25

On Tuesday, this girl turned the big 2-5....  Let me just spell that out for you: TWENTY-FIVE! What?!

25 used to sound so much older when it was other people turning that old, and now that it's me I think about how I'm still such a baby with SO much more life left to live {thank goodness}.  I think about all the things I've accomplished and how much I've learned in this quarter of a century and how fast it has gone by.  I'm really looking forward to how much more I'll learn and grow in the next 25 years.  What a blessing each day is because it's another day we get to change and become the human beings we are meant to be.  And I also love to see the power we have to affect other people and do good in the communities we live in, and most importantly to create, develop and strengthen relationships with our families.  I want to live my next 25 consciously and thoughtfully so I don't waste a precious moment.

Thanks to all those friends and family members that helped me celebrate 25.... even if it was just a happy vibe sent my way.  I'm so blessed to be apart of a tremendous network of beautiful, beautiful souls.

celebrating began monday night with a dinner party at

nick and berny's

 and continued the next morning with breakfast in bed

 and a scavanger hunt at ikea... i had to go and find

25 pieces of paper in the showroom - i misplaced the

"D" on my way out- and forgot about the "S" - oops!

this day also involved a box of chocolates, dinner 

and watching the horse show at the rcmp stables

C A R P E D I E M

Ok Canada, I'm trying to but you're killing me here with this 90+ degree weather and this horrible, awful, no good humidity!  It's suffocating me, and I think I'm slowly dying... alright slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.  It's been HOT and STICKY here.

Yesterday I went down town for lunch and after my 10 minute walk to the bus stop I was drippin' sweat like I just ran at 10k.  After a 20 minute bus ride I had cooled off enough to get off the bus and walk another 10 minutes and sweat some more. Yuck.

That evening Jon and I took an epic trip to IKEA with some friends we met at church here (Berny and Nick).  Epic IKEA trip you say?!  I think a person's first trip to IKEA can be considered epic... And yes, this was MY first trip there!  While I most definitely do not love all their stuff, what could be more fun than browsing a HUGE store of home good supplies with an ice cream cone and your favorite boy?!

the awkward and awesome of canada

quick side note- i found a faster place to upload pictures so here a just a few shots of what we have been up to.

Museum of Civilization

my first chess game ever- he let me win. 

Door Open Ottawa

Date Night

Museum of Science and Technology

Quebec City

our hotel

awkward

-painfully trying to order a meal in french during our trip to quebec city.  our server was nice enough to just speak to us in English half way through the meal.

-running along the rideau canal and being attacked by a bird.  i hoped no one saw, but there were two guys behind me when i stopped to fix my headband.

-trying to change my clothes after hot yoga…  it looks like i jumped in a pool {of my own sweat}.

-the disappointed look on people’s face when they ask when in the states i’m from and i say michigan.  there is nothing wrong with michigan!

-leaving a restaurant after sitting for 15 minutes and looking at the menu and not finding anything i want.  good thing we are tourists and never have to see that server again.

awesome {there are too many to list, but here are a few}

-kettleman’s bagels.  stone fire cooked bagels, seriously the best bagels i’ve ever had.

-having my husband to myself every evening and weekend with NO law books in sight.

-the van gogh exhibit at the national art gallery.

-the parliament buildings in ottawa and quebec city.

-feeling like i get a second honeymoon with my man.

-sacrament meeting in french.

-out of the oven butter croissants and farmer market strawberries for breakfast.

-how excited jon is about everything we get to see and do together here. 

-the creperie we found in quebec

-the french architecture in quebec with cobble stone roads! so cool! 

-running along the rideau canal after yoga on parliament hill {the times when a bird didn't attack me}

can't believe we only have a week and a half left here!  

see you soon family and friends!!  

xoxo