New Fall Design!

Fall has definitely come to Kelowna. In fact, winter is just around the corner! There have been quite a few exciting things that happened since... Well, since August. First and foremost: school. It started September 8th, 2014 and my life changed forever. Ok, maybe that was a bit dramatic. But seriously, I'm finding school rather hard this year. :D Thankfully, my parents and teachers and friends have been an enormous help to keep me going! Another exciting thing: Papa and I are now taking aikido together!! Aikido is a Japanese martial art that focuses mainly on self-defence. The great part about it is that it requires very little physical strength. As our Sensei (teacher) says, the less effort you are exerting, the more likely you are to be doing it right! I really enjoy doing it, and our "classmates" are just the greatest. I'm still working, though not as often. The family is doing well, I'm still recovering from a bit of a cold but otherwise I'm quite the happy little ducky right now. ;)
I'm not even going to bother apologizing or promising to write more often or any of that. Please bear with me, as I'll get around to it every now and then. :) Even so, knowing people actually care what I have to say is enough to keep me coming back, even if there's a lot of time in between!

Summer: a short "summer"y

Best. Pun. Ever.

This summer was pretty cool. And even though it's not over yet, it sure feels like it. Stores are already having back-to-school sales! Let's be honest, I LOVE back-to-school shopping. But this year, I find I'm dreading it. Summer in Kelowna is so incredible and vacation-y that you never want it to end...

Ok. Sorry. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you guys a little bit about how wonderful this summer has been.

June went by so fast, I couldn't even believe it. So much happened. Early June we finished school for the year, then shortly after that I got a part-time job at Marketplace IGA, turned 14, and basically just got used to life in Kelowna. It's really not all that different from life back in Sooke, just about 20 degrees warmer. :D

July was gone just like that. I was working lots, and going to the lake even more. :D We had quite a few visitors in July too, people from Sooke and Vancouver/Langley/Lower Mainland area, and it was so nice to see them all! Other than that, July was relaxing and quiet, with little projects going on around the house and yard. I think that once August rolled around, I had finally mentally replaced the word "Kelowna" with the word "home". ;)

Even though August is only half over, it has been super eventful. We've had family visiting from all over, and next weekend we are going to my cousin's wedding in Vancouver! I'll try to take pictures... my camera isn't really operational right now. :S I don't know if I previously mentioned that I bought a video camera? If I can figure out how to upload vids in a way that you guys can see them, then I'll do that. :D

Honestly, I think that I finally feel completely at home here. I mean, I've finally started considering Kelowna to be my home, instead of referring to Sooke as "back home". Through my work, I've made some "acquaintances-soon-to-be-friends" and I'm looking forward to getting "out" a bit more to meet even more people. I really feel like this is exactly where we need to be right now, and I am so, so thankful that God brought us here.

So there was my little summer de-briefing. I know back in July I said I would try to blog more regularly, but it just hasn't worked out that way. :( Once school starts again I'll blog regularly for the purpose of keeping up the quality of my writing, and to keep y'all updated. :D Hopefully things will keep happening so I won't end up writing pointless posts about pigs and lemons... yeah we all remember that one. Anyway, I hope y'all have a fantastic rest of the summer!

Summer Greetings!

It's been almost forever since I posted anything. But this time I have a legitimate excuse! So what if I failed to mention that I finished school, celebrated both my birthday and Mom's, and got a part-time job. I have been very busy. This summer has been full of work around the house and yard, actual paid work at the grocery store down the street, lots and lots of swimming in the lake and just sitting enjoying the warm, dry weather. And it's not even over yet! I just have not had the time for sitting at the computer. And even though I would much rather go swimming than sit inside blogging, I will try to do my best for you guys for the remainder of the summer. :)

Cooking Inspiration!

It all started with a Dalek.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the amazing TV series Doctor Who, Daleks are basically the deadliest aliens in the universe, full of hatred and anger. They are actually pretty goofy looking, but after watching a few episodes of the show, you stop laughing. So how exactly did they inspire me?

