Fun with Family

This was on Pin Cushion Island. It was really cool. It felt like we were on a deserted island with no one around.

Pin Cushion Island

Pin Cushion Island

Me, Mesa and Andrea at the Big Pineapple
This was at the 2nd hand shop...funny...body parts for sale...a little pricey dontcha think?
The girls had plenty of opportunities to act silly!
This is the boat we ended up hiring!

We had a good time with Guy and Georgiann Payne and George's sissy Andrea who came for a visit from Colorado. We went shopping and went to the Eumundi Markets and were going to to go sailing out on the ocean but the guy who was taking us out ended up having a leak in his boat and had to cancel on us. That was a bummer. We were joking on the way there about Gilligan's Island. Ours was supposed to be a 3 hour tour as well! Ha ha. So we ended up taking a little boat and sailing on the Maroochy River instead. A bit different than what we had planned! But we had heaps of fun with them while they were here and I cooked alot of food and ate way too much of it! I told them the only thing I was looking forward to them being gone was that I was going to stop eating so much! True.

6 Things about ME!

1. I was a heavy metal fan for a part of my teenage years...yup...imagine me...a nice Mormon girl into the heavy metal. I definetly went through a rebellious stage though. Wore the black heavy metal t-shirts with the tight jeans and everything. I would listen to my "walkman" on the bus on the way to school and look out the window and be mad at the world listening to Guns n'Roses, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard. I eventually snapped out of it although I still have a closet heavy metal crush. Hee hee don't tell!


2. I weigh more than I look like I weigh...Yah, maybe I just think I look skinnier than I really do look...but seriously, I had a major downer the other day when at the gym they had these 2 scale type machines that would tell you all sorts of info like your body fat %, weight, muscle mass and all that jazz. Well, I being quite skeptical wasn't sure I wanted to step on this thing even if it was offered as a free service which normally would cost $33. But, despite my reservations, I stepped on it and of course ended up wishing I hadn't! It said I weighed...hmmm hmmm...! I can't believe I just said that! But my body fat! Can I tell you I'm on the upper end of the scale? They tell me anything between 20 or 22 and 30% is normal. Well, when you're 28% that is not looking good for a girl who works out 4-5 times per week! No, not acceptable I tell you! My legs, do you even want to know how much they were? Ok, 32 and 33% Shockin is pretty much all I have to say about that. So now I have a choice to make, I could either (A) pig out due to some great depression that's setting in, or (B) Starve myself to get some better results cuz obviously, what I'm doin, ain't doin!


3. I LOVE horses and ranch life...Ok, born and raised in the country. Had piglets and lambs as a child. I've always had a major love for horses despite my allergy to them. I used to ask my mom for a horse and she always told me no, but it never curbed my love for them. I can't even hardly watch a good movie that involves horses and that, like Flicka with Tim McGraw without gettin so sad that I'm not there. So in my dreams, I am living on a ranch with horses, cattle, chickens, pigs, dogs and lots of green grass and trees and a cool old ranch house. In the mornin the kids have to go out n' do the chores before school and I can go out riding anytime I want...as long as I'm not makin' bread and butter. I am totally a cowgirl at heart, but instead, for the sake of love, I'm livin in a town next to the beach...go figure!


4. I hate running...What more can i say about this? I can't stand being so out of breath. But actually, as a youth, I used to run in races and was pretty good. I actually won 2nd in the Southern Alberta Summer Games once. I always used to get literally sick to my stomach from sheer nervousness though before the race. Not fun!


5. I am a very unorganized person...in fact I think I may have ADD...I should show you all a picture of my desk...But I can't find my camera underneath all the mess! And besides, I dropped it and it's broken anyways...(camera #2) Whenever I bring the mail in from the box, it ends up in a different spot every time. Rick actually sees it and says "Oh did you find a new spot for the mail? Cool, always changin things up around here!" My room is a disaster, and whatever I take off, my mp3, heart rate monitor, shoes, purse, sunnies, sports bra...whatever it is, it's in a different spot everytime and when I go to put them back on the next time, I spend ages looking for them. I swear I waste soooo much time looking for my misplaced items I could probably bake like an extra pan of muffins a week with all the time I would save if I was more organized. I'm serious guys, this unorganized part of my personality is a major problem.


6. I am a Canadian!...Yup! True blue Canadian. I've never been more patriotic than since I moved here to Australia. I love my country and all that it has to offer. I love the seasons, I love my family and friends and being close to them. I love weiner roasts in the trees. I love tin foil dinners. I love the mountains and I love maple syrup and nanaimo bars. I love Eatmore's and Spitz and Tacotime and Canada Safeway! I love Hockey Night in Canada! I love Whoop up Days and the Calgary Stampede! I love it all and I miss it! I can't wait to go home for a visit!


Ok, that was very time consuming! 5 people to tag? hmmm...that's tuff, I'll just do 3

1. Kelly
2. Robyn
3. Dan

The Big Deal

Has anyone heard of the Melbourne Cup? Major horse race. Takes place in Melbourne. Well, a big deal here it is. Lots of places and people take half the day off work and dress up in all their fancy dresses and sometimes suits and all. Women wear hats and its like the horse race scene from My Fair Lady! It's funny, but my work was one who took the avo off and all met at the Mooloolaba office for a big party. So I went to see what the fuss is all about. I didn't dress up but I did wear a hat but more importantly I took a pan of Nanaimo Bars and no joke, they were gone in 5 min flat! Here's my recipe for any of you who want to try them...they will NOT dissapoint, I promise! And they are truly Canadian!

Nanaimo Bars

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. white sugar

1 egg

4 T. cocoa

1 1/2 c. graham wafer crumbs
3/4 c. coconut
1/4 c. chopped nuts(I use almonds and I put them in the blender so they're mostly crushed)

1/4 c. butter
3 T milk
2 T vanilla custard powder
2 c icing sugar

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 T butter


Mix first 4 ingredients together in double boiler and stir until mixture resembles a custard. Combine 2nd group of ingredients with this chocolate mix. Press into 9x9 pan. Beat together 3rd group of indgrients till icing like. Spread over the base. Put in freezer to chill quickly. Melt last group in double boiler and spread over the custard bit.

*Hint- I usually need to add a tiny bit of milk in order for the chocolate to spread easier and go a bit farther.


Here's some historical fact for you about "The Legendary Nanaimo Bar"
According to local legend about 35 years ago, a Nanaimo housewife entered her recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest. In a burst of civic pride, she chose to dub the entry not "Daphne's Delights" or "Mary's Munchies", but "Nanaimo Bars". The entry won a prize, thereby publishing the town as much as her cooking. Some American tourists claim sovereignty over the dessert, referred to as "New York Slice" which is sold in many other places in the world. Nanaimo residents refuse to accept this theory, however, believing that once you set foot on Vancouver Island, there are no other places in the world. The official Nanaimo Bar recipe was available as a handout as well as on quality tea towel and apron souvenirs.