Happy Birthday Kristal!!

I hope you have a wonderful day, plus it's your first birthday as a mommy!! Maybe Natalie even has something special planned for you?

Hi There!! Remember Me??

Okay, so I just read an comment from Danna reminding me that it's been over a month since my last post, so I feel that the time has come for me to join a bad-bloggers anonymous group! Blogging is about as efficient as when I first moved to Alberta and told all my friends in BC that I was going to write them all and keep in touch...what a joke... Sorry guys, but I hope you believe that I miss you and think about you lots.

SO, on with the update:

1. I have started my Anantomy & Physiology II class by correspondence.
2. I have discovered that it's really different not being in class, and I don't really like it, but oh well.
3. I am totally ecstatic that my BC Lions are first in the CFL Western division.
4. I LOVE that the Edmonton Eskimos are eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 34 years, and maybe now I can stop hearing about it - well, not likely, but I can hope. (sorry Brent!)
5. I LOVE HOCKEY, and oh, how I've missed it since the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.
6. I GET TO GO TO A CANUCK GAME TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going with my Father-in-law, so one of us will be really happy and one will not. I'm just excited to see my boys play for the first time in 8 years!!!!! Oh my...that is a long time...
7. Despite devoting my life to studying, I am making time to get a weekly dose of humour watching Corner Gas, for no other reason than that it makes me laugh!!
8. Lee and I went to the booming metropolis of Lloydminster to visit some friends...PARTY!!!
9. We also went to my parent's house in Three Hills for Thanksgiving, so that was very special.
10. I am depressed because it was snowing this morning when I went to my car and 0ºC. I actually had to SWEEP off my car. Ok, so it wasn't a lot, but the point is, it was snow. It is too darn early and I am so NOT ready to drive in 3-foot snowdrifts!!

But then again, did I mention I get to go see Trevor Linden and my Canucks play the Oilers tomorrow night???!!!!! Did I mention that I am excited? Just a little... I know Lana and Kristal will understand :)

Tumultuous Week

Guess what??! Last night fulfilled one of my dreams - I got to go see The Phantom of the Opera!!!!

I'll have to explain why this is such a big deal to me.

I have wanted to go see it for years, and it played in Seattle for a long time, but I was never able to go. Then I moved to Alberta and figured that it would never play here, but tickets went on sale in May! I didn't buy any because I was going to school and thought I should be financially responsible (I don't always like conviction). Last Tuesday I received a phone call from my school informing me that due to low enrolment, the Anatomy & Physiology II class was cancelled. This both disappointed and discouraged me, since I didn't want to have a whole wasted semester - I want to get these classes rolling, already! THEN I got totally sad because I realized that if I'm not going to have a class, I could have gone to Phantom!! So I've been moping and depressed, especially since Brent & Nikki got to go in Vancouver because they were given tickets and I've had to hear about how wonderful it was. Lovely, really great.

Anyway, I was talking to Roslyn (we worked together at Beulah) and she said she was going with a couple of youth from church, and said she'd pick up an extra ticket for me, and I said YES!!! I am there! So last night we went, quite spontaneously, and it was glorious! The hopeless romantic in me actually cried (just a little) at the end. I'm not too sure if it's because it was really sad or just that it was over :) It was everything I ever hoped it would be, and every moment was pure bliss! The music, the costumes, the cast, the dancing, the singing - it was all incredible! Christine's voice was exactly what I expected her to sound like, and the Phantom was amazing! But OH! The music was phenomenal! The Music of the Night, The Phantom of the Opera, All I Ask of You, Think of Me...it was heavenly... Next up: Les Misérables? If I could see Les Mis, my Broadway aspirations would be complete, and anything else an added bonus :)

As for school, I did manage to enroll in a correspondence/home study class which starts on October 1st, so at least I can still get the course done. It's no different than the last one except that I don't have a weekly lecture, and if I have trouble with anything I can still call the school, so I think I should be fine. Oh me of little faith, I have to remember that God still guides every thing and I need to trust Him. How old am I? Will I ever learn?

Happy Birthday Pixie!!

I hope you have a fabulous day, and get spoiled lots :)

I miss you, my friend

Course Results

Ok, here's the final verdict:

Midterm Exam: 94%
Midterm Assignment: 91%

Final Exam: 88%
Final Assignment: 91%

Course Grade: 91% = A-

Personally, I'm a little miffed that my final exam mark didn't hit 90, but oh well. I start Part II on September 7th, so hopefully I can do as well!

Some of you already know about the program I'm in, but to appease Darla (who has reminded me of her curiosity twice!) I'll give the short version.

