Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Bittersweet
WARNING: LONG post (since I haven't posted since last week)!
Labour Day Weekend has always been bittersweet for me. Though it's a time spent with friends and family, and sharing some laughs and good times, it also signals the end of the summer. As a child, it always meant that school would start soon after. It would be the end of all the summer fun...until next year.
This Labour Day long weekend was one of the best ones I've ever had. Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood spent a few days with us on "The Island".
Mrs. Hollywood has already started spoiling "Junior". She got the baby his/her first toy and first book. This is the toy she got the baby.
I got excited and said that we really want to encourage creativity and stimulate the senses. This is a fantastic idea! Hubby liked it too, but he said "Oh! That's great! Something that lights up and makes lots of noise!" ;)
We took my nieces to Hubby's and my favourite place on the Island. There's nothing like spending the day at the beach! We were "beach hoppers" this weekend and tried to hit as many beaches as we could! Living on the Island, there are beautiful beaches in every direction you drive!
The Hollywoods went to their very first "fish fry" and we almost ended up going to a good 'ol country dance/concert just to see what it was like. I've never been to a dance like that before and I'm generally not much of a country music fan, but I'm the type of person who will give everything a try before I pass any judgment :) Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we were all exhausted come 8PM and decided to head home.
We reconvened for supper and ended the evening with a bit of stargazing. The Hollywoods were so amazed to see how spectacular the night skies are here. Never had they seen so many stars. It was quite amazing. Hubby says it's something he sometimes takes for granted because it's normal for him to see such breathtaking night skies. Although I have lived here for four years, I never cease to be amazed by how stunning all the stars are. We are truly lucky to see this all the time.
The last day of their stay was spent beach hopping (while poor Hubby worked on the farm). Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood and I first went on the trails at the Bridal Veil Falls and ended up swimming at Mudge Bay.
We sauntered over to the Chocolate Works. Sadly, they were closed on Labour Day!!!! What a disappointment :( Sorry, Canine and Jeanna! I'll have to make a special trip out there for you next time :)
After grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, we hopped on over to Providence Bay, where we spent the rest of our afternoon.
The Hollywoods are true sun worshipers. They are veritable beach bums. I love it! I'm a water baby myself and can spend hours swimming. Mrs. Hollywood and I were just saying how much fun it would be to take "Junior" to the beach when he or she gets older.
We stopped off for ice cream on our way home. You can't come to the Island and not have Farquhars' ice cream!!! I didn't have any though. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or anything sinful or sweet with this pregnancy. So sad :( Ice cream and sweets make me still make me very nauseous and sick.
Of course, after a wonderful leisurely day in the sun and at the beach, what should we return to?
The "girls" and their calves broke out of the pasture they were supposed to be in and were having a ball where they weren't supposed to be! Poor Hubby had to round them up.
Finally, with regard to my question on a recent post of mine (What to do with all these fresh veggies?), my pal Rosie at Telling Mom suggested "zucchini pizzas"! I don't know if this is what you had in mind, Rosie! Basically, I sliced a gigantic zucchini into rounds,
added spices, tomatoes, cheese and other toppings,
and baked it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
It was a great meatless and wheat-free alternative to pizza :)
Labour Day Weekend has always been bittersweet for me. Though it's a time spent with friends and family, and sharing some laughs and good times, it also signals the end of the summer. As a child, it always meant that school would start soon after. It would be the end of all the summer fun...until next year.
This Labour Day long weekend was one of the best ones I've ever had. Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood spent a few days with us on "The Island".
Mrs. Hollywood has already started spoiling "Junior". She got the baby his/her first toy and first book. This is the toy she got the baby.
I got excited and said that we really want to encourage creativity and stimulate the senses. This is a fantastic idea! Hubby liked it too, but he said "Oh! That's great! Something that lights up and makes lots of noise!" ;)We took my nieces to Hubby's and my favourite place on the Island. There's nothing like spending the day at the beach! We were "beach hoppers" this weekend and tried to hit as many beaches as we could! Living on the Island, there are beautiful beaches in every direction you drive!
The Hollywoods went to their very first "fish fry" and we almost ended up going to a good 'ol country dance/concert just to see what it was like. I've never been to a dance like that before and I'm generally not much of a country music fan, but I'm the type of person who will give everything a try before I pass any judgment :) Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we were all exhausted come 8PM and decided to head home.
