LiFE is Like a PARTY!

"Life is 10% what happens to you 
and 90% what you do with what 
happens to you."
-Author Unknown

"Live for today, Plan for tomorrow, 
Party tonight."
-Author Unknown

"A friend is a gift you give yourself."
Author Unknown

Beau's gifts and cupcakes for the PARTY
we had here for him on Monday night.

BEAU in the Birthday shades with his daddy.
They look a lot alike in this PARTY pic!
 

Soaking wet BEAU with my cousin GWEN
now sporting the PARTY shades! 

Mariah ready to SWING into a PARTY CELEBRATION! 

Mariah and Beau at his little PARTY...
with his special gift from his family,
A big BATMAN! 

Shuffle in the PARTY HAT spirit of things! 

Jana and Mariah at the PARTY on Monday.
Mariah looking rather serious here... 

A Happy family pic from our little PARTY
here for Beau on Monday. 

A crafted Birthday Card for GWEN...
her birthday was on the 7th, so we celebrated her's with Beau's! 

Earlier on Monday we had a little pre-PARTY visit with
my nephew, Alec, my niece, Emily and
their mom, Gail all here from Vancouver. 

The PARTY visits continued... here on tuesday with
 my friend, Lynne who came to visit for a few days from Regina. 

STARBUCKS will put anyone into a PARTY frame of mind,
 and here is Lynne on Wednesday with our
vanilla bean frappicinos and cookie! 

Here is my good friend, Ella, this morning in her lovely backyard.
She has hosted a few parties there too! 

Ella and me this morning when she invited me
for a nice coffee and visit in her yard. 

Today my friend, Brenda called me to join her for a lunch on the patio of the
restaurant at Alexander's... and the PARTY feeling continued! 

CHEERS to LIFE... PARTIES, PARTY HATS... BIRTHDAYS...
cousins, friends, and wonderful family!
This is my cousin Gwen and me on our deck last monday at our little
 PARTY CELEBRATION!


Lately there have been a lot of activities
going on around here creating so much fun
in our warm summer weather.
It makes me feel like my life
is like an on gong PARTY!

A week ago we had Brian's friend, Steve,
from Tuscon, here for a week.
On the weekend they attended a wedding in Waskesiu. Steve treated Brian and me to a great supper at Earle's on Sunday
night and was on his
way home again, Monday.


Later on Monday we had a brief visit
from my niece, Emily, nephew, Alec,
and their mom, Gail along with their friend, Rachel, before they headed off to the lake.


We hosted an early Birthday Party for Beau
on Monday with a barbeque and cupcakes
and presents. We also had my cousin, Gwen who celebrated her birthday on the 7th and  with Beau's on the 8th...
they almost share their special day!


Jana, Nels, and the kids were off to a
week at the lake on Tuesday morning.
My good buddy, Lynne from Regina
came for a few days of girlfriend
bonding with me then as well.


We did lots of shopping, coffeeing,
eating out , going for walks,
drinks on the patio, watching Olympics
and just catching up in general.
We always have so much fun when ever
we re-unite! We have the common bond of being grandmas...and love to shop for little treasures at Dollarama, especially
for our wee ones... and this trip was no exception... we were definitely the "DOLLARAMA- GRAMMAS!"

Yesterday, brother Brian popped by
and shared a lunch with Lynne and me,
as well as mowing our lawns for me, too.
He is a good bro to have!
Lynne was on her way back to Regina
early afternoon yesterday.

Last night I was invited to share appies
and drinks on the roof top patio of Athena
with my 2 sisters-in-law, Bev and Brenda.
All food and beverages are half price from
7-9 on thursdays...and last night was so beautiful out...fun times!


Today I was thinking a trip to the gym might be needed after all the celebrating I have been doing, but opted out to take Shuffle for a walk and in stead was invited to my friend Ella's for a coffee. She has a lovely yard, and we enjoyed our little visit.

I was just leaving Ella's when I got a call on my cel phone from my friend Brenda. She just returned from the World Baton Championship in France, last night. She wanted to catch up with me over a lunch... so my party festivities just continued on as we enjoyed tasty WRAP on the patio at Alexander's.... I feel as though the PARTY spirit is not WRAPPED up yet...
in fact my whole Life feels like an ongoing PARTY!

I have often shared just how blessed I feel to have so many good circles of friends and family to share my life with... and simply PARTY ON!

