I started writing this post when I was in Edmonton, Canada a few weeks ago visiting my friend, Lynsay. Her house is beyond gorgeous but it is the view from behind her house that had me in awe during my time there. When Lynsay had sent me pictures of it before, is was blanketed in so much snow. however on this trip, the scenery was almost exactly the opposite. The sun was out, there were colorful green trees, a Saskatoon bush filled with ripe berries, and every so often the cutest fluffy jack rabbits would hop by the window. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to visit Edmonton and spend time with Lynsay's family at their beautiful home.

So, let me tell you a little bit about my trip!

Lynsay's daughter Eliza enjoys baking and is really good at it. Since Saskatoon berries were in season she decided to bake us a pie. The berries came from the bush in their backyard!!

Eliza is such a sweetheart! It's hard to see in the photo but she made a pineapple in the center of the top crust! What a warm, beautiful, and DELICIOUS welcome! We were so excited to see her again and incredibly blessed that she took the time to make us such a special treat.

It was amazing!!!

When I am with Lynsay you can bet we'll be hitting the trails to go hiking or do some type of outdoor adventure. Even though I wasn't there for a long time, we went on several hikes through the beautiful River Valley near her home.

Recently Lynsay has gotten involved volunteering for an organization called, Dogs With Wings. This organization trains service dogs. Lynsay is passionate about her work with this organization. She is an excellent volunteer trainer and is in love with all these beautiful animals who have become a part of her family. I enjoyed meeting many of the dogs I've heard her talk about and we had fun going on walks with some of them while I was there.

One of the things Lynsay was working on in her craft room was creating thank you cards to donate to the organization for an upcoming event. I had the opportunity to help her put these cards together.

Isn't this card adorable?! It was created with the stamp set, Bella and Friends. I offered to help Lynsay by punching out the circles with the Starburst punch and then stamping and coloring the dog with Stampin' Blends.

I asked Lynsay, "So, how many of these cards are you making?" "Oh, just 200 she replied!"

I tried to pretend like this was too much, but Lynsay knows I like to work on swap cards which often require making large amounts of the same card. She also knows I love to color so this was a very fun way for me to have some creative fun while at her house.

On another one of our days there, we went to this fabulous Farmer's Market!

We enjoyed seeing all the colorful fruit and veggies. Just look at these carrots!

The flowers were so vibrant and beautiful too!

Edmonton is a Festival City. We enjoy hearing Bruce and Lynsay talk about all the fun concerts and events they get to go to that come to Edmonton.

We ended up being there during the Taste of Edmonton. We went and enjoyed trying all different types of specialties from local restaurants.

We then visited the Legislature Building which had huge water fountains in front of the building.

Water fountain at the Edmonton Legislature Building

It was unusually hot in Edmonton that day so cooling off IN the fountain seemed like the perfect idea! As you can see, lots of other people felt the same way!

The building was really beautiful. It was fun to be there with our amazing friends!

On another day, we enjoyed going canoeing with Michael and Jess. Michael is Lynsay's friend's son. They were such a lovely couple.

We really enjoyed our time together on the North Saskatchawan river. It was great to see the city from this perspective.

North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton, Canada

Halfway through our canoeing adventure, we gathered our canoes together and enjoyed a floating picnic.

When you travel with Lyndsay and family you are definitely going to enjoy great food! They always come prepared with delicious snacks.

Speaking of snacks... here's a fun local place Lynsay took me to where we enjoyed a "so called" local healthy treat.

Have you heard of Poutine? I hadn't.

Poutine is a dish that consists of French fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. Doesn't sound very healthy, does it?? There are many different varieties of this dish.

We went to My Fries, where they offered a healthier version of this classic dish.

Just look at the menu... so many choices!!!

It was really fun to try this "healthy" dish :)

One of the must do things on our trip was to visit the West Edmonton Mall. Lynsay knows I love to shop and it is one of the major attractions in Edmonton. Up until 2004 it was the worlds largest mall. It had an amusement park, a petting zoo, a waterpark, and a mini golf course!

Roller Coaster at the West Edmonton Mall

There was also a pirate ship and a sea lion show.

In another section we found an ice skating rink.

Of course the highlight for me was going shopping at the largest Lululemon store.

The mall also had lots of funny props for fun photo ops!

We had a blast shopping together that day!

Our time in Edmonton was so much fun. Whether it was exploring the city or just hanging out at the house, playing our nightly card games! We had a blast. It was a much needed time of R and R.

I am grateful that because of my involvement with Stampin' Up! we have become friends with the Mahon's and just like this pillow says, we think they are all pretty EH-Mazing!!!

Oh Canada!

Stamped With Aloha

Oh Canada!

Time for Tea

Juneau What I'm Sayin'?

Stamped With Aloha