At the Fish Fry
We didn't end up going to bed until midnight though! It's so hard to say goodnight when you're in good company.
By the way, did I tell you how HUGE I am??? Almost halfway there, but am I ever HUGE!!! The most perplexing thing is that I went to the doctor today for my regular visit, and I was surprised when I was told that my weight has STAYED THE SAME!!! I haven't gained any weight. With a gigantic belly like this, HOW is that possible???
Showing Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood life on the farm.
Showing Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood life on the farm.
The following day, I took the couple to the Farmer's Market and then Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood went touring around the Island. They hiked up the Cup and Saucer trail and checked out the Bridal Veil Falls. 
In the photo below, Mr. Hollywood is pretending to fall off the cliff at the Cup and Saucer. If you've ever hiked up the Cup and Saucer, you will know that what he did is not funny!!! It's a really steep (and far) drop! We love Mr. Hollywood though. He is such a joker! :)
In the photo below, Mr. Hollywood is pretending to fall off the cliff at the Cup and Saucer. If you've ever hiked up the Cup and Saucer, you will know that what he did is not funny!!! It's a really steep (and far) drop! We love Mr. Hollywood though. He is such a joker! :)
We reconvened for supper and ended the evening with a bit of stargazing. The Hollywoods were so amazed to see how spectacular the night skies are here. Never had they seen so many stars. It was quite amazing. Hubby says it's something he sometimes takes for granted because it's normal for him to see such breathtaking night skies. Although I have lived here for four years, I never cease to be amazed by how stunning all the stars are. We are truly lucky to see this all the time.The last day of their stay was spent beach hopping (while poor Hubby worked on the farm). Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood and I first went on the trails at the Bridal Veil Falls and ended up swimming at Mudge Bay.
We sauntered over to the Chocolate Works. Sadly, they were closed on Labour Day!!!! What a disappointment :( Sorry, Canine and Jeanna! I'll have to make a special trip out there for you next time :)After grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, we hopped on over to Providence Bay, where we spent the rest of our afternoon.
The Hollywoods are true sun worshipers. They are veritable beach bums. I love it! I'm a water baby myself and can spend hours swimming. Mrs. Hollywood and I were just saying how much fun it would be to take "Junior" to the beach when he or she gets older.We stopped off for ice cream on our way home. You can't come to the Island and not have Farquhars' ice cream!!! I didn't have any though. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or anything sinful or sweet with this pregnancy. So sad :( Ice cream and sweets make me still make me very nauseous and sick.
Of course, after a wonderful leisurely day in the sun and at the beach, what should we return to?
The "girls" and their calves broke out of the pasture they were supposed to be in and were having a ball where they weren't supposed to be! Poor Hubby had to round them up.Finally, with regard to my question on a recent post of mine (What to do with all these fresh veggies?), my pal Rosie at Telling Mom suggested "zucchini pizzas"! I don't know if this is what you had in mind, Rosie! Basically, I sliced a gigantic zucchini into rounds,
added spices, tomatoes, cheese and other toppings,
and baked it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
It was a great meatless and wheat-free alternative to pizza :)
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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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31 comments:
Sounds like you had a great Labor Day weekend and visit with The Hollywoods.
Don't you just love it when you are with such good company that even being tired seems to fade when you have good conversation to energize you. I'm up in your neck of the woods... Ok really I'm way over in BC, but its Canada at least, and we keep staying up really late to visit, chat and play games with my brother and SIL. These are the best vacations! (ok, its not Hawaii, but pretty relaxing and fun still!)
BTW - check out your CUTE belly!
OK, first off, I loved the zucchini pizzas, what a great idea. Second, you ARE HUGE! So excited for you. Enjoyed this post a lot, thanks for sharing so much
"Oh! That's great! Something that lights up and makes lots of noise!" ;)
this made me laugh my a** off...we have that toy and it is the least noisy of them all!! Almost all baby stuff lights up and makes noise...a conspiracy by the battery companies and the toy companies to get you to spend more $$ !!!
You look great Chrissy and NO YOU ARE NOT HUGE!!
Oh I am so JEALOUS!!!!!!! How lucky were they to get to go and visit you and tour the island?? Your pictures are great!
Hugs,
Ellie
While it is a little :( that summer is coming to an end it does mean one GOOD thing- My favorite season- fall is just around the corner :)
Beautiful pictures. It looks so beautiful up there.