My life seems like a PARTY
all summer long...
There's always something going on,
just like a real good song!
Whether it is time I share
with loved ones oh so dear,
Or with the friends from far away,
who do not live as near.
Birthday celebrations,
cupcakes and delights,
Shopping and enjoying life,
morning , noon, and nights!
Summer sunshine everywhere,
warms me from the start,
And makes me very grateful
and happy in my heart!
Life's a celebration
with all I choose to do...
I feel very lucky,
and love to share with you!
 

Something to CELEBRATE!

"When you spread around joy and happiness, then life all around becomes a grand CELEBRATION."
-Anna Trimiew


"The more you praise and celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
-Oprah Winfrey


"Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make everyday a holiday and celebrate just living. "
-Amanda Bradley

Here is BEAU in his sister's sunglasses clapping for
the OLYMPICS on TV... (which he refers to as "FEE-VEE"!)
So much to CELEBRATE always!!! 

MARIAH CELEBRATING her fun CRAFT with STAR Quality!

My niece Emily doing crafts in my basement...
I like to take a little credit for getting her interested in this in the first place,
as we began doing this together years ago,
now it is sort of tradition to fit in a session while she is in town!.

Brian,  and his Tuscon friend, Steve and myself at
BERRY BARN for a delicious supper Tuesday night! 

This is the menu at BERRY BARN...
 it is a great summer CELEBRATION kind of place to go! 

Keeping in the "BARN" theme...
 here is my father-in-law, Greg, sharing his BARN BOOK
with Brian's friend STEVE. 

Brian, his brother , Bruce and his friend, Steve.
Bruce has been here for the past 4 weeks, and Steve the past week. 

Steve and Brian in front of one of our favorite
 Japanese Restaurants called SUSHIRO. 

After our sushi... we wandered down the street to the FRINGE
which is another one of
SASKATOON'S SUMMER CELEBRATIONS! 

Yesterday was a BIG CELEBRATION...
my sweet Auntie Mary and Uncle Charlie
CELEBRATED their 67th Wedding Anniversary.
I crafted a little card and baked some chocolate chip cookies
for them and delivered them to my Aunt's nursing home.  

My dear Auntie Mary looking fabulous on her
 67th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. .. at her nursing home.
I just missed seeing Uncle Charlie,
 he had been there minutes before I got there for a visit.
(He still lives in their home of many years, in Montgomery Place)

Many photos I've taken in the past week or so
of BEAU...
He has a birthday CELEBRATION coming up,
so I might need to do a little Birthday craft for him! 

some "FOOD"-TOGRAPHY!
These are the foods we have around here for our day to day
CELEBRATIONS at BUMMA'S HOUSE...
(which is what Beau now calls me!)


LIFE itself is a big CELEBRATION!

My summer has been filled with many things worth celebrating, from spending time with special family and friends near and far, to many events and meals in between.

Just this past week alone... since my previous blog I have taken another 166 photos... of this that and the other. Always hard to include the events that might interest my readers most.

We have had Brian's brother, Bruce and his daughter Emily visiting from Vancouver for the past 4 weeks. They have stayed at the Raskobs, but we have shared lots of time with them.

Brian's high school buddy, Steve, from Tuscon, Arizona came to stay with us this past Tuesday.
 He and Brian have had fun rehashing old school memories together.
Friday the two of them went to Waskesiu for a wedding, (Brian was going as Steve's date!)

 We have done many outings revolving around food... in and around my babysitting stints, etc etc!

I have had lots of BEAU the last while...and we have watched the Olympics and he has performed his own version which I call the "BEAU"-LYMPICS!

It was exciting to see Canada get their first GOLD medal yesterday in Woman's Trampoline
CELEBRATING Rosie MacLennan of Ontario.

Other things worthy of CELEBRATIONS this past week...

- Our Saskatoon Twirler, Julia Newton, from Brenda's School Of Baton and Dance, placed 9th overall in the WORLD TWIRLING Competition in FRANCE.

Yesterday my Aunt Mary and Uncle Charlie
CELEBRATED 67 years of wedded bliss!

Tomorrow Friends from Toronto,
Kristi and Matt
will CELEBRATE their
7th Wedding Anniversary.

On Monday, August 7th...
one of my favorite cousins, GWEN,
Celebrates her birthday.

On Tuesday, August 8th, BEAU will be "TERRIFIC- TWO!"

Tomorrow we plan to have an early CELEBRATION to honor Beau's Birthday.

It seems there is always ...
Something to CELEBRATE!

