A Day For My Little Sister...

So I'm back down in California, have been for about 3 weeks. And I already, totally miss my family...okay...I actually started missing them the minute I passed through the border patrol into the US. It was so nice to have the whole family together...even if it was for just a few days. I wish that we could do this more often, and not just because someone is celebrating something, I wish that it could be on a day to day basis. It's not the big celebrations that I miss, it's the little everyday things...like going shopping with my sisters or hanging out with them after one of my mom's delicious dinners. Man, I miss my family!!

So, you're asking what the big celebration that caused us all to be together this summer? Well, my little sister got married...yup, she married her cowboy/chef/border collie breeder and trainer. Now, if that isn't a catch...I don't know what is!! I was able to take some pictures of them before the big day, I had this grand idea to take some pictures of them and make a guest book with the pictures where people could sign the pages...and I have to admit...it turned out AWESOME!!! Anyway, here are a couple of my fave pics from the photo shoot.

I just love the cabin they are leaning against...and I have to say that Joel built this cabin himself (a fact he is VERY proud of!)

I love my sister's smile here. She is so happy with him, so of course, I'm happy for them!!

I told you he was a border collie breeder!! SO jealous of her right now!!

And here is the beautiful spot where they had their ceremony. It was in a field on the ranch where Joel works overlooking this lake. Just beautiful!!

So anyway, the first night I flew in to town I had to go to Rachel's bachelorette party...and I have to admit that Erika (my youngest sister) did a very good job in setting it up. We all had a blast, and most importantly, Rachel had a great time too! I can't post any pictures from that night, because, well...this is a kid friendly blog!!

Then the rest of the week before Rachel's wedding was spent getting all the last minute little details taken care of. And let's just say that there was more than one time that Erika and I were ready to throw in the towel!! But it was all to see this smile on my sister's face...

And can I say how stinkin' cute my kiddos were!?! I love their little angel wings! Funny story about Monkey...he was over on the guys' side during the ceremony, with no one that he knew. So when Rachel came up with my parents and the Father walked forward...Monkey went right up there with him. Yup, he was just standing right there beside the Father as he started the ceremony. Too cute!!

So, here's the whole wedding party...I have to admit...we're a pretty good looking bunch, eh?!

And here's one of my family. I wish that my grandma (my Dad's mom) could have been there, but she just wasn't physically able to make it up to the wedding site.

I just wish all the best for these two!! I love them so much!

So, not only was their ceremony site beautiful, but then they had their reception on the lawn of this beautiful lake. They had an awesome wine tasting and hor d'oeuvre hour(s)...did I mention that Joel was a chef...therefore, half of his friends were chefs too...and they catered the reception?! Yah....deliciousness!!

This picture means SO much to me. It just looks like a group of people talking...but the important thing is that they are talking. This is my dad, his sister and her daughter...and my family back home has been fighting with them for years. Some stupid family feud...it totally sucks, and it completely destroyed our family. We used to hang out all the time, and now, until this day, we barely talked to each other. It was so amazing to be together and having fun...I hope that this is a sign of good times to come...I really miss hanging out with them.

So, here are a couple of pictures of me and the men that made my day during Rachel's wedding...

This is my cousin Jared, from the same family that we're supposedly feuding with...although, we have both managed to stay out of the fight and still remain pretty close. Although, we haven't seen each other in years...it was so good to see him again! I can't wait until he comes down to visit me in California!! And yes...that's me...I was there, and looking pretty darn good...I have to admit!! ;)

This was my "date" for the night. Markus is the groomsman that escorted me down the aisle. He was totally funny, and cracked me up the whole night.

Of course, my dad...handsome man, isn't he?

My "little man" totally stole the spotlight on the dance floor!! He was so cute! Stayed with us until past midnight!!

And last, but certainly not least, the most important guy in my life...

That's it for now...man, that took me a long time to upload and arrange all those pictures!! I'll stop by later to catch you up on the kiddos going back to school, soccer games and our other day to day lives!!

Until next time...

Happy Birthday SM!! Blog Train Freebie Alert!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the ScrapMatters Birthday Bash Blog Train!!

Well, it's that time of year again, it is ScrapMatter's 2nd birthday and do we have a great weekend in store for all of you!! Just check out the ad below!! We have chats, tons of speed scraps and of course a huge sale!!

And on top of all this, we also have this amazing blog train!!

One of my favorite summer time activities growing up was camping with my family and friends. Now, I grew up in Central British Columbia so there was always somewhere to go camping and fishing. And to tell you the truth, that's one of the biggest things that I miss now that I live down in California. Now, I'm sure that there are plenty of places to go camping down here, but it's just not the same. I mean, I'm talking about deciding to go camping and then heading out a few hours later and being able to find a perfect spot on a gorgeous lake. And for the most part, there weren't very many people around. The same can't be said around here, if you want a great campsite, you pretty much have to book it months in advance...and there's always people around. I miss being able to get away from people and just being able to spend quality time with my family and friends.

But now that I do live along the beautiful Monterey Peninsula I have to admit that I have a new barbecue tradition that is quickly becoming a favorite. And that is throwing a barbecue on Carmel beach. I was first introduced to this wonderful outing through my co-workers and the parties that they throw on the beach, and my family has quickly integrated this into our holidays. In fact, we threw my son's latest birthday party on the beach, and it was amazing. I mean, how could you really go wrong with the gorgeous blue Pacific Ocean, white sandy beaches, a great barbecue and friends to share it with? If you haven't tried it yet, and you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend it!!

Anyway, enough babbling about my favorite summer and barbecue memories. I know that you are all here for the blog train. If you happened to come across my little blog through the SM blog train, you should have come from Melanie's blog. So without further ado, here is the freebie I came up with for all of you!

Here is the link for Our Favorite Spot word art.

And here is the link for the Perfect Day word art.

**I'm not sure why the previews look so odd on my 4shared account, but I assure you they are just like they look on the preview shown above.**

Okay, so I hope you enjoy these little goodies...make sure you follow this blog train all the way to the end because the CT and Design Team have some amazing goodies for you!!

Your next stop on the train is Stefanie!!

If you get lost, you can always start over at Andrea's blog.

Enjoy this wonderful weekend that SM has in store for you and make sure you stop by the store to take advantage of the wonderful sales, speed scraps and chats we have in store for you!!