Puppies and Rain and Other Nice Things

My view tonight:

 

And also this:

September got off to an autumnal start with a good pour of rain this morning. It makes the sun look all the sweeter.

Peter and I are puppy-sitting for a few weeks. This week we’re making the transition to having Bella the Dog stay at our place during the day. Our little boathouse suddenly feels a lot smaller with an extra body in it. Especially a body who likes to lay itself on the floor of the kitchen as I cook dinner. To be fair to Bella, I am a messy cook and she helps out by licking the floor.

So far her likes include:

• eating dead things she finds on the beach
• chasing the light from my watch when reflected on the floor or the wall or the ceiling
• napping
• checking her food dish to see if anything new has been added
• sleeping underneath the bed at night

Things she barks at include (but are not limited to)

• our vaccuum
• people in rainsuits
• baby strollers
• her own reflection in a mirror
• a worm

She also keeps my feet warm when she lays on them as I read on the couch. It’s nice to have a dog around.

 

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Hike at Francis Point

A year ago, I was swimming in this river:

But summer locally is not too shabby either:

This past weekend, Peter and I explored an area neither of us had previously been to. Francis Point has been a Provincial Park since 2001. A trail takes you along the water and through the trees.

Walking through this Arbutus grove felt magical. I love these trees.

And a couple from Madeira Park before we went for burgers. Peter ate something called a “Fat Elvis burger” – complete with deep fried banana, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup.

Beautiful Day.

Day 1 – 30 Day Dress Challenge 2014

Bella did not understand what I was doing. Or she wants to be featured on the blog more often.

The Dress: Purchased a year or so ago at a Smart Set in the Big City. It was very much on sale but there was only one size left. So this dress is actually a size or so too big for me. But it also comes with a handy sash and tied just right, you can’t really tell. It’s an easy dress to throw on for work or church (hence today on Sunday!)

Semi-unrelated: The weather lately is absolutely fantastic around here. Perfect dress weather!

Dog Days

A few from the last few weeks. Sunny days are starting to be more common around here, though there’s been rain too. Here’s some of what’s been filling our days, including good times with the dog-in-law.

Easter lilies

I love cherry blossom season.

I love this sight.

Magnolias in bloom.

What may look like a nice moment between Peter and Bella but was actually Peter prying something out of Bella’s mouth. She likes to find gross things on the beach and try to eat them.

The perfect morning – in bed with a book and a dog.

A Coastal Christmas

As mentioned previously, Peter and I went nowhere this holiday. It was the first Christmas in ten years that I haven’t travelled and it was wonderful. Instead, our family came to us and we got to enjoy this amazing bit of the world we call home.

It looked like this:

Our Christmas tree.

Christmas Eve morning. I had to work but Peter and I got up early to exchange stockings and eat cinnamon knots in front of the roaring (Netflix) fire.

Christmas Eve snuggles with Bella.

Christmas morning with Peter’s family.

Christmas Day swim.

Christmas dinner.

Feeding ducks outside our house.

Fishing off the local pier.

Dinosaurs storming the castle. (6 is an awesome age!)

Fairies exist.

New Year’s Eve.

Stories by the fire. Well, one story, really. Conservative estimate: I read “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” 143 times this week.

New Year’s Day, watching a sea plane land in Porpoise Bay.

A New Year’s Day game of hide-and-seek got pretty intense. And dusty. My big brother wins for cramming himself into a kitchen cupboard.

I Can’t – I Have to Babysit

Friday night we got the call to puppy-sit. In classic babysitter style, we raided the fridge, wound up our charge, and put her to bed.

Peter’s solution for not listening:

There was a lot of this. Especially when I tried to sit quietly and read a book.

The sleepier she got, the cuddlier she got though.

I love her furrowed brow and how she always looks slightly worried. I tried to match her face.

Don’t worry, she fell asleep before mom and dad got home. Not in her own bed exactly but no babysitter is perfect.

Long Weekend, Long Weekend, Long Weekend

That’s a pretty beautiful pairing of words, isn’t it? Oh, Canada! Thanks for the long weekend!

What did I do?

Got dressed up and had a fancy dinner out with my handsome husband. We had a gift certificate (Thanks Jen!) to a nice restaurant nearby and ate delicious food while watching the rain fall over the ocean on Friday night.

Had a delicious breakfast with the in-laws.

The sun showed up like crazy this weekend (finally!) and Saturday is market day in Sechelt. It was also $5 bag day at the thrift store. I’ll devote a separate post to those findings!

We spent the afternoon on the beach, after a lovely ocean swim.

Saturday night sunset at our house.

Drive back into town on Sunday afternoon:

Patriotic dessert.

Sleepy puppy cuddles.

And just one from the Canada Day parade, but more to come!

 

What Life Looks Like

A fair bit of this:

A “grown-up dinner”, Friday evening. Peter referred to it as such and, since he cooked it, he can call it whatever he wants. I refer to it as “delicious”.

Before church on Sunday morning:

A special service in a gorgeous, semi-outdoor local building.

Do you know that singing in/with a group breeds a sense of community? Did you know when you sing at church that you can sing as loud as you want, even if you’re off-key, because a) nobody else can really hear you and b) you’re praying to God and He thinks your voice is beautiful?

Followed by a church potluck in the gardens.

Top it off with a yummy dinner with friends and that’s a pretty good weekend.

Oh fine, you can also have this picture of a cute puppy:

Summer in Sight

Some highlights from this weekend include:

A date and a dinner out on Friday. Peter and I tried a new burger joint in town and hashed out details of our summer adventures.

Driving into town we saw a piece of paper fluttering on the highway.

“That’s $20!” Peter exclaimed. He pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the car. I watched him as he sprinted back, waiting for cars to pass so he could dart across the highway and find $20. I saw him bend over to examine something on the ground and then start his jog back to the car.

“Just a shiny piece of paper,” he told me sadly as he got back into the car.

On Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of hearing my husband preach in church. It’s not the first time I’ve heard Peter do the sermon in a church service; he’s a gifted public speaker. I am so thankful that, more than just a funny, kind, good-looking guy (he’s all those things too!) I also married a man who loves the Lord and actively seeks after Him.

Sunday afternoon was puppy visits.

She’s in her gangly “teenage” phase and she’s really too big to be on my lap but she insisted on it.

For some reason, she refuses to go up or down the stairs in my in-laws’ house. Despite Peter’s best efforts to lure her with a cheesie.

She’ll whine and prance but never go down.

After a long stretch of cloud and rain, June is looking pretty nice. The sun showed up in full force on Sunday and in the evening we enjoyed dinner on our deck.

Hello Summer! I am ready to enjoy you!

Puppy Update

If you don’t like pictures of an adorable puppy, you won’t like this post.

This weekend we got to hang out with Bella.

Every time she heard the click of my camera she would have to come over to investigate.

This picture makes me laugh. She can get a pretty good “crazy eye” at times.