Daily Photo Challenge (February 2011)

Day 01 - A picture of a tradition you have.
Sunday lunch, doesn't sound like much, but it's a tradition that
we've grown up with and that has been carried on through
the years and as our family has grown.

Day 02 - A picture of a crazy night.
This was just one of the places I was on June 15, 2000. Yup, I
turned 25 in Amsterdam and had a good time while I was at it.
Day 03 - A picture of the house you grew up in.
This is an aerial view of the property the way it looks now.
Day 04 - A picture of your currently most played CD.

Day 05 - A picture of your favourite place to eat.
It's all your fault Mikol - I totally and entirely blame you for
introducing me to my favourite restaurant in the area.
Day 06 - A picture of something you’re excited about.
We're celebrating my brother's birthday today. I made him a bucket
of home-made vanilla ice cream. I can't wait to see his reaction!
Update: Although it was intended as a surprise, my mom told him
about it during their birthday call
:(
Day 07 - A picture of the people you spend most of your time with.
Whether all together or individually or in smaller groups, these
are the people I spend the most time with.
Day 08 - A picture of the best part of your day.
Meeting Art and hanging out with long-time gal-pal, Marianne.
Day 09 - A picture of your favorite movie.
A classic movie that has it all - fantasy, adventure, drama,
comedy, pirates, romance, violence, tragedy and a happy ending.
Day 10 - A picture of your favorite Disney character.
Click HERE to see "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" song.
Day 11 - A picture of your pet.

Day 12 - A picture of your dream house.
My dream house... hmmm... this changes pretty much
on a daily basis. So here is one I've been kinda eyeing
if I ever got the opportunity to build one from the ground up.
Day 13 - A picture of making Valentines.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you’re told you look like.

Day 15 - A picture of your room.
Nope, you're not getting a picture of my room
because it's not cleaned. Too much stuff and
not enough space to put it away in.
Oh well, maybe someday...
Day 16 - A picture of where you wish you were right now.
Some beach, some where.
Day 17 - A picture of your favorite place to shop.
I can spend hours browsing in a store with scrapbooking supplies.
Day 18 - A picture of your favorite actress/actor.
Well, I guess, if I have to pick just one?!?!
Day 19 - A picture of a random item that you own.
At Christmas, one of the gifts that was opened looked like this weird metal whisk- like object. Then my sister said, "You have to try this!" It ended up being this crazy head massager that left me with the most amazing relaxed feeling.
Day 20 - A picture of your most frequented place.
but only because I'm a student there.

Day 21 - A picture of your dream car.

Day 22 - A picture of your favorite sport.

Day 23 - A picture of someone you think is hot.
He's more than just a pretty face and a sexy accent - he can cook too!
Day 24 - A picture of the one thing you would bring if you were stranded on a deserted island.
The Watercone is a solar powered water desalinator that takes salt
or
brackish water and generates upto 1.7 L of freshwater a day.
.
Day 25 - A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters.

Day 26 - A picture of something that makes you happy.

Day 27 - A picture of your favorite holiday.
In 2000, I went on a European holiday with a good friend of mine.
This is a map of the different places we went to while we were on the tour.
The numbers indicate the number of nights stayed in the city.
Day 28 - A picture of your favorite animal.
I find these fish beautifully mesmerizing.

a Valentine's Day Wedding


I don't know John and HeatherAnn, but when my friend, Marianne, asked me if there could be a wedding in the vineyard on Valentine's Day, I thought "why not?"

As I got more details, I got more excited and into the whole thing. Art and Marianne needed to find a way to Ontario and a place to stay. John and HeatherAnn needed a way from Scarborough area to Niagara and back again and a place to stay in Niagara. The groom's attire was taken care of (some one gave him a tux!!), but the bride needed a whole outfit. As the list grew, so did my excitement and my frustration (lack of communication). But once Art and Marianne arrived, the ball began to roll. I met John and HeatherAnn at the airport when I went to pick up Art and Marianne. We had a quick coffee and then I was headed back to Niagara with my friends, but left the bride and groom behind. And now that Marianne was here, the wheels that were already turning, started to fly into warp speed.

Through kijiji, we were able to get the perfect dress and veil! Aimee's Forget-Me-Not Photography was having a special promotion which included a photography session, hair and make-up for the bride and 20 images.  On the day of the wedding I planned to pick up a bouquet from the grocery store which was to be transformed into a hand-held bouquet. And we booked a room for the bride and groom. So with the major details taken care of, we were feeling pretty good. If only the weather would co-operate.

The wedding was to be on Monday (the 14th) and on Saturday night we got a strong, warm wind blowing. Normally I wouldn't complain, but the snow started melting and the wind didn't let up until well into Monday. The previously snowy and frozen fields were now muddy and slushy - not ideal when the bride is wearing a white, floor-length gown.

Thankfully, I had my brother on retainer, not only to plow the location if necessary, but also to scout out the best possible location on our vineyards. He was able to give me a good one that was still pretty much covered in snow and we were able to have the ceremony out in the vineyard despite the fairly frigid temperatures.

We then moved the party to the base of Brock's monument up in Queenston Heights where the photographer was able to capture some intimate moments before we headed to the world's smallest church for a few more shots before taking shelter in the heated vehicle.