I was looking through my YouTube recommendations one day when I came across this tutorial on how to make a 3D Dalek cake. I watched it maybe 3 times, because I just loved seeing it all come together. The channel from which the video came is called How to Cook That, by Ann Reardon. It's so cool, she does tutorials for all kinds of sweet stuff from cakes to random desserts and chocolates! I would really advise checking out her channel. :)

So anyway, after watching quite a few more of her videos, I started thinking about cooking again. A while ago I was cooking regularly for the family, but I kind of stopped when we moved. Mainly because of the inconvenience, but also because I really wasn't feeling inspired. Things changed thanks to Ann Reardon and her amazing Dalek cake, and I started cooking again!

The first thing I made was Lasagna Cassandra, a decorated lasagna based on a character from Doctor Who, Lady Cassandra O'Brien. Yeah, she's got quite the history but in a nutshell, she was the last "pure" human left in the year 5,000,000,000,000 because she preserved herself for hundreds of years by having her skin stretched out on a frame. I know, pretty gross, right? Anyway, I just made a basic lasagna and decorated the top to look like Cassandra. :)

Next, I wanted to try something fancy and dessert-y, so I pulled out a fantastic cookbook by a friend of Papa's, and tried my hand at molten chocolate lava cakes. They were really, really rich! I made some tempered chocolate decorations, and with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a dusting of cocoa powder, they looked pretty fancy! I was quite proud of myself for pulling something like that off, and I have made plans for more fancy cooking in the near future. :)

If you are at all interested in cooking, check out Ann Reardon's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/howtocookthat

Also, the cookbook I mentioned is definitely worth a look. Papa did all the photography for it, so it looks amazing. The recipes are all relatively simple, but they still look really amazing and professional. Here is the link to the book, Flavours of Cooper's Cove Guesthouse by Angelo Prosperi-Porta: http://www.amazon.ca/Flavours-Coopers-Guesthouse-Angelo-Prosperi-Porta/dp/1926741013

Drawing

For those of you who know me, you know that I have never really been the artistic sort. Doodling was the extent of my artistic capabilities, and I was OK with that. Recently, though, I decided to give drawing another go. With the help of some online tutorials and a lot of patience and determination, I was rewarded with some pretty good results, even if I do say so myself. I actually really enjoy it. Go figure!

Luigi and Mario!

Simba from The Lion King

BUGS BUNNY

Everyone knows this guy!

A Cyberman from BBC's Doctor Who TV series. :D Yes, I know. He's supposed to have handles coming out of his head. 

Brothers

Here's a song I just recently discovered: Brothers by Dean Brody. Even if you don't like country music, it's worth listening to. It brought tears to my eyes, and not many songs do that!

New Look!

I decided it was time for a change in the background image of my blog, which ended up resulting in an all-out makeover. Hmm...

Anyway, I wanted my new background to reflect the sunny, warm, delightful summer-like weather we've been having here in Kelowna lately. Today, it got up to 27 degrees Celsius, and we were all sweating like pigs. Well, actually not like pigs. Did you know that pigs don't sweat? :) It's true! That's why they roll in the mud, because they have no other way of cooling themselves off. 

Back to the point, I liked the little fruit things on the background as well. They reminded me of the Okanagan valley and the abundance of fruit that grows here. Granted, those look like lemons. I don't know if lemons grow that well here. :)

So, why am I rambling on and on about lemons and pigs? I honestly don't know. I think the sun's getting to me. *GASP* THE SUN'S GONE WIBBLY!

Maybe tomorrow my brain will return, as it seems to have gone AWOL. 

Anyway, have a great day! 

On My Way

Just thought I'd share with you all one of my favourite songs right now. :) I first heard it as background music for a fan-made Doctor Who video on YouTube. It was such a catchy song that I decided to try to find the real thing: and I did! Some of you may recognize it, others might plug their ears and run as far away as they possibly can. It's one of those songs where you either love it or you can't stand it. :D

So here it is: On My Way by The Proclaimers. Enjoy!

Liebster Award?

Liebster Award Rules:

Acknowledge the blog that nominated you.

Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.

List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that deserve some recognition.

Write 11 questions for them to answer.

Notify them they've been nominated.

All right, just so y'all know, that was taken from www.carrotsandconverse.blogspot.ca, Megan's blog, who took it from Jennica's blog.

Megan nominated me for this!!!!!!

Anyway, so after finally figuring out what this thing is, I shall answer Megan's questions.

