Long December

I love December because I can be as sentimental as I want without fear of judgmental eyes.  Watch Remember the Titans and cry all day Sunday as a result of watching it?  Check.  Hug every friend that comes within a 5 metre radius?  Check.  Bake shortbread cookies while listening to Christmas music and occasionally stopping every once a while because one of my all time favourite Christmas songs just came on and I need a moment to really listen and appreciate it?  Check.

So, in keeping with that theme, here's a quote I love.  Don't roll your eyes at it.  Or where it's from.

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it." - Elizabeth Gilbert

Bean Town

Ty headed to Boston in mid November for some learnin', and I joined him on the back end.  He flew in on Wednesday; I hopped on a flight on Friday night.  And we had a fantastic time.  Remember how I gushed about Chicago not that long ago?  Boston = Chicago on the awesome scale.  

Ty's course continued on Saturday, so I had the whole day Saturday to myself.  I slept in, then hauled myself out of bed and hit the gym, and then grabbed a tea and walked and walked and walked (could a day be any more perfect?  It was also a perfectly quiet day -- I seriously think the only words I spoke to anyone occurred when I ordered tea.  I highly recommend days like this every so often).

And then on Saturday night, we headed to a Bruins game (surprised?).  We went early and headed to a sports pub that was named the number 1 sports bar in America by SI (that's a pretty serious billing, no?).  Ty wouldn't let me take a picture (he thought I was going to make him look uncool.  Yes, he thought I was going to make him look uncool).  So -- no picture.  

But, he acquiesced on my request for pictures inside the Garden.

 

After the game, we walked into the North End -- and found an incredible little Italian Restaurant.  Pomodoro.  I'm not exaggerating on the "little".  The restaurant had 8 tables and a bathroom that was so mini that had Ty needed to go, he would have been out of luck (he truly wouldn't have fit).  We sat at the counter facing out onto the street at the front window and we had a clear view of Mike's Pastry.  The crazy part of this photo?  It was taken at 11:30 pm.  And there is a line-up out the door, down the street. Cannoli is apparently a very popular post-Bruins game snack.

On Sunday, Ty and I took in some history.  We walked the Freedom Trail.  We started at the Bunker Hill Monument (side note:  the battle of Bunker Hill didn't actually take place on Bunker Hill, but rather on Breed's Hill, where the monument actually stands today). Breed's Hill is where the first major conflict occurred between British and Patriot forces (the battle occurred on June 17, 1775).

Ty's heart rate = through the top of the monument.  He just hiked 294 very steep steps.

Views from the Bunker Hill Monument.  See the USS Constitution?  She's nicknamed Old Ironsides (apparently cannon balls bounced off of her in battle).

Where the lanterns were hung:  One if by land, two if by sea.

A pew inside the church.

"For strangers and wardens".  Ty and I sat in here.  I'm strange, he's stranger.  We were warden-less.

Paul, doing his thing.  His lantern hanging place in the background.

Ty, strolling along the Freedom Trail. He's got one hand in his pocket, and the other is giving a peace sign carrying my mitts while I take pictures.

After our long and winding walk, we stopped at an Irish Pub for a Sam Adams winter ale 

(of course, it had to be a Sam Adams after walking the Freedom Trail).

And on Monday, we hit the Museum of Fine Arts.

 

And then we dashed off to the Airport to fly home sweet home.  

I am overjoyed to report that we are staying put for the next while (except for our Kcity Christmas). 

We love houseguests.  Please come and visit.

The Great Pumpkin Carve Off

Any guesses as to which two are mine and which are Wirv's?

shiny new in-laws

These people are going to be in my life forever.  And I couldn't be any happier.  They bring love, fun, great friends, new perspectives, good shopping knowledge...and did I mention fun?

Change

I think I’ve become Winnipeg Ainsley.  Formerly, Calgary Ainsley (I always liked Calgary Ainsley).  Before that Ainsley, there was London Ainsley and Kenora Ainsley (I liked these Ainsleys less.  But I’ve learned they have merit).  There was also Pembina Highway Ainsley (she didn't quite deserve the full title of Winnipeg Ainsley at the time). And for a snapshot in time, there was Australia Ainsley, too.

How did I do it?  How do we all do it?

Change.  

"Life is hard and you have to change" 

This is My Life

Summer Lovin' - Flashback Styles

Can you believe summer is gone and it's already the end of October?  Me neither.  Ty and I had a crazy busy summer -- we celebrated a lot (we've pretty much perfected the art of celebration).  Lots of photos to share from the summer...

Andrea finished school and made the trek from AB to N.ONT. 

See how happy she looks in her natural habitat?

These two are going to be parents!  Yay!  So excited to meet their little girl -- sometime in February Shereese and Dave will be a mom and a dad.

Ah -- the summer veggie BBQ.  One of my all-time favourite foods - broccoli on the BBQ.

Huge thanks to M and D -- the "new" cottage looks spectacular.  Tons of good memories were already made at new Trinity and I can't wait to keep piling more on top.

Eser and Mark - a June night at the cottage.

I bet you think this is LOW, right?  It's not.  In early July, Ty and I ventured out to Oakville and then on to the Muskokas to meet new little Esme and to participate in a sprint triathlon.

