July Fun - Moss Street, Beacon Hill, Camp Friends

This past week has been a full one! 

I met my Mom and some friends at the Moss Street Market and Paint In on Saturday, then again in Sunday afternoon at Beacon Hill Park to watch and listen to some Hawaiian dancers and musicians (and to run around having fun with my dog, Sophie!), then Mom and I drove up to Nanoose Bay Teen Camp for Monday afternoon to visit friends and check out what was happening so far.

Here are a few photos from the past few days.

Jamie and Liam playing before heading to the Moss Street Market

Painting by donation to help...Africa something or other....

At the Moss Street Paint In... 

watching some artists demonstrate their talent.

The next few photos are of a few artists and their work that caught my eye.....

There were many young artists showing a more cartoon, or comic book style of art....I liked this one a lot!

This artist displayed some of his art in his fancy old Mercedes.

Everyone knows I like fish!

Awesome 3D wall art...neat houses, the artists was making one on the street.

This fellow hand-painted cards with scenes from around Oak Bay. Lovely!

A potter at work making small wavy bowls, you cans see some finished ones below.

Crazy characters!!

I am a sucker for the bright and interesting!

This guy cornered the market on 'guy art' - hockey stars, baseball players and all sorts of cool man-type art. Even his business cards were hockey cards...you can see them in the front right.

Then a lovely afternoon in Beacon Hill Park.

Jamie and Liam quickly found out Sophie likes to run...and that she's easy to run with!

I love this one..."Sit!"

After a beautiful drive upisland to Nanoose, we ran into some old friends...here is pretty little Ava.

Ethan... hungrily waiting for supper.

And Isaac, being silly and trying to make funny faces for the camera.

I'm sure I'll have more July photos to come as more friends come into town. Thanks for reading and browsing through my blog!! I always appreciate comments!

Summers Past

Summer used to be a time for sleeping in, planning fun days, going to the beach, swimming, sun tanning, taking the bus to the mall, going out to movies, BBQs, taking trips with family, or having family come visit you.....

Some of these summer fun activities are still available to a late-20-something, full-time working woman like me. I enjoy the air conditioned movie theatres, the trips, the BBQs and lakes when I have the time or when friends and family are around to join up with. But some of the lazy, leisure time will never be the same as when I was growing up as a child, then as a young teen.
True enough, I didn't really have a summer job until after I graduated from high school, besides the odd babysitting, but I truly, heartily enjoyed every moment of my summers growing up.

My mom played a major role in helping us to have good summers. She worked part of the weeks but when she was off, she would take us everywhere....museums, lakes, beaches, mini golfing, and any other fun or touristy place we wished to go! She would pack sandwiches, or picnics or let us get fish and chips or some other yummy treat. We have had countless sunny days people-watching on seaside shores, or walking along beaches, with me always collecting rocks and shells.

Camps more often than not, took up at least one week for each of us; kids camp or teen camp or when I was really little, family camp on Sylvan Lake. I always made new friends, played new, fun games, grew closer to God and always had a terrific if exhausting time!

Living in such a beautiful city, we always had streams of company stay with or visit us. From family and friends, we showed them the best side of Victoria, taking them to the prettiest spots, the nicest parks, the most lovely walks around. Mom always made spectacular meals as we all gathered together to enjoy some chatter and catch up on one another's lives. I always treasured my summers.

One summer in particular, my dearest friend became a summer ally as we made each day an adventure, whether at the beach, or overnight with sleepovers and fun movies. That summer my mom's side of the family arranged to all come and visit, bringing loads of aunts and uncles but more importantly to me, cousins! I loved my cousins! A few were close in age to me, and the younger ones were all so cute and I hadn't seen them in what felt like ages. So amidst our small family reunion of sorts, my pal Elise tagged along as an extra 'cousin'. We packed lunches and picnics, and planned outing after outing....Beacon Hill Park, Elk Lake, Fort Rod Hill, Esquimalt Lagoon (where only Elise and I braved the freezing water to try riding a log in the waves! I still remember how crazy we were!). We did it all and Elise fit in just perfectly!

As I grow older, creating more memories to fill my summers, I remember less and less specifics from when I was a child. I recall more the feelings, the events and the best moments. That summer was a great one, with family and friends so close, and I will treasure it always!

Here are a few photos of a day Elise and I were at French Beach. I don't remember who else came, I don't remember what else happened that day, all I remember is how much fun we had and how splendid summer seemed. Back then, it seemed those long summer days would last a lifetime....I am certain now, that those wonderful days will live on as childhood highlights, memories that will never fade.

Sylvan Lake - Tubing Extravaganza!!

Here is a quickly slapped together video of our fun day of tubing on Sylvan lake, July 2007. (and a bit of waterskiing, too)

For ALL my photos from my trip please go to this photo album...each photo has a description and follows my journey from BC to Alberta and back...there is even a bear, oh my!

Enjoy: Album 1 and Album 2

Remebering the Wedding....

I wanted to update my blog but I have not had any epiphanies as to what to post, so I decided to share one of my favourite memories with you:
My sister's wedding that took place last summer, August 2006 (Angie and Tom), I was the maid of honour and we all had such a wonderful day!

Let's start with the flowers and decorations: Angie bought two tall candle pillars and sprayed them white, roughing up the edges a bit. My mom and all her sisters went to a Lavender farm early the morning of the wedding to PICK the bunches of white and green hydrangea. They also threw in some white lavender and greenery and we bought some white roses. Then Mom and Aunties went to work putting all the table center pieces together, each in a stemmed glass with dragonflies etched on them, and each also meant for decorating the steps at the front of the church (as seen below). They were the BEST floral arrangements I've ever seen!

Then came the candles. Angie purchased small glass votive holders and attached a pattered white paper around each, glued on the green ribbon trim and a single dragonfly accent.

There were 3 per table at the reception and at the ceremony they covered the stone 'hearth' area behind the couple. So pretty!

The sunlight streamed though the skylights during the ceremony, making it a very bright and pretty moment!

Here is the bride and me getting our photo taken on the lawns of McMorran's, where we took all the family photos.

We also went to several places around Victoria for other wedding party photos. Guess where this is?

I think this photo looks like something out of a bridal magazine!!

For favours at the reception tables, Angie (with the help of various relatives) made up boxes with two chocolate guitars and topped with engraved guitar picks. Very cool!
(Tom owns a guitar store in Langley - www.act1music.com)

I highly recommend McMorran's Beach House and Restaurant for Weddings!
Top notch service and food!
We enjoyed a great time with family and friends, good moments and memories, lovely music and fun videos (if I do say so myself!)

And this was the moon rising out over to ocean as seen from the balcony at McMorran's during Angie and Tom's reception.
A fabulous ending to a spectacular day!!