Paparazzo Strikes Again

Over the years I have learned that you can count on Steve to capture some great candid shots of us while travelling. While Ashley and I are busy snapping pictures of sights and scenery, Steve is busy snapping shots of us.

Here are a few of my favourite shots from Steve's (and Ashley's) paparazzo ways in San Antonio.

Me at the entrance to the Natural Bridge Caverns.

Ashley channeling Davey Crockett.

Steve and Ashley enthusiastically riding a dinosaur.

Tom studying the San Antonio architecture.

Ashley on the riverboat tour.

Steve brandishing his new nerf weapons (Ashley's photo).

Tom tipping his sombrero.

Me wedge into a tiny mushroom (Ashley's photo).

Say Hello To My Little Friends

Homemade sheep cupcakes.

Since my 2012 foray into making cupcakes for Jasmine's wedding, I pretty much use any excuse I can think of to make cupcakes. In particular, I love carrot cake with cream cheese icing. My little niece, Madelynn, turned two on Friday, and I volunteered to make her birthday cupcakes.

I wanted to make these cupcakes kid-friendly, so I made both carrot cake and chocolate, but topped them with marshmallows, chocolate faces, and chocolate dipped pretzels for legs-- they were transformed into cute little sheep!

Madelynn modelling her new jacket.

My nephew, Dylan, was equally excited for Madelynn's birthday, showing off his matching Fire Rescue shirt.

Chris and Dylan wearing their identical shirts.

Identical shirts from the back.

We ate snacks and opened presents. Dylan and Madelynn were entertained for a good half hour by batting around birthday balloons.

Tom and Madelynn playing with a balloon.

Two candles fit nicely into Madelynn's cupcake, which she successfully blew out on her first try. She then devoured each of the marshmallows, and allowed Tom to feed her the chocolate faces and pretzel legs.

More cupcake sheep!

Madelynn enjoying her cupcake.

Happy Birthday!

Try Anything Twice

 

Tom and I outside of Bragg Creek.

Many of you will know that I don't generally live by the motto, "Try Anything Twice." Most of the time it's a struggle to get me to try something once. It's no secret. I don't like new things. And I don't like doing things I'm not good at.

Enter cross-country skiing.

My first experience with cross-country skiing was at the Canmore Nordic Center. My most vivid memory from the day is cursing as I struggled up (and slid backwards on) a giant hill, while a small child happily and expertly passed me in the second set of tracks. It did not set a good tone for my memories of skiing. My second time was a few years later, again at the Canmore Nordic Center. This time I took a beginners lesson with my mother-in-law, and soon to be sister-in-law. While I enjoyed the company, I did not particularly enjoy the lesson. Although I do acknowledge that my technique did improve quite a bit.

I recently had my third experience. My THIRD experience, people! Not only did I try cross-country skiing TWICE (and not like it), I actually tried it a THIRD time. Am I improving my character, or what!?

Tom and I had Friday off, so we headed out to Bragg Creek with Tom's friends, Ben and Rupinder. Ben had skied a few times, but it was Rups' first time. We slogged down a track that had been destroyed by trucks driving back and forth on it. Eventually we made it to a junction where the trail was in pretty good condition.

Ben and Rups.

It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny. At first the terrain was quite flat, and I thought, "Okay, this isn't so bad. I think I'm enjoying myself." But then we started the up and downhill portion of the trail, and that really killed it for me. Here's the thing-- I don't really like hills. I don't like going up them (you struggle, and slide backwards, and waddle in a bow-legged position), and I don't like going down them. It's probably inexperience, but I feel like I'm going to go flying off the track into the trees and break every bone in my body. And now that I've started my second round of half marathon training, keeping my ankles, knees and legs intact is extra important to me! I wiped out once and got myself good and snow covered. And that was enough for me.

Cross-country skiing just isn't for me. But somehow I have a feeling I'll end up out there on skis again...