I don't have time sadly to give this post its due time but I didnt want to leave without an address update. As I've mentionned before, I am off to serve an 18 month mission for my church in San Jose California. I am very excited for this next step and only slightly terrified to learn Spanish. I leave tomorrow morning for Utah to spend 2 months at the Missionary Training Centre where I will be taught Spanish. Then I will spend the rest of my time in California teaching people the things that I have come to know to be true. I'll be teaching them about Jesus Christ and his role in their life. He plays such an important part in my own life and I wouldnt be who I am today without this message. I will not have access to my own email or facebook or even this blog. If there are updates it is my sister doing it on my behalf. Still, I would love to keep in touch as much as possible. You can write to me at the addresses below! MTC address:
Sister Brianna Justine Hurley
MTC Mailbox # 245
CA-SJO 0104
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793
United States
San Jose Mission Office address: (send letters here until you know my more specific address OR you can send letters here throughout the whole mission -- once im in California-- and they will always be forwarded to me)
Sister Brianna Hurley
California San Jose Mission
3975 McLaughlin Ave Ste A
San Jose CA, 95121-2631
United States
For more information about my church and what I'll be doing, feel free to ask me questions or to visit www.mormon.org
Talk to you all soon!
Much love,
B
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Ottawa Polo Match
The Nepean Equestrian Park was hosting a charity Polo tournament to support the Boys & Girls Club of Ottawa. Marieve and I went to check it out and wore our game day hats!
Then for the part I was most excited about: the Divot Stomp! I dreamed of feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she stomps the perfectly formed divots. Sadly in real life it doesn't quite translate. We stomped down a couple but most of them looked unnervingly like "steaming divots" so we settled for the free ice cream they were giving out instead! Kind of a let down actually.
The games themselves were definitely not! I think I could watch horses all day but this was extra special. The skill it takes to play polo is amazing. They navigate the horses using the stirrups so that their arms are left free to wield the mallet. There is no way I would be able to concentrate on hitting the ball and managing to not run into other horses at the same time.
I am a polo convert. I just need to marry a Van der Burgt and add 'the second' to the end of my children's names and I will be a polo mom before you know it!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?!
Its been a long couple of weeks waiting but today I received my call to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The call was sent by FedEx since it had been delayed because of the Postal Strike, so it arrived at my work shortly before I got there and then I basically stared at it for the rest of my 7 hour shift! haha
Quite a few people were able to be with me to open the letter but so many others who I love weren't able to be there! I thought I would share some parts because I wish you could have come!
My co-worker called me when I was on the bus on the way to work to tell me my call had just arrived! Im pretty sure I floated the rest of the way there!
Clarissa was sweet enough to bake me a delicious rainbow-vanilla cake!!
Here it is in all its unedited glory!
I don't know exactly what to say quite yet, the whole thing is still sinking in. It felt very much like an out of body experience and Im really excited for the person going to San Jose California and who has to learn Spanish.. at some point it will sink in that that's me!
I've never been to California, I've always wanted to go.. and Spanish.. oh man bring it on! This should be interesting!
My life is about to change in hundreds of different ways, but I'm excited for a new chapter, for new experiences and challenges and I know that I won't be alone along the way. I have been very blessed in my own life and hope to be able to help others know the happiness and joy that comes from knowing who you are, where you come from and where you're going!
-B
p.s. I don't leave until November 2nd, so you're stuck with me for a bit!
Quite a few people were able to be with me to open the letter but so many others who I love weren't able to be there! I thought I would share some parts because I wish you could have come!
Here it is in all its unedited glory!
I don't know exactly what to say quite yet, the whole thing is still sinking in. It felt very much like an out of body experience and Im really excited for the person going to San Jose California and who has to learn Spanish.. at some point it will sink in that that's me!
I've never been to California, I've always wanted to go.. and Spanish.. oh man bring it on! This should be interesting!
My life is about to change in hundreds of different ways, but I'm excited for a new chapter, for new experiences and challenges and I know that I won't be alone along the way. I have been very blessed in my own life and hope to be able to help others know the happiness and joy that comes from knowing who you are, where you come from and where you're going!