The program I'm in is going to be frustratingly long, which is why I struggled for so long whether I was making the right decision in registering. I'm in a part-time evenings format, so in 3 years I will be an LPN. Then I can at least start working in a field that I love, and can upgrade to an RN at Grant MacEwan. Eventually I'll be able to finish my BSc in Nursing at U of A. The whole issue with this is the length of time it will take, but due to our situation in life with expenses and a mortgage, may only option right now is part-time classes. Ideally I would have liked to go straight to MacEwan and done my RN, but they only offer full-time.

Darla, I hope this clarifies my schooling stuff, but feel free to ask any question not answered!

My nephew, Brady, turned 8 on Sunday!! Do you know how crazy that is? Well, I know Lana does, but do you realize we had just graduated from high school before he was born??! That means that we've been out of MEI for 8 years and are 2 years away from our 10 year reunion!! Does that not seem freaky to anyone else? Maybe it's just me...

My parents will be married for 40 years in September, so my whole family got together for the long weekend to have an early celebration. Brent and Nikki were out from Abby, Lee and I drove down, and Scott, Carla, Brady, Megan and Caedyn drove in from Calgary. It was really fun and Monday was spoil Mom and Dad day, so they did nothing and we pampered them. At the end of the day we had planned a game of 20 questions, where using techniques of Charades, Catchphrase, Tribond and Pictionary, we got them to guess various family memories. VERY entertaining, and my mom did really well! Anyway, I think we accomplished our goal of making them feel spoiled and had some really special family time!!

I think that's all for now...

Missing in Action??

S'up y'all! I promise, I am still here and reading blogs, just not taking the time to write any! I write my final exam on Wednesday night so I've been totally consumed with school stuff, but when it's over I'll have free time to write updates again. I can't wait!!

Stay tuned...but don't expect much until Thursday...

A Birthday Novel to a Wonderful Friend

On this 10th day of July, in the year 2006, I feel inspired to write a blog for my friend Lana. We have been through an insane amount of experiences together, and today on her 26th birthday I'm going to reminisce a little, as my sentimental nature is prone to do!! This is going to be a little long...

Lan, we went through high school together, which in itself holds too many stories to mention, although Mr. Matwichuk's grade 8 Bible class will always be a treasure :) I was called 'Lana' more times than I could count on 100 hands... Have I ever mentioned that my massage therapist's name is Lana??... Spending a summer going through your dad's old dental patient files and determining that we will NEVER become dental hygenists... Going to White Rock in the summer with your mom and letting her fend off the creepy, drunk men (and incidentally, as I'm writing this I am laughing so hard I can barely type properly!)... Hockey games, oh such sweet hockey games, with your dad yelling at the refs, offering them his glasses (again, more laughter!)... Studying for Provincial exams and other important stuff that we don't remember anyway... Basketball games watching our teams win and lose and the rivalry between us and Abby Sr... Wasn't Jeff Burkinhshaw in the Eagle costume when the Abby guy pulled the head off?!... Crazy Hal, ah yes, Crazy Hal... The favorite ritual of McDonald's french fries and chocolate ice cream after basketball (and hockey?) games... Grad outing to Grizzlies vs. LA Clippers NBA game... Surprise visits to Trinity from Briercrest... Escaping from Alberta to visit you in Abby... My notorious good timing when you were working at Fraserway RV... My history of Murphy's Law experiences at your house!!... Coming to visit for the year 2000 New Year's party at Leon's... Being able to be at your dad's funeral... Having you to go through break-ups with me... Making time for a quick visit when you came out for Breakforth... Always having you to keep me "in the loop" of Abbotsford news... You meeting Lee... Meeting David... Being your Maid of Honor... Having you as my Matron of Honor... Being phoned the day Noelle was born and flying out to meet her... And that's only our friendship so far!!

In honor of this day that is yours, here is a short summary of our friendship in pictures. I could have picked more, but I didn't want to make an enemy, so I had to be choosy!!

Happy Birthday, my dearest Lana!!

Midterm Results

Well, well, well, as usual...who's the worst blogger you know?? Me! My friend Lindsey commented on my few and far between blogs, so here's why:

I have been studying my behind off for this Anatomy and Physiology class, so I am overjoyed to report that my obsessiveness seems to be paying off! I wrote my midterm last Wednesday and when I called for my grade, was informed that my 94% exam was top in my class, and actually in the program!!!!!!! Now I ask you -- How stoked am I??!? My midterm assignment that I handed in a couple of weeks ago came out at 91%, which was near the top, but I can't remember exactly. So there is half of my course mark, and now I prepare for the next 4 weeks of class before I write my Final exam at the beginning of August. Cruising right along...

Anyway, I need to get to bed so I can get up for work at 5:30 in the morning, so see ya for now!

This is LONG overdue!

