a blast, each time only spending 6$ on transport and cover for 5$ one time. Most places let girls in for free! Mom, Dad I'm learning so much! I'll have a bit of a break this week so I'll have more time to explore the city and enjoy both day and night-life.

The first Monday I got here was my Stingers Rugby training camp! I was super nervous to perform my best, impress the coach and other girls. I was also anxious about the level of play and difficulty. The more I reflect on it, the more I am impressed with my abilities and my confidence in growing. Some of the girls are intimidating, but all seem to be nice, respectable and influential players. Most do there best to make the rookies feel like a friend and a valued team-member. The first night was paperwork, fitness, strength, agility and suicides (WOW). I didn't give up, even though one would think the body would shutdown after such physical stress, the second night was about running, and running, running, oh... and running. Wednesday felt less challenging as those first two days whipped me back into my rugby mind-set, hitting like a brute, playing like a genius and acting like a lady. We worked on plays, run-thrus and the fitness seemed light comparing nights previous. It was nice to play under the lights, different, a new challenge, but it took the bite out of the heat. Thursday was all about the team-bonding, fun and secret exercise (walking up stairs and jumping in the wave pool). We drove by Concordia Bus 1.5hrs east of Ottawa to Calypso Water Park. Click the link to see all of the rides I had a blast screaming down!

Cambodian-Rainbow Cake!

I made this great (tasting) cake for my friend Alec's birthday and send-off to Cambodia. It's a almond-vanilla rainbow cake with marshmallow fondant, a chocolate-rice-crispy Angkor Wat, Orchid flowers, a elephant and tooth-pick umbrellas! Let me tell you... it was devoured!

With gel icing, I wrote Happy Birthday in Khmer (Cambodian).

Happy 143 Canada!

"Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them." - Pierre Elliot Trudeau

I spent Canada day at Riverside Park in Guelph. Rosalie, my grandmother lives right across from the park, with her balcony in full view of the firework action. Paula, Alain and Malin watched up stairs with Bronwyn and my mother. Aidan and I enjoyed the music, food and display with our friends down in the park. I met up with some of my best friends and we all watched the fireworks together and just had a blast, like we usually do.

If anything the last 4 or 5 months have made me feel more Canadian than ever. Tapping maple trees and making my own syrup, snowshoeing, making my own muk-luks, camping in every season, cameoing, hiking, swimming in every body of water I could get near and so much more. I'm loving the life-style I've been developing and I am ready to take it to new heights.

In the pool!

What's with Aidan lifting people? Now that he has grown into his man strength he can't help but use it. We really love using the pool on hot days and when friends are over. This year in April we started using the pool, cool, but just as fun. We are looking forward to some great pool parties and the construction of a Tarzan rope. We are also looking to light up the pool in a creative way at night. Bronwyn has come a long way in her swimming lessons, next year she will be able to do the number levels and progress even more. Come join us for a swim!