1. Do you like dill pickles?

No, I do not. :(

2. Dr. Who or Sherlock?

Are you kidding? DOCTOR WHO DOCTOR WHO DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!!!

3. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? 

Uhhhh.... I don't really care. I never notice. :)

4. Do you know what a Schutzund is?

I can't even pronounce that!

5. How would you describe yourself in one sentence? 

Very, very complex. And just a little bit crazy.

6. What's your desktop background picture on the computer you are using right now?

Green bubbles!

7. How often do you read my blog? 

Never. I'm kidding. Once or twice a week.

8. Sauerkraut anyone? 

Um, not for me thanks.

9. Would you rather work on an essay or Trigonometry for an hour?

An essay. At least I would be writing. I don't even know how to do trig yet. That's at the end of my course for this year...

10. What is your favourite Hobbit character? 

As in from The Hobbit or any hobbit? From The Hobbit, my favourite character is Bilbo. Boring, right? Any hobbit? Definitely Pippin Took.

11. And lastly, did you answer these questions?

Well, I think so. 

Ok, so I am tagging Jenessa Joy Klukas' blog, Believing and Beyond- http://believingandbeyond.wordpress.com. She has a lot of good things to say, I suggest you check her blog out!

Also, here are my eleven questions for her. (Jennica- fantastic job with Megan's eleventh question. I love it!)

1. Approximately how many books can you see from where you are sitting right now?

2. How far can you run while screaming at the top of your lungs without running out of breath?

3. What is your favourite colour?

4. Which of the Dad's cookies varieties do you like best?

5. What is your opinion of old fashioned 3D glasses?

6. If someone offered you a free trip to London at Christmastime, would you go?

7. Have you ever pretended the floor was lava?

8. Likewise, have you ever touched something that was marked "Do not touch"? 

9. Do you like country music?

10. The numbers: 9, 10 or 11?

11. Do you think bow ties are cool?

MOVED IN!!!

So, we've been here a week and this is the first chance I've gotten to write about moving! It's been the most chaotic of processes, and that's why I've chosen not to include any pictures of the inside of the house. YET. They'll come, but only once the inside is presentable. :) Right now, there are boxes EVERYWHERE. It's better than when we first got here, by far, but it's still rough finding places to put all our stuff. Honestly, after living without all this stuff that I packed away, I hardly feel like I need it anymore. Funny how that works. Anyway, here are a couple pictures. I would've taken more, but my camera is on the fritz again.

An eagle in the tree near the other house, it was eating a duck or something...

The outside of our new house!

Downtown Kelowna

Today I went out and took some pictures of downtown. :) All you guys ever see is the park, and I decided that might get a bit boring. Enjoy!

First of all, the lovely but confusing dolphin statue: Rhapsody. :) Why they are dolphins and not trout or something, I don't think anybody knows.

Large stone fruit line the walkway between the Rotary Centre for the Arts (where Kristina dances) and the library.

In between each pair of fruit, there's one of these mosaic ads. :) Pretty cool, eh?

The very large, impressive Kelowna Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. 

This is the Rotary Centre for the Arts, where Kristina dances.

One of Kelowna's more popular landmarks, a shiny polar bear.

So Ogopogo really does exist! Poor guy, stuck in the pavement all day. :D

Geocaching

Yesterday, I did a learning camp with some of the other homeschoolers in the area about Geocaching. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it's kind of like a worldwide treasure hunt. You put the coordinates into your phone or a GPS, then you can find these little boxes called caches. To find a cache, you first have to have an account on the official geocaching website so you can log the caches you found and get coordinates for other ones. Then, you need a GPS or you can get apps for your iPhone or Android that work the same way. In the learning camp, the instructor gave us GPS units to use for the day. We even went out into the wilderness to look for some caches! We found quite a few, actually. Once you find a cache, you have to sign the logbook that is kept inside, and some of the larger ones have little trinkets and stuff you can trade for. I was very surprised at the size of most of the caches. They were amazingly small! Some are even as small as my pinky finger.
We learned about caching etiquette, stealth and we even learned how to hide caches and put the coordinates online. :)
It's a really fun activity and I hope to do more after the course. For more information, go to the official geocachers website: www.geocaching.com

Moving Update and new pics!

UPDATE: 7 days until we move! I am so excited! I'll send out an email with the new address soon. :)

Lucy and I have had the opportunity to explore around our house a bit more. We found a couple parks by the beach, and I took some time to go out with her to take some pictures.

