Mayook Picnic

June 9, 2017

Today is our Mayook Community Picnic ...

A wonderful get together with our families and friends ...

Don and Mike were busy grilling up burgers ... hot dogs and smokies ...

at the outdoor grilling hut ...

We enjoyed our picnic and visiting with everyone ...!!! 

 Let the games begin ...!!! After the picnic we were having a Bunco (dice) games night ... This was a new game we played in Houston with Kendall .. We decided to introduce this game to the community ... We had a blast ... a lot of craziness and laughter ...  Lisa was the overall winner ...!!!

We’re planning to host another Bunco night in the future ...!!!

 

A New Light ...

May 29, 2017

Today we were going to install a new solar light for dads special place ...

I went into town to bring mom out here for the afternoon ... it was dads day of birth ...

On my way to town ... I was brought to a stop...

when a gaggle of geese were crossing the dirt road ...

We decided to take the quads up to dads ...

This was the first time mom has gone for a ride on my quad ...

She was surprised how comfy it really was ... 

Once we arrived up the road ... we stopped and hiked up to the top of the mountainside ...

Mike proceeded to install the new light ... we decided to get a flat solar light ... 

as the animals kept knocking done the other one ...

We loved the new light ... a glimmer of light that can be seen from down below ... 

When we were finished with the light installation ... and made our way back home ...

Mike fired up the BBQ ... to grill up some burgers ...

It was a beautiful day to enjoy our meal out on the deck ...

of hamburgers loaded with all the fixings and a bean salad ...

The best part for me ... was the fresh Rhubarb pie for dessert ... 

looks like Oma was happy to sink her teeth into it as well ...

We spent a lovely afternoon together ... !!!

 

After our dinner ... I drove mom back into town ...

It was wonderful to spend this special time together ...

On my way back home ... making my way up our road ... 

I spotted a turtle on the side of the ditch ...

I stopped the car and took a few pictures ... 

and continued to watch as it made its way into the grass ...

 

 

 

 

Gone Fishing Again ...

May 24, 2017

We had arranged to go fishing with Rod and Nicole earlier in the week ...

this would be their first time out on a boat and fishing ...

We had left our boat at Premier Lake after the long weekend ...

Even though it wasn’t a very nice day ... we had to go pick it up ...

We decided to leave the camper on the truck ... just in case the weather turned on us ...

and we needed a dry ... warm place ...

We had a great time ... it was a real learning experience for them ... they were so happy to catch some fish ... 

They would love to come back sometime and go again ...!!!

We were getting cold ... so it was time to go ...

Rod offered to help Mike load the boat on the trailer ... Mike backed the truck down the ramp ... 

Rod put on the hip waders to avoid getting wet ... the water was cold ...

Mike drove the boat unto the trailer ... it was tricky with the wind and waves ...

I was grateful Rod was there to help out ... !!!

Our original plan was to have a fish fry at the park ... but the weather turned nasty ... so we decided to drive home ...

and cook them up there where it was warm ...!!!

Mike and Nicole decided they needed some martinis to warm up ...

before dinner was ready ...

We ended up cooking the fish in foil on the barbecue ...

I had penne noodles with pasta sauce and corn on the cob ready to be heated ...

a quick salad was made and we were ready to have our dinner ...

Once the dishes were cleared and kitchen cleaned up ...

Nicole and I relaxed with our drinks in the living room ...

while the guys spent their time in the hot tub ... 

 

It was a busy ... thrilling day ... and us ladies were tired ...

We ended up going to bed early ...

Rod and Nicole were leaving early in the morning for home ...

 

We had a wonderful time and totally enjoyed their visit ...

hoping we can get together again ...!!!

 

 

Guests Arrive ...

May 23, 2017

It felt good to be home again ... we had a busy day getting organized ...

as we were expecting our friends Rod & Nicole ...

They were going stop here for a couple days ... on their way thru from Calgary ...

to there home in Kelowna ...

I love seeing the flowers blooming on my cactus plant ...

Since we were going to have company for dinner ... I thought I would go down to the garden ...

to pick some fresh rhubarb to make a rhubarb pie for dessert ...

Rhubarb pie is my favourite ...!!!

Rod and Nicole arrived later in the afternoon ...

We decided to take the quads touring a bit around our property ... 

We also went up to Oma and Opa’s special place on the edge of the mountain ...

We spent some time hiking around and admiring the wild flowers ...

We continued driving around ... giving them a tour on our road ...

It was nearing dinner time ... so we headed back to the house ...

Mike fired up the BBQ to grill some steaks ...

the side dishes were prepared earlier ...

We had a lovely evening ... catching up on all the news ...

 

 

 

Eric & Sharon Arrive ...

May 20, 2017

We started this day with another lovely breakfast that was made outdoors ...

We were waiting for Eric and Sharon to arrive ...

to spend part of the day fishing out on the lake with us ...

The weather has been incredible ... it was another warm sunny day ...

and the fishing was amazing ...!!!