Life itself is like a CELEBRATION...
There's always something
to cause a jubilation.
Whether it's a birthday,
anniversary, or a win,
Something special is happening,
to just make me grin!
Everyday has something
SPECIAL within it...
Some days have a lot,
and others... just a bit!
But when I choose to
CELEBRATE
just to be...
It makes all of life
more worthwhile to me!

From ORDINARY...to "B"- LiGHTFUL!!!

"Appreciation of life itself, becoming suddenly aware of the miracle of being  alive, on this planet, can turn what we call ordinary life into a miracle."
Dan Wakefield


"In life, there are no ordinary moments. Most of us never really recognize the most significant moments of our lives when they are happening."
-Kathleen Magee


The above quotes are more out of my 
"BE THE DIFFERENCE" BOOK!

anything but ORDINARY....
check out these "B"EACH "B"EAUTIES!...
 yesterday at "B"LACKSTRAP. 

"B"ONDING  "B"Y the "B"OAT at "B"LACKSTRAP!
my nephew, Maxwell, nieces Emily and Rowen, and grand daughter, Mariah!
"B"RIAN in "B"ACKGROUND... "B"LOWING up the tube! 

"B"ESTIES... "B"y the "B"OAT... ready to go tubing! 

"B"EING "B"RAVE..."B"LOWING in the "B"REEZE! 

"B"IKING without training wheels...
"B"EST day ever! 

"B"ROTHER "B"RIAN
giving the thumbs up to the
"B"ARBEQUED "B"URGERS & "B"EER!  

"B"ABYSITTING
these two little "B"UDDIES
 as they color on the sidewalk and drink from their new
water "B"OTTLES! 

Mariah "B"ONDING with her "B"ROTHER, "B"EAU! 

Mariah in her "B"ILLA "B"ONG "B"IKINI! 

"B"EAU "B"EING "B"LIGHTFUL! 

"B"EAU "B"ONDING with his Poppa "B"RIAN! 

"B"EAU with the Dora Sprinkler and "B"IG "B"ALL in the "B"ACKYARD! 

My two "B"EAUTIFL "B"EAUTIES... in Jana's "B"ACKYARD! 

"B"RIAN & "B"EAU  "B"ONDING! 

"B"EAU still calls me "B"UMMA! 

"B"RANCHING out from the "B"ACKYARD...
and off to the neighborhood park last wednesday!



For those of you popping by my "B"LOG
after a little "B"REATHER...
this will bring you up to date
on the many things far from
ORDINARY in my life since
my last "B"LOG post!

By taking "B"LOG "B"REAKS...
I end up with a "B"ACKLOG of photos and events to catch you all up on!

Today as I sat down to my 250th
"B"LOG POST...
I realized I had taken another
195 photos since my last
"B"LOG less than a week ago.

In short there have been lots of things
going on with relatives and
the pictures pretty much speak for them selves... but when trying to come up with a theme for this "B"LOG...
I realized lots of things I have been
doing lately began with the letter "B"!


So instead of writing out all of the full adventures... here are some those "B"LIGHTFUL words!

Babysitting, Beau, Backyard,Bonding,
Bottles, Buddies, Bathing Beauties, Bikinis,
Billa Bong, Biking, Boating, Beach,
Barbeque, Burgers, Buns, Berries, Beer, Ball, Birthday-Bev, Blackstrap, Brother Brian,
Bandaids,Babble, Bubbles, BUMMA!...
and BERRY much more !

I have babysat a few times since my last "B"LOG... and had my nieces here, too.
Made muffins... which Beau calls FUFFINS... watched TV... which Beau calls FEE VEE!
He is really learning to "B"ABBLE
a lot now!

I am enjoying the Olympics...
watched the opening ceremonies and was impressed, especially enjoyed
PAUL McCARTNEY!


Saturday was NATIONAL DANCE DAY...
I feel like my life is always like a DANCE
from one thing to the next!!!


Speaking of DANCE...Friday a provincial DANCE ICON passed away.
A friend of many in this province for her contribution to the dance world...
Carol Ann Hanson
will be forever fondly remembered.
My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.


Today I am doing housework such
as cleaning "B"athrooms and washing "B"edding, as we will have a house guest the next few days here.
"B"RIAN'S friend Steve is coming ...
so I need to get on to the
"B"lightful preps for that now!


on that note... a "B"RIEF poem today...

My life has been real "B"USY...
but oh so delightful,
Lots of things begin with "B"
to make it more "B"LIGHTFUL!
Family and friends fill my life
with things "B"RIGHT and fun...
I have to thank my lucky stars,
"B"ECAUSE... I'm a lucky one!