Through out the week, I had been trying to find a location where the 6 of us could have a nice dinner, but it was to no avail - every place I called said they couldn't accommodate us. So I was brainstorming some more as we were driving back to Niagara-on-the-Lake and voila! We went to the Old Fire Hall in St. Davids for a nice, quiet and yummy meal. The atmosphere was perfect and the food was wonderful. And after our meal and dessert we headed back to our "homes" for the evening. It was a day filled with joys and blessings and I wish John and HeatherAnn a life filled with amazing things to come.

For a bit more of John and HeatherAnn's story, check out Art's blog post of John & HeatherAnn's history and Art's blog post of the big day

Daily Photo Challenge (January 2011)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
1. My name is Carolynn.
2. I am 35 years old.
3. I enjoy cooking and baking.
4. I LOVE reading.
5. I have 3 nieces and 1 nephew whom I love very much.
6. I am currently a university student.
7. I like winter from December 23 until January 31.
8. I am an avid crafter - scrapbooking, card-making,
    quilting, cross-stitching, cake decorating, I do it all.
9. I am a follower of Jesus.
10. I love traveling but hate sightseeing.
11. I have no sense of smell.
12. I'm allergic to onions and garlic, but LOVE garlic bread.
13. Long, hot baths and massages are two of my favourite
     things in the world.
14. I am a night owl.
15. I LOVE seafood.





Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Me, Karen, Nancy and Lisa go back into our early years at
Scott St. MB Church. But our friendship probably really started
in high school. The craziness of life and busy schedules don't
allow us to get together as often as we'd like, but we make a point
of keeping in touch and keeping up with each others's lives.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
I can't get enough of this show.

Day 04 - A picture of your night.
I spent the evening meeting and assessing a
new tutoring student who needs support in math.

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
In 2004 I spent 6 months volunteering at a day care in Paraguay.
It was one of the greatest, hardest, most challenging and most
rewarding experiences in my life.

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
I'd trade places with ANYONE who is sitting on a warm beach
with a cold drink and a good book.

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
I have a really horrible memory. People tell me about things we've
done in the past or conversations we've had and I don't have a clue.
So my scrapbooks have become somewhat of a journal of my life
and allow me to recall the memories that would normally slip away.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
OK, so maybe I changed this one a bit. It's a
picture of someone who makes me laugh, Tina.

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
I don't know where I'd be without Jesus in my life.

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Love you, girl!!

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
I HATE it when you're with someone and they text/talk on
their cell more than they talk with you. I can understand
answering the call, but let the caller know that you're with
someone and that you'll call them back later.

Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
I LOVE reading. Give me a book and I am able to
escape my reality for hours at a time.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
I've liked Tim McGraw since the late 90s. Some of his songs
are lovely duets with his wife, some are just fun/feel-good
songs with a catchy beat and some have lyrics that hit home.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.


Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
I would love to spend a lot of time traveling in Australia.

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.


Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Southridge Community Church. "Getting Naked" is the
title of a series of sermons that we recently heard.
Listen to the series and see if it doesn't challenge you too.
Click here to access the series.



Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
This is me as a one-year-old.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Yes, I realize Europe is a whole continent and not very specific
and yes, I've done a brief tour of Europe, but there are so many
places to see and things to do that I don't think I'd ever get tired
of traveling through Europe.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
For those of you who know me, you know why. For those
of you who don't know me, I won't explain. Sorry.

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
I wish I felt comfortable enough with myself and with others
to be able to say what I feel when I feel it. I am the type of person
who keeps things bottled up because I'd rather not deal with them
and don't feel comfortable/confident sharing them.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
OK, so this isn't one book. I am an avid reader and have far too
many favourites. This is just a small sampling of the books
that I consider "comfort reads". So many books, so little time.

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
I wish I could change the existence of war in this world.





Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Bookkeeping for the family business.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Sunday lunch, doesn't sound like much, but it's a tradition that
we've grown up with and that has been carried on through
the years and as our family has grown.

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
This is me and my nephew walking along the beach at the cottage.

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Kind of a weird fear since I know they're not real, but I can't
watch vampire movies because they give me nightmares.
It's like I can feel the fangs puncturing my skin.
I get the eebie-jeebies just thinking about it.

Day 29 - A picture of something that always makes you smile.
A long, hot, relaxing soak in a tub with a good book and a
glass of wine will always put a smile on my face.

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.
I miss my Oma Janzen.

Day 31 - A picture of yourself.

snow day

In honour of yesterday's snow day...







I look outside my window and what do I see?
Six inches of fluffy snow waiting just for me.

School is cancelled for one day. Buses cannot run.
That’s ok with me because I’ll have lots of fun.

I grab my boots, coat, and hat. I run, jump and play.
Scoop it. Toss it. Crackle. Crunch. Snow Day! Snow Day! Snow Day!Yay!
by Renee Kirchner

donuts

The other day my Mom had the kids in the car when Berlin announced to Mom that she was boring because she didn't make donuts. This confused us a bit because Mom makes donuts for everybody's birthdays. Then it came out, she wanted Mom to make donuts "the way Daddy does".