Pole Raising Ceremony at Government House

It has now been over 2 weeks since we attended this ceremony, and I uploaded these pictures the day after, but haven't found the time to actually write the post. Life is so busy right now that I'm having a difficult time setting time aside to write posts:(

At this very moment my kids are causing chaos upstairs, when they should be quietly eating their snacks, so I am going to keep this short.

You can read about the ceremony here: Pole Raising Ceremony at Government House

That's my granny with the head dress on.

My mom

My aunt holding the paper. Going over the schedule.

Moi! Rob has a talent for capturing the most unflattering photos of me. This was the best of the bunch!

Waiting, and listening to the speeches.

More waiting. It was sooooo hot, and I was happy that no one brought my regalia. I was dripping sweat just from the thin shawl I was wearing.

The raising of the pole!

A lot of team work is required for this part.

There it is.

Time to dance

The ladies dance.

The fun dance.

The Lieutenant Governor and his wife. He is an amazing man. I was so grateful to hear his speech.

The beautiful blankets that were gifted. I have a black one. I can't decide what to do with it. It's too beautiful to use as a blanket, but I don't want it to sit in my closet either.

Okay! Deep breath. That is my short and sweet post. Sorry for the lack of details, but I think the article will do a better job of covering the event then I will at this point. 

Epiphanie Giveaway!!

If you have a camera, then you have probably heard of Epiphanie bags, and if you haven't then hurry on over to their site to check out their stylish, and functional collection of camera bags. You can ditch the boring black bag!

Now for the exciting news! Wait for it........

Epiphanie is giving away 5 bags!! 5!!! Now, I have entered a thousand and a hundred giveaways to try and win one of these gorgeous bags, and I'm hoping this is my turn to win! and maybe yours too.

Here is their new video for the Fall 2012 Collection:

Source: vimeo.com via Jamie on Pinterest

Watch the video then head on over to enter the Epiphanie Giveaway!!

P.S. If you win and I don't, I'm okay with you letting me have your bag:) Just saying.

Sweet Potato and Ham soup Paleo Style

Source: fastpaleo.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I made this soup on Friday, and being the first day of Fall it was exactly what I needed; something warm and comforting to eat. This was perfect! I could have eaten the whole pot to myself, if only my stomach would have allowed me.

The only difference was that I sautéed the veggies and ham in coconut oil first, and used full fat coconut milk (as suggested in the recipe) instead of the arrowroot powder. I also added fresh herbs from my garden. I didn't measure, just grabbed some sage and thyme, washed it, chopped it up and threw it in with the veggies while I sautéed them.

It is perfect for those times when you are looking for something rich and creamy, that warms you from the inside out. Which in these oncoming cooler days, I am always in need of.

Also, if you are looking for more fantastic Paleo recipes, Fast Paleo is a great source with new recipes added every day.

My Growing Garden

Rob snapped some photos of our garden the other day to send to his grandmother, and I realized I haven't shared any photos of my garden this year at all.

So here are the photos Rob took:

A slide a friend gave us last year that the kids can use to get from the upper yard to the lower yard. With a few new plants scattered below. There is some oregon grape as well as a blueberry bush, lupin and others I haven't learned the names of.

The blueberry. The other blueberry bushes are above. We have 6 or 7 blueberry bushes. 

The free fountain Rob picked up from work. Behind is a black current, and some huge lavender bushes, as well as some calalily's that are not looking to happy. We have discovered our irrigation doesn't reach them, so they are very thirsty.

Our volunteer Sunflower that is huge, and has about 10 flower heads on it. It seems to love the morning sun, because it is facing the back of our yard, where the sun rises. 

Last year the trellis and everything behind it did not exist. We waited 2 years for them to finally completely fence in our yard. The trellis is from Rob's work. We have raspberries, tomatoes, a dwarf apple tree, the volunteer sunflower and volunteer potatoes growing in the garden in front and next to the trellis. The pallets are a sitting area next to a fire pit we dug.

A close up of the trellis. Rob plans to build an arch over the entrance, and I may want to add another panel so we can grow grapes behind the trellis.

Our veggies! There are peas, lettuce mix, strawberries, carrots, tri-coloured beans, yellow squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, zucchini, pumpkin and tomatoes. I will take some pics of the pumpkins we have growing. One of them is a monster!! You have to see it!

I'm not sure what he was trying to take a picture of here, but you can see our other apple tree, and the bushes.

This is our side garden. It's the herb/native garden. We have sage, thyme, chives, oregano, parsley, lavender, butterfly bush, oregon grape, ferns and a tiny sunflower I planted, but isn't doing so well. 

My resent harvest. This is my first year growing carrots successfully! I was so excited when I pulled these up. They are delicious!

We are so fortunate to have found so many supplies for our garden for free. We have a bunch of pallets next to the veggie garden that Rob plans on using to build a green house with for next year. We have also been given, and found plants for free. I love my garden so much. It is so satisfying watching everything grow and bloom around us.

I hope everyone had a great summer! I will try and post more photos soon:)