Cherry:
Oh, wow! You guys are sort of in our neck of the woods...but not quite! LOL! You're at the other end of the country! Isn't BC just beautiful? I love it there! One day you guys have to come on over here! :) xo
PS. Everyone has been telling me that the belly is so cute! I just think it's HUGE! LOL!
Rick:
I always love your comments! :) The zucchini pizzas were good. Surprisingly, Hubby didn't complain about there not being any meat on them. He enjoyed them very much.
Did you check out my FB photos? I've got some other belly pics on there. I was shocked to see how HUGE the belly is! Scary since we're only almost halfway there! Soon I won't be able to see my feet!
Dina:
That's why I love you so much! You are so sweet :) BUT, you seriously don't think I look HUGE???
Your comment about the baby toys made me laugh. Now that I think about it, that is so true! Baby toys do keep the battery companies in business! LOL! EVERYTHING lights up or makes noise! You should have seen the look on Hubby's face! It was so funny! :) I'll let Hubby know that this toy is the least noisy one that you guys have. That might be a relief for him! ;)
P.S. Wish we were able to go to the beach when you guys were here last time.
I'm so glad you had a great time w/ friends. Looks so beautiful there :) I'd be a beach bum too. Your belly is too cute, you think it's big because you are the one that has to wear it :)
You look great!!!
hey chris looks like yoou guys had a great long weekend! you look great gotta love the pregnant belly; i felt great being pregnant the belly made everythign seem more real. wait til the baby starts really kicking then you'll it'll feel even more real!
wish we could hafe come visit you guys this weekend but you already had company. maybe mext time! looks like everyone had a blast!
as for the pizzas- ugh!that is way too healthy for our family! too much veges girl!now give me a meatlovers pizza dna that's a different story. i guess my kids all hate veges because their parents hate veges! bad i know !
Ellie:
Thank you! Wish you were able to visit too! I hope you guys will be able to return to "The Island" again sometime so we can catch up in person and not just via e-mail or FB!
Shannon:
Yes, you are so right :) Fall is also a wonderful time of the year. I love the summer for all the outdoor things we can do. I love being in the sun and in the water. At the same time, I also love the fall because the leaves changing colours are just stunning. I also love the milder weather/temperature. Although I love summer, I'm not a huge fan of overly hot temperature!
Autumn's Mom:
Thank you! :) I was asking the nurse why I haven't gained weight yet my belly's getting so big and she said that sometimes it's just things are being redistributed. Also, the baby's using up so many calories, the body is working harder, etc. Who knows? She said sometimes some women hardly gain any weight at all during their pregnancies. All of this stuff is so new to me! LOL!
Diane:
Thank you! Congrats on the arrival of your latest grandchild! Now we wait for the twins!!! :) Four grandchildren in the span of 2 years! Wow! Our families are growing! :)
Hot Mommy:
Ohhh! The zucchini pizzas are really good!!! Try them! :) I bet I can get you AND your kids to like veggies! Have you ever heard of Mollie Katzen's "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest"? TEBF has sooooooo many yummy, mouthwatering recipes that are laden with veggies. Soooooo good!!
I'm going to guess that without eating sweets and so on, the weight that you would be gaining with baby is being lost in other areas. That happened to me, too. ;)
Looks like a fun weekend! I love reunions with friends.
The zucchini rounds are ingenious!
First off ~ The zucchini pizzas looked good. :) as I said, it had been a while since I made them, due to the fact that I could never find big enough zucchinis to cut up. You can add whatever you wish on them, they taste really nice. :)
Second ~ you are so cute with your belly!The whole not having gained a pound thing...I lost weight at first, then gained weight in the middle, and then lost some more at the end. Basically, I put on maybe 5 pounds by the end of the pregnancies. I tended to gain more weight while breastfeeding! Especially for the boys, I was always starving while nursing them. :)
You seem to have had a great time. The Island is so breathtaking, and I'm happy your friends got to enjoy it on their visit. They can visit again, and there are so many more places to see!
The musical toy thing has gotten out of hand, I think. I remember over ten years ago when we had our first baby, we had many blocks and dolls {she was a girl, after all}, puzzles and "thinking" toys.
For our last child, it was hard finding those simple toys. The stimulation is nice, but it's a bit like for adults ~ babies get tired of being stimulated by lights and noise after awhile.
