.itinerary

There you have it!

We’re headed out!

1st: Road trip down to Salt Lake with our pals the Potters on July 31st for Nate’s baptism and Alex’s baby blessing

Nexter: Road trip to Nauvoo & Carthage with my Momsie, Pa and sister Lis

Thurd: Off to Gurnee/Chicago on August 2nd or 3rd to visit my sister Meg's fam-fam

4ourth: Flying back home on August the 8th {our 2-year Anniversary}

This is gonna be fun!

Don't be jealous.

See you on the other side!

.good things come

I finally got a job.

Remember back in August when I said that I could finally work? Well... I was kinda wrong then. I didn't realize that I still had to wait months for my permanent resident card to come in the mail, and then I had to apply for a social insurance thingy. Anyway, as of January I officially could work. And I have officially been looking and looking and looking for work ever since then.

What a nuisance!

So glad I'm done for now!

Michaels (the craft store) called me in for an interview and hired me on the spot last week. I'm going to be a frame maker, and I think I'll be doing a little bit of everything else too.

I think I'll like this job.

My only concern is that they might try to get me to work some Sundays to make it fair for all of the employees. I don't know what to do about that?

Otherwise, I think it'll be a pretty good fit for me! And I'm excited to start after our vacay!

I guess the lesson I can learn from this whole experience is that pretty good things come to those who wait?

Good things. Like my first Canadian job at a low-paying U.S. based craft retail store?

Sure. Why not?

Don't be jealous.

Yes. Yes we can.

.cabin camping.

We went "camping" this weekend out in the country with a few of Air's old buddies.

We were going to camp in our *new tent* near Red Deer River by Russ's wife Amy's parent's cabin, but it was raining off and on all weekend so we ended up staying in the cabin instead!

I'll take a trade like that any day personally.

Their cabin was beautiful! More like a house really.

We had a really good time, and were only planning on staying one night but the trip got extended through the weekend due to our sheer happiness to be there together!

Here’s the trip in pictures:

Amy, baby Jack and Russ

our room and view

couldn't get enough of that amazing view!

Russ, Nathan, Air

Thomas and Jack

we hiked down to the Red Deer River and skipped rocks

The boys went hunting while the us girls stayed home and watched Jane Eyre with the napping babies.

.street performers

In this wonderful city where we live there’s a lot going on during the summer.

Last night we went down town to Sir Winston Churchill Square with our friends to watch the street performers! An event that goes on every summer here in Edmonton.

We had SO MUCH FUN!

Jenna’s cousin, Jenna, mee

Jenna, Tobi the dog, Duane, mee, Air

The funny thing about last night is that even though the street performers were awesomely entertaining – it’s not them we ended up talking about the whole way home.

Instead, we couldn’t stop talking and laughing about all of the people wandering around (you know--homeless/drunk/just-plain-crazy)

They definitely did the real entertaining!

Like this happy toothless guy:

Or this lady who walked right up to Basketball Jones and just stood there. He laughed and was pretty confused! He threw her the ball and she threw it at him and started stumbling toward him. He then yelled “Security!” and they came and pulled her away. Awesome.

And of course, I had way too much fun going through all of the little boutique shops:

And I didn’t buy a thing! I am so proud! Well... proud and still wishing I had more stuff!

.looking forward (but mostly back)

*Nichole and I walking around the Nauvoo Temple in '06

I find that life is a lot less difficult to endure when I have some kind of event to look forward to. And right now life is pretty much a breeze... I'm crediting that to the fact that we have a couple of awesome events coming up.

Not only is my best friend and her husband coming up to visit us in Canada; but the very next week we get to go back and visit my old stomping grounds--Chicago. Plus we're going down to Nauvoo!

I can't wait to take Air and my parents and my sister around the amazing town of Nauvoo, Illinois!

I keep thinking lately about my first trip down to Nauvoo... probably in anticipation of Air's first trip. It was a trip that I'll never forget, because I was with my buds: Nichole, Niki and Ali.

{I feel a story coming on....}

When I lived in the mid-west I was persuasive enough to get my friends from Utah to come out and visit me. We toured the city... and then the four of us went on a 5hr road trip down to Nauvoo for the weekend. I drove.

This is where my only ‘hit-a-deer/wrecked-my-car’ story comes from. It was terrifying... but luckily, the car still carried us the rest of the way there and back!

Only bad news for that deer, though. RIP little guy.

I'm still sorry about Megan's van. So sorry.

We arrived in Nauvoo really late at night and pulled into a cute little antique of a hotel on the main street. We were lucky and got a sweet deal on a huge room with three big beds.

Before we went to sleep we decided that we wanted to refresh our memories of what happened in Nauvoo during Joseph Smith's time... we all pulled out our D&C's and basically had a "church history pajama party".

I love my friends.

We spent the next day touring the town. It's so beautiful there.

*Niki, me, Ali, Nichole at the Mississippi River

*taking the carriage ride to JS's "Inspiration Point"

*Carthage Jail

And every time I've been back, it's been just as great. Nauvoo really is a magical little town.