STAMPEDE!!

This year was my first time attending the Calgary Stampede!
Can you believe it?
We kicked off stampede week with the parade.
It was way longer than we thought it would be!
It was actually quite impressive.

And this was Caleb's favorite part. (I love my nerdy husband)



Later that week we made our way down to the stampede grounds decked out in our cowboy shirts. Next year we will have to invest in some cowboy hats. I swear we were the only ones there without one!

We checked out the art exhibition, and also the BMO centre where they sell all the things off infomercials. It might have been one of my favorite parts.


We watched these people ride giant horses around this arena for a while, and never did quite figure out exactly what we were watching.


The masked pony!!
My most favorite part was seeing the ponies. I love them.
We even watched the ponies in a pony competition where they jumped over fences. It was cute and hilarious, just like ponies.
We also saw the world sheep dog competition, where the dogs round up sheep into a corral.
Caleb really got into it!
It was fun.
Ok...time for my confession....but it's not all my fault!
Caleb LOVES fair food. Which is weird because he does not love junk food. But for some reason he loves greasy, deep fried, breaded fair food.
Here's the confession...while at the stampede we might have eaten:

a corn dog
beef on a bun
deep friend oreos
mini donuts
deep friend snickers,
and we topped it all off with chili cheese fries.

Did you throw up in your mouth a little bit?
Although seeing that list makes me want to do 100 sit ups before i go to bed tonight, because I'm sure I am still working that off! I have to admit, it was delicious!
And it's all part of the experience right?
And we went halvies on all of it.
So it's only half the calories.

Until next year deep fried snickers....I mean, stampede.

Oh Canada!

I got the day off of work for Canada Day.
We decided to head down to Lethbridge to have a fun-filled day with my family.
We started out at the Raymond Parade! It was a blast.
We went with my Mom and Skye and Aaron and their kids.
Ayla and Stratton loved the candy, but Stratton for some reason was not into going out in the street to pick any of it up. Being the good aunt I am :) I went out in the street and got it for him for the duration of the parade. I must have looked a little crazy racing with all the little kids to get to the candy first! But Stratton was happy.



We got to see Dad in the parade! He was in it with the Lethbridge Pipe Band. So fun!

After the parade we hung out at Mom and Dad's for a while.
Stratton skinned his knee and had a bit of a freak out! Poor guy!

The adorable Ayla B!
I don't know what it is about Caleb, but Skye's kids are absolutely in love with him. Ayla was his shadow for the day and could not get enough of him. I took some pics of them hanging out together. I got a little picture happy. So adorable.




Later in the day we went over to the Varty's for a delicious BBQ.
Caleb got some pictures of the momma Robin and her babies living under their deck.


We had such a fun day! Thanks to my amazing family!

Viva Las Vegas!!

The month of June this year left Caleb and I with some unexpected time off work. Time off work for us usually equals a trip somewhere. It was a toss us between Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and Las Vegas. Vegas actually won our vote even though we had been there before. We were looking to go somewhere hot and relaxing. Vegas is definitely hot, and I don't think there's any place more convenient than Vegas. No need to rent a car, or even leave your hotel for that matter!

Our days were spent lounging by the pool and relaxing, in the evenings we ate delicious food and had all the fun vegas has to offer! It was a great trip and I think we made the perfect choice.


Caleb playing the penny slots and winning big! Ha, just kidding. He didn't win...he actually lost 30 bucks at a craps lesson he went to while I was at the pool. Expensive free lesson! ha.

We decided (after much debate) to go to the Shark Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. I have to say it was worth it. We especially loved the hats.





I had never checked out the gardens at the Bellagio. I think that their fountain show is my favorite part of Vegas. I could watch it forever! We decided to go in this time and check out the gardens.



We stayed at the Excalibur and loved it. It was cheap, we had a renovated room, and the pools were great.


We checked out a restaurant called Hash House a Go Go. I saw it on the Vegas channel and was obssessed with going to it! They have a sharing fee because everything they serve there is so gigantic! It was delicious. They started us off with these giant biscuits and I think I was full off of them before our meal even came.

We ordered the chicken and waffles! The waffles had strips of bacon in them and the fried chicken was amazing!! It's ok to eat yourself silly on vacation right? I won't mention the fact that we had a McDonalds in our hotel and we might have eaten breakfast there more than we we should have. Ok...I mentioned it.


They have all kind of people dressed up on the strip who will take a picture with you for a tip. This guy was my favorite. He looked just like Gene Simmons!