 

We had a good time out on the lake ...

We decided to head back to shore and cook up some fish for lunch ...

Eric and Sharon stayed a few more hours ... visiting with everyone ...

before it was time for them to make their way home ...

We were happy that they enjoyed themselves ... here at the campsite ... 

plus seeing how we set up the camper that we bought from them ...

They were also thrilled to be taking some fresh trout home ...!!!

We spent the afternoon just hanging out around the campsites ...

having a great time ...

Soon it was time to start preparing dinner ... and Lindsay had just arrived ...

to take over making his special BBQ sauce ...

Ernie ... Lindsay and Rocco were the Chefs in charge of the BBQ ...

grilling potatoes ... steaks and lamb chops ...

The rest of us made all the other dishes for our meal ...

salads ... corn on the cob ... grilled vegetables ... and more ...

After dinner ... Rocco ... Lindsay and John went get some wood ...

for the evenings campfire ...

 

This was our relaxing evening sitting around ... having a few sociables ... talking about our days adventures ...

and other stories ... which left us in stitches with laughter ...

Soon it was time to call it a night ... the women made their way to the campers ...

the guys were not ready to end this wonderful evening ...

None of us were sure when the guys called it night ...!!!

 

 

Market in Mesa ...

March 5, 2017 

We decided to go and spend a few hours ...

at the Mesa Market ...

We arrived there in time to stand in line ...

for our $2 breakfast ...

It was a a hearty breakfast ... and it was nice to have a live band ...

playing and singing songs from The Beach Boys Band ...

The place was packed ... with people from all over the world ...

There was a lot of chatter ... laughing and even people ...

joining in singing with the band ...

We made our way back to the resort ... later in the afternoon...

Today we were planning a potluck BBQ ... with all our friends ...

Dave found a palm leaf on the street ...

and decided it would add to the decor of the patio ...

Oma was sitting there ... minding her own business ... 

when thought she needed a picture taken of ...

"The Queen for the Day"

It was funny because Dave thought he was out of the picture ...

just by leaning over ... but when I mentioned that he was ...

in the first picture ...

he figured he might as well ... peek thru the palm ... teasing Oma ...

I did manage to get Oma by herself ... 

 

The gang arrived for appetizers ...

the sociable beverage for today ... was a few batches of Ceasar's ...

We were having a great time ...

Dave started cooking up burgers and smokies ...

the table was set with all the fixings and salads ...

for all of us to help themselves ...

Our dinner was scrumptious ... 

how lucky we were to be in the warm ... sunny weather ...

partying with our family and friends ...

 

 

 

Fun in the Sun ...

March 4, 2017

It was another beautiful morning...

Mike ... Dave and Blair ... decided to go for a swim ...

while us ladies were getting ready to head out for the afternoon ...

and evening ...

Blair and Dave have been vacationing for a few months ...

hence the nice colouring of their skin ...

It would take Mike a lot longer to get tanned ...

with his skin tone ...

All of us left in the early afternoon ...

traveling to Queen Creek ... to the Horesshoe Park & Equestrian Centre ...

for the barrel and pole races ...

It was a great place ... lots to see ... and a very exciting time ...

Even though it was getting hot out in the sun ... we stayed until the races were over ...

It was time to gather together ... to head out to our next destination ... for dinner ...

We ended up just down the road ... at the San Tan Flat Steakhouse ...

What an amazing place ...!!!

It was a rustic setting ... all outdoors ... and the place was full ...

First order of business was getting our tables ... then walking over to the San Tan Flat restaurant to order the sociable drinks ... While a few of the guys were busy with the drinks ... the rest of us looked over the menu ... This restaurant is famous for it's "Flat Iron Steaks " ... A few of us at a time went to order our dinners ... inside the building ... we were given a buzzer to let us know when to pick up our meal ...

The aroma of the food was overwhelming and mouth watering ... 

Oma decided to have a Rueben sandwich and a Fat Tire beer ... Most of the gang ordered the steaks ... and my were they delicious ... We had a great time visiting ... listening to live music and even got a couple dances in ... 

It was getting late with more and more people arriving ... so we decided to head back to the resort ... 

The sunsets are so beautiful ...  

 

   

Thanksgiving Dinner ...

October 9, 2016

We were going to have our Thanksgiving Day dinner today ...

as tomorrow will be a travel day for many of the families ...

So ... I was going to attempt to make a pumpkin pie in the travel trailer ...

This will be the first time baking in the oven ...

The pastry was easy ... as I normally make it by hand ...

 

The filling was usually made in the food processor ...

to get a very smooth consistency ...

The little hand held beater ... worked really well ...

It took a little more elbow grease to mix it up ... ha ha ... just kidding ...

The filling mix ready to be poured into the pie shell ...

the put in the oven to be baked ...

 

Next the red cabbage was sliced and put into the pot ...

along with an apple to sweeten it ...

brought to a boil and then simmered until it was tender ...

