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I am loving the weather these days! I am loving the water park with the girls. There is something charming about water parks... I love them. And so do the girls. The girls squeal as they run in and out of the water. Half the time they can't decide if they love it or hate it and it provides endless entertainment.

I'm enjoying picnics and hassle-free meals. I love eating outside. It's probably one of my favourite things about summer. We used to always eat outside growing up. In the far corner of the yard, because that's where the sun lingers before setting.

I'm loving quiet days with my girlfriends. And babies in nothin-but-diaps. I have unlimited access to chunky little baby rolls -- the best!

I am enjoying afternoons spent with friends in the middle of the lake. Watching my hunk of a husband strut his stuff on the back of a boat.

And loving basking in the sun and just chatting.

I'm enjoying donning the red suit and floating in the lake. Don't ask me what this is. It came from Erik's boat in Alaska. They need one per crew member and this one needed to be replaced... it's old I think. It carries with it the sweet aroma of diesel and man. Sweaty, smelly, dirty man.

And I am savouring sweet summer evenings. Lounging in hammocks. Drinking iced tea. And just being.

What have you been up to recently?

A Pioneer Woman Kinda Dinner

AKA. Yuuuuummmmmmyyyyyy.

I love The Pioneer Woman. She makes me laugh so hard I cry sometimes. Or spit at the computer screen. Or away from the computer screen (I've learned a thing or two the past couple years). The point is, she's hilarious.

But that's not the point.

The Pioneer Woman also cooks. A lot. And her recipes have always made my mouth water. I have never actually bit the bullet and made one though, I have just been wiping drool off my chin for far too long. That all changed yesterday and I think I'm hooked. I made four, yes I did say four, of her recipes yesterday (my brothers are in town, you know... kinda a big deal).

Every single recipe was absolutely delicious. And so simple. And most of the ingredients were things I had in the house anyway (how often does that happen?).

First recipe up: Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil. It was so yummy. So very very yummy. 

I made a few minor adjustments:
- no idea what mastaccioli was so I just used penne noodles I had at home.
- I had no milk, but the vinegar thinned the mayo anyway so it wasn't an issue.
- I used sirachi instead of adobo sauce from chipotle peppers.... don't know what that is.
- I did splurge and use gouda (not smoked), but any cheese would be delicious.

Second recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn, and Blueberries. Again, delicious. Though "too healthy" for the boys (except my dear husband, Erik, who has been trained to eat veggies). No adjustments. I had everything I needed!


Third recipe: Caramelized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza. Even the boys loved this one. I don't even know where to get fresh mozza so I just used the normal stuff. Actually the pre-shredded (cringe) because it is actually cheaper. And I hate shredding cheese (Erik does it, bless his heart, but he wasn't part of the prep yesterday).

And finally: BBQ Chicken Pizza. Erik especially loved this one. Lindsey doesn't like cilantro so we just used basil. I think it would be even better with cilantro! Cilantro is a flavour I have come to love since being married. Erik loves cilantro so it kind of comes with the territory.

I would highly recommend you make every single one of these recipes immediately. Go ahead and double them... they're that delicious. And perfect for summer.

Happy Birthday Little Miss Maelle

Today is Maelle Mai's first birthday! I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by! I remember her birth day as though it was yesterday. When I first held her in my arms I was overwhelmed by the amount of love I could feel for such a little person -- and now, a year later, I am overwhelmed by the amount that love has grown.

Maelle has the most delightful personality. She is honestly d.e.l.i.g.h.t.f.u.l. She is full of laughter and joy and she is so expressive. She makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world.

Erik and I simply adore her. She loves me too, but she has an insane obsession with Erik. They have so much fun together. She giggles incessantly as he tosses her around and makes silly noises. They are both easily excitable and they could play for hours.

We went to the water park this afternoon/evening to celebrate Maelle's birthday. She loved it! She absolutely loves the water and didn't even want to come out when her lips were purple. We were having a lot of fun too. There is just something about water parks that is exhilarating even when you are grown up.

Sweet Little Miss, Auntie loves you. I forgive you for loving your uncle a little bit more than you love me. I have enough love to compensate for your shortcoming. You are so precious and I thank God for you every single day. You light up my life and bring me so much joy. Happy birthday Little One. May God bless you with many more.

