Mr and Mrs Giesbrecht

It was perfect. Every last moment of the wedding and the days leading up to it. Having my parents, my brother and his fiancee, and Mare (Maid of Honour) and Jer (honourary bridesmaid, hee hee!) helped tremendously with the plans, and my other bridesmaid, Vassy was a miracle worker with the cake and our makeup! I'll go into a little more detail when I get the photos back (OMG, can't WAIT!!!), but for now, suffice it to say, the day was perfect!Mmmmm, Starbucks! Best Maid Of Honour EVER!!
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Going to Supper to start off my Sex and the City Stagette! Everyone looked HOT!
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Mum and Me at the spa getting our Mani-Pedis
~Vassy...Bridesmaid, Cakemaker extraordinaire! Yes, she's HAND PAINTING those flowers.
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Me and my ladies the night before the wedding
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The honeymoon? Not so much. Haha! We left on Sunday instead of Saturday as originally planned. It was universally decided that leaving on a long distance trip would not be wise when we could barely stare at each other without our vision blurring over (we were just a little tired). We stayed a little campground outside of Jasper called Robson Shadows. It was right on the Fraser River and had the most incredible view of Mt Robson. That was home for two nights and we left on Tuesday morning to head south to Banff area. We made it about 20 minutes south of Jasper. The bumps on the road jostled our tent trailer and blew the leaf spring (which holds the tires to the axle...or something). Anyway, we were stuck in a little campground called Kerkeslin on the Athabasca River. I'll bet you didn't know there aren't any RV businesses in Jasper, did you? Well there aren't. Luckily for us there is a Napa with some very very friendly and helpful people who supplied us with two brand new heavy duty leaf springs (to replace the other one too...afterall who wants to go through that twice?). Brad got to work on Tuesday and we set up camp in the little campground. The next day it was back to Jasper again for some U-bolts (or something), which they didn't have so we went to Hinton to get them. Long story short, the camper was all set and good to go by the evening on Wednesday, but we were so tired of the back and forth driving that we decided to stay on more day and leave on Friday.
Thursday we got up early and took one more trip to Jasper for a battery for the tent trailer (the old one was no good anymore and our heater won't work without the carbon monoxide detector which requires battery...it was a cold cold four nights) and to get Ollie checked out at the vet (he had developed several scarey red spots on his abdomen that the vet assistant said was likely bug bites), and then we went to hike to Horseshoe Lake and Athabasca Falls.
Friday morning we packed up and continued south through the Columbia Icefields to Calgary and finally stopped in Medicine Hat for the night. We stayed in a hotel. It had a shower...a luxury we hadn't enjoyed since Monday for Brad and Tuesday for me. Ha!

Today we shopped a little and made the final trek back to Swift.Our Resort (and that's my bouquet from the wedding on the table)
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In front of Mt Robson
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Ollie doesn't want to drive anymore
~At Horseshoe Lake, called one of the bluest lakes in Jasper National Park
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Daaaaaaaaaam!
(ok, so it was part of a beaver lodge, not a dam, but I couldn't resist!)
~Me and Ollie at Horseshoe Lake
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Athabasca Falls

~Athabasca River as it ran by our campsite at Mt Kerkeslin
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day one down!

Brad and I packed the trailer and escape last night and hit the road early this morning for day one of our trip to smithers. Of course, it was windy as hell from swift to biggar, and somewhere around rosetown it started to rain quite a lot. The rain finally gave out around camrose, and we had sun for most of the way to edson. Now we've set up our tent trailer for the night so that we're well rested for tomorrow when we make the last half of the drive! Can't wait! One more sleep!

And Awaaaay We Go!

The time has come! After months of planning and months of craziness and busy-ness and months of transition, the time has FINALLY come! I put on my out of office manager on my email, changed my voicemail to say I won't be back until the 31st, and practically sprinted out of the office! My vacation has officially started!
Tomorrow morning Brad and I will put our suitcases into the Escape, buckle Ollie into his seat, and hit the road for Smithers. It's a bit of a duanting drive, but Brad and I have always been good with long road trips together. We love each other's company (I should hope so!) and the time alone is always comfortable. Tomorrow we'll drive to Edson Alberta, which is the exact halfway mark between Swift and Smithers. Then on Sunday we'll get up and do another 10 hours to Smithers!
I'm so looking forward to having some time with my family, my friends, and some time to just relax and take a break.
Oh, and on Friday Brad and I will be getting married. That's kind of big I guess. ;) Haha!

