THE GOODS BLOG: Erika's Precious Little Life ~ July Edition

Hello friends! Happy SUMMER! I hope that you're all getting into the summertime mindset and that you have exciting summer adventures ahead of you! Be sure to take the time to slow down and to savour it all. These are the moments that we wait for all year long - make sure to enjoy every second of it!

June was really, really consumed by the Edmonton Oilers and the Stanley Cup Playoffs and hockey. It kinda took over. I'm truly not much of a sports person but the level of excitement in our city was infectious, especially when the Oilers pulled off their amazing comeback in the final round. They were playing against the Florida Panthers and you probably heard that the Oilers lost in the final game (the score was 2-1). It was pretty heartbreaking. Everyone really believed that they could win it all. The four rounds of playoffs went on for two months and it became quite consuming. We watched all of the games, attended watch parties, and visited the arena (Rogers Place) so much that it began to feel like a weekly home... The vibe in the city was electric and it felt like we were all a part of something together. Even though the outcome wasn't what we had hoped for, we made so many amazing memories as a family and we had so much fun. Look at me enjoying sports?!? (But let's be honest, I'm mostly just here for the cute themed outfit, the snacks, and the yelling.) Here are my favourite photos from the entire wild experience in June.

Gene Principe, sports reporter and broadcaster on Sportsnet.

Before each game there were tattoo artists doing FREE Oilers tattoos at the arena - real ones - and Tim decided to get one! He is forever loyal to the Oil! We figured that no matter what happened, this tattoo would always remind us of a very fun time that we shared as a family.

It definitely took us a few days to come down from this heightened level of living and to reacclimatize to our normal life. What a ride!

There were other things that happened in June as well...

We celebrated Father's Day by going out for brunch at The Butternut Tree.

We got a fancy KitchenAid Stand Mixer and I celebrated the International Day of Yoga.

We went to the Red Bull Soapbox Race which was a ton of fun! I was most excited to see The Supersonic SONiC Soap Box Team because I still love everything that SONiC does! (Once part of the team, always part of the team!)

We had our monthly double date night with Mary & Jonny (we saw them sooo much this month! It's because they like to do all of the same stuff as we do!) and had dinner at a restaurant called DOSC. We also went to Improvaganza with them (Edmonton's improv festival).

There was also a friend brunch at Pip! (Followed by more Improvaganza.)

And finally, Tim and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary! We got dressed up and went out for a nice kid-free dinner at a restaurant called XIX Nineteen, toasted with prosecco, and ate good food. Plus there was some smooching.

And then there's also the latest ailment that I've been dealing with... Last month I had Covid and this month... SHINGLES! Earlier in June I started to develop a sore patch on my left thigh that felt like a sunburn even though there wasn't anything there. At first I didn't think much of it until it started to spread more and more around my leg. A very small rash eventually appeared as well. I saw a doctor and was told that I had Shingles (and it's not contagious). They put me on two types of medication which I have since completed. At this point I would say that it's almost entirely gone and that it seems like I only had a very mild case. It took about three weeks to run its course. The most bizarre part is that Tim had Shingles back in November and somehow I ended up with it less than a year later. Whyyyyy?! So that was all very annoying and strange.

Now that hockey and the school year is out of the way I'm looking forward to getting into some true summertime fun! We have an exciting summer vacation planned and I've also made a bucket list of things that I want to do around Edmonton this summer.

Life with Archie: First of all: School. June was the last month of the school year! They had a rainbow day to celebrate Pride month!

Archie's class had a print-making art afternoon and I volunteered to help out. I was a paint roller person!

The kids received their yearbooks and I always love seeing Archie's class page! I love their crew and I can't wait to see these kids in Grade 2!

And then it was the last day of school! Grade One is finished! Archie had a great year, did well on his report card, and learned so much. We are incredibly proud of him.

As per tradition, on his last day Archie was allowed to choose ANY restaurant that he wanted for dinner that night... And he picked McDonald's. He loves him a cheeseburger and I can't blame him. We gave him some last day of school presents - mostly books and things that he'll be able to use during the summer. And a Rubik's Cube because for some reason it was the hottest toy in his class this year and they all wanted one.

Second of all: Programs. All of Archie's spring programs wrapped up for the summer! Little Kitchen Academy ended and Archie learned how to cook so many different things! We all agreed that this was one of the best programs that he's ever done. Such high quality!

He finished his Junior Riders program and is becoming a much more skilled and confident horseback rider. Archie says that this is his favourite program overall and that he would like to continue with learning how to ride. (I personally liked getting to cuddle the horses.)

