Easter Weekend in Ottawa

For Easter this year we got to go back to Ottawa. Because of the freezing rain Thursday night, our friend drove us in on Friday morning. We arrived too late to go to the Good Friday service, so we went to a GoodLife near my parents' to deadlift. (Yeah, not going back to that club, it's overrun with bros who wear cutoff Popeye's shirts and improper form.)

We had a relaxing day with my parents talking, colouring, crosswording, reading, and "watching" March Madness (I went on Pinterest and probably read more).

Saturday morningwe got to go see Kelsey (and her dogs!) then went to get coffee.



Where would we go for coffee except Suzy Q's for doughnuts! I had the carrot cake doughnut, the one in the middle. It was phenomenal.

It was so great to catch up with Kelsey and show her both our wedding album (she was my maid of honour, and we haven't seen her since I made the album) and the 2015 album.

Saturday afternoon Dad went for a bike ride, so Mom, Nic and I went to the Greenbelt for a nice walk. The sun was so bright, so the snow was slowly melting.

Poor squirrel was being chased down. He had to run for his life.

A bag of seeds had obviously exploded, and this chipmunk was LOVING it.

 
We drove to Nic's parents for dinner, and then went to Hogsback Falls with them for a nice walk. The sunset was beautiful.

Nic wore an adorable bowtie for Easter Sunday.

This is Flopsy. One of the youth brought his adorable bunny to church, and Mom and I were so happy to hold a bunny again.

Gypsy hated being held like that, but that's the only way Flopsy likes it!

Happy Easter from us! We had Easter lunch at Nic's parents', and my parents came over. It's so convenient having our parents live in the same city, and be friends! #InLawGoals

Sunday after my parents left, we went for a walk along the Ottawa river with Nic's parents. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. SO bright.

What a wonderful walk and a wonderful weekend!

Cross-Country Skiing in Ottawa's Greenbelt

When I was younger, I didn't get the appeal of cross-country skiing. It felt like so much more work than downhill skiing, you're so much slower, and you sweat or freeze the entire time. In the past few years I have come to appreciate it. It's a slower pace, but you can commune with nature a lot more.

As I have said many times, one of my favourite aspects of Ottawa is the Greenbelt. It surrounds most of the city and is a protected greenspace where there are lots of hiking trails. They don't maintain or groom the paths in the winter, so it's free to ski on! (Unlike in Gatineau Park in Quebec, where it's almost $20 per person to cross-country ski.)

I've been using the same Toko Junior skis for years- technically they're too short for me, but I like being able to dodge things a lot faster.

I really want to get a hood for my camera lens like my dad is using, because it was pretty wet out while we were skiing, so I was getting snow on my lens.

Dad always brings his GPS along to track his mileage. It's hard to get lost on these trails because of all the markers, and there are many posts telling you how many km back to whichever parking lot you were in.

If we're living in Ottawa next year, Nic is very excited about being able to go skiing most weekends!

Christmas in Ottawa

Nic and I were very thankful to go home to Ottawa for a week and a half over Christmas. Our parents still live there, so we had a lot of fun.

The Cobers

Nic's dad does Bonsai, and this is his gorgeous jade

Pileated woodpecker

One of my favourite aspects of Ottawa is the Greenbelt, which is a protected natural area surrounding the city. My parents live an easy drive away for hiking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter.

It was surprisingly cold

Snow, at last!

Chickadee

I love feeding chickadees in my hand!

Mann stockings

My brother and sister-in-law arrived, so we had Christmas with them, next.

Nic's loving the foot of snow that dropped!

The Manns

National Gallery of Art

Deanna wanted to see the Art Gallery, which is always one of my favourite places to go.

Home to Ottawa - Hometown Tourist

This past weekend I took the train "home" to Ottawa to check out OttawaU for grad school. I'm very scared, but I'm applying to the Master's of Globalization and International Development. I hadn't really wanted to tell people, in case I don't get in, but so many people asked me why I was home, and what I'm planning on doing further from now. I'm currently hard at work on scholarship applications, and very excited about what the future holds for me and Nic.

