another june over.

I love summer. I love it more than any other season.  Life is chaotically busy, and I am completely okay with that.  Boredom is not something that I handle well, so being completely overwhelmed with plans and events is right up my alley.  

After my wonderful Texan friend Sam headed back down south, I drove home to see my husband after a record breaking (since our marriage, at least) 3 days apart.  It's amazing that we once lived apart for 18 months, at one point going 5 months between visits. I'm not sure how we managed, but clearly it all worked out.  These days, 3 days apart is a lot.   I was happy to be home and reunited.

Despite having driven 5 hours that day already, I immediately packed up again and once Ryan was off of work we hit the road.  We drove through the pouring rain, bound for the mountains that were invisible behind the clouds. We stopped in Hinton for the evening. It wasn't a glamorous destination, but it was relatively close to Jasper, the hotels were cheaper, and Boston Pizza was across the street.  We spent our evening drinking from fishbowls. Oh how I love Fridays!

The next day we drove onwards to Jasper. Despite spending nearly every weekend in the mountains, it was my very first time in Jasper. I was thrilled to experience some place new, just hours from home!  The forecast wasn't looking great, but we managed to luck out and get a gorgeous day. We wandered Maligne Lake, spotting a fox, deer, elk, and even a bear!  If only Sam was still here!  It was like a classic summer weekend with Ryan. We drove, stopping numerous times to take photos of gorgeous places. I love few things more than the Rocky Mountains. 

The rain hit us in the afternoon, just in time to soak us as we hiked along a trail high up in the moutons, alongside a glacier.  That evening we dined and treated ourselves to the most amazing chocolate cake, in honour of my birthday that would approach a few hours later. Sunday arrived, and with it left my youth.  I'm not sure how it's happened, but I'm now 26 years old.  We spent the majority of my birthday driving through the pouring rain. We'd intended to go for a nice hike, but the downpour combined with the fact that the trail was still snow covered forced us to reconsider, opting instead for an evening in the hometown.  I called a couple of my best friends and we went to Boston Pizza for caesars and snacks. I also love Boston Pizza, just in case you've failed to recognize this fact.  It was a fairly low-key birthday, but I had no complaints... aside from the fact that I didn't get the puppy that I'd asked my husband for. No surprise there.  After dinner we headed to Ryan's parent's house for some cake and ice cream, before returning home to Edmonton.

The next week zoomed by, and before we knew it, it was already time to go back to Red Deer for the weekend!  I headed down on Thursday, spending the evening eating ice cream with a couple of my best friends. I felt honoured to join my friend Rosie in her search for a wedding gown, and even more honoured when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids! She is going to be so gorgeous and I am so excited that I get to be a part of the biggest day of her life!  

Friday was another big day... my baby brother was graduating from high school.  We sat through the ceremony, watching him turn into a real grownup. It's hard to believe that it's been 8 years since I walked across that stage myself! I took more photos than all of the parents combined, but how could I resist when my computer-nerd younger sibling was suddenly dressed up like a handsome young man?

   As him and his date strolled across the stage, I found myself crying like the sappy big sister that I am.  It's amazing how time flies. I baked him some pretty awesome cupcakes for the occasion.  

The rest of the weekend was a good mix of family, friends, and of course, food. On Sunday we celebrated our wonderful country's birthday... Canada Day! Like the good Canadians that we are, we ordered caesars and poutine for lunch. My goodness, this country has some brilliant creations.  

We spent the evening at Ryan's family farm, eating campfire food and taking photos as Mother Nature showed off with gorgeous rainbows, cloud formations, and a perfect sunset.  We finished the evening off atop a hill outside of the city, watching the fireworks.  Another wonderful weekend is over, and July has officially arrived! Helloooooo summer!