My Bridal Shower

As the wedding day creeps closer (or maybe I should say sprints closer) I'm finding almost no time for blogging. That being said, I really wanted to get some pictures up from my Bridal Shower. Darlene and her friend Marilyn threw my Shower on August 4th. I was a little overwhelmed by the number of people who came and by the heaps of prezzies! It was so touching to be surrounded by so many women who care about me.

There were games including "who has the heaviest purse", remember the kitchen items on the tray (I remembered 12, but I didn't know what half of them were for, an apparently "teal plastic knife thingy", "some sort of pink coloured scoop", and "red measuring cup thing" don't count as actual kitchen utensil terms), and "Toilet paper wedding dresses". I had to laugh at the creative styles modeled by Norma, Kim, and Brianne!Michelle helped to make my hat from the bows on my gifts. I think I look quite stunning, really!

And Vassy, my amazing bridesmaid made the 2.5 hour trip to Swift Current and home again to Saskatoon just to spend an hour and a half at my shower. She is one amazing lady!

(P.S. It's not 12 days to the wedding, and only 7 till I'm in Smithers! ...but who's counting?)

A Good Day

Yesterday was a good day.
It was the first day in two weeks where I wasn't overcome by coughing fits throughout the day, the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island Launch of the Screaming Narwhal was released on wii (judge me not! Pirate video games definitely trump any "computer geek" stigmas...don't they?), I found out that I'm not getting paid enough (my boss actually sought me out and told me it would be remedied), and I got a cavity filled.
Ok, so maybe the last point doesn't get totally classified as "good" because, let's be honest, how many people actually enjoy going to the dentist, having their jaw frozen making them suddenly appear to be severely drunk, and having someone reach into their mouth with a scarey sounding drill? Not many, I'll wager. And it certainly doesn't top my list of "Things I'd Like To Do Frequently", but there is a certain ammount of satisfaction in knowing I'm looking after myself.
There was not a lot wrong with yesterday at all.
And today is officially 24 days until the wedding! Even fewer until we load up and go to Smithers! It's days like yesterday that make me think "everything is comin up J-dub" (to quote some of my previous radio co-workers)!

For those of you keeping track...

It's officially a month until the wedding. Am I ready? HAHAHAHAHAhahahaha, NO! But I'm doing my best not to be stressed. I want to enjoy the wedding and not be in a fog of stress leading up to it. Thankfully I have a wonderful support team in my Mum and bridesmaids, and Brad who keeps my head on my shoulders and is always ready to help and give me a hug.
It's been quite a process, but things have come together really well and I have confidence that they will continue to do so.

27...

Saturday was my 27th Birthday. It was one of those birthdays that didn't feel like a big change because for some reason for the past few months I've been telling myself I'm already 27. I don't know why I do that, but other people have told me they do the same thing, so I don't feel quite so bad. I suspect it will backfire on me when I'm convinced I'd 30 but am still 29. We'll see.
To celebrate July 18th (the best day of the year to have a birthday), Brad and I invited some good friends for a barbeque. Brett came with Broden, Rob and Bev came, Ashley brought Leighton and Derek came too, and Vassy and a coworker drove down from Saskatoon after work to wish me a happy birthday!

Brad made sure my birthday didn't get lost in the midst of all of the wedding plans
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Broden and Leighton held him down and tickled him on the lawn
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My wonderful friends!
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"Blowing out the candles" on my enormous cheesecake! (Ok, the wind was way too strong for candles, but we pretended)
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Leighton wanted to sit on the "motorspikel"
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Bev, me and Vassy...I have the best friends!

The Strangest Thing I've Seen

I went to WalMart the other day and when I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the strangest thing....

"A man is not complete till he is married. Then he's finished"
Hmm, grammar aside, what a charming sentiment!
I walked around the back of the van and saw this:

I couldn't help but laugh at the effort that had gone into the paint job. Curious as to what was on the other side, I kept walking...and found a bride and groom sitting on a unicorn who was pooping rainbows. Funny part is that the bride is a dude, and the groom was a girl.