After talking to professors and to people in the Graduate Studies office, I walked around the Rideau Centre (waaaayyy quieter than the Eaton Centre, I can't believe I used to complain about it) then took a reading break along the river.

Saturday morning, Kelsey and I went to Suzy Q's for doughnuts. We love that place. If you're ever in Ottawa, check it out. 

We also had to go to IKEA, and loved every minute of it. I had such a great time catching up with her. 

Kelsey and her dog, Rogue

I had a great weekend at home, staying with my parents. After my time with Kelsey, I had lunch at my in-laws, and supper with some friends. I certainly missed Nic (five months of marriage on that Friday, and we'd never spent a night apart since the wedding) but it was good to be back. 

Who knows? Maybe we'll be moving there in August. 

Wedding Dress Shopping!!! - Wedding Planning Episode 3

I have been so excited to actually go gown shopping, because since I was little I have been sketching ideas of what my dress would look like. When I was a pre-teen it was more of a ballgown, with a corset back. A decade later, my tastes are more relaxed. (I would love to wear a huge tulle princess gown, but I know that it's too out of character, so I'd regret it later.)
Originally I had been looking on Etsy for dresses, because they're often a lot cheaper. Unfortunately, every time I fell in love with a dress (and it was usually around $100 + shipping) the sketchy Chinese Etsy store would disappear, and so would the listing. I realized I was going to have to shop in a real store so I knew that gown wouldn't go away.
I also had a smaller budget than many brides, so I looked at designers that sold long bridesmaids gowns in ivory. I knew I wanted chiffon, a-line to highlight my waist, and some sort of sweetheart neckline. I found a few Jim Hjelm dresses I wanted to try, and found out that the only Ottawa store that carried them was White Satin Bridal in Bell's Corners. I made an appointment.
For my entourage, I took my Mom, and my best friend from childhood and maid of honour, Kelsey. I knew I could trust them to be honest but gentle about their opinions on how the gowns looked on me. I also knew that Mom would not let me spend or try on something out of my budget and try to justify it (especially since my gorgeous Badgley Mischka shoes were a leeeetle more than I had planned on paying for-but they're stunning, and I'll wear them for years).

Looking through the bridesmaids racks

I posed with some bridal gowns so it would look like I was actually wedding dress shopping, even though the gown I ended up buying was a sample in blue. It was a little hard to envision it that way, but the Ivy & Aster gown I bought is also a bridal gown, so I could at least see it, with a slightly different fabric.

Kelsey and I, happy after I "Said Yes"

I was a little surprised that I didn't cry when we decided on the Ivy & Aster bridesmaid gown, but I think that might be because it was blue, and not ivory. I'm sure once I get it in the right colour and it is sized to me, it will be more emotional.

Wedding Dress Shopping Advice:

• Make an inspiration board, either online on Pinterest, or in a binder. You'll see which characteristics you like
• Look in your closet for what necklines, waist details, fabrics, etc. you are drawn to, and are most comfortable in.
• Make a budget, and remember that taxes on expensive things are really big, and you will also have some alterations. (With my 4" heels, the length won't be a problem, but I'll probably need my bust done, and they said that would be about $40, but it could be up to $100 for some brides)
• Choose an "entourage" you can trust. If my other two bridesmaids were in town, I probably would have taken them, but it felt very comfortable with Mom and Kelsey. They both understood my vision and could be more critical.
• Stick to your guns- I didn't have a problem with this, because Kelsey and Mom were right about which one looked best on me, but too often on wedding shows the bride crumbles under critiques. The dress is yours, and you're the one who has to live with the pictures. (I'm glad I'm not an 80s bride with a bustle and bow on my butt.)
• Relax and enjoy the experience.

My first red cup of the season!

Afterward, we went to Starbucks to talk about the experience and some other things. When we got out of the cars, Kelsey ran up and said that it had hit her then that we had just bought my dress, and I agreed. I hadn't gone into the appointment expecting to buy a dress, so it was nice that I found something flattering and flowing that I could see myself walking down the aisle in. It was also cool to have Mom and Kelsey hang out like that, because they are two of my favourite women,
226 days until I get married to Nic!!!!