Valentine's Day :)

Well, this post is over a month late, but it's still fun for me to talk about so I'll post it anyway!

I kicked off Valentine's Day 'week' with some baking and had a blast making cookies for my friends and neighbours. I anonymously put them in boxes at school, but some people figured it out that they were from me! Here's how they turned out... I was quite proud of them!



As most of you probably know, Valentine's Day is my favorite day of the whole year! This year was particularly special though, because it was our first Valentine's Day physically together (as a couple... since we first met on Feb 13th when I went to Japan) Last year, although we were dating, Bobby was in Maryland and I was in Manitoba :(

Anyway, we were both pretty excited about celebrating this year and we ended up having a fantastic day together! We were in Riverton on the 13th as Bobby was preaching, and ended up staying the night at Darren and Amy's because the roads were bad (We looked after their kids while they went on a date that night and since it was late and had our overnight stuff anyway because we were planning to stay in the city at Mom and Dad's that night, we decided to stay in Riverton) We had a great time with Darren, Amy and the kids!

We didn't end up heading out until around 11, so when we got to the city (I think) we had lunch and then headed to the Forks to go snowshoeing (we borrowed Mom and Dad's). We had a lot of fun even though the conditions weren't very good since it was super mild that weekend. We had fun taking pictures and just being goofy together! It was also fun to get to see some of the cool shelters that they put up along the river trail. Here's a glimpse of our afternoon.... (The much improved roads...)

Here we go!

There were big cracks way under the ice which was a little scary... but the ice was so thick it was fine!

I don't know how this happens, but the ice had sort of clumped up in chunks... it was super neat!

So thick!



There was a cool ice castle at the Forks that we had fun playing around in :)

After our outdoor adventure, we did a little shopping, then we came home and got all dressed up. Bobby made me a WONDERFUL dinner (chicken cordon bleu, honey garlic noodles, and edamame with sparking raspberry-white grape juice) and created a nice romantic atmosphere (we aren't allowed to use real candles in our apartment, so we use battery tealights!) It was fun to get all fancy and sit down to a yummy dinner at home!

I know Bobby put a lot of work into making our day special and he was certainly sucessful!! Thanks for the truly wonderful day, Baby! I felt so special and so loved :) I love you, my Valentine!

my husband is so funny :)

Here's a conversation that happened just a few moments ago...

H: (while sewing a button on Bobby's shirt for tomorrow) I feel like an old pioneer woman :)

B: If you really wanted to feel like a pioneer woman, you could wait an hour and do this by candle while we're doing "Earth Hour"! :)

hehehe :) Isn't he funny?! I love how he makes me laugh... all the time! That was one of the qualities I always had on my list of 'ideals' in a future husband and I sure got that one! :)

Tonight, as you read, we are doing Earth Hour! (Where everyone turns out their lights for an hour at 8:30) You should do it too! (I guess I should have wrote this earlier though...)

We're going to maybe go for a walk and come back and play Yatzee by candlelight (actually, we have to use battery tealights since we're not allowed to burn candles in our apartment!) which is an old 'Purdy family tradition' (My mom's family always used to do that when the power went out)

What will/would you do during Earth Hour??

nothing like it...

ok, so I'll be the first to admit... I've neglected my blog! Life has just been crazy over the last couple months! I've got plenty to blog about, but so little time these days!

But... today I thought I'd break the silence and write about something we did today that I find extremely exciting...

We took the plastic off our windows and cracked them open!!

There really is nothing like opening the windows after a long winter! The breeze feels amazing and it makes everything feel so much fresher! Away with the stuffy winter air!!! :)

Bobby made me smile when he said "it's like taking a walk inside!" :) I thought that was a pretty good way to describe it!

This afternoon, Bobby's busy working on getting ready for the baptism he's doing for a girl in our Japanese congregation and even though I do have assignments and reading to work on, I don't have anything "pressing" this weekend so I decided to do some major spring cleaning today!

