This picture contains 3 of my favorite things:
- Tea, and more specifically Duchess Grey Tea, obtained exclusively from Trader Joe's.
- My red mug, bought for $0.25 at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop in Gibsons BC, one of my prized possessions despite the broken handle.
- Barnabas. NBD. just the best place on earth.
It must have taken me 30 tries to get the tea tag right, the wind would inevitably blow it too much and the 25 sec exposure would just capture a blurr, but this one worked out almost perfectly! :)

Good Friends and Funny Faces.

My dear friends Pierre, Laurel and Dan.
Laurel and I inevitably matching again, Dan and Pierre predictably goofing off again.

It would be impossible to choose just one picture from Butchart Gardens. I stumbled upon two somewhat forgotten loves: gardening, and photography. Oh yeah, and these photos are all of my favourite flower variety: dahlias.

More coming up tomorrow: wacky family triumphs.

Phil and Evelyn Erickson are two of the most amazing people I have ever met, the way they live their lives for the Lord is an incredible example to me and I know to hundreds of other people. They loved me like one of their own children during my internship at Barnabas and I am constantly being blown away by their Christ-like example. <3 I'm going to miss them!
P.S. Phil usually smiles but this time he didn't get the memo...:)

An Echo Lake view from Micah and Josh's cabin

(it got more opulent while I was on my way to the next minor tragedy/sliver).

Awe.

Home for the past week!

I spent little time in it, but it was fabulous.

How to make sun tea:

One tall jar or container - if it seals it means I can't spill it quite so easily. This one just looks great.

About 5 (I use black) tea bags per 6 cups boiling water. Whatever amount of honey or sugar you want - I tossed in just over one TBSP of honey. Lemon slices (or if you have it, the lemon juice concentrate could work too) as you like it. This time I threw in raspberries too, since they'd already joined my cake and salad.

Leave it out in the sun for hours or more. It will just get more strong and dark, the way we like our coffee (right Sarah?)

PS Fortunately for you two, Buster has nothing to do with the making of tea. I just love seeing her around after escapading for over 3 weeks.

Graduation Week...

... brought many joyous things.

much time with this lovely friend before we part ways

a whale of a time with a friend at the UBC Beatty Biodiversity Museum

beautiful sunsets accompanying beautiful conversation

Meet Tom (aka 'Big Tom' for apparent reasons).

I always hear Johnny Cash's voice singing Big John when I think of

Tom, even though he's not bad.

We are good friends and he follows me around.

Trout Lake Farmers Market. Findings..

(photo cred: wonderful Robyn!)

Blog post titles are over-rated so I won't be adding any to my posts. That way you will know that it's Alpha posting!
Last weekend we barbequed steaks down on the float, blue rare, with twice baked potatoes, green salad with strawberries, candied pecans and the best poppy seed raspberry vinaigrette I've ever tasted, and wine.
Then we lay on the couches and watched the meteor shower.
The perfect way to spend an evening.

So these are a few from the past days where I haven't really had internet.

#1. Banana walnut oatmeal cookies and jam-jams for Su and 'Scoops ( aka Sasha, Cooper, and Clint), made by Steph and me.

#2. Early morning mist over the water. I wish I could've caught the black bear who swam over to visit a little later.

Words to live by!

August begins!

So I'm not sure if our pictures should have faces in them, but after a day spent at Deep Cove reading, chatting, eating triple creme brie, and wading in the ocean, this gelato was the icing on the cake. So. Good. Beautiful people, beautiful day, first day of August!