Who are we?

I was unable to sleep one night and what do I do when I can't sleep? Watch Golden Girls but it was the weekend and Golden Girls is more of a weekday thing so instead I watched Point Break. Point Break was released in 1991 so I would have been in grade 11 when it came out. I remember thinking it was a really great movie and that I'd probably let Keanu Reeves do to me what I didn't let the other boys do, which wasn't much at all. Keanu's character in the film is Special Agent Johnny Utah, which I thought would be an excellent code name for Ryan. After the movie was over I laid in bed thinking of perfect code names for our family. Don't worry, I will not be replacing our real names with code names on here. I decided I would either be Helen Crump or Ms. Krabappel. Helen would be my sweet side (and she dated the town Sheriff) and Edna would be well, me-ish. I decided Hanna would be a cross between Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Lucille Ball. That's when I started to laugh in bed because I thought of a perfect one for Grace, Pig-Pen from Peanuts. You know, he always had that cloud of dirt around him, well Grace is a lot like that. Maybe she would be more of a cross between Pig-Pen, Linus (she still loves her blankie) and Winnie the Pooh because she is very sweet and loving. So if you can't sleep one night, try thinking of code names for your family. It's almost as good as watching Golden Girls for putting one to sleep.

Ryan as Special Agent Johnny Utah. Look how tight those jeans are. Yum!

Shea as Ms. Edna Krabappel

Hanna as Lucille Ball

and Gracie as Pig-Pen

An unhealthy respect for authority

Canada was great. We came home sleepier and fatter but it's all worth it. I figure if I'm good the rest of the year, I can eat as many dill pickle chips or slurpees with ice cream as I want while I'm there. So many good times this year that I don't know where to start. Be prepared for the photo onslaught. First I have to tell a Hanna story. Some of you may know that Hanna thinks she is pretty hilarious and I probably spends a lot of her day thinking of ways to be more hilarious. Sunday morning we got up early and headed to the border. I used to get really nervous when we were crossing but the years have hardened me and I don't worry about it anymore. I mean, what could they possibly do to us? Maybe detain us for being too prepared. I noticed today that they were being extra vigilant, opening the doors of the car in front of us and checking around a bit more than usual. We pull up to the gate and two border cops start opening various doors on our van. One guy opens the side door and starts talking to the girls. I could tell immediately that he was a nice border cop and not one of the grumpy kind we sometimes encounter. Still, I'm a little nervous and begin to wonder about what they are looking for.

Cop: What games are you playing?

Girls: Animal Crossing.

Cop: I hear that's a fun one.

The cop then asks Grace who Ryan and I are respectively and she says, "mom and dad." Then he asks Hanna.

Cop: Who is that? (pointing to me)

Hanna: My mom.

Cop: Who is that? (pointing to Ryan)

Hanna: pauses...I don't know.

I whip around and say, "HANNA STOP FOOLING AROUND!" I'm thinking Ryan is going to be pulled from the car and arrested and Hanna is smiling like she just thought of the funniest thing ever. The cop, since he is nice, asks her again and she, now with the fear of God in her, confirms that Ryan is her dad. He seems okay with that and then checks our cooler and doesn't even mention our illegal B.C. cherries. The ordeal ends with me being asked to go inside to be, once again, fingerprinted and photographed. Between work and immigration I think I've been fingerprinted more than most felons. We were all extra glad to leave the border this trip. A few hours later near Butte, Montana, Ryan and I start laughing about Hanna's "joke". If you think about it, it's really funny.

I liked this picture with my mom because it kind of sums up what goes on at home. We think we are super funny and my mom has to put up with it.

Serious photo

My mom let the girls pick out fabric and then helped them sew their own skirts. Isn't she awesome? Here Beth and Hanna are letting Kermit help sew.

The finished product. These skirts are really cute and were relatively easy to make.

The obligatory bad family photo by Cameron Falls.

The whole family except Monti and I took the boat from the Waterton town site to Glacier in Montana. The tickets were $34 for adults so since I had already gone as a teenager, I decided to let Ry go instead. Monti and I hung out in town eating fries and gravy and then went to The Prince of Wales where Monti regaled me with stories from when he worked there. I now know how the laundry chute works! Grace on the U.S. side with Canada behind her.

Saturday we finally got a really nice day and decided to head to Writing on Stone Provincial Park to float down the Milk River with the Tolys and the Beres.

HOODOOS!

Rick and Monti are funny.

Perfect day and thanks to Dar (her foot in the picture) for bringing her camera.

Truck Nutz

I'm in Canada for the week visiting my family and having a Canadastic time. We were at a friend's house for a party and I overheard them talking about balls that people put on their trucks that look like a scrotum. I thought they were talking about trailer hitches and they just kind of looked like balls. But no, there are actual fake scrotum looking things that people actually attach to the underside of their truck, on purpose. I don't understand much about truck mentality but I sure don't get what kind of douche you would have to be to have something like this on your truck. A lot of the conversation went like this...

Me: They aren't actual balls, right? Just hitches that have balls on them so people think they look like balls?

Everyone: NO! They look like an actual scrotum.

Me: I don't believe you.

Well I now believe because you can google it and see for yourself. I've yet to see one on an actual truck driving around but I'm hoping to spot a real-life one soon. I take that back, I don't want to see one as I've been scarred enough just looking at them on the internet.


Aside from being appalled by this new discovery, I'm having a great time here. We went to another great party hosted by Rick and Dar that involved much Sing Star and good times at the BBQ pit. I was hoping to make my famous "jam wieners" but couldn't find any Little Smokies so I had to make "jam balls" instead. Here is the secret, Heinz Chili sauce, grape jelly and little swedish meatballs. Mix them together in a crock pot, heat and enjoy. You can google the recipe if you want exact measurements. Might sound gross but they are always a hit. My crock pot had no jam balls in it at the end of the night.

Becky (SIL) trying to take advantage of me while I concentrate on my Sing Star.

Rick and Dar's backyard, which I really like. Next time I won't put my flip flops on the fire pit and melt them.

We went to Earl's today to eat and we got the s'more desert with homemade marshmallows and graham crackers. I had Monti take a picture of it with his iPhone because I thought it was so delicious and the presentation was great. I love Earl's.