Still Missing (book #1 on my 100 in 5 list)

#59 on my life list is to read 100 books in 5 years - something that I used to do no problem, but now that we have our two boys will be a challenge.  Well I finally read my first book:

Still Missing, by Chevy Stevens
I don't know if I would recommend this book - not because it was a bad book.  In fact, I enjoyed it - it was a real page-turner.  But it was so creepy!  The narrator has been abducted by the creepiest freakiest man and is held hostage for over a year.  Check it out - but lock your doors!

kitchen sink

kitchen sink bathing

Look at all his gorgeous rolls!  I just can't get enough of my little man!

Things have been busy here - I feel like it's time to revisit my life list to get back on track.  We are currently working on #28 moving our bedroom.  It is taking a long time as it does with a baby & a toddler in the house!  We finally have one coat of paint on all the walls, so there is definitely some progress being made.  I absolutely love the colours we have chosen and I can't wait to see it finished.

We are also doing #25 later this week - having our family photos taken by Emily and I am so excited!  I have been looking forward to this for quite some time!

august break - days one through seven

We have just returned home from our two week summer vacation - wonderful spending time with family and old friends.  We were sad to leave all the Grandparents behind, however it is always nice to be home and to re-establish routines and a sense of normalcy for the kids.


As we were away for the first week of the August Break, I thought I'd share seven photos from early on in our vacation to catch up - enjoy!

the boys on the plane

and just like that - he's two

first swimming lesson

arriving at the boat launch

first canoe ride of the year

While we were away, I crossed a few items off my life list (which if you remember started off as a "summer list"):

1.  go canoeing

3.  BBQ kebobs

6.  swim in a lake (which we did daily!)

8.  eat fresh Ontario peaches 

10.  have a campfire

11.  sit on a dock in the sunshine

12.  go to the cottage

14.  see M & V

18.  have a lobster dinner

27.  do yoga on the dock at the cottage

#19 - take B to the water park in Stanley Park

We had another stunning day in the lower mainland last Sunday and we took the opportunity to visit some of our favourite spots in Stanley Park:  the Aquarium, Beaver Lake and the kiddie water park.  It was B's first visit and he loved it (although we did have an incident where he got sprayed in the ear which he wasn't so thrilled with).  The water was freezing, but we like to call it "refreshing" on such a hot day!

If you're looking for a fun, free activity with small kids I would definitely recommend this one (though you'll need to pay for parking).  The location is great - beautiful views of the North Shore mountains and close to oodles of lush green lawn space to have a rest or a family picnic.  I'm sure we'll return again.

Life List

I've been thinking a lot lately of what I want to do in life and where I want to be. I find it so easy to get lost in the every day details; dishes, laundry, diapers etc. So, I've decided to make a sort of bucket list (or what have you) as a way to motivate myself to greatness and hold myself accountable.

I started the list a couple weeks ago, and it began as a list of things I wanted to accomplish this summer ( the first 20 items).  Now it has evolved to more of a "things I want to accomplish period" list.  Here is the first draft (as I'm sure it will be a work in progress):



life list

1. go canoeing
2. climb the chief with the family
3. BBQ kebobs - completed July 30th for mom's birthday
4. ride my bike  - completed June 2011.  
5. relax in a hammock - completed July 20th with B
6. swim in a lake
7. go sailing
8. eat fresh Ontario peaches
9. sleep in a tent/go camping - june 2011
10. have a campfire
11. sit on a dock in the sunshine
12. go to the cottage - completed July 27th through August 4th
13. go back to yoga class
14. see M & V
15. go watch the kite boarders
16. visit Lost Lake in Whistler - completed July 11th
17. drink lemonade
18. have a lobster dinner - completed July 24th
19. take B to the free water park in Stanley Park - completed July 18th
20. walk along the seawall
21. create a beautiful home for our family
22. paint our living area (we've chosen the colour... now we just need to get started)
23. meditate and clear my mind for 5 minutes
24. go canoeing at dawn
25. have our family portraits taken by Emily
26. cat nap in the sun completed
27. do yoga on the dock at the cottage 
28. move our bedroom downstairs/paint bedroom - create a soothing, romantic sanctuary
29. buy really cute girly shoes
30. take an acoustic guitar lesson
31. take time to listen to my inner voice
32. have a potluck picnic with friends in a park
33. go back to the beach where we were married
34. buy a deep-freezer 
35. bake cookies for our neighbours at Christmastime
36. bake bread from scratch
37. go to the movies by myself - completed: went to see Eclipse
38. make a new friend
39. go skiing with B
40. swim in the ocean
41. teach someone how to crochet or knit
42. roadtrip/camping trip along the Oregon Coast
43. hug a tree in Redwood National Park, California
44. Visit Forks, Washington
45. get a Kitchenaid stand mixer
46. make homemade pasta
47. clean out my wardrobe and donate any clothes I don't love
48. go on a bicycle tour in France
49. shop at an Anthropologie store and buy a cute flirty dress completed
50. wear aforementioned dress out to dinner with hubby
51. remodel our kitchen
52. live in the country
53. take a bath in a claw foot tub
54. visit the Vancouver Art Gallery
55. learn to say "I love you" in 10 languages
56. ride a roller coaster
57. go see the Cirque du Soleil
58. spend a night in a castle
59. read 100 books over the next 5 years (started July 21st, 2010)
60. bake a pie from scratch
61. eat a croissant in a french cafe
62. teach the boys to speak french
63. pretend we've had a power outage for an evening
64. go a whole day without speaking
65. own waterfront property
66. kayak in the ocean
67. compete in a race event (running or biking)
68. live debt free
69. attend a weekend yoga retreat
70. go to Saltspring Island
71. finish the quilt I've started
72. spend an entire day in bed
73. make photo books of the boys childhood
74. bury someone in the sand
75. start a blog and update at least 4 times a month for a year (started July 21st, 2010)
76. learn to take better photographs
77. start our own business  - opened my own at-home daycare
78. take an accounting/bookkeeping course
79. take a dance class
80. own a boat (preferably a sailboat)
81. write a book
82. get my book published
83. volunteer in my community
84. go hiking/walking in Scotland
85. resurrect the vegetable garden spring/summer 2011
86. try rock climbing
87. visit the tiny French Village our family comes from
88. visit and soak in a hot spring
89. take the boys to Hawaii
90. build a playhouse in the backyard
91. read all the Harry Potter books to the boys (when they're old enough to enjoy them)
92. learn how to successfully build a fire in our wood stove
93. attend a taping of the Martha Stewart show with my Mom
94. try one new recipe every week for a year
95. take a Spanish language course
96. swim 10 consecutive lengths of the pool
97. take B to his first Vancouver Canucks game