I didn't plan on it, but it all started when we sat down to lunch and Bobby noticed how dirty the screen that covers the fan on the stove was. (this makes me sound like a nerd, I know, but I'll say it anyway!) I love cleaning projects like that when you can really see the difference before and after your efforts! (ie: Vaccuuming, a sink full of dishes, a sparkling bathroom sink, etc) I actually really do like being clean and organized... I'm just not very good at it (or staying consistent).

Anyway, I decided to scrub that screen like there's no tomorrow and ended up with quite satisfying results! That led to the decision to scrub my entire stove (not the oven, but all the little pans and rings around the elements!!) and then that led to cleaning up the kitchen counters. Then I did some baking (a whole other exciting post!) for the potluck tomorrow then cleaned the bathroom, then swept and wiped the kitchen and bathroom floors... And that's when the windows got opened! We'd been waiting to take the plastic off because it's still been getting cool at night, but today was just too beautiful and I wanted the house to feel even cleaner... so we opened them up! :)

Nothing like a good spring cleaning... and opening the windows for the first time in months! :)

I've been tagged :)

Lindsey tagged me and since I'm a sucker for blogging, I'm gonna do it :) and of course pass on the tag!

Rule #1: the tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.


Rule #2: tag 4 people to do this quiz; they cannot refuse (ok, so nothing bad will happen if you don’t participate but I would love to see your answers). The tag-ee must state who tagged them.

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?
Well, I am sort of on the fence about this one... I think pets are great and they really do become like part of the family, but there is a fine line between a pet lover and crazy people! (I don't know how to explain what I'm trying to say!)

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?
To speak fluent Japanese! and be a stay at home mom :)

3. What would you do with a billion dollars?
hmmm... a billion dollars is A LOT of money!
I'd love to help our families out and pay everything off for everyone so that they could all live without money worries, Help out some of my friends in Uganda, buy a log cabin for my parents, put some money away for future kids' college funds, help out families who want to adopt but can't afford it, support close missionary friends and their ministries, somehow invest in an airline so that we could have an unlimited supply of plane tickets anywhere in the world (especially to and from Japan and NS!), a getaway cabin on the lake and a home somewhere by the water... and I'm sure this could go on and on, but I'll stop there!

4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
Well, to be honest, I tend to get stuck in bad moods and it's hard for me to get happy again quickly but... snuggling up on the couch with Bobby (or a nice long hug), bubble baths, Heartland, being with kids... and chocolate are all pretty good places to start!

5. What is your bedtime routine, with your kids?
No kids for us yet, but the tow of us have a bedtime routine that's pretty much the same every night... we usually watch tv or playing games together in the evenings, then we do some kind of reading together in bed (usually it's a devotional reading), turn on our piano worship music and drift into sleep!

6. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other?
We met in Japan... 2 years ago on Feb 13th! :) (I love our story!)

7. What kind of books do you read?
Right now, all I'm reading is text books and my Bible! :( But, when I have time, I really like to read 'inspirational' books. Oh yeah, Bobby and I are reading The Book of Awesome slowly but surely and loving it!

8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Well, the obvious answer is 34 years old (almost 35!). I assume we'll be in Japan and hopefully I'll have moved from full time language study into full time ministry! I also assume our family will be a little bigger than it is now... we want to have kids, but of course only God knows how that dream will unfold!

9. What’s your fear?
That I'll lose a loved one sooner than I'm ready to... or ending up as a widow. I also sometimes wonder/worry about having kids/not being able to have kids because I think it's something a lot of people take for granted.

10. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?
Actually, space fascinates me... so I might just do it! As long as junk food all around me would be eliminated because the temptation would be cruel!! But... space is kind of scary... and I do LOVE junk food! so I guess I don't know!

11. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Do the math to figure out how much longer I can hit snooze to sleep a little longer!

