Halloween Fun

I know yesterday I said I hated Halloween, but today was really fun. It's sort of a love/hate thing. One of the riding coaches we know and love had a little Halloween fun day today. This is about the funniest thing I've seen in awhile. She let Erin ride Elvis!!

and Breeze

...but watching her ride Elvis was WAY more hysterical! He's got total attitude! He bit me twice! I think it's called small man syndrome. You should see her get on, she just swings her leg over and nearly touches the ground on both sides. Poor little fella.

Lavendar Cupcakes and other random stuff....

Sorry for the apparent lack of blogging. I just finished 6 community home care shifts and have decided I'm not too crazy about the case management of palliative clients. Way too much to learn and way, way too much paperwork! I like popping in and doing a day or 2 but not having to take on all the concerns of the whole case load. I respect those who are doing this every day, and so realize how much there is to learn.

We made a nice batch of lavender cupcakes, no photo, for Erin to take to her volleyball wind up party. They were just about the prettiest color I have seen for awhile, esp. since the rain has hit all week.

Have I told you I hate Halloween? and have been suckered (that's not a bad word is it?) into another year of trick or treating... Now tell me how old is too old? Erin and her friend were going to take the "little sister" to make it more ligit, but now the "little sister" isn't allowed. So we shall get in the community spirit and not be scrooges about the whole thing. KD just came in to ask if I was "OK" with the wooden guns they were cutting out in the garage for the costume. Do I have a choice now that they're aleady in the jigsaw for the CIA agent? This is the LAST year! I know I could be creative and get into sewing some great costumes, but because I dislike the holiday so much.

I found this STUNNING view of the lake completely by accident one day and I kept this little spot back of my mind. So yesterday me and my man were out and I got in the drivers seat and went up there. He didn't even know it was there! Imagine your house on the edge of that view? But we went INTO snow going UP!!

What did they call that place on "Happy Days"? Prominence Point? Glad I wasn't there with Fonzie :)

My soccer girls'. This is our summer team! Our winter indoor team is much smaller. In the summer we need about 14 players minimum at each game (11 vs. 11) and people take holidays and stuff. This photo of myself actually keeps me motivated to stick to my diet/exercise regime :)

Update

Well, I am still mad at the US gov't for making my life so difficult. The policies are still making it very difficult for them to "hire" outside of the country. And KD would be a NEW hire even though he has worked for them for 7 years, because of the temporary cessation of services. What timing!! So really we don't know where things stand at the moment. He's getting a bit more avid in his searches elsewhere now that what we thought was about 95% sure around the start of Sept. is now looking rather dim. We're praying, but not as avidly as we should. We feel frustrated and not very directed by God, and would like some more clear vision, so you can pray to that end. Through it, we want to remain faithful, on the object of our faith. So we really seek new joy in our faith journey, eyes to look at the bigger picture, and contentment in the moments. And we're hoping for positive response from one particular resume in town here!

So, some good moments.... 3 volleyball matches and 4 edge of your seat action soccer games this weekend. It's fun to see the kids excel at some things they are good at. We've have been so BLESSED this year by fabulous coaches who really LOVE the kids. Erin's coach, friends of ours from church, are having a big wind up party there tonight for the girls :) Erin got invited to a birthday party on the weekend, she was thrilled, it's been awhile since she'd been invited out somewhere so fun. Middle school girls and the drama are really getting to us, so we slog through and hope we, but mostly her, come out the other side with self esteem intact. And I think of all the girls and friends I know that I hurt during those years and never had a clue at the time! I'm so sorry friends. And all the hurts that happened that were so big then, that were a result of other people. Hormones magnify the emotions! I am all about inclusion!!! This exclusion business is good for no one!

Good moments...
"Mommy, I love you".
"Hey, guess what, I'll be driving in a year and a half, if we move to AB, I can start now"
**Leftover cheesecake from my Mom's visit that I forgot about in the freezer
** a really great group of girls meeting Monday mornings for Beth Moore, with lots of toddler and baby noises in the background (gee I'm glad I'm past that stage, and can be assumed to be the older wiser one- haha- what do they know?) "No Mommy, this (toy power saw) isn't noisy"
** soccer season is over... sigh :)

Walnuts

Our neighbor told us to come on over and get some walnuts and I am never one to turn down free produce, so we came home with about 7 ice cream pails full! Yippee! After drying them for a few weeks, Kevin took to the task of cracking/husking opening them up. They will make some yummy, nutty Christmas baking, or so good on cereal, toasted or whatever!

He doesn't normally stare blankly off into space :)

I'll Stop Bragging Now

Remember these... here they are today...


And other wilted messes from last nights' early freeze... Should have picked those tomatoes.. oh well I have so many I don't know what to do with already. But this basil... I knew that should have been picked last week...

Fall Colours Tour

Back when we lived in Washington, we had this group of young married couples we did some stuff with. One of the guys liked to plan what he called the "fall colors tour", a scenic drive through some of Washington's back roads to enjoy the fall leaves with lots of stops in small towns for lunch and coffees and swapping passengers. Well 8-9 hours later....

Yesterday we embarked on our own "Okanagan fall colors tour", knowing the passengers weren't up to 8 hours (we could visit Gramma in that time), we headed out. The colors certainly aren't as spectacular as the areas around the Cascade Mountains... but the water vistas were incredible!

Kalamalka Lake with it's amazing turqoise hue, not really captured here out the car window


Here is where we nearly headed home for dry clothes as I was backing up, backing up trying to get a photo and literally stopped at the edge of the dock. If my steps had been off a bit I would have been IN!! With my camera :) Definitely a notable photo!

View of Kal Lake
Gotta have some road kill

Hello honey
Move over Charles Ingalls...



By the Shuswap River- yes actually I am attacking him... sometimes I can't help myself...

And we thought boys were the silly ones!