We went to see the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. Neither of us had seen it before. As we were walking into the theatre we got pulled aside by a lady who was working with a film crew to do a promotional video for the show. She asked us if we would meet her back there after the show so she could ask us some questions about how it was. Of course we said yes! We went back, and she was waiting there for us. They had a make-up lady who put make up on Caleb and fixed mine up. She also hairsprayed my bangs until they were rock hard! They put us in front of this giant camera and asked us questions about the show. It was kind of nerve racking! They are going to use the video on their website and hopefully TV! So I hope we made the cut!





We love Vegas! I'm sure we will be back sometime soon!

Bachelors

On June 3rd 2010 I officially graduated from University! I received my Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences (Addictions Counselling). It is about time that I graduated! I am sure my parent's agree. I could not have done this without them. I am so grateful for their support...and their money! :) Thanks Mom and Dad!
I floundered through University for a few years not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I took a risk and applied to the addictions counselling program, which had always been in the back on my mind. I haven't looked back since and I know I made the right choice.
I am also so lucky to have secured a job right out of school.

My parents and Caleb came to the convocation ceremony and were troupers to sit through the long affair. It was a sunny day, but soooo windy! Typical Lethbridge. They make you start in University Hall and then walk up the hill lead by a bagpiper. Kind of a cool experience, but pair a bunch of girls in heels with the Lethbridge wind and it's not agood combo! We almost fell over!

Caleb thought it was cute how when my program got up to get our degrees we all clapped and cheered for each other. That's what you get when a bunch of counsellor's get together. Unconditional regard!

But the whole thing was a great experience.
So I have one degree under my belt. Caleb is working on his third.
I told him I need to at least get one more degree so I can keep up. Not really for me, but I just picture out future children wondering why Dad has three degrees and I only have one!
Ha!
We will see what the future holds!


My amazing parents!
My amazing husband!


Me and the lovely Shira.




Me and the beautiful Rachael.

Mothers and Fathers

I've been debating if I should post about an event that occurred in our lives recently, or if I shouldn't.
I've decided that I feel I should, so here goes.
About a month ago, I had a miscarriage. I was about 7 weeks pregnant.
It's been one of the most difficult things I have been through, and I'm sure some people want to only tell those close to them, because it is personal, but I found that when it happened I wanted to talk to everyone and anyone about it.
I started to get really confused about the unwritten rule, of not telling people you're pregnant until you are farther along in your pregnancy. We hadn't told a lot of people we were expecting, but when I miscarried I needed support and told friends and others who had no idea I was pregnant. This was difficult because they never got the chance to be happy for us, and to share our excitement...they only got the sad news.
I am also posting this because this is not an uncommon occurrence for women, but it seems less common because no one talks about it. I needed to know I wasn't alone, and as I talked with people I found out that this has happened to more people than I had thought. I just wish we could talk about it more freely so that we don't have to feel alone in our pain. So that we know others have been where we have been. I hope I can be that person for other women. And that is one of the main reasons I am posting this.

One thing about having a miscarriage is when you do tell people, they sometime say all the wrong things. Sometimes hurtful things, even though they don't mean to. I'm sure I have said some pretty stupid things to other people in the past when they have been in this situation.
This happens I believe because people don't know what to say.
They also want to make things better, and want to help.
But my advice to others is the best thing you can say is "I am so sorry for your loss. Is there anything I can do?"
We have this instinct to try to make people happy, and fix things, but in my experience I just wanted to be sad about it, and I wanted other people to acknowledge that I was allowed to be sad.
I also think that the father's need more support too. It quickly became all about me, and not many people asked how Caleb was doing. It is hard on him too. But he has been such a strength to me and has been so amazing.
And I still am sad.
I still think about it everyday.
It is so devastating to be so excited about having a baby and then all of sudden you're not anymore. You feel so out of control...and you are.
It hurts to have lost your baby that you already loved so much.

But, we have faith and hope that things will get better, and that one day we will have a healthy, beautiful family together.

I am also so thankful for amazing friends and family who have supported us and shown us so much love. A few days after it happened my Mom and my sister came up to Calgary to just be with me. It was nice to have them here because I finally got out of the house. We went to the mall, played with Skye's kids and had a great time.

I posted some pictures of that day below.
These pictures also remind me how much I love Caleb, and that he is going to be such an amazing Dad. Stratton just absolutely loves Caleb and for good reason. He is so good with him, so patient and kind and fun. I have never doubted the fact that Caleb will be a great Father.
So a big Happy Father's Day to my own Dad, I love you!!
And also to Caleb, my sweet husband.