-B
p.s. I don't leave until November 2nd, so you're stuck with me for a bit!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A-freakin Lion Safari!
People think that the youngest child is always the most spoiled. By the time parents have had a few kids they are usually much more lax on things like chores and curfews, so the youngest tends to get away with a lot more than the first child would have! This is all true, lets face it, being the youngest pretty much rocks. BUT before you start envying (or for that matter continue to envy) the youngest child stop for a moment and consider your childhood. With the first child, parents are excited and want their child to experience all of the 'necessary' parts of childhood. In their need and obsession to have a million pictures of this beautiful new masterpiece that they have created, parents ensure their child doesnt miss out on a single thing! However, what you might not realize, if you arent the youngest, is that by the time parents have had a few kids they dont realize that the last child has missed out on some of these 'necessary' events!
I grew up as the youngest of four and every once and a while there were a few hints that my parents might have forgotten a few steps!
Take my first baseball game for instance. I was put in the outfield and spent most of the game picking dandelions because in t-ball, what are the chances the ball is going to come very close to the outfield? There must have been a huge child (or a child who was taught how to play baseball!) who somehow managed to get the ball into the outfield. My parents yelled, "Brianna, put your glove in the air!" Ever the obedient child, I raised my glove.. oblivious to the fact that a ball landed a few feet from me. I dont know if I should be embarrassed for myself or my parents that I stood there with my arm up in the air for awhile until I was instructed to get the ball and throw it! At that point, my parents realized they may have forgotten to tell me what the game of Baseball was all about.
The youngest child also doesn't remember half of the cool trips that the older siblings do. For years I complained that I had been neglected as a child because I had never been to a zoo. I moaned that a zoo is a necessary part of anyone's childhood. My parents assured me they had taken me, but if I cant remember it, did it really happen? (If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around does it make a sound?)
Finally after years of joking that I had been neglected as a child, my parents took me to the zoo about a month after my 20th birthday! I loved every minute of it, and tried not to notice that we were the oldest people there who didn't have kids!
This week I got to go with my nieces and new baby nephew, as they went through this rite of passage at the African Lion Safari. I watched them as they oooed and awwed over lions and baby calfs and elephants. I felt like a kid again too because I think I liked it just as much as they did.. maybe more!
At African Lion Safari, you have the choice to drive your own car around the safari, or hop on board the bus. The last time my sister went she said she saw the baboons ripping the windshield wipers off of someones car... so we took the bus!
Hannah and Emma when we watched the Elephants take a bath
Super close to a zebra
For a second you believe it until you see the giant fence and trailer in the back!
There is a short boat ride, that takes you to different islands with monkeys and exotic birds.
Pictured above: My brother-in-law Max, my cousin Sarah and her little boy Henry, my nieces Emma and Hannah
Even though the poor guy won't remember it, here is the proof his parents will need that he went to African Lion Safari. This is Carter (8 months) and I on a train.
I think I've always been a bit mature for my age and thinking about it now its probably because I missed out on so many of the necessary parts of a childhood. I blame my parents.. because thats the mature thing to do! :)
-B
I grew up as the youngest of four and every once and a while there were a few hints that my parents might have forgotten a few steps!
Take my first baseball game for instance. I was put in the outfield and spent most of the game picking dandelions because in t-ball, what are the chances the ball is going to come very close to the outfield? There must have been a huge child (or a child who was taught how to play baseball!) who somehow managed to get the ball into the outfield. My parents yelled, "Brianna, put your glove in the air!" Ever the obedient child, I raised my glove.. oblivious to the fact that a ball landed a few feet from me. I dont know if I should be embarrassed for myself or my parents that I stood there with my arm up in the air for awhile until I was instructed to get the ball and throw it! At that point, my parents realized they may have forgotten to tell me what the game of Baseball was all about.