His Swimmer 1 swimming lessons ended... And he did not pass. So he'll have to take this one again in the fall, however I do think that he got a lot better towards the end and I expect that he'll be able to pass next time.

And finally, his Bigger Beats Drums finished up and he put on a final rock show! He played 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes and it was pretty awesome!

Aaaaand Archie also attended another Kids Workshop at Home Depot and built a Grill Gift Card Box that was pretty cute.

Third of all: Hockey. Let's Go Oilers! Archie loved being involved in all of the hockey festivities and I think that it created a lot of big memories for him. I'm so glad that we took him to the watch parties and really exposed him to all of the action. Archie actually cried when the Oilers lost, which was pretty sad!

Fourth of all: Friends. It was a pretty fun month of hangs with friends! Archie ends up seeing Edie and Jonah a lot just because Mary and I are constantly making plans. But he also went to his friend Hugh's birthday party at Foam Fighters and had a blast with his pals.

Fifth of all: Miscellaneous. Just some other random things from the month!

We got LIVE BC Spot Prawns and Archie helped Tim to prepare and cook them. And also, Archie obviously loved the soapbox race a whole lot!

He's a busy kid and I love exposing him to as many life experiences as possible. <3

July is a big one! It's time to start living that summertime magic! The month kicks off with Canada Day and fireworks. Then Archie and I are heading off on a (somewhat) spontaneous overnight road trip to Stettler, Alberta which is about two hours away (Tim isn't coming). We're meeting Sarah and her kids at Ford's Farmstead and staying in one of their Farm Stay Cottages. It should be super cute!! I'm hoping for goats. Then Enobong and her family are coming to Edmonton from Ottawa for a visit and we plan to get up to all sorts of fun with them! Archie will be doing one week of DiscoverE Mechanical Engineering Summer Camp, which I think he'll really enjoy. This camp is put on by the U of A Faculty of Engineering and I think that it'll be perfect for him. I've gotta cram in Taste of Edmonton, my 2nd favourite summer festival in Edmonton before we leave... And then WE ARE OFF on a very big and long summer adventure! We will be away for 25 days in total!! Our first stop is Toronto and then onward to Muskoka. We're going to be staying at Bayview Wildwood Resort in Severn Bridge like we did last year. We'll be there for four nights with all of the Golems and we're really looking forward to seeing everyone. And especially getting ALL EIGHT cousins together for the first time EVER! And finally getting to meet my one and only nephew for the first time! After that we are continuing on to a trip that has been a decade in the making. I have never been to the East Coast of Canada and I have been planning an epic road trip for ages. The time has finally come! All four provinces! Starting with New Brunswick, we will be flying in to Saint John and picking up our road trip car. We have two nights at Carriage House Inn in Fredericton followed by two nights at Cielo Glamping Maritime in Haut-Shippagan. Then we're off to Prince Edward Island and spending three nights at Floating Cottages on the Quay in Charlottetown. There will be deep sea lobster fishing involved... In fact, I intend to eat an obscene amount of lobster on this trip in general!! ...You'll have to wait until next month's blog to hear about the rest of our itinerary! I cannot stress the amount of meticulous planning (by me) that has gone into this whole Maritime adventure. I'm very excited for the fun month ahead and I hope that the rest of you are too! Enjoy sunny July my lady loves! <3

THIS MONTH’S SHOUT-OUTS!: July 5th is Candice Weingartner’s 42nd birthday!

Wishing you a most fabulous day of rest and relaxation... And spilly wine. I'm so glad that we have maintained our friendship after all of these years! One of these days we really are going to come and crash at your place in Saskatoon and swim in your pool, ha ha. I hope that all of the boys spoil you a whole ton and as usual I will picture you on a lake somewhere living your best life. Love you! <3 July 8th is Crystal Hawker’s 42nd birthday!

I'm very excited to hear all about your birthday because I think that you are going to be very spoiled and celebrated! My impression is that Perry is going to come through in a big way and I bet that it's going to be really cute. You deserve this so much. You have literally done SO MUCH to better yourself and it's no mistake that good things are coming your way. I love our chats and I love you! <3 July 15th is Robin Checkowy’s 42nd birthday!

Wishing you the sweetest day! I hope that the whole family celebrates you and that you get to do all of your favourite things! Don't do a single job - just hang out and have some fun! You're such a caring and kind person, always doing so much for everyone else. I look forward to hugs with you again soon! Love you! <3

July 26th is Nadine Ottenbreit's 10th wedding anniversary!

Just a couple of children! I hope that you and Kyle have a chance to celebrate your day of romance!