Engagement Album

I have had the pleasure of creating an engagement album for my dear friend Kelsey (the one I went to Africa with). 

The best part about it is I get to look at all these lovely photos. 

The worst part is that I have to decide which ones to put in and which to leave out. 

That's not an easy task when you are rifling through 500 photos!

My Moby Wrap

A couple weeks ago I spotted a Moby Wrap at the Co-op in Mt Vernon. It was on sale for only $20 (marked down from $50)! I hummed and hawed and eventually convinced myself not to buy it (I can talk myself out of buying just about anything). After all, it was beige.  Beige is the furthest from a practical colour (at least you can bleach white). Who buys anything beige for babies??? Erik told me I would regret it if I didn't buy it, but I still managed to finagle my way out of purchasing the Moby Wrap and settled on a couple Nikki McClure cards instead.

Once we were home and nestled in bed I began to feel the regret. I should have listened to my husband (I should always listen to my husband). I don't think I am ever going to find a moby wrap for $20 again. And really, if the colour is the only thing holding me back then I'm being a little bit ridiculous. Well, the colour and the fact that there are no Olson babies in our near future.

Well, we ended up purchasing the moby (or rather my SIL picked it up for us because the Co-op was closed when we left town) and I haven't regretted it for a second. I was thinking about "putting it away" for a while because I don't really need it at the moment, but I haven't gotten around to it.

I'm glad I haven't. Sawyer was over today and her Mama didn't bring me her sling... nor her shoes. Sawy was antsy so we decided to go for a walk. I was dreading carrying Sawyer around because she a) gets heavy and b) tries to wiggle away so she can walk...but then I remembered my Moby Wrap. Sawyer is much more content in a sling than just being carried. So, I slung her up and we walked around town for 2.5 hours and both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

Then we came home and played with hats. And now I am going to take a 30 minute nap because I'm working tonight. My second solo shift -- wish me luck!

Music Monday

I am very excited about this music Monday. I am excited because of the level of awesome that this band has attained. The following is a checklist of a few categories of awesome a band could have.

Original Premise -- check
Talented Musicians -- check
Melodious compositions -- check
Well written lyrical content -- check
Solid/Entertaining live shows -- check
Band name is "Radiohead" -- oops

Apparently there is only one area that they can work on, namely, being Radiohead... I don't know if that expectation is all that realistic really.

The Protomen is a band that was formed around the love of the Nintendo/Super Nintendo game "Mega Man." They have 2 albums out which focus on the stories of Mega Man and his creator/father Dr. Tom Light. Set in the future the city has been taken over by the evil Dr. Wily who betrayed Dr. Light and used the robots they both were working on to do his bidding to take over the world and now rules as a tyrant. The first album mainly focuses on Mega Man's perspective of the story and history while the second album is more a rock opera written about Dr. Light and Dr. Wily's relationship and the events which lead to Dr. Wily's subjugation of mankind.

This is "The Hounds" by the Protomen



This particular song is from their second album. It is from the perspective of the evil Dr. Wily speaking about Dr. Light as he is one of the only men to appose what Dr. Wily has done.

Until next time,

Keep your protoblasters charged.

E

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

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Uh Oh.

Babysitt'n

Sawy's mama went back to work full-time. Sawyer will be going to daycare, but she needed a babysitter for a couple days in the meantime. I had a couple days off (my last orientation shift is tomorrow) so I volunteered to take care of her for a couple days. I had her yesterday and now I have her again today.

We had a nice relaxing day yesterday. We hung around home all morning, just playing and talking and dancing around. Then, when the weather improved, we went for a walk to the beach. It wasn't actually that warm, but it was warm enough to play in the sand and wade in the water. Sawyer was so angry that I wouldn't let her go swimming. I didn't feel like getting all wet and she would have froze on the way home. She threw a fit and flailed around as I carried her away. Good thing we were the only ones at the beach, I'm not looking forward to public tantrums.

We played with the box/shape/block thing. She loves that. It's much too difficult for her so I hold the pieces in place and she pushes them in. Then she gleefully flops her arms around all proud of herself and such. It's pretty adorable. When she is trying to do it herself she just pushes harder and harder trying to make the pieces fit.