I still don't know who managed to come up with such a fine tuned scheme to paint their friends' vehicle (or maybe they did it to their own?), but I think the message on the hood says it all:

Happy Father's Day, Da!

Thank you, Da, for being a support for me though my many decisions in life and for letting me make and learn from the bad ones anyway. It seems ridiculous to try to say thank you for everything you've ever done for me, but I guess the best way to do it is to say that I have so many wonderful memories thanks to you, and I know that I can come to you for advice on basically anything...and I HAVE come to you for advice on basically everything (stupid boys, my stupid computer, stupid car, stupid supper turning out stupid...well, you get the idea) and you listen and do everything you can to make things right for me. I'm so happy that over the past few years we've become closer and I feel like you're a friend to me as well as my Da.
Happy Father's Day. Thank you.

the calm AFTER the storm

It's been quite a year so far. I've made a complete career change that took just over four months, my best friend got married, we bought a trailer, and I can't seem to come up with enough examples of being busy to actually justify the ridiculous level of exhaustion I've felt so far.
I started working two jobs in January. The station from 5-12, and the health region from 1-5. That lasted until early april when I gave my notice at the station and 'put all my eggs in one basket' as a coworker put it. I was temporary full time until mid may when I applied for my job officially, had the interview and was hired full time permanent.
It's been a huge weight off my shoulders to actually have some solid job stability.
Immediately after being hired officially, I left for my week in penticton. When I came back home, it suddenly dawned on me that for the first time all year, I actually don't have a ton of commitments on the horizon. I can relax! And relax I have!

My Best Friend's Wedding

My dearest best friend, Mare is no longer a Miss, but has become a Mrs. She's officially adopted the last name McGoran as she married a good man on Saturday.

I flew to Kelowna on Friday the 15th to spend a week with Mare and Jeremy and hopefully help calm some of the stress and take care of some of the tasks that needed taking care of leading up to their wedding. While I was there, Mare's brother Sean and his wife Karin came to stay with them too and brought their little baby girl, Quinn (Quinn, you're a two-blog girl now!!). They were so much fun to spend time with and I felt like I already knew them just by what Mare had told me.
It was a busy week and I'm afraid I didn't do much to keep Mare's stress level low, I just hope I didn't add to it. We had a fantastic time at the Bridal Shower, and the Stagette was a riot.
When the wedding arrived, we had a great morning getting ready as Leanne did all our hair. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful at Linden Gardens and I was so happy to have Kleenex tucked into the strap of my dress to dab at my eyes as they recited their vows.
The reception at Pine Hills was a great time and the hall looked fantastic (as it should after we all spent Friday afternoon decorating!)
I feel like there's more to say, but I still can't process it all. So I'll post some pictures instead.
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Spa day in Summerland to help ease away some of the stress leading up to the day
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The BBQ on Friday night before the wedding. Mare was all dolled up in her fabulous pink dress, and Quinn was completely adorable in her stripy red and white sundress!
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The Bride and her Ladies at the BBQ - Me, Erin, Mare, Shan, and Leanne
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Shan, Me and Erin in the limo after the ceremony at Linden Gardens
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Brad drove up on Thursday to come and help out in anyway he could (and was a HUGE help decorating on Friday). This is us at Pine Hills where the reception was held
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Mr. and Mrs McGoran deeply in love for their first dance
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The bridesmaids rocked it out
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I'm so honoured to have been a part of the wedding, and I can't describe how touched I am still to have been her Maid of Honour.

A Campin' We Will Go!

Brad and myself (and Ollie) have become the proud new owners of a 2001 Dutchmen Folding Trailer (or tent trailer to the less couth RVer, *phah phah phah*)! We decided a while ago that rather than take a honeymoon to somewhere really hot in the middle of August (already really hot, not to mention hurricane season) we would buy a trailer and do some camping and site-seeing. We've had our eyes open for a while looking for the right model at the right price and finally a couple of weeks ago spotten this one parked in a driveway a block from our house. Next thing we knew it was posted on swiftcurrentonline's classifieds. All the pieces fell into place and it's now parked in our backyard (don't worry, we paid the guy...it's pretty big and he'd probably have noticed if we made off with in the middle of the night).This is the double bed on the back end. There's a seating area in front that also pulls down into a bed

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Looking at the Queen bed, dining area, stove, counter, and fridge. There's also a little sink next to the stove. The kitchen table also folds down into a bed.
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Stove and sink. The stove is indoor-outdoor and runs off propane
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Ollie's ready to go, and has picked his bed.