At least she didn't get you the popcorn ball push toy. That is a nasty one. I gave ours up after about a day! {lol}
The baby will surely not spend his life in front of the toy, as you have such a beautiful outdoors so close-by, which makes me not too worried about the over-stimulation. :)
You must be getting more anxious as the months fly by. I am very excited for you both, it is such a wonderful experience, especially the first time, because everything is so new!
Very interesting about the zucchini rounds. That may actually get me back into the kitchen. I have a stack of recipes from you I want to try, and today is the first day of "cooking weather" in a long time.
You are looking great, I love the green shirt, a good color for you.
I don't need any more candy, that's for sure. I'm now only losing the same per month I was losing per week.
You are making me cry with all the beautiful beaches!
Waaahhh.
J:
You know, I can always trust that you will know exactly the right things that will make me feel better :) I was starting to worry about the not gaining weight in this pregnancy thing. Good to know that there are others out there who have experienced the same.
Starshine:
Yes, time with friends are the best! That's what I enjoy the most out of life...Time with my husband, family, friends. Really simple, but it means a lot to me.
Rosie:
Thank you soooooooo much for the zucchini pizza idea! If you're ever in my neck of the woods, I'd give you some zucchinis! We have soooooooo many...and they're HUGE! Great for making zucchini pizzas! ;)
Thank you also for all the baby and pregnancy advice you've been giving me! You've been really helpful!
Jeanna:
I think you need to come visit me!!! :) Grab Jimbo, Ms.Mamma and SF on your way over!
You know if I were there, every one of those tomatoes would have been eaten.
Amazing photos Chrissy! I love photos of your island. Good company, good food, lots of things to do, good weather - who could wish for more.
Oh my, you are getting big. (You could only say that to a pregnant person!)
Nice fun times!!
C, all the food you're eating is probably all going to the baby!!! I think that's great =)
I'm starting to get pretty bored with this pregnancy! Teehee.
Jeanna:
I think I've come up with AT LEAST 101 recipes that call for tomatoes! LOL! I keep saying how many tomatoes we have, but I know come winter I'll be singing a different tune. They'll be so expensive by then since they'll be out of season. I hate having to buy tomatoes! I wish I could grow my own produce year-round! Good thing we got a lot of produce from our garden this summer.
Mrinz:
LOL! That is so true! This is the only time it's okay to tell a woman that she's getting big! ;) My mom is still flabbergasted that I haven't even put on a single pound, yet my belly is huge! She just can't believe it! Neither can I! I have been worried about this, but the doctor has said not to worry and at least I'm not losing weight. Perhaps in the third trimester I'll gain some weight!!!
Louann:
How's your pregnancy going? Any morning sickness? I'm enjoying this trimester, but at times I think that I just want the baby to get here already! LOL! Then my husband reminds me that this is the last few months that we'll ever be just the two of us, so we should enjoy it :)
You are so daggone cute!! It's been sooooo long since I've been by, but honey - lemme tell ya - lol, once I got my template fixed and had time "on-line", I was smiling huge to get here and see you and read some good stuff and .... the tractor :) OMG you're so lucky! Lovely family, friends, hubby, a BABY on the way! Well...just wanted to say hey. I can barely keep up with myself these days and don't have time on-line and MISS so badly those whose blogs I so enjoyed reading for a brief time when I did have time, but when I DO get time, I'm gonna sit my butt down and read this wonderful stuff you write and drop by some other's. How in the WORLD do you find the time? (Can I hire you?) hehehe - we're trying to prepare for Hanna and/or Ike - making sure generator cranks and all that good stuff. Waaaay overworked in NC but still hanging in there! Good to see you! Bye for now.
What a great visit. Love your pictures. Veggie pizza is definitely on my meal planning for tonight. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hey Mama-san!!! You and baby bump are lookin good!
So glad to be back readin your blog,seeing all the beautiful pictures and I see you were just visited by "Row"!!!
Row:
YAY!!! I'm sooooo glad you're back! I've missed you!!! It's always so nice to find a comment left by you!
It's sometimes really hard to keep up with blogging and reading blogs when life seems to get in the way! :)
Jan:
Thank you :) Let me know how that zucchini pizza turned out!
Jimbo:
Thank you :) I was pleasantly surprised to see Row back too! Yay!
I seriously need to catch up on blog reading too! I just haven't had much time to check everyone out! :(