12. If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?
First of all, I think it's sort of mean to have this question on here... and second, even though many will roll their eyes and say it's because I'm a 'newlywed' but really, I am so blessed with such a wonderful husband and I really don't want to change anything about him!

13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
I absolutely love my name! There are names that I like, and would consider naming future daughters, but I don't like any of them enough to be make it mine!

14. If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?
Probably the sun... I do love the rain, but 6 months is a long time for rain and I think I'd miss the sun

15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
again, 6 months is a long time... but I don't think I'll ever get sick of bread or cheese!

16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?
I like to think of it as a creative outlet! I love posting pictures and having people comment on my posts. I like being able to keep up with people this way since I don't have a Facebook account anymore.

17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Depends on my mood, but usually sweet wins!

18. What items are in your purse right now?
wallet, lotion, hand sanitizer, 'girl stuff', chapstick, a reusable shopping bag, pens, Tylenol... and lots of other odds and ends too I'm sure!

19. If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?
That's always been a tough one! I actually had to make that decision last year in Japan when my teammates and I went camping... they let me decide and I ended up picking the beach and was happy with my decision! There's just something about the water that I find so peaceful and relaxing!

20. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?
Well, I am usually pretty intentional about the shows that I watch/don't watch, but I do occasionally watch Grey's Anatomy.

And now I tag:

Melissa- http://bmtaylor.blogspot.com/

Bobby- http://hiraoandbeyond.blogspot.com/

Cher- http://stephenandcher.blogspot.com/

Alyssa- http://notestoself35.blogspot.com/ (I know you're not at home right now, but if you have time you can do it!)

best friends are awesome...

I just have to say that today, I am very thankful for the gift of a best friend! I am blessed to have more than one person I get to call best friend, but today, I am particularly thankful for my "oldest" best friend, Angela. We've know each other since grade 4 (16 years!) and as you can see, we love to have fun and be crazy together!

Angela lives in Saskatchewan so we don't get to see each other very often, but our friendship is still thriving! Today we were able to have an absolutely wonderful phone conversation and I couldn't be more grateful for her. We shared some good laughs and even some tears, but best of all, we got to pray for one another.

God has certainly blessed me with an amazing friend and I love her SO much! Today I wanted the world to know just how thankful I am!

I love you Ang! :)

proud Auntie-to-be...

I just have to say once again that my sister's having a baby... and I couldn't be more excited!!
I think Melissa looks beautiful :) I sure can't wait to meet this little one!!!

we like snow! :)

We've had quite a snowy winter so far... and we quite enjoy it! The other day we went on a walk and had some fun...

Here's a picture of the stop sign at the end of our street... (it's really piled up because it drifts pretty bad on this corner so this is the aftermath of the plow)

We ventured down to the river to walk across it and go down the path to the school through the woods but were a little surprised to find out the snow was REALLY deep!! We were laughing so hard I couldn't move!

It was literally up to our thighs!

I tried to follow behind in Bobby's footsteps, but I sank a little deeper than him! (Bobby got a kick out of the expression on my face in this one!)

We had a great time enjoying the snow and definitely burned a lot of calories from all the snow tromping (and laughing!) We like snow! :)

We love having company!

One of the things I love the most about having an apartment to call our own is having people over! Just as the semester was finishing before Christmas, I decided we should throw a little post exam celebration party... so we did! I had plans to play games, eat and watch Elf, but we ended up just eating and visiting... and playing Monopoly Deal! (our favorite game!)

Although it was a little smaller than I was originally planning, we still had a blast with the two couples that ended up coming (a couple that I know from school and Siloam and our neighbours)

Here's Brendan and Erin plotting their win...
Team Baden also scheming....

and Mark and Steph figuring the game out!

Aren't they so cute?!

We had a really fun night and really enjoyed getting to know both of these couples a little better!

We also enjoy having friends and family over "just because"! Mom and Dad came over for lunch and games a couple Saturdays ago and we had a lot of fun with them too!

