Dairy Products.

Sometimes I don't understand how I come from the family I come from.

Don't get me wrong, I love them to pieces, they are fantastic. But sometimes... just.... how?????

We have a tradition in my immediate family where we get together on occassion for family dinners. Usually at my parents place, usually it involves some great mom-made-food and it always involves quite  a bit of joking around and laughing.

The other night was no different. We were sitting around the table sharing about our lives and giggling, eating our salad when Vanessa pipes up, "This cheese is weird. It's fine, just kinda has a weird taste and consistency."

"Uh... that's because it is egg, not cheese." I interject.

"Oh whatever Nikki," my mom says, "they are both dairy products, I can see why she would get confused."

I raise my brow and look at her. She continues eating. No one says anything. I look at my sisters, deadpan expressions on their faces. I look at my dad, he gives me the "really? She said that? And no one is questioning it?" look.

I start sniggering. Which sets my dad off. My mom and sisters sit there oblivious. Finally I have to break out in laughter and tell them that eggs and cheese are both NOT dairy products. Then Mom, and Vanessa realize their blunder and giggle along with us.

Minutes go by. New topics come up. Bethany looks up from her plate, "So... I don't get why that was funny. The thing about cheese and eggs not being diary products. They are both dairy right?"

Dear Twenties

Dear Twenties,
     First of all I would like to thank you for starting off so wonderfully. I still remember my 20th birthday party on the patio at some resturaunt in Hamilton. (Clearly my mind is starting to go because I don't remember the name of the resturaunt.) I remember that it was a princess themed party and that everyone who came was forced by Karmyn and Christy to wear pink princess party hats. It was fun and ridiculous and it was great to feel so loved and appreciated.
    Year 20 was one of my best years ever. It was filled with fun, friends, shenanigans, university classes, staying up late, napping because of staying up late, road trips, music, dorm life, awesome summer jobs, discovering who I am as a child of God.
     As we progressed through the years I continued to be blessed with friendships, travel across Canada, America, and Europe, my first car, the death of my first car in a cornfield in Nebraska, my first hitch-hiking adventure (in Romania), Greyhound bussing across Canada (thanks to the death of my beloved first car Cheyenne), good food, seeing new sights and learning and embracing my leadership, speaking, and teaching skills.
      I learned in my twenties that my sisters are not just sisters, but that they are valuable, wonderful, hilarious people that I count among my closest friends. To the chagrin of my sisters, I learned to play the violin. To the chagrin of my buttocks, I learned to snowboard. I learned to be content with who I am. I learned to accept my singleness. I learned how to exercise and eat right and have a smoking new body because of it.
     I worked as a bathroom cleaner, historical interpreter, museum assistant, camp counseller, pizza store manager, baby-sitter, youth pastor, waitress and teacher.
     I gained and kept many wonderful friends. I also lost friends.
     I watched almost every single one of my friends get married and/or start having children.
     I was a bridesmaid, wedding MC, life-coach, moral-compass, pastor, friend, and prayer partner.
     I vacationed on a houseboat, went to Vegas, saw the ocean for the first time, canoed part of the Bowron Chain of Lakes, climbed some mountains, floated down rivers, camped for 8 weeks straight, cliff jumped, white-water rafted, and snowboarded a black diamond.
     I paid off my student loans and am officially the proud owner of 2 very expensive pieces of paper.
     I became a big sister to a great 7 year old.
     I volunteered hundreds of hours.
     I remain close with all my people in Ontario.

Twenties, I loved you. I will look back fondly on the 10 years we spent together and although I lament your passing, and am hesitant to look toward the future, I'm praying and hoping and planning on making my 30's as awesome and epic as my 20's were. We are two weeks in already, and so far they have been pretty great.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Nikki
    

I was "THAT" person.

On Wednesday, I was "THAT" person.
The person you look at and say, "really? Reeeeaaaallly? You're going to do that? Why? Why? Why? And HOW?"

Here's the situation. I had just spent a glorious few days on Vancouver Island visiting with some friends and family. I had seen the ocean, visited Victoria for the first time, tried some new running trails, watched some goats live on roofs, been for my first ever motorcycle ride, chilled out, laughed and just had a great, great, vacation.

Wednesday rolled around and it was finally time to finish my vacation (sigh), and return to Kamloops (bigger sigh). I aimed to get on the 4:40 ferry knowing that if I didn't catch it, that there was another one at 5:20. I was *this* close to getting on the 4:40 ferry. I ended up being the 5th car in line for the next sailing. Frustrating, but not as frustrating as it could have been. I was sitting there in my car reflecting on the great vaction I just had, about how fun Barkerville was this summer, and how sad I was to return back to Kamloops and work. The sun was shining, it was warm, a sea breeze was flowing through my open windows and I decided that since I had to wait, I was going to tip my chair back and have a nap. After all, technically I was still on vacation and I knew that I had a long drive ahead of me once the ferry docked in Vancouver.

So I tipped my chair back and promptly fell asleep.

Did the sound of the horn announcing the 5:20 ferry arrival wake me? No.
Did the sound of the speakers announcing the loading process awake me? No.
Did the sound of over 100 cars driving off the ferry wake me? No.

You know what woke me? The parking attendent knocking on my window and pointing out that all the cars ahead of me had loaded onto the ferry and that I was blocking the road for everyone else.

Embarrassing.

But, dang, it was a GREAT nap!