We went to the community garden with Erik. We harvested beets, kale, swiss chard, and basil. Yummy! Sawyer was a great help too -- picking kale and chard. She was tasting everything and even stole a couple peas (that were delicious btw!). Then she dug her hands into the marigolds and needed some distraction.

Her Latest Tricks:

• Saying "Hi!" (I think she learned this from my niece).
• Crossing her fingers
• Crawling forward and then flopping onto her belly and pushing herself backwards across the hardwood floor
• Saying "Too Too" (Choo Choo) after I go "Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga".
• She jumps (though her feet never actually leave the floor).
• She cocks her head to the side and howls if you do it along with her. 
• She does this fake asthma thing that cracks me up. She will be playing on the floor and all of the sudden start panting and acting like she's having an asthma attack. And then she will look at you with a big grin. What a silly goose. 

Crossing her fingers. 

I'm sorry that I'm always writing about babies. That's just what my life is right now -- work and babies. And work is far less entertaining to read about, I promise you. 

Music Monday!

Hello Everyone,

I'm here live from Kelowna, back from fishing and missing a lot of the music that I only watch through youtube.

In honor of video and music, here is a song that you may only be able to appreciate with the visual of the artist playing it. I am very impressed with this artist's unusual technique in song writing. As you watch this video, ask yourselves how he is making all those sounds by himself. Ashley checked out on this song at about four minutes and forty five seconds. I'm using her as the mean; if you can only handle four minutes thirty seconds then you are below average and should write a letter of apology that you will never send to the artist. Anyone who can listen longer than Ashley will be awarded 20 eco points towards a damaged fishery of your choosing.

This is Colin Stetson with "Awake On Foreign Shores and Judges"


Colin Stetson | Awake on Foreign Shores & Judges | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

If you notice he is using circular breathing the entire time. He pushes air through his mouth while he is breathing in. Try it without passing out. He's not the first artist to do this but that sweet sax sound kicks Kenny G right in the pants. He's also using his own voice for some of the sounds. That is why this guy is a polaris music prize winner, inventive and cool. Go Colin Go.

Thanks for listening/watching. See you next time.

<`)))><  (Does that look like a fish to anyone else?)


EDO

Sissy Sawy

What could possibly cause Sawyer so much distress??? Look at the poor little girl. 

Well, it certainly wasn't her Uncle Erik. Or, to be more specific, it wasn't her Uncle Erik with his hood off. See, they're friends. 

Sawyer wasn't a fan of Erik with his hood on. 

Scary Uncle Erik with unsuspecting Little Sawy. She's just playing in the parking lot - no big deal. 

Uh oh. She's spotted him...

... and there goes a distraught Bean, or rather, here she comes... 

... into the protective arms of her auntie. Oh Sawybean. 

And this happened over and over and over again. What a mean uncle. He thought it was hilarious, and truth be told, it was. As soon as he popped his hood off Sawyer would giggle and start playing with him again. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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Back from Bermuda and the 21st Century!

The title quote from The Sword In the Stone actually describes the exact opposite of my last 3 weeks. It was a continuation from the terrible weather of last year which was cold with an average westerly wind of 30-40mph. We did have more days which involved the sun coming through the clouds this year though. It was sunny one day which is one day more than last year. Time-wise it is a weird mix of modern and mongoloid technology and culture. The whole place runs on diesel; diesel engines, diesel stoves, diesel generators. Millions of gallons of diesel every year.

Ashley reported to you that our boat was broken. We had some engine troubles which had the potential of shutting us down for the rest of the year. Luckily we found a mechanic and the parts we needed to fix the problem. It wasn't a really tough issue it is just that resources up there are extremely limited and getting someone to devote 2 days to tearing an engine apart, fixing the problem, and putting it together alone is tough enough. Add to the mix that all the parts we needed (which weren't many thankfully) had to be flown in it is a miracle that we were able to get back out on the water. Luckily everything came together, we spent two hurried days trying desperately to get back to fishing. We missed about 12 hours of fishing time (two "openings") and worked hard, sometimes carrying 50+ pound parts up and down a ladder on a pier (thankfully not dropping anything into the water, mud, or people below us). Fortunately we got everything fixed and were able to fish again; unfortunately we had one more 4 hour opening to fish before the fish just stopped coming. After that we waited a week for fish to come that didn't and then went home. That's how that goes.

