Rain

Over the past two weeks, it seems that Jon and I have had plenty of opportunities to use the phrase "Why are you raining on my parade?"

It felt like rain when I found good airline tickets and wanted to snatch them up, but Jon insisted that we reconsider whether or not we can afford the trip.

It felt like rain when I dropped the car off to get the winter tires taken off, spent two hours walking around the mall with a very tired (but not sleeping) Laurel, only to return to the tire store to have them tell me they didn't put the summer tires on because they were too worn. These are the same summer tires that they returned to us last fall, telling us we could get one more season out of them. It felt like rain to realize we need to buy new tires.

It felt like rain when we went to get homeowner's insurance, only to be told that we'd have to rewire our house in order to be insured.

It felt like rain when I figured out a budget for our upcoming house renovations, only to have Jon remind me of a large list of things I hadn't accounted for.

It felt like rain when they announced on the radio this morning that the U2 concert in Edmonton, for which we have tickets and Jon's whole family is coming into town, has been cancelled.

It felt like rain. But the parade will keep on marching.

Because we're leaving next Monday for two weeks of camping, biking, traveling, swimming, and sun (I hope).

Because we've got this great little house we just bought--ugly linoleum and all!

Because Laurel is going to be 1 in a few short weeks, so I've got a party to plan (that is, if our family is still coming to Edmonton now that the concert is cancelled).

Because the days are long, the sun is starting to feel warm again, our hammock is hanging in the back yard.

Because, as our niece Kait says on her facebook page: "Whoever said happiness is sunshine hasn't danced in the rain."

We're choosing to dance as the parade marches on!

Big Tent

I don't think that having a baby necessarily means that you have to move from a small and simple lifestyle to a big and chaotic one. Yes, there are suddenly more toys in the living room. Yes, there are more details to think about before you walk out the door (do we have diapers? snacks? wipes? a soother?). But babies don't really take up that much space.

Or do they? Laurel is definitely taking up more space in our hearts than we could have imagined.

And when we started to think about all the camping we'd like to do this summer, our little tent suddenly began to feel small.

So, we have crossed over the line from the small three person tent to a family tent. I think this also means we have crossed from "let's pack less" to "how are we ever going to fit all of this in the car?"

Here is a little (okay, so it's kind of long) video that we made as we put up our new tent for the first time. I think there's enough space!

Playing at the Park: Slides and Sand

Okay, one more day of shots from the park. Then I'll try to get a new video posted because I heard a rumor that Laurel's cousins have been asking for one.

I love her expression in this one--I must have been telling her something really cool.

Playing at the Park: Serious Faces

Here are some more pictures from the park...Laurel can be quite the pensive little peanut!

Playing at the Park: Happy Swinging

Yesterday we headed to a park near our house, and I brought my camera along. We got so many great shots of Laurel that I can't decide which ones to post. So, over the next few days you'll be seeing lots of them. Enjoy.

Adventures in Banff

We just spent three days in Banff where Jon was attending a conference for work. As luck would have it, the conference attendees were put up at The Banff Springs Hotel. If you're not familiar with The Banff Springs, imagine a castle in the mountains. Laurel and I had fun exploring while Jon went to his conference. We went swimming every day (sometimes twice a day) in the heated outdoor pool, surrounded by trees and mountains. The last morning we were there, we were the only ones in the pool. We looked up and about ten feet away was a deer, eating her breakfast. We watched her eat, she watched us swim.

The hotel has a stable with horses, so Laurel and I visited them a couple of times. Laurel wasn't sure at first if she should laugh or cry at them. She eventually decided to laugh and seemed to enjoy our visits.

One of the days was so beautiful that I couldn't stand the thought of staying inside the hotel (as nice as it is), so I reclined Laurel's stroller seat and snuggled her in for her nap. Then we headed outside where she slept and I read a book.

The only drawback to the trip was that Laurel and I were hit pretty hard with a stomach flu before we left home and Jon picked it up once we got there.

Because of not feeling so hot when we were packing, I didn't bring the camera. So, here is a picture of the last time Laurel was in Banff, when she was 2 1/2 months old.

Now that we are back home, we are starting to pack boxes for the big move. We are also getting excited for our bike trip and our trip to Kelowna. We're going to Kelowna for another conference for Jon. Here is where we'll be staying.

The weather here is beautiful and we're eager to spend time outside. Which means I should get more boxes packed while Laurel sleeps so that we can head into the sun when she wakes up.

Look At Her Go!