My staycation is coming to an end. Only two full days left and then it’s back to work, and back to reality. How did 17 days go by that quickly?? I could use another 17 off! Haha….oh wishful thinking.

It has been an amazing 2.5 weeks off from work. I feel so rested. I feel relaxed. I feel rejuvenated. All of those feelings that you are supposed to get from having that much time off. It’s been a staycation well spent. I made full use of almost every day and had so many fun things planned. I spent time at my in-laws place on Mayne Island, time at my parents cabin on Harrison Lake, and did many day trips. I got to cross a few things off of my list too. I went biking around Stanley Park and the Sea Wall with my lovely friend and her cute little daughter. Oh was it ever fun! We had the perfect weather for it too. We spent the afternoon just cruising on our bikes, with the beautiful ocean surrounding us, and the ocean air breezing through our hair. And the day wouldn’t have been complete without a cupcake. A reward for all of our hard work. Obviously.

Another item I got to cross off my list was going on a day trip by myself. I went to a lake for a whole day. Just me, my book, my journal, my iPhone and my bikini. That was something I’ve never done before, spent a whole day somewhere by myself. I must say, it was definitely something different. But it was very relaxing. I did miss having some company during some parts of the day, but I’m proud of myself for doing it. And just laying out in the sun all day was glorious.

My beautiful Mumsy also took me to Vancouver for a day of shopping and we spent the night at a nice hotel. It was so much fun! My Mom and I are very close and I love the relationship that we have, she’s like my closest girlfriend. So we always have a great time when we are together. Shopping was a success, H&M never disappoints. For dinner we went to this great place called Brix in Yaletown. Amazing! It has this cute courtyard in the middle of the city. You actually feel like you are in Europe. And the food…to die for. There are so many great restaurants in Vancouver, it was neat to try out a different one. I will definitely be going there again.

I also got to start and finish three books. Now that’s been a real treat. It’s been such a joy to have the time to read. I hope I can manage to keep it up during this busy Fall season ahead!

So all in all, it’s been a fantastic time off. I’ve loved every minute of it! September and October are going to be busy and lots of fun. My Grandparents are coming for a visit in September and my Mom, my Grandma and I will hopefully get to make pies and stock the freezer (another item on my list!). And then in October, my sweet, sweet friend is getting married! It’s going to be a beautiful celebration. After the wedding, we’ll head up to Whistler for Thanksgiving with my family, a tradition that we’ve kept up for 15 years. Always a trip to look forward to. Then, a week later, my beautiful cousin in Winnipeg gets married. So I’m very much looking forward to Fall.

Here are a few more photos from my staycation which were taken with my iPhone.

Cheers to staycations! And cheers to the coming of Fall and all that Fall brings :)

This has been something that I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time now. Make my own, homemade raspberry jam. Every year we are blessed with jars of jam from all of our amazing Gramma’s and other family members. But every year we only get maybe 2-3 jars of coveted raspberry in the bunch, sometimes only one. Now raspberry jam just happens to be both mine and Dave’s absolute favourite jam. And every year we fight over who has been eating more. I’m convinced he sneaks it in the middle of the night when I’m sound asleep. So trying to keep it fair sometimes takes a bit of a tole on our marriage ;)

So this year I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had to ensure that we would get more than the average 2 jars so that we wouldn’t bite each others’ heads off fighting for that last bit of raspberry goodness left in the jar. And the only way to do this was to add making my own jam to my 101 in 1001 list. I don’t know why the thought of making jam has been so terrifying to me before. Thousands of women have been making jam forever, and it’s worked just fine for them. I decided that it was high time that I put my Mennonite skills to use and make my Grammas proud.

So on this beautiful summer morning, my lovely Mother came over with jars and sugar. I had picked up a large flat of raspberries from a local farm, and we got to jamming!

I decided to come up with a list of 50 things that make me smile. So often in life we focus on the negative things that happen to us in our regular day-to-day. And I’m guilty of this. I decided that I should physically write out 50 reasons to smile, big or small, so that when I’m having a down day, or I’m thinking about something negative, I can look back on this list, and it will bring a smile to my face and help me focus on the good things in life. Writing a list out and physically identifying the things that make you smile, really helps put life in perspective, and allows you to see the more important things in life. The things that are a blessing, that we sometimes take for granted. So here are the things that make me smile…

1. Sunshine

2. Eating a cupcake….or two

3. The smell of fresh summer rain

4. A pretty sunrise, or sunset

5. Driving while singing to a good song on the radio

6. When Dave grabs my hand while we walk

7. Getting a bouquet of pretty flowers

8. Fresh, clean sheets straight out of the dryer

9. A glass of ice cold lemonade

10. Pretty, dreamy light

11. Seeing an elderly couple holding hands

12. Looking at the beautiful ocean

13. Having no line at the grocery store

14. When you wake up and realize that you still have a few hours left to sleep

15. Coming home to a delicious homemade dinner

16. Getting caught up in a good book

17. The smell of summer in the evening

18. Picking fresh vegetables from a garden

19. Having a cup of coffee in my favourite mug

20. Spending time with family

21. Watching the first snow fall

22. Cozying up by a nice, warm fire

23. Being able to spend time at the family cabin on the lake, and often. Such a blessing.

24. Autumn leaves that crunch under your feet when you step on them

25. Coffee or a walk with one of my beautiful friends

26. Pretty stationary

27. Getting a clothing item that I really wanted, ON SALE

28. Really being in awe of God’s creation – this world really is a beautiful place

29. Going on a boat ride

30. Going on a roller coaster – a crazy fun one

31. Seeing a Westjet plane flying overhead. I know, I’m a dork. But I really am proud of the company I work for.

32. Enjoying a glass of wine

33. My favourite perfume

34. Cuddles from my cat

35. A day off from work, being able to do whatever I want to do – no agenda (a rare event!!)

36. The beautiful mountains that I see every day

37. Being able to fly to Winnipeg often (because of my job) to visit my relatives

38. Memories from my childhood

39. Dance parties in the living room

40. When I get to see prairie clouds

41. The close relationship that I have with my family. They are my best friends.

42. The feeling of going to visit my relatives in the prairies….and then the feeling of flying home and seeing the mountains and the beautiful Fraser Valley as I’m landing. My heart loves both.

43. Getting to help people in my job and brighten their day with a smile

44. The feeling of your head hitting that soft pillow after a long day

45. Opening up a present

46. Travelling, weekend tips, road trips…

47. Using my creativity to photograph people and capture a moment in time

48. Playing the piano

49. Dreaming about someday buying a house and having a garden

50. Knowing that I married the man of my dreams

 So what makes you smile?