I’ve always been curious to get older. Does that mean I get wiser? Richer? Happier? Funnier? It turns out that getting older feels just like every other birthday I’ve had. I’m still me…..I’m 40 years old…..but I still feel like the me I was when I was 18, 24, 33, and now 40. Age is just an indicator of time passing, but the adventures you have and the people you share it all with is an indication of how you’ve lived.
From Medicine Hat I headed west along Highway 3 towards Lethbridge. I’d never done the drive, but I’d always heard how beautiful it was, and it didn’t disappoint. I’m my father’s daughter because I love looking at all the crops as I drive along, especially on a new stretch of highway. And I wasn’t disappointed this time as I was treated to miles of irrigation lines feeding water to corn, sugar beets, beans, sod, wheat, barley, and canola.
I arrived in Lethbridge at noon and made my way to my friend Bobbi’s house. Bobbi and I connected back when I lived in Edmonton and she lived in Sherwood Park. When her family moved to Lethbridge I promised I would come to visit – and I finally had the opportunity to make good on that promise!!
Bobbi’s backyard. Nice isn’t it?
There was just enough time to unpack Lydia, say hi, and then hop into Bobbi’s vehicle as we were headed to Calgary for the day – the Calgary Stampede and a visit with another good friend Erin in the future.
Beers, BS, birthdays and belly laughs. Thanks Bobbi, Erin and Dani for a great time!
Well we had a bit of a scare there a couple of weeks ago with the temperatures dipping below freezing and Calgary receiving the worst snowfall on record in the last 130 years! All of this for the early part of September; its unheard of normally. Farmers are still itching to get into the fields and get their crops in the bin before winter truly arrives.
Thankfully the blustery cold weather was only here for a brief stay and things have returned to normal (into the +30 range even). Recently I headed home to the farm to celebrate my father’s and my brother-in-law’s birthdays. We took advantage of the warmer weather and spent a lot of time outdoors around the fire pit (hot dog and corn roast anyone?).
Being on the farm for harvest has to be my favourite time of the year, hands down. How can you not love the landscape and the sunsets? All I have to do is look out the window any day of the week and I realize how fortunate I am to be where I’m from, and also how happy I am to be back home.
It’s funny sometimes how the older you get, the less the birthday becomes about the party, and the more you sit back, take stock on what has happened in the last year and give thanks that you can begin another one. That’s exactly how my 37th has begun…
Thank you to my wonderful family who sent flowers.
Special thanks to my friends that took me for dinner and showered me with the best gifts.
Thank you to my friend Courtney who drove up from Calgary, bought me a thoughtful book and shopped down Whyte Ave. with me on my birthday.
I’m so grateful for the friends that came and spent hours at the local with me, drinking cider and telling stories.
I’m thankful for the gorgeous birthday weather that had me outdoors trying new things.
And finally I’m grateful for the friends who, conjured up cupcakes, a candle and sang a heartfelt “Happy Birthday”.
What an amazing start to 37!
This weekend was FULL of reason to celebrate. Friends from across Alberta, Calgary to Banff to Edmonton, had come up to Fort Saskatchewan to celebrate our good friend Dave’s 40th birthday. A hall had been rented outside of the Fort and there was plenty of room for us to set up trailers and tents and to dig in and get comfortable for a few days of celebration.
As 40th birthdays go, Dave had a great one. Planned by his lovely girlfriend Amy, there were all of the family and friends. There was plenty of food and cake. There were speeches, a slideshow and lots of laughter. And when it was time for the thank-yous from Dave and Amy……………..there was a proposal of marriage. We screamed. We laughed more. We cried. We were all part of the most exciting thing ever – an engagement. My heart has been bursting ever since.
So many great friends together in one place, thank you Dave, Amy and both of your families for the hospitality. Love you all to bits 🙂
 Setting up the tents with Amy and Leisa
Birthday festivities in the hall
Dave (birthday boy) with his cake, with Amy and his mom Bonnie
Right before Dave popped the question!
So happy to have spent this weekend with Dave and Amy, and to have caught up with the girls (Amy, Andrea, Leisa and Bonnie)
January is always one of my favourite months, mostly because there’s a whole pile of people I care about that have their birthdays in the month. I am a January baby too but I love hunting down all of my Capricorn and Aquarius friends to call them, email them, tweet them or mail them a birthday card on their special day.
I started my birthday celebrations off early this year, getting out for an afternoon of tobogganing in Edmonton with some true winter weather enthusiasts! And for my actual birthday, it was the first year in a long time that I was home for my birthday – the big draw was the fact that my mom and I could celebrate our birthdays together (her 60th is on Jan. 30). So on Saturday the 19th we gathered both sides of the family together at my brother and sister-in-law’s for a massive happy hour. It was so good to see everyone and it reminded me so much of the family get-togethers we used to have when my sister and I would return from our travels in Asia.
Thank you to all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and most of all my family for making my 36th birthday one of the happiest I can ever remember.
Today is a day of milestone birthdays at either end of the spectrum. Today Mike and Angie’s little baby Beck turns one! He had a birthday party yesterday and was as busy as any one-year-old can be. He’s grown so much and gotten cuter by the day (if it’s possible this kid can do it). What a change from when I first met him in November 2011!
My grandfather also celebrates his birthday today. He turns 92 and in this day and age that is a true milestone. I’m going to call him at noon today and do the only thing I know I can to make his birthday brighter – play him “Happy Birthday” on the violin.
This past weekend the Calgary Stampede turned 100 years old. In almost predictable fashion they celebrated with a big parade to kick off 10 days of rodeo action, cowboys, fried foods, sunshine and flapjacks. I’m a sucker for a good parade and enjoyed this year’s immensely. This year was also the first time I got tickets to the rodeo. Here is just a smattering of all the things I enjoyed this weekend! Yeehaw!
While a little belated the sentiment is still there. Canada, you turned 145 years old on July 1st and you continue to grow more and more beautiful with each passing year. I’m so fortunate to call you home.
Canada Day long weekend was about friends and family ~ time in Saskatoon with friends and then the remainder of the weekend on the farm with my family. I live a charmed life, this weekend convinced me of it completely.
Bonne fete Canada!
Well I celebrated a milestone yesterday ~ 35 years old. Sigh. A year ago if you asked me what I’d be doing for my 35th I would’ve told you that I was renting a hall, hiring a DJ and doing my birthday up in style. But as the date approached I just felt like doing absolutely nothing. I didn’t really mention my birthday was coming up, I didn’t plan anything elaborate to celebrate, I just kept it under wraps.
Thankfully I have fabulous family and friends that dragged me out of the house to celebrate in some fashion. Biggest thanks to my parents who drove from Saskatchewan to celebrate and my friend Courtney who came all the way from Calgary. Wow, just….wow. So amazing.
And huge thanks to my roomie Natalie who organized the friends and grabbed a table at the local. It was an amazing Tuesday for me and it really was one of the best birthdays I’ve had in a long time. Thank you all for your texts, tweets, phone calls and emails. I so appreciate you all.
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Adventures of a Saskatchewan Girl 