The youngest child also doesn't remember half of the cool trips that the older siblings do. For years I complained that I had been neglected as a child because I had never been to a zoo. I moaned that a zoo is a necessary part of anyone's childhood. My parents assured me they had taken me, but if I cant remember it, did it really happen? (If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around does it make a sound?)
Finally after years of joking that I had been neglected as a child, my parents took me to the zoo about a month after my 20th birthday! I loved every minute of it, and tried not to notice that we were the oldest people there who didn't have kids!
This week I got to go with my nieces and new baby nephew, as they went through this rite of passage at the African Lion Safari. I watched them as they oooed and awwed over lions and baby calfs and elephants. I felt like a kid again too because I think I liked it just as much as they did.. maybe more!
At African Lion Safari, you have the choice to drive your own car around the safari, or hop on board the bus. The last time my sister went she said she saw the baboons ripping the windshield wipers off of someones car... so we took the bus!
Pictured above: My brother-in-law Max, my cousin Sarah and her little boy Henry, my nieces Emma and Hannah
I think I've always been a bit mature for my age and thinking about it now its probably because I missed out on so many of the necessary parts of a childhood. I blame my parents.. because thats the mature thing to do! :)
-B
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
There's no such thing as bad publicity, except your own obituary...
Ottawa ---- Brianna Justine Hurley's creativity died today at the young age of 22, from repeated exposure over a four month period to an environment with high levels of apathy and general disregard for progress.
Ms. Hurley leaves behind her co-workers: Rebecca Keen, Nathanial Thorpe, Benjamin Lee, Katarina Lee, Stefan de Savigny, Riley Jones and Brynne Jones.
From a young age, Ms. Hurley showed interest in the arts. She loved public speaking, reading and writing poetry. As she grew older, these talents proved useful in elementary school and secondary school and then afterward at university. Ms. Hurley graduated with a Bachelor of Humanities in 2010 from Carleton University. Afterward she continued to work at the consignment boutique HUSH where she had been working part-time since 2008. There she learned the creative arts of styling, marketing, and event planning. It also fostered within her a love of blogging.
At the beginning of this year, in what proved to be a fatal decision, Ms. Hurley decided to work for the government so that she could save some money. In these last few months of her life, she spent her time in a cramped cubicle surrounded by a labyrinth of sameness. Everyday she went to work she was greeted with monotony and pain, resulting in a two month period of visits to the physiotherapist to treat her Medial and Lateral Epicondylitis. It was not, however, this that ultimately took her life. Sadly, Ms. Hurley's creativity was first stunted and later gone entirely from a complete lack of opportunity for growth in her working environment, which resulted in decreased motivation. Close friends recall that in her last days this even became noticeable outwardly in her indifference to showering and cooking healthy meals. She became increasingly aloof to her previous interests and even blogging became a chore.
A funeral service will take place this Monday at 3:30pm on the first floor of the Jean Talon Building. Her ashes will be kept in an earn above the clock in her area, to serve as a reminder and caution to others so they don't meet a similar fate.
Donations can be made in her name to The Brianna Hurley 'Let the Little People Eat Census Day Breakfast' Memorial Fund.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Culture? I'll need to look that one up!
I'd like to say that when it comes to food I'm the adventurous type, but we all know that isn't exactly true. While I'm open to trying new things and I'd probably eat anything at least once, on a regular basis my diet is.. how would other people describe it? .. well... bland. I guess I can see where they are coming from, unlike most people who eat different kinds of food from all over the world often, my idea of eating something foreign is going out for Chinese food! Growing up we pretty much rotated between hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti, fish sticks and a few varieties of meat and potatoes!
Without telling Jessica what this blog was about, I asked her what the closest thing we had to 'foreign' food growing up. She responded that once in P.E.I. we had lobster but we hated it so our Dad bought us cheeseburgers!! Do you see?!
Up until about two years ago I would order a hamburger and fries at Chinese restaurants. I was even a bit of a snob about it, I once refused to eat at a restaurant with my family because I insisted I wouldn't eat anywhere that served frog legs!
I think I've come a long way since then!! Part of the problem is that I can't handle any level of spiciness and my idea of a fancy addition to a meal is ketchup!