This side dish of "Blau Kraut" will be served this afternoon ...

Rocko was preparing the whole pig for the open fire spit ...

and Denise had prepared the stuffed turkey ...

that was going to be cooked in the barbecue ....

The guys kept a close eye on the spit ...

turning it once in a while ... making sure all sides were getting cooked ...

Rocko continued to baste it for 6 hours ...

Once it was cooked ... it was taken off the spit ...

placed on the covered table ...

and was carved and cut-up into serving pieces needed for this night's meal ...

The turkey was also taken off the barbecue ...

Denise and Lindsay carved up the turkey ...

The rest of us finished up all the fixings ... and had it everything ready ...

once the meat was ready to be served ....

What a feast we had ... it was absolutely delicious ...

Grateful we were able to have this meal and share it with so many of our friends ...

Dessert was served later ...

and the pumpkin pie with whipping cream ... was a hit ...

and was enjoyed by all ...

 

As you can see ... the Blue Jays game was on in the background ...

We had a great time ... all seated around the campfire ...

After dinner ... we continued to socialize around the campfire ...

into the wee hours of the morning ...

It was an amazing day ... !!!

 

 

Waiting For Oma ...

September 4, 2016

Mike ... Nathan and the kids were needing a break ...

It was time to jump in the pool and play ...

Ella wanted to show everyone how she could swim with her Mermaid Tail ...

After a while of swimming ...

they all jump into the hut tub to relax ...

and waiting for Oma & Joe to arrive for dinner ... 

Finally Oma and Joe made it ... Oma's request for dinner was BBQ'd steak ...

and all the fixings ...

I can tell you that no one else minded either ...

 

Another surprise for Ella ... 

Oma & Joe brought a DQ ice cream cake for her Birthday ...

Ella was also thrilled to receive some cash in her card ...

She's one lucky little girl ...

 

After spending time with Oma & Joe ... before they left for home ...

The kids wanted to have a fire in the fire pit ...

and roast some marshmallows ...

I couldn't believe that they still had any room in their tummies for more food ...!!!

  September 5, 2016

Craig had found Nathan's old battery operated toy truck with many wheels...

this crawler truck would go up and down stairs ...

and as you can see ...

it even drove over Ella ...

Nathan was enjoying having a turn playing with it ...

While Nathan and the kids were getting ready to head back home ... after a busy fun weekend ...

I was out on the back deck ...

gathering all the swimming gear ... when I approached the Mermaid Tail ...

a beautiful dragonfly was resting on it ...

Of course ... it was a perfect photo opportunity for me ... 

the kids eventually came to see the dragonfly ...

We had a great ... busy weekend ... !!!

Mike and I were so ready to sit back and relax now ...

 

 

 

Action Packed Days ...

August 17, 2016

Maren decided to go into town to visit with her family ...

so Mike and I decided to go fishing for the day ...

It was another successful fishing day ...

and made a delicious dinner for all of us ...

The girls had a busy day in town ...

After dinner they had some quiet playtime with puzzles ...

They love the big floor puzzles ...

and brought them upstairs for all of us to work on ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were happy when they finished the barn puzzle ...

 

August 18, 2016

I ventured down to the garden early this morning ...

to pick strawberries ... raspberries and apples for breakfast ...

Ellie loved to visit with Juno ... she would make her way to the see him ...

any chance she had ...

Once breakfast was over ... we got our day organized ...

everyone ready to head outside ...

Mike made sure that the quads were filled with fuel ...

for our adventure with the girls ...

We decided to travel down to the lake and then make our way thru Oma's place ...

travelling on the bush roads ...

Stopping on the hillside ... then hiking up to the top of the rock ...

to Oma & Opa's favourite spot ...

The girls know Opa from pictures and our stories ...

Maren was pointing ... showing the girls where our house was ...

far across the lake ...

We hiked back down the hill ... hopped on the quads ...

and travelled to the end of the road ...

giving them a tour of the area ...

Maren had invited her cousin to come out here for a visit ...

so the little ones could enjoy the afternoon playing ...

but first it was lunch time ...

Mike fired up the fire pit ... no open fires were allowed at the time ...

the girls didn't mind at all ...

they loved grilling up their hot dogs ...

using our crooked sticks ...

Finally the cousins arrived ...

they had so much fun in the pool and the hot tub ...

It was crazy busy ... trying to keep an eye on everyone ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were thrilled to meet their new cousin ...

and be able to hold her ...

This was Maren's last night with us ...

she would be heading for home the next day ...

It was an early night for the girls to go to bed ... as it was going to be a long trip ...

Mike and I helped Maren pack up the Van ...

and once that was completed ...

we were able to sit back and relax ...

and enjoy our evening ...

We had a wonderful time with the Roberts' family ...

hoping that they will make their way back here next summer ...

but this time ... maybe Jake will be able to stay a little longer ...

It would be great if Nathan ... Ian and their families ...

could be here as well ...