Here is a picture I thought some of you would enjoy. I was not present when it was taken. We arrived in Alaska to find that our food had been rummaged through and the individuals who take care of it for use (as it has to be shipped up by barge in a plastic tote and then sits for a month before we get there) had photo evidence of the thief. Naturally we thought better of pressing charges.

Apparently bears love Pringles and Orange Gatorade because that was the extent of our losses. She tried to eat our plastic cutlery as well but it obviously was not very appealing to her.

Once you pop you can't stop.
E

Music Monday!

Hello Folks,

I should be home safe and sound by now in a real bed thinking that my last 3 weeks was just someone else's dream (**He actually gets into Seattle at 23:39 tonight).

I have just completed my 10th season in Bristol Bay. This year it has been 3.5 weeks in a remarkably small living space with the same individuals. We have a lot of fun together but sometimes we just need the space we don't have; it can really drive a guy crazy.

In honor of being driven mad, this is Siskiyou with Never Ever Ever Ever Again



I believe that wavering sound in the background is someone playing the saw. I love it when musicians add the saw to their repertoire.

Keep your sea legs wobbling.

EDO

Unheard of.

I worked last night from 7pm till 7am. It was the first of two night shifts (I had  saying, "see you tonight" as I leave the hospital).

That isn't unheard of.

Before my first night shift I usually get up at 8am and then have a normal day. I may take a nap, but that isn't the usual. I just suck it up and make my way through the night shift. I am very bad at sleeping during the day. My first night shift isn't usually too bad though. Staying up for 24 hours isn't that tough.

Between my nights I usually manage to sleep from about 8am-11am and then I hang around my bed reading or watching movies or just trying to rest. I try take an intentional "nap" (which usually just consists of shutting my eyes and unsuccessfully begging myself to fall asleep) in the afternoon sometime, maybe from 3-5ish.

That's the norm.

Today when I woke up I oddly felt rested. I thought "it must be at least 1pm!" and I was so excited. Actually as I walked to the kitchen to check out the time I was praying it was after 12pm. And it was!!! Imagine my shock and amazement when I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 4:15 pm!

4:15pm! I got 8 hours of sleep!!!!

Unheard of. 

:)

Maelle took five steps for me today!!! She could have gone further, but I was so surprised she was actually walking that I didn't think to move further away. She was pretty cute. She was focused and paused to catch her balance after each step. Very deliberate.

I can officially say I was there when both my babies started walking. Five steps counts, right?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

*** *** ***

A Year Later

This picture was taken exactly a year ago.

And this was taken today. 

Cute!

Beaches, Babes, and Bikes

I had a wonderful weekend with Sawyer's family. We ended up seeing each other every single day :) We had a beach day on Saturday -- my first beach day of the year! The first one in which I went into the water, at least. I have missed these days; summer days playing at the beach.

It will be especially fun this summer as the girls can actually play with me! I haven't really been into "tanning" the past couple years. I love the sun, but I would much rather play in it than just sit there -- though I do enjoy a good book at the beach. Also, I started wearing sunscreen four or five years ago (better late than never) though I never actually put it on my legs.

the most annoying little floating bathing suit thing. she hated it. 

Back to the beach with Sawyer. We went to a little beach in Vernon that was, you know, the kind only locals know about. Those are my favourite kinds because, no offence to anyone who vacations in Kelowna, I hate tourists. This beach was a definite "family beach" and it had a much more relaxed feel than any of the main beaches near my house.

Sawyer kind of liked the water. It was pretty cold so she didn't like going past her knees. She loved the beach though -- both people watching and playing in the sand.

On Sunday we had a Service Worship day. I don't know if I've ever talked about it, but on the first Sunday of every month we don't have a worship service, we serve in the community instead. This week Mandi, Milena and I helped out in the community garden. Well, Mandi and Milena did. I ended up babysitting beside the garden, which worked well for me.