Lets just say that despite my recent branching out, at heart, I will always be the girl that would be just as happy with a hamburger!
That said I'd like to think I know my stuff and you NEEED to try this......
Introducing:
Dicks Drive-In and Dairy Dip
1485 Merivale Rd, Nepean
http://dickshamburgers.com/
A few months ago, Thea (aka Work Bestie) and I were driving down Merivale and we saw a sign advertising Ostrich burgers!! In unison we both exclaimed that that was something we absolutely must try!
It took us a little bit to get our butts in gear to get there but it was worth the wait!!!
The restaurant itself is modeled after an old fashioned malt shop (Think Archie comics style!). We decided to go all out and started with milkshakes!
I decided on the safe Strawberry route and Thea got an Avocado milkshake.... I recommend it!! It kind of tasted like uncooked cake batter (I realize this may have just changed your mind!).
Then the deliciousness continued!! We both ordered Ostrich burgers. Thea got a fries/onion rings combo and I got sweet potato fries!
I totally thought Ostrich would taste like chicken. My logic: They're both birds right?! ... wrong! Well no.. they are both birds, but Ostrich does not taste like chicken. If someone served you an ostrich burger you probably wouldn't even notice a difference between it and a regular ol' hamburg. When you stop and look for it there is a slightly different texture but otherwise an Ostrich burger mainly just offers a delicious and juicy alternative if you don't want beef! ... and if you want something to brag about!
The perfect part of this meal is that it is completely acceptable for me to lace everything with Ketchup. Embarrassingly I apparently eat like a five year old because I ended up with Ketchup everywhere... seriously.. we found it in my hair .. don't ask me how! (Note to self: Maybe not a good first date destination!)
With an outdoor patio, Dicks is going to be THE perfect destination all Spring and Summer long! The staff is amazing, they totally know their stuff and you can tell they are 100% behind the quality of food they offer!
Dicks has a whole bunch of specialty burgers.
Ostrich ..... Check!
Next time? On to the Kangaroo Burger!! So excited that that's not an exaggeration!
Without telling Jessica what this blog was about, I asked her what the closest thing we had to 'foreign' food growing up. She responded that once in P.E.I. we had lobster but we hated it so our Dad bought us cheeseburgers!! Do you see?!
Up until about two years ago I would order a hamburger and fries at Chinese restaurants. I was even a bit of a snob about it, I once refused to eat at a restaurant with my family because I insisted I wouldn't eat anywhere that served frog legs!
I think I've come a long way since then!! Part of the problem is that I can't handle any level of spiciness and my idea of a fancy addition to a meal is ketchup!
Lets just say that despite my recent branching out, at heart, I will always be the girl that would be just as happy with a hamburger!
That said I'd like to think I know my stuff and you NEEED to try this......
Introducing:
Dicks Drive-In and Dairy Dip
1485 Merivale Rd, Nepean
http://dickshamburgers.com/
A few months ago, Thea (aka Work Bestie) and I were driving down Merivale and we saw a sign advertising Ostrich burgers!! In unison we both exclaimed that that was something we absolutely must try!
It took us a little bit to get our butts in gear to get there but it was worth the wait!!!
The restaurant itself is modeled after an old fashioned malt shop (Think Archie comics style!). We decided to go all out and started with milkshakes!
I decided on the safe Strawberry route and Thea got an Avocado milkshake.... I recommend it!! It kind of tasted like uncooked cake batter (I realize this may have just changed your mind!).
Then the deliciousness continued!! We both ordered Ostrich burgers. Thea got a fries/onion rings combo and I got sweet potato fries!
I totally thought Ostrich would taste like chicken. My logic: They're both birds right?! ... wrong! Well no.. they are both birds, but Ostrich does not taste like chicken. If someone served you an ostrich burger you probably wouldn't even notice a difference between it and a regular ol' hamburg. When you stop and look for it there is a slightly different texture but otherwise an Ostrich burger mainly just offers a delicious and juicy alternative if you don't want beef! ... and if you want something to brag about!