It's become a tradition (for our guestbook) to take a group photo at the end of our "gathering" to capture the memory of the visit....

Here's the one we took at the end of our evening with our Brazillian neighbours...

They have twin 4 year old girls that are SO cute!

We are so thankful for the wonderful home God has blessed us with! and we're thankful for the wonderful friends and family He's given us to enjoy it with!

Wanna come for a visit?? We'd love to have you!

Catching up...

I don't think I really did post about our Christmas so I thought I'd do a quick catch up today just for fun...

We had a great time in SK with Mom and Dad and Melissa and Brad... lots of laughs and lots of fun! It was neat to be together as a family of 6! (and particularly exciting to think about how we'll be a family of 7 by next Christmas!!)

The day after we got home (the 28th), we got up and had our own little Christmas morning together :) We had fun just enjoying our first Christmas together and enjoying the few surprise gifts we had gotten each other.

This is us, just after we got up and before we opened our gifts :) (sporting my new flannel pj's Bobby gave me while we were in SK)

Here's my stocking... I'm excited, can you tell??

Bobby opening the book of family traditions I got him...

He designed this picture with our wedding vows written on it and got a nice frame for it :)

and he got me Season 2 of Heartland... my favorite show!!

When Mom and Dad came over for a visit sometime after New Year's, we got a good picture infront of our lovely tree :)

and of course, had to have a little bit of fun too...

We had a great first Christmas and had fun merging our family traditions and creating our own :) Who knows what next Christmas will be like!

I realized something today...

Today was my first day back at school since December and I realized something...

I have friends! :) Ok, so it sounds silly to say that out loud now that I'm writing it, but to me it feels pretty significant! I'm not the most outgoing person you'll ever meet and I'm not so good at the first steps of making new friends.

But... today as I bumped into people I knew from last semester and caught up on how the holidays were, I realized that I've made a couple of friends here at Prov... and that makes my little heart happy :)

Thank you Jesus for friends!

6 month anniversary getaway :)

As you saw in the last post, Bobby and I were able to celebrate (a little early) our 6 month anniversary at the place we went for our honeymoon (this time just 2 nights instead of a week though!). We have found a great little spot called Barrier Bay in the Whiteshell Provincial Park and absolutely love it there! We had an amazing time there this summer and weren't surprised to discover that it's just as wonderful (if not more wonderful!) in the winter.

A couple months back, I was notified that my anniversary present was a 2 night stay at Barrier Bay and I couldn't have been more thrilled! We figured that we probably won't be able to go back there anytime soon since we'll be in Japan for most of the rest of our lives together so we splurged and called it our 6 month anniversary celebration :)

After a LONG two months of waiting, we finally headed up to Whiteshell on January 4th and settled back into "our cabin". It's so beautiful up there... so peaceful and quiet that it's hard to describe! It's right on the lake but sheltered by trees. There were a ton of birds we saw and I really enjoyed that. (Except for the one that hit our window while we were watching a movie!) They have bird feeders set up by two windows and we were able to see some woodpeckers, bluejays, nuthatches, and chickadees... (and those are just the ones I know the names of!)

On Wednesday we tried out their free snowshoes and had a great little hike on the trail they have made. I think I found a new favorite form of winter exercise! The cabin was great too... this time we actually used the gas fireplace (didn't need to in summer!) and it was so nice to have such a cozy little spot to curl up infront of :)

We thought these trees looked like Charlie Brown trees :)

Don't worry, I wasn't always this unstable! :P

I got a little thirsty :)

I'm so thankful for this special time we could have together. Thanks for the wonderful little getaway, Bobby. Happy 6 month anniversary! I love you!

a Snowshoe adventure!

Bobby and I went on a little adventure this week... Bobby arranged for a 2 night stay at Barrier Bay (where we went for our honeymoon) to celebrate our 6 month anniversary! They have complimentry snow shoes to use so we tried it out and had a blast! Here's a clip of our little adventure...

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