January Date

So we started our new year off with a special date that I pulled together for us.  I marked it on our family calendar that hangs on our fridge.  I have one date a month planned and one trip to the temple planned for the entire year.  This year I'm going to try having our dates on a Saturday afternoon.  I don't enjoy the rush of Friday night dates so Saturday we can take it a bit slower. 

So I made a little invite to let Spencer know what we would be doing....I cut out words from the newspaper. 

We started off with lunch at Packrat Louie's.  Spencer had been there before for a work lunch and wanted me to try it too.  I remember living in the white ave. area while going to school and walked by this place often wishing that someday I'll be able to afford to eat there.  (I can check that off my bucket list!)

The weather was still a little chilly so for the next part of our date we took a short cut through Old Strathcona farmers market.  I love that place.  Spencer stopped to enjoy a singer/quartet playing blue grass/country tunes. 

We had to walk a few blocks to reach the Ice on Whyte festival that was at End of Steel Park.  It was neat to see all the ice carvings. 

Here I am standing if front of a church. 

One of Spencers favorite things was the ice slides.  A little cold on the bum but fun to go down.
There was a tent with heaters and hot chocolate and free entertainment.  We stayed for a while to get warmed up but then went back outside to finish looking at the ice sculptures. 

A dragon. At night there are lights that shine on the sculptures so I think it might have been easier to see the details in them.  

This one is of a dragonfly and a little fairy on mushrooms.  There were teams from all over the world who came to participate.  There was a competition and with winner was one of the Chinese teams.