One of my favourite things about our church is the Service Worship. I enjoy serving in the community and chatting with people living around the church. And after service worship we always have lunch at the church. In the summer months this usually consists of a bbq outside -- the best!

After church I went on a bike ride with Kevin while Mandi and Sawyer napped. I haven't been on a motorcycle in years and it was so so so nice. I loved it and need to convince Kev to take me more often! There are so many lovely roads to bike on too. I love living in the okanagan.

And that was my weekend. Nice, eh?

Broken Boat

Erik called today. Thankfully I was home -- though I sort of wish I wasn't because all he had was bad news for me. Well, he said he is healthy so that's good. The other good news is that there are plenty of openings right now and the fish are coming.

The bad news is that their boat is broken. The bad news is they aren't able to fish because of it. The bad news is they may not be able to fix their boat. The bad news is they are probably done for the season. And not to be materialistic or anything, but Erik goes to Alaska to make money and no fish = no money. The bad news is Erik is cold and hasn't seen the sun. 

The good news is he may be coming home early.

Music Monday

Yo! It is July 4 AKA independence day. That's right, today is very special for Americans, its the day we celebrate because of our strong belief in good communication and non-violent confrontation.

Anyway; July 4 is also the traditional peak of the salmon run here on the Egegik river in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Bristol Bay can be very beautiful; when the sun is shining the water turns a shade of green that I have never seen anywhere else and it is mesmerizing. Mostly everything is brown up here; the tundra is brown, the bears are brown, the river that meets the ocean carries heavy loads of silt which makes the water close to shore brown, and the sand on the beach is brown.

Because I'm longing for a change of scenery right now this is Bonobo with Black Sands



7 more days and I will be in a real bed sleeping real sleep and dreaming dreams that don't have to do with me picking fish out of a net over and over again.

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!

EDO

Jessica Hailley - the Graduate.

My niece, Jessica Hailley, graduated from high school yesterday.  I wanted, more than anything, to be there to celebrate with her, but I had to miss it because of work.

When did my Little J blossom into this stunning young woman? She is absolutely breath-taking and so grown up. When did that happen?

I cried when I first saw these photos. If you know me, or any of the other Jansen women, you will know that this is typical -- we're an emotional bunch. I'm just so proud of Jessica and of the little girl young woman she is.  She is absolutely gorgeous, but her physical beauty in no way compares to beautiful person she is. She is smart, caring, sensitive, thoughtful, enthusiastic, hardworking, gentle, fun, innocent and entirely delightful. She is helpful, gracious, forgiving, honest, supportive... need me to go on?

Jessica with my beautiful sister, Sharlene.

Jessica is a beautiful example of someone who acts her age.  Do you know what I mean by this? She isn't trying to be older. She isn't in a hurry to grow up. She knows she's a kid (and I use this term loosely) and she enjoys that. She is perfectly content being who she is -- which shows maturity far beyond her years.

When I look at Jessica I see a strong young woman who is fiercely loyal and tenderly loving. I see a soft soul and a beloved friend.

Jessica is an open book. She's the type of person who waltzes into our house and tells it like it is. She's bold as brass and is never embarrassed or ashamed of who she is or what she thinks. She has always told me (and everyone) exactly what she thinks of boys, when she is struggling with friendships, when she had a rough day, when she needs some extra love, and when she is feeling fabulous. She doesn't just dump it all on you though, she is always ready to lend an ear when you need it. She loves sharing who she is and thinks it's perfectly normal to tell your aunts/uncles/family/friends everything. I love that about her. For example, she told all of us about her first kiss within 24 hours of it happening (two weeks ago :)). Yup, Little J has a boyfriend! That's enough to throw me into full-blown panic mode. She can't be old enough for that! But she is. And she is very level-headed about it all. She has asked me all sorts of relationship questions -- thoughtful ones too.

Next year Jessica will be going to school in Iowa. Dordt College, here she comes!! Two of my cousins will be attending Dordt next year so I'm sure they will all have fun together. Oh man, I just love her to pieces. I can't help it.

By the way, my Mom made her dress. Didn't she do a great job???

a taste

Here's a small taste of what's to come. Maybe tonight... but probably tomorrow sometime.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a Canadian weekend!

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