Date Night.

Yesterday was a practically perfect afternoon with a perfectly delightful evening to follow.

The day consisted of...

two naps, respectively.

laundry (clean towels!)

a hike in the woods on our favorite trail.

a matinee movie ("away we go" - two thumbs up!)

dinner at Tommy's.

a stop in at Truffles...

which led to two coffees and an enormous macaroon.

t.v. & a game of crossword.

an edifying conversation to end the night.

i am now...

thinking about cameras, photography,

and looking for a new web host (free!)

and also about to pee my pants.

i've had about 8 cups of coffee today, and feeling it.

Day at the Lake.

Tim took the day off in hopes of seeing an academic advisor at Tri-C today - he got August 6th, which was the next available appointment.

Never to waste a free day together... we spent part of the afternoon on Hinkley Lake in a pedal boat. For $15 we got an hour's leg work out.... pedaling our way across the lake and against the current :) It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as we a) pursued a duck

b) took a much needed picture of the two of us (woo! finally!)

c) tried on the really gross life jackets (just for show)

It seemed like a pretty simple way to spend the afternoon, but special because it was something different and we were out in nature enjoying the beautiful weather! Although, I'm pretty sure our legs will be stiff tomorrow. Pedal boats offer quite the work out!

4th of July.

I guess this post is a little late - considering its now the 8th of July. But it's the only topic I could think of to comment on. So here goes...

This past weekend Allie & Eden came down for a visit and it was lovely, lovely, lovely. It was kind of a last minute thing so Tim and I were scrambling around trying to clean and get the apt ready in time. It forced me to do a lot of those odd jobs I had been putting off, like putting the last coat of paint on the tree "mural" in the spare room.

Most of our weekend was pretty uneventful - we never had any concrete plans for the day so we ended up just relaxing a lot... or shopping. The best purchase of the weekend was definitely the hibachi grill Tim got from Marcs for (drumroll)... $10! And it was a nice one too! He cooked hamburgers and shrimp on it for Independence Day which was exciting (even if the shrimp tasted a bit like lighter fluid). Unfortunately he had to go downstairs and squat out on the driveway to use it (for safety reasons) but it was still neat to have our own little grill.

I wish now I'd snapped a picture of him using it.... in fact, I was thinking today how few pictures we've taken since being married. Since meeting, come to think of it. Most of the pictures that exist of the two of us were taken by someone else without our prompting.

So, I'm determined to be more proactive with the photo cataloguing of

our life - despite my hatred for having my picture taken. I vow that the next post will be a picture post only.

For now, here is a hand drawn picture of the two of us.... by yours truly. It'll have to do for now.

Cake.

Lately Tim has been getting out of work a few hours early. Things always seem to slow down at TRC during the summer, and it gives Tim a little spare time to do the things the things he loves, like...... bake?

Below is the text conversation between us, which I must admit left me both amused & delighted:

Tim: I baked a cake to bring. [to our friend's house later in the day]

Lauren: What! Are you kidding? You are so cute.

T: Well... It might not be edible. I just kind of made it up. We'll see.

L: Lol. I'm so excited! What did you make it with.... ? [keeping in mind the lack of ingredients in our kitchen]

T: Eggs, flour, sugar, butter. I put a little coffee in to try and flavor it, but I don't think it worked. Then I mashed up the left over raspberries and peaches and put them in the middle. Then I melted some chocolate and poured it on top.

L: You're amazing!

T: Well...we'll see.

L: What sugar do we have? Those little individual packets for coffee?

T: :)

L: Wow. I'm seriously impressed.

T: Well... Again, let's wait and see. I'm debating eating a little piece before I even bother bringing it.

L: How many sugar packets did it take?

T: I dunno...why?

L: Cuz I'm trying to picture you opening them all. And the number makes it funny. Was it around 30?

T: Yeah, probably.

And the final result: pretty terrible. My description was that it tasted like "turkey" or "a fart" - the latter most likely due to the fact he used eight eggs. That's right, eight. And the coffee he mentioned using to add a "bit of flavor"? Well.... it was actually coffee grounds (bless his heart, he didn't know to use it in liquid form) which I first mistook for pepper. The thing was SOLID and probably weighed about ten pounds.

While I managed about 5 bites, Tim and Audrey could barely swallow one. Nevertheless, I'm proud of his effort - its the thought that counts! Here's a picture of the infamous concoction:

Summer.

Summer is by far my least favorite season. I know this is an unfavorable opinion - most people I know can't wait to get their shorts out and bake in the heat. They're almost always appalled when I say I could do without summer. I definitely prefer a fresh spring morning, or a crisp autumn afternoon. I don't mind a warm summer evening... but when temperatures start going over 75, I start to get worried.

That said, there is one particular week of the summer I don't mind; when I actually hope for hot temperatures and hope for the opportunity to use my bathing suit. And it doesn't come around every year. In fact... I haven't had the pleasure of looking forward to it in more years than I care to count. But this year... well this year a family tradition is finally brought back from the dead: cottage life on the shores of Lake Huron.

Goderich, Ontario is one of those sleepy little towns tucked away into Canadian countryside and has always felt like a little slice of heaven for me. It is after all "Canada's Prettiest Town." I can't say that's completely true - I'm almost positive the Goderich Tourism Board came up with that themselves, rather than it being based on a nationwide vote. But nevertheless, after all my worldly travels, it is still one of my most favorite places to visit. This year is sure to be one of the most memorable, as it will be Tim's first time, which means I'll get to introduce him to all of Goderich's unique attractions... the museum (which houses a stuffed two headed calf), the old jail (or gaol, according to their sign), the town square, the harbor, the lighthouse, point farms mini golf, but most importantly the beach with its beautiful sunsets!

Can't wait!

UPDATE: So Wikipedia informed me that it was Queen Elizabeth II who once commented that Goderich was the "Prettiest Town in Canada." If the Queen said it, it must be true.

Benjamin Theodore.

We welcomed a new nephew into our family this past Saturday - Benjamin Theodore! He is very adorable and we can't wait to see him grow up. It also got both of us excited about the prospect of having our own little one some day..... in a few years. God willing of course.

Well, we made it back safely from Florida. The memorial service for Tim's dad was last Tuesday and it seemed like it was just nice for the family to all be together and to remember the special role Rick played in each of their lives. I know in the future it will be hard not to be able to share life's important moments with Rick, but we pray that he is in heaven and that we will get to see him again some day. 

It was also nice, especially for Tim, to have a few days at home before going back to work and returning to the usual routine. Although it's looking close to certain that he'll be starting school in the fall which is very very exciting!!! 

I think he's going to make an excellent teacher :)

Cavs.

So in the past few days I've really developed a personal investment in the game of basketball, and particularly this last series.

But come on Cavs! Get your act together! Everyone is saying that if they lose the championship, LeBron will leave Cleveland when his contract is up. And just when I started to really enjoy myself...

Look at me, talking sports! Who wudda thunk.

I ended up editing my post from yesterday. In the heat of the moment, I said some unfair things about the whole Jon and Kate thing. Things which I'm sure God will hold me accountable to in light of my own wifely shortcomings.

Sooo....we'll know tomorrow, for sure we think, what the outcome will be with Tim's dad. 

We're hoping he chooses life. In Jesus' name!