life update.

tap tap... is this thing on?? Anyone out there??

Hi friends! It's been a loooong while since I've posted on this blog and I thought it was time I dusted it off.

A lot as happened in the last year and a half. Well actually... a lot has changed a lot of things have stayed the same too.

We are still loving our 'new' house (its been 2 years! not so new anymore!) and keep busy doing projects, decorating, and landscaping. 

We still love traveling and have taken trips to Las Vegas, Eastern USA (New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC), Halifax, Whistler,  and Whidbey Island. We don't have any big trips planned right now but are planning to go to Portland at the end of September to see an Oregon Ducks Football game. 

Bo is still the funniest member of our family. She's growing up so much and has mellowed out a LOT which has been really great. She does a lot better with guests, although still not great, she's easily excited and looooves people. 

What has changed is that David and I both started new jobs last spring/summer. He's working in the project management department for a construction company and I landed a gig with the provincial government working at an income assistance office. Both jobs are definitely a step up for us and we are so grateful! 

Another thing that's changed is that my sister, Hannah, and her family moved to Edmonton :'( They also welcomed baby Ivy into the world in March! We miss them so much but luckily they come to visit quite often (again at the end of the month!!!). I'm also hoping to go out there in the fall to visit so I can see where they live.

What's new right now is that the valley is completely socked in with smoke from all the wildfires burning in the province. It's been here for like a week and probably won't go away for another few days :( It's driving me completely crazy, the sky is grey all the time and the air is thick and muggy. Doesn't help that I have a cold so my nose is already runny and my throat is sore. This yucky, hot air is not helping!

I've also been crafting up a storm and have done some really fun projects recently. But that, my friends, will be for another post ;)

'til next time!

Kristina

PS. I'm hoping to post once a week for a bit to see how I like it. So stay tuned!

lately.

A little bit of what I've been up to lately:

watching Last Man Standing with David. We just finished the four seasons on Netflix and David is SO obsessed with this show. He asks every person we see lately if they have seen it (no one has) and then tells them how hilarious it is and they they should watch it and that it has Tim Allen you know! I also just finished the first season of How to Get Away With Murder... man that show is weird... I don't think I'll watch season two. 

wearing my 'Fraser Valley' tank that I got for Christmas. This tank top is seriously the most comfortable thing I own. I wear it with a sweater at home and with a cardigan and scarf to work. It goes with everything!

ordering a new pair of sneakers for longer walks. I got these from the Bay and I LOVE them so far. 

trying desperately to train Bo to have better manners when people come over. She barks and jumps and gets SO excited when people come over. She just wants to slobber all over them and lick their faces. We're working on the jumping thing but she just seems to forget everything we taught her as soon as the doorbell rings. And she won't calm down once we sit down either. She wants to jump on their laps sooooo badly. I don't know what to do to calm her down. We try to put her on a leash and ignore her or put her in her crate but she just barks and barks. So far the only thing that works to quiet her down is to give her a bone to chew on, and even that only last a few minutes. I try to remember that she's just a puppy (7 months) but it's getting pretty exhausting. Dog people: got any tips for us? 

planning a quick trip to Vancouver this weekend. For David's birthday I got us a couple nights away in the city. We are so excited to play tourists for a couple of days. I've been looking up restaurants and shops I want to go to and we are going to take the sky train to the airport one day to watch the planes (David's only request). 

reading a book about grief. More specifically, how to help someone else in their grief. It's called Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart and is a spin-off book from a course I took last Fall. I just read the first few chapters so I don't have any pearls of wisdom for you just yet. But I'm hoping it will help me navigate the confusing waters of what to say, and more importantly (I think), what not to say when someone is grieving a loss. 

missing my sweet new nephew Roland and loving all the pictures they have been posting of him! I can't wait to meet this little guy (hopefully in March!). 

failing at my goal of establishing a morning routine. I got up early and went for a walk once or twice in January. Turns out... not a morning person! who knew ;) I'm going to give myself permission to give up on this one without feeling guilty. Early mornings are just not for me. 

knitting my very first sock! I'm super excited about this one. It's one of my resolutions to knit a pair of socks this year and I'm off to a pretty good start. 

lately.

a little bit of what we've been up to lately (in no particular order).

 a sunday lunch at our new place (all moved in!!!!)

ikea with little jonathan

mom helping clean before we moved in (not a posed picture at aaaaalll, nope).

VERY tired of the whole moving thing. this was at like 9pm after our fourth truck load for the night. sick. of. it. 

silas reading with uncle david. serious baby fever going on here, especially after seeing this guy hanging out with the nephews!

house numbers!

hangin' out with baby jem! 

saying good-bye to our old place. 

walking to mom and dads. only 25 minutes away!

our new vacuum works great on the laminate.

first time getting the mail! 

first meal. so many 'firsts' when you move into a new house. loving it!

he was having fun, i promise. 

that's all for now! 

ps. i'll post the orlando pictures soon, promise!