Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Our run of company sadly has come to an end.  However, if it has to end, a great finish to the stiff run of company is my second family, the Zazulas/Smiths.

Laughing, laughing and more laughing took over the majority of our visit.  My cheeks hurt and my side
ached.  Between the kids' priceless words and predicaments, Gene's ever increasing vast knowledge and wisdom, Ronnie's giggle, Garrett's outlook on life,  Chad's heavenly nature to roll with the punches,  and Carmen's ability to tell it like it is, we were like a fresh episode of Seinfeld or Friends.    Oh, the good times just keep getting better!  Who would've thunk that was even possible?

The fam. plus 1,
 ( Uncle Cheezy Mat, Austin, Chad, Georgia, Uncle Garrett, Carmen)

It was a nice treat to be able to spend Mat's Birthday with family.

No need for Mat to make a wish as all his dreams came true upon meeting me.

Deep conversation and great wine.  We had a lot to catch up on.

This sister - brother duo is exactly that.  Austin bears the weight of being the older, protective brother.  Georgia looks up to her big brother and mimics every move he makes.  Unfortunately Austin is following Mat.....

Dancing Queen following in her mom's footsteps already.

Ronnie, my second mother and the most youthful and beautiful grandmother I know.  (Yikes, I might get in trouble with this one, I know a lot of grandmothers now)

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.......

With the shake of my two hands, I will magically make two handsome men appear to fulfill our life with unconditional love and understanding. Ta-dah!  Holy Crap, it worked!   Well, part of it worked.

Sorry "guys", didn't mean to interrupt your little moment together.  Carry on....

Chad-O, AKA Rambo,, making his big debut.

And we are here to get it all on film.

Photo finish!

Round the horses up, it's time to pack 'er in

Change settings to 1080IP for best video quality.  

Welcome to the Jungle!

El Eden, where the natural landscape takes your breath away, where streams prosper with fresh water and where Predator is hiding, patiently waiting to strike.  

Our friend JD is living proof of Predator’s attack. One minute he is digitally capturing the stunning surroundings and the next minute he has blood trickling down the bridge of his nose. That’s how fast it can happen.  It was a real Arnold vs Predator experience.  Unfortunately, JD was lacking Arnold's expertise.

After our brief clash with Predator we spent the rest of the day hiking and swimming, Tarzan style.  I fully enjoyed the role of Jane.  I might not have long beautiful wind blown hair, a leather bandeau top or a size 2 waist.  I did, however, have some leg hair that got away on me, which has got to count for something.   And, I sported a lululemon bikini, a much more modern version of the loin cloth. Which, if Jane had the option, she would choose luluemon too!

Unlike Jane, I was very content to have my Tarzan away from me while swinging from vines.  As my Tarzan is not so much the dashing hero as opposed to the let’s see how hard I can push you off the cliff before you jump in hero.  But I guess Jane didn’t have everything either.  Tarzan’s personal hygiene may have been his downfall.  Our Tarzans do share one commonality, they both are a little uncivilized.

We ended our day with a short drive to our next location, Chico’s Paradise.  The title itself does not do justice to this pristine piece of mother earth.  It completely swallows you up in it’s depth of serenity and magnificence.  Satisfaction and harmony is all one can feel on the drive home.

El Eden

My Tarzan, so strong.

El Eden and the Official site where the movie Predator  was shot.

Predator's mark

Tarzan and Jane

Welcome to the Jungle! from Mathew Fiedelleck on Vimeo.

Video has footage from our underwater scuba mask camera.  Yes, you are reading that right.  We own a scuba mask with a built in camera and video camera.  Pretty cool!

Chico's Paradise

PXMommy

Looking for a new fitness routine?  Want to take your body to the next step and push yourself to the limit.  I have recently discovered a new program.  It’s called PXMommy.  My friend Kaylan introduced it to me.

Imagine one of those scenes from a movie where two people are engaging in an activity.  One person, the expert has their back turned to the beginner.  The expert is strategically explaining every detail of the activity.  Taking caution to point out all the cues, all the trigger points and to remind the novice that it is very difficult and it takes lots of practice.  There are many modifications to be learnt before working up to the final action. 

Meanwhile the audience is watching the beginner complete the action without difficulty, waiting for the expert to finish their monologue.  The expert turns around to begin the lesson only to find the beginner 10 steps ahead of them, might I add, with complete ease.

Yes, that is Kaylan’s and my relationship.  Not only did she completely blow me away with her first time canoeing, kayaking, portaging and camp survival skills this summer, but now she has one-upped me with her surfing, leaving me in her wake.  To be honest there was no competition.  This girl is a natural! This leaves me with the title of  “what she lacks in skill she makes up for with heart” AKA, “you're out of your league”.

I quickly learned my lesson from her; she is learning nothing from me, instead I better start taking notes.  So I ask her, “How can such a delicate and petite girl be so strong and powerful?  “It’s called the Mommy Factor,” she informed me nonchalantly. 

I say if being a mom brings you super human powers than I can’t wait for motherhood.  She is amazing!

No I didn't push her off her board!  She fell on her own.  I'm not that competitive.  Give me some credit.

Ben

Ben and Mat

This is the part I am really good at.

My crew tells me that snowboarding is a lot like surfing.  “Hence why we are so good at it.”  

However, in the reverse, if my skills of surfing are of any indication of my potential snowboarding career, then I better stick to the medium that will break my fall instead of breaking me.  

The only worry I have out here is maybe a mild enema, a manta ray/jellyfish sting, or an acute shark attack.  All minor in comparison to “yard-saleing” it down a cliff side at 50km/h in -20 Celsius weather, hoping that I become a human snowball that will eventually lose speed before hitting a tree.

Paddle Board Surfing is worth a try.  It is much harder than it looks as the boys demonstrated below.