The perfect part of this meal is that it is completely acceptable for me to lace everything with Ketchup. Embarrassingly I apparently eat like a five year old because I ended up with Ketchup everywhere... seriously.. we found it in my hair .. don't ask me how! (Note to self: Maybe not a good first date destination!)
With an outdoor patio, Dicks is going to be THE perfect destination all Spring and Summer long! The staff is amazing, they totally know their stuff and you can tell they are 100% behind the quality of food they offer!
Dicks has a whole bunch of specialty burgers.
Ostrich ..... Check!
Next time? On to the Kangaroo Burger!! So excited that that's not an exaggeration!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Meet Max
I am, as many of you know, a self-admitted pack rat but despite what some of you say I won't go so far as to say that I'm a hoarder! Yes its true that I may have just found a Birthday card from 1995 but I did have the strength to throw it out and that right there sets me apart from the emotional hoarders!!
Despite most of your aversions to it there are some perks to keeping every card, pamphlet, note, concert ticket.. etc. from the time you were little. Today while I was cleaning my closet I was very happy to come across the speech I wrote in the fourth grade--- I won that year and had to say it in front of the whole school!
I'm pretty sure my dad did a bit more than encouraging me that year since I'm pretty sure I didnt even know some of the words I used in the speech when I was that age ( 8 or 9.. how old are you in the 4th Grade?).
That year I chose to write about my dog Max, who is pretty much the only animal I've ever had. He died a few days before I left home for University and I used to think it was his only way of coming with me. Growing up I used to lay on the floor and use his tummy as a pillow when I watched movies.. to be honest I was only about 5 or 6 when we got him so I literally grew up with him and I think he kind of looked at me as his little girl.
I thought I'd share the speech I wrote because its actually kinda funny and it sums him up pretty perfectly--- pretty much a terror that you couldn't help loving!
My ode to Max from the point of view of a 4th Grader:
"Do any of you know the cutest and the smartest dog on the block? The dog that knows what day of the week it is! Well that's my dog, Max.
He was born on December 5th, 1993. We got him in London in 1994 on January 18th. When we got home Max had to investigate. We noticed that he really liked the colour purple. We knew it because he kept eating everything that was purple, especially my sister Jessica's purple socks!
Max is a golden retriever. Now he is four, with big floppy ears and a pink nose. Max is always excited when me and my family get home. In the past year we noticed that he seems to have a special bark for every person, even one for the mail girl! Max really likes the mail girl because she brings him a treat. My Dad says thats about the only good thing she brings! Max loves to dig and eat. There are big holes all over the yard. Mom says, too bad he couldn't dig the garden, but NOT the flower bed!
Max is a water dog. He will drive, roll, jump or try to swim in anything wet. Puddles are his favourite especially muddy ones. He loves to roll in them, get really dirty then jump up on my dad. He seems to know when you have brand new or freshly washed clothes on. In the summer we fill up a play pool for him. He loves his pool but chewed holes through it last summer. Dad figures he got tired of the colour and wants a new one, likely purple!
Max eats everything he can get his paws on. He especially likes to chew up plastic pop bottles, pools and wooden 2 X 4's. The only thing Max doesn't like is dog food, so we mix people food with dog food so he will eat it.
He doesn't know very many tricks. His tricks consist of how to sit, lay, roll over and come. He learned to come when my Dad took him for walks on the railroad tracks. He let him loose and then praised him when he came back. I wish I could take Max for a walk, but my Dad says Max would probably walk me!
Every Saturday and Sunday morning Max cries and barks because he knows it is walk day. How he knows we're not sure, but he does! My dad says Max can tell when dad has stayed up late, because he tries to get him up even earlier. Mom says it serves him right!
Max spends most of his day outside on a 30ft chain. He has enough chain to get into the mudroom where he has learned to open and shut the door depending on the weather. He thinks he's a guard dog. He barks at everyone, especially our family. The neighbours say he actually only barks when we're home. They think he's trying to earn his keep, whatever that means!
