The other day my good friend Keira wrote a post called, This is What’s Awesome. At a time when holidays are far off in the distance and the city is covered with a dull layer of fog, it’s sometimes nice to just have a little fun (if even by way of a blog post) and […]

I’ve celebrated 28 birthdays in the Greater Vancouver Region so turning 29 (for the first time… for real) while in Iowa is a new experience for me. Mom won’t be there when I wake up with a stack of pancakes on the table pierced by a single celebratory candle. I won’t be able to answer […]

This morning we headed out to Camp Courageous of Iowa, a year-round respite and recreational facility and a very special place in the hearts of many. Camp Courageous was founded in 1972 when forty acres of land was donated for the sole purpose of establishing a camp for the disabled. In 1973 five buildings were […]

Yesterday after many more family good times, we piled into the car and drove over to the Quad Cities (which consist of Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, and Bettendorf) to catch my first-ever AHL game. Driving through the countryside from Iowa to Illinois we followed a breathtaking sunset that made the entire sky glow from orange […]

After a very long day yesterday our heads finally hit our pillows in small town Iowa. We’ve been reunited with John’s family and all of his nieces and nephews (that I can tell he misses dearly since he can’t stop playing college football on Playstation with the boys). We didn’t accomplish much today but I […]

In 5 hours my husband will be home from work. 6 hours later we’ll be heading out to the Midwest. I’ve packed, I’ve cleaned and scrubbed the house (since we have a house-sitter), and I’ve booked a ride to the airport. The internet was just down for many users in the Vancouver area (as I […]

Last night while watching my niece and nephews track NORAD Santa through Egypt it finally felt like Christmas. The hustle and bustle of daily life, not to mention keeping up with work up until Christmas Eve night, didn’t quite make me feel the holiday spirit this year until that moment. The family got together last […]

Today is my friend Keira‘s birthday. She’s another year older, another year wiser, another year prettier (to make up for the older comment), and another year full of friendship, respect, and kindness. Keira is one of the few people I can trust to listen without judgment if I need to pour out my soul, and […]

Last year I was waking up in a cozy room with frosted windows that looked out onto snow-covered streets while the warm aroma of a roasted turkey dinner embraced me and my Hawkeyes sweatshirt. We were lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with family in Iowa last year and unfortunately due to so many big events […]

I’m a history buff and I’ll be the first to admit that if I could sit in on my grade 12 AP European History course again, every day of the week, I would. I’m also the grandchild and great grandchild of men who fought in the “war to end all wars” and the one that […]