"SPOT" the GooD TimeS!

I saw a poster with this saying the other day which seemed to not only suit this blog post... but my life in general...


"Life is like a camera. Just focus on what's important. Capture the GOOD TIMES. Develop from the negatives and if things don't turn out-take another shot."
-Author Unknown

SPOT the LOVE in this photo!
This is me and my cute grandkids Mariah and Beau
last Friday at Raskob's on their swing.

Jana, Nels and their kids visiting at Raskob's last friday...
SPOT the good times they are having here on the big swing...
or FWING as Beau calls it! 

Me and Brian out to hear some live Jazz at
McNalley Restuarant last Friday night.

Another shot of Colin and his girlfriend, Caro...
in his Montreal backyard a couple weeks ago.
I am so pleased to SPOT how HAPPY and content they are together. 

Look who I SPOTTED at the Jazz festival a few weeks ago!
 My cousin Gwen and my gym friend, Ella!
I really enjoy times I can spend with each of them.
I forgot to mention how Ella took in our mail while we were away,
Thanks Ella!

SPOT the fun in this pic...
Mariah in her polka dot suit and shades
with my niece, Emily from Vancouver,
here enjoying a little paddling pool time! 

Niece Emily here with my sister-in-law,
 BEV,
...who is celebrating her birthday today! 

SPOT the cuteness!
MARIAH and her friend, DREW
and my niece ROWEN, here on Sunday.

More HUGS and SMILES
at Sunday's potluck supper! 

Some of the 22 people who were at our Raskob Potluck supper here sunday! 

A family pic of my in-laws, BLANCHE and GREG,
with their children ...
L.to R.
Brenda, Bev, Brian, and Bruce.
This was at the potluck supper on sunday night.

SPOT how much fun I was having TAPPING into a good cause
last Tuesday night at Dance Saskatchewan.
Did you SPOT my cousin, GWEN on the far right? 

SPOT a little brotherly/sisterly love here...
 Brother Brian and me a week ago on our deck! 

SPOT the FUN yesterday when I met
my dance buddy, Brenda for Breakfast at Grainfield's.
We didn't plan the wardrobe... but notice we are in matching black and white
POLKA DOTS!




My Summer has been a whirl wind of lots of SPOTS of fun... and GOOD TIMES!

I take so many photos it is hard to know which ones to include in my blogs, especially for my blog readers who are NOT on FACEBOOK to catch the many I post there .

My new year's resolution in 2012 was going to be "LESS is MORE"
and when it comes to blog writing... lately that is the case, I have definitely not written as many of those lately... but
when it comes to photo taking, I have not really cut back on those!

I have done lots with many different groups of family and friends this summer, from enjoying the wonderful weather, the jazz festival, my son and his life in montreal, tapping, music, the grandkids, the gym, trips out for meals, drinks and starbucks... etc, etc!!!

The pictures say a lot on their own,
so no need to write a lot in this blog.

This morning after my class at the gym, my friend, Ella came back for a coffee, later today I am meeting with another friend for coffee to make plans for a dance summer school I will be teaching in August. Tomorrow I am babysitting... and the beat goes on and on!
My life is busy, and fun, and I tend to capture as much as I can on my camera!

Today is my sister-in-law, BEV's Birthday,
and on the weekend, my brother-in-law, MARK had a birthday as well.
We hosted a family pot luck supper here on sunday, which celebrated them,
and gave the entire family
another reason to get together.

I love to celebrate when and where ever possible... so the supper was very enjoyable.

Before that supper, Brian had taken the boat out with Jana, and Mariah with her friend, Drew, along with my two nieces, Emily and Rowen... to do some tubing at Blackstrap. They had a blast, too. Family fun is the best!

So on that note... here is my rhyme of the day!

Another blog... another poem...
As I sit at my computer in my home!
Weather with sunshine
and lots of heat...
Splashes in the pool, just can't be beat!
Family and friends are all around,
Music and dance fill the air with sound.
Babysitting my grandkids, oh so cute,
Lots of activity, it's been a real hoot!
Gatherings around lots of yummy food,
Beverages to suit every type and each mood.
Occasional classes at the gym to stay fit,
Not much time to relax and just sit!
But who really cares... who needs to rest???
My life is filled with GOOD TIMES...
it's truly the best!
As summers go, this has been a good one,
It's just been filled with lots of spots of fun!