Max's worst habit is that he jumps up on people. Last year he jumped up on the Heart and Stroke lady. Hearing a scream my dad ran out and found Max running around with her receipt book in his mouth. Dad said it took a lot of money to settle her down!
Max is a true retriever whether you want him to or not. His favourite game is towel around the table. That's where he steals a towel and runs around our circular kitchen table so that we will chase him to get it back.
Even though he has a lot of faults, he's still my Maxy and I love him!"
-B
Despite most of your aversions to it there are some perks to keeping every card, pamphlet, note, concert ticket.. etc. from the time you were little. Today while I was cleaning my closet I was very happy to come across the speech I wrote in the fourth grade--- I won that year and had to say it in front of the whole school!
I'm pretty sure my dad did a bit more than encouraging me that year since I'm pretty sure I didnt even know some of the words I used in the speech when I was that age ( 8 or 9.. how old are you in the 4th Grade?).
That year I chose to write about my dog Max, who is pretty much the only animal I've ever had. He died a few days before I left home for University and I used to think it was his only way of coming with me. Growing up I used to lay on the floor and use his tummy as a pillow when I watched movies.. to be honest I was only about 5 or 6 when we got him so I literally grew up with him and I think he kind of looked at me as his little girl.
I thought I'd share the speech I wrote because its actually kinda funny and it sums him up pretty perfectly--- pretty much a terror that you couldn't help loving!
My ode to Max from the point of view of a 4th Grader:
"Do any of you know the cutest and the smartest dog on the block? The dog that knows what day of the week it is! Well that's my dog, Max.
He was born on December 5th, 1993. We got him in London in 1994 on January 18th. When we got home Max had to investigate. We noticed that he really liked the colour purple. We knew it because he kept eating everything that was purple, especially my sister Jessica's purple socks!
Max is a golden retriever. Now he is four, with big floppy ears and a pink nose. Max is always excited when me and my family get home. In the past year we noticed that he seems to have a special bark for every person, even one for the mail girl! Max really likes the mail girl because she brings him a treat. My Dad says thats about the only good thing she brings! Max loves to dig and eat. There are big holes all over the yard. Mom says, too bad he couldn't dig the garden, but NOT the flower bed!
Max is a water dog. He will drive, roll, jump or try to swim in anything wet. Puddles are his favourite especially muddy ones. He loves to roll in them, get really dirty then jump up on my dad. He seems to know when you have brand new or freshly washed clothes on. In the summer we fill up a play pool for him. He loves his pool but chewed holes through it last summer. Dad figures he got tired of the colour and wants a new one, likely purple!
Max eats everything he can get his paws on. He especially likes to chew up plastic pop bottles, pools and wooden 2 X 4's. The only thing Max doesn't like is dog food, so we mix people food with dog food so he will eat it.
He doesn't know very many tricks. His tricks consist of how to sit, lay, roll over and come. He learned to come when my Dad took him for walks on the railroad tracks. He let him loose and then praised him when he came back. I wish I could take Max for a walk, but my Dad says Max would probably walk me!
Every Saturday and Sunday morning Max cries and barks because he knows it is walk day. How he knows we're not sure, but he does! My dad says Max can tell when dad has stayed up late, because he tries to get him up even earlier. Mom says it serves him right!
Max spends most of his day outside on a 30ft chain. He has enough chain to get into the mudroom where he has learned to open and shut the door depending on the weather. He thinks he's a guard dog. He barks at everyone, especially our family. The neighbours say he actually only barks when we're home. They think he's trying to earn his keep, whatever that means!
Max's worst habit is that he jumps up on people. Last year he jumped up on the Heart and Stroke lady. Hearing a scream my dad ran out and found Max running around with her receipt book in his mouth. Dad said it took a lot of money to settle her down!
Max is a true retriever whether you want him to or not. His favourite game is towel around the table. That's where he steals a towel and runs around our circular kitchen table so that we will chase him to get it back.
Even though he has a lot of faults, he's still my Maxy and I love him!"
-B
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