This one would be perfect if not for the apartment buildings... :(

She is soooo photogenic

I thought this one was cool because it looks sort of wintery

Just give her a guitar and she'd make an awesome country album cover!

Spring Break

Well, our two short weeks of spring break are over. We had to do school for most of it, :( but we were able to take the last three days off so that we could go down to the coast for a couple days! It was lots of fun and we were able to see quite a few of our friends! We went to the island on Friday morning and left Saturday evening. I had a wonderful time, and I miss everyone already! Sadly, I didn't take any pictures, in fact I left my camera at home. Now, however, we are back home and enjoying the few remaining hours of our Sunday before getting back to the grind tomorrow.

Life in Kelowna is really great, and I am anxiously awaiting our move to the new house in two weeks! It will be incredible to have our own house for once, and to have all our stuff out of storage!

Apologies

Let's face it, I certainly haven't been the most faithful blogger since we got back. Life suddenly got back to normal, I guess. Not super noteworthy. I'm really sorry for not blogging more often, but I think it's better that I don't because then you would only read a whole lot of mumbo-jumbo. Like.... well, like you're reading right now. :) Sorry!

So, my reasons for not blogging come down to lack of inspiration and lack of time. Life suddenly got really busy! School, of course, is huge right now and considering the fact that we missed so much, we've been working double hard to catch up. Plus we wanted a few days of Spring break, so that meant that we had to work even harder. I've been trying hard to find ways to get out and meet people, as you probably know I don't do much outside of the home so it's been a struggle. And my final excuse is that the weather is so nice here, I do as much outside as possible. To be perfectly honest, the only real reason I'm blogging now is because it's a Saturday afternoon and I haven't blogged in more than a month so I was feeling a bit guilty.

Oh yeah, and my camera has been acting up so I didn't really have any pictures to show you either. :(

Does this post sound kind of negative to you? I'm really sorry. Let's lighten it up a bit, shall we?

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I really enjoy blogging, and I will try to do so more often. Maybe not as often as I did when we were abroad, but I will do my best. :) Honestly, just sitting here typing this has inspired me. After all, if Kristina can find the time in her forever busy schedule to post on her blog, then it shouldn't be too hard for me. :D

Bye for now,

Sofi

January- a brief summary

Needless to say, January has been a very exciting month. Exactly one month ago yesterday, we arrived up here in the beautiful Okanagan with pretty much nothing. After exactly one week, on January 9th, we moved in to the rental house that we would call home for the next few months. Between then and now, we have spent our time getting to know the area (and hopefully soon some of the people). :D

I would definitely say that I learned a lot this past month. I learned that I'm not in control of my life (SHOCKER), and that I need to trust God to figure everything out. He is ultimately in control of everything, and sometimes I just have to step back and let Him handle it. Most importantly, (and I haven't quite mastered this one yet) I have to learn to live as though I really do trust Him. It's way too easy to give in to feelings of panic and doubt. We always say we trust Him, but do we really?

It snowed a couple days ago, and I took some pictures in the park. :)

KELOWNA

Ok, so it's clear that it has been a very VERY long time since I last posted anything. Well, I haven't really been inspired to write anymore. However, I figured since we are in Kelowna, I had better let you all know. :) Most of you know already though...

Backtracking a bit, we spent Christmas with friends on the Island, New Year's with friends in White Rock, and then on the 2nd we headed up here. For the past week, we stayed in Enderby with a relative of our close friends whom we stayed with earlier in our travels. During that time we were able to search for rental houses and it definitely wasn't easy. Nevertheless, we eventually found something! We are now living in a small neighborhood close to downtown Kelowna, right on the lake. This rental is only until April, but until then we have a bit of breathing room-- time to relax. Kristina and Lucy will be dancing at Mission Dance centre nearby, only about 10-15 mins walk from our place. It's very nice to have a place of our own again, and I'm excited to see what lies ahead!

Just so you all know, my blog posts from now on may be few and far between, as "regular life" may not always be worth blogging about. It will certainly be hard to learn what "normal" is again! There are many things that remain unknown about our future here in the Interior, but this much I do know:

my Incredible Journey isn't over, whether I blog or not.