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P.S. Hooray Hooray, the First of May....

Fun Fun Fun!

It's been a busy few weeks, but with so many fun things going on, it's been a good kind of buys.

Frank and Christ came to visit last weekend, which was such a blast! I had Friday off, so we spent three days hanging out together. Not nearly enough, but I'll take what I can get!
I took them for the Swift Current tour on Friday, showing them the sights and shops downtown. We ordered pizza and played Wii games all night.
Saturday Frank helped me to get Scoots all tuned up for the spring (SWEET!!!), and took it for a spin around the block.
We went for supper at the Akropol on Saturday night (thank Mum and Da for the treat!)

And on Sunday we headed to the Saskatchewan Landing so they could see the beach I like to visit in the summer. Ollie went for an unexpected swim in the river when he decided to leap in, so we relaxed on the grass for a while to let him dry off. (Frank may have fallen asleep)

Alright...Da, your turn to come stay at Chez Jess and Brad!! Consider yourself officially called out!

Happy Birthday Mum!

While many poeple are thinking about the work and "going green" on Earth Day, my mind is on something way more important...
Today is my Mum's birthday!!!I know I've posted this picture before, but I can't get enough of it! I credit my Mum with my silliness, and my affinity for creating silly songs and singing them to myself (or to others),. She's the source of some of the best advice I've ever been given ("You can't change the way others treat you, but you can change the way you react to them"). Knowing she's always behind me means the world to me. We've shared so many fun times, and thousands of wonderful pots of tea!
Happy Birthday Mum!

20 Years in the Making!

It took us twenty years, but Vassy and I managed to realize our dream of going to a New Kids on the Block concert! The show was last night in Saskatoon and we managed to wrangle floor seats at the 35th row! I was so thrilled to get the chance and even though we were a ways back, it all ended up totally worth in!

After a few fantastic songs, complete with retro dances to their well known old songs (ie The Right Stuff), the guys ran around the outside of the floor area to the sound board where a piano was uncovered on a rotating stage. The crowd around the stage (Vassy and I included) screamed and reached to touch them. Wrapped up in the excitement of the crowd, I may have screamed "I LOVE YOU DONNIE!!!" with my hand outstretched trying desperately to make my arm grown that extra foot to touch one of their hands. No luck though. But I did manage to get some fantastic shots!

I think the best part of their set from the floor was Joey's gold jacket. AMAZING! Haha!!

Before they come out for their final encore, Vash and I started a chant of "STEP BY STEP!!" to which the entire crowd joined in. The boys (men?) obliged! For the finale of Hangin Tough each guy was wearing a personalized Team Canada hockey jersey. Cheesy? Absolutely! But tell me, what about a boy band doing a comeback tour 15 years after their breakup isn't cheesy?!

AMAZING.

Hard At Work, Clearly!

On Thursday, the Department Heads packed into the station cruisers and went for a drive. Our field trip started at the Swift Current Hutterite Colony. I'd never been to a colony before, and it was definitely educational to say the least. Dave and his sister Matilda (seen below to my right) gave us the tour which started in the building where they butcher the chickens. That was a smell that I will never forget, get used to, or likely get out of my hair. We saw the kitchen and dining rooms, a Hutterian home, the machine shop, many cows, many many geese and ducks, and some peacocks (for fun and show, not food).

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After our tour, we piled into the cruisers again and headed North West to White Bear to visit their famous hotel restaurant. I'm pretty sure that the tourism for the restaurant is the only thing keeping that hamlet viable. We each had a hamburger which was roughly the size of a dinner plate and I believe only one person finished it (I'm looking at you, Ryan!). After our food, the owners came out and chatted and showed us many inappropriate novelty items which delighted and entertained us for a while. One such item was the deer on the wall which comes with a microphone and moves it's mouth when someone speaks into it. Terribly amusing!

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Right before our trip back to Swift, we stopped at the White Bear in White Bear and took some pictures in front.

Oh how I love a hard day's work!!