New little Esme. 

Joe's Team Triathlon.  I'm in there -- can you spot me? 

Caitlin has been organizing this tri since it's inception and it is an incredible event.  Such a huge deal to me that I could join her and Scott and be a part of it.

So - how'd I do?  Not exactly awesome.  The bike beat me down a bit, and can you believe I lost a contact in the first few minutes of being in the water?  I couldn't either.

Hey look -- I'm still alive! But I can only see out of one eye!

After the tri, we had a swim and a rest at CK's family cottage and then headed back to the race site for a BBQ and a concert...with...JIM CUDDY.  For reals.

I was so close, we could've made out.

It was a pretty cool thing to see Jim up close and personal.  There was only about 500 people at the BBQ, so it was much more intimate than the last time I saw Jim. 

Thanks CK! 

From T.O. I flew straight across the country to Victoria

 for a family law conference.   Victoria's a gorgeous city

and it was fun to spend an entire week there.

Er flew over from Van on a float plane and spent a night with me

-- we had a great dinner and breakfast and also went...

whale watching!  Good times.

Moon-walking or whale watching?

I was the only person on the tour who had not seen Free Willy.  I haven't seen that horse racing movie either.

This thing went FAST.

And then I was back home, heading to LOW for gorgeous summer weekends.  Andrea and I enjoyed that bottle of wine she's holding thanks to a great friend of Andrea's -- Wendy.  Wendy brought that bottle back from Italy, from a vineyard that is all organic.  Rather than use pesticides at the vineyard, they play opera music to the vines. Love it so much. Loved the bottle of wine so much as well.

Can a view get any better?

Ty checked an item off his life list - he bought himself a boat.  This pic is Barry the Boat's first day on the lake.  For a test drive, Ty and I and An headed for a cruise to Clearwater Bay. 

Enjoyed many great sunsets at Trinity this summer.

And many great meals!  (Is there anything more summery than corn on the cob?)

After dinner, I bullied Andrea and Ty into playing crib and then 3-man Cranium (oh, it's possible).

And then it was the August long weekend and time for the annual shenanigans that go along with it.  Ty went off to have a few drinks with Ry and the boys at Malachi lake and the girls came to LOW to have some fun and a little white wine.

This is us - pre YCD at Jackson's. 

Switched out a Rice sister -- took another photo.

Just as we were headed to the Yacht Club, the skies opened and the rain came pouring down (we weren't a half mile from the country fair, for the record).  Luckily, there was a sauna on the dock -- we took refuge, had a few beers and waited out the rain.  If we look a little shiny, it's because (shockingly enough) it was a tad warm in the sauna.

Photo session on the way to the dance.

Ellis!

Our trusty captain.

The most gorgeous smile, ever.

More August long fun.  A little BBQ / drinking white wine action.

Family dinner.

Love camp styles. Very...natural.

And then my cute husband returned home to save his boat from naked backdiving.

And we did a little fishing. 

Dad directed us down the lake to a "secret" spot...

But hey -- wait!  It's the Fregeau's.  Apparently the spot wasn't so secret. (And, to give credit where it's due -- the spot was actually a Neil recommendation.)

And then the whole family darted back out to the west coast for Mandy and Graeme's wedding.  Ty and my Dad got in a little sailing with Uncle Don.

This is not a Martha Stewart Weddings picture -- this was the venue for the wedding.  So gorgeous.

Ty, prefers the rugged look. Shaving is for chumps.

Ooooh -- here comes bridesmaid 1.  Andrea looked amazing.

Ooooh - number 2 - Margo.  Gorgeous.

And then, absolutely breathtaking bride, Mandy.

Wow.

Oh hi! 

Lifelong friendship -- from matching ski suits on the slopes when we were kidlets to matching bridesmaid dresses.  Love, love, love.

Life really is sweet.

Giggles.

Big Ty, smaller Ken.

And now the picture trail leads us to some cooler temperatures and we're into September.

This little fur-face is Archie.  Ty and I looked after him and his bro Ronnie for a week, mid-September.  Super cute little dudes, super fun to have around.

On September 18, under a beautiful blue sky, Pat and Alexis vowed to love each other forever.  And I helped them do it!  I got my officiating uniform on, and I performed my first marriage.

We clearly had the best table at the wedding.  Love these girls.  Have I mentioned the one in the middle is now officially my sis-in-law? 

How'd I get so lucky? (Another question: how'd the Wirvin brothers get so lucky?)

Shiny bro-in-law.

More family!  Check out those smiles.

 Boys of summer.

Eser behind the lens...

The weekend after P and A's wedding, we kept taking advantage of the amazing weather and headed to West Hawk.  Hiked the Hunt Lake trail with Nat and Linds and had a great girls dinner.

Gorgeous views of WHL.

We stopped for a water and apple break.

Nat, in her natural habitat.

Yay!  We did it!

Ty and I enjoyed a blissful weekend in early October at LOW.  We took Barry and cruised to Clearwater.

Yes, it was that cold.  Gorgeous and sunny but definitely toque-worthy when in the boat.

Caught an amazing sunset on the way home.

Ty asked that I retake the picture with Barry's best feature.

Crisp fall day.

Hey look!  Ty actually caught something.