I have only one comment for this BEAUTIFUL morning in Edmonton, and I feel the need to dramatically break my silence of the last month...


YAY!!!!! Carolina Won, the Oilers LOST!!!!!!! WOOHOO!

Well, I feel sheepish!

Hi. My name is Jana. Remember me??! Ummm, ok, so I haven't posted a blog in, like what, a month? Oh brother! There's really not a whole lot to write about, but here goes...

My job is going really well! I'm excited about it because I was soooooo nervous about starting. It's been hard in the sense of not knowing people and not having the relationships I had at Beulah, but the workload hasn't been too much to adjust to. They went easy on me for the first couple of weeks and didn't pile too many details on me so I could get used to the general job, but they've been training me for more projects lately. It definitely keeps me busy and has been crazy trying to remember all the staff, but there are some lulls here-and-there to catch my breath :) They have a staff social committee that plans lunch bbq's sometimes, so that's kept things interesting, and people are really nice, but it's going to be awhile until I really feel that I fit. This is my fourth week there, so I'll give it time.

School has been a HUGE adjustment! There really are no words to describe how exciting it is, but it's been a lot of work. It's about what I expected, but there's one lady in my class who is married with at least one young-ish child at home, and I don't know quite how she manages the studying on top of being a mom! There's one girl who has a couple young kids and one of them has had a number of health troubles since he was born. She has been taking care of him at home since he was a baby, so she kind of thinks that she's has already done everything that we'll be doing in clinicals. It makes me roll my eyes because clinicals will involve a lot more than what her one-case experience has. Anyways, I am LOVING it, and although it is a lot of information, my instructor has been really great and I can't wait to get more involved!!

Incidentally, my midterm is 2 weeks from tonight, so yeah, I feel no stress right now... AS IF!! I am starting to feel the pressure, but I've been spending a lot of time with my textbook, basically every moment between work and sleep, so that's why I haven't been posting anything. I am around, and have been reading your comments, so maybe now I'll be able to find more time to update you.

Until next time...

Comment Replies

OK, well, I figure that the easiest way to respond to comments is a quick, dedicated post!

Sarah, I'm so glad you been checking my blog for updates! I've been checking yours too and I love seeing pics of your family! Thanks for you encouraging thoughts on school. It's been a lot of work so far, but I expected that, and it's going to be so well worth it! If you go back when Eva is older, it will be great and I'm sure you will love it to :) If you are ever coming through Alberta, I would love, love, LOVE it if you would call me! It would be great to see you too, so just let me know and I'll email you my phone number 'n stuff.

Kris, you are very welcome for the Mother's Day wish! I wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you! I am glad that you're getting settled. I will post more class stuff as I go, but I'm sure you'll hear more work stuff in the middle of next week...

Shawnie, I like to play with colors...what can I say! It's fun :) Yes, I am glad that I have been well prepared for school and that it is not more overwhelming than I expected. Expect the worst and you don't get as disappointed, right? I'm glad that your Mother's Day was nice and that you were able to get a little break from the kiddies, however precious they are!

And Lana, yes, I am bitter about hockey right now. When they won on Wednesday night, I had to drive home from class right through Whyte Ave, aka party central. Fun, or actually, rather not :( Ah well, if I can manage to restrain myself enough from tearing that stupid flag off someone's car window, it will be a playoff miracle!

Love you guys! You are fabulous friends, or have I already mentioned that?!

I'm Embarking on an Adventure!

Wow, there is way too much going on for me to keep up with myself! Tomorrow is my last day of work at Beulah Alliance Church, and I am a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The prospect of starting a new job is cool, but I'm worried about not meeting their expectations, dealing with the new learning curve, and a bit of fear of all the "unknown" factors. I am looking forward to this transition time, but it will be hard to leave a staff after 2 years.

School is intense and a little overwhelming, but going well! I have had 2 classes so far, and there is a lot of information to absorb in 3 1/2 hours... It has definitely been an adjustment after being out of school for so long, but hopefully I'll get in the swing of things before too long.

Congratulations to Kristal & Shaun on their move to Arizona! I hope you are able to settle in to your home and new surroundings easily & quickly, that Shaun's job will go well, and that Natalie will adjust to the different climate!

Oh, and I know it's a little late, but I've been reading my textbook too much to blog! Happy Mother's Day to all of my wonderful friends who are now mommies themselves! The rookies: Lana, Kristal, Sarah and Danna. The Veterans: My Mama, Carla, Kay, Shannon and Erin. And of course, the Soon-To-Be: Aimee! You guys are great moms, and I know if you all can do it, one day I can do it too! Just not yet... :)

Your Eyes Should Be Gray

Your eyes reflect: Intensity and drive What's hidden behind your eyes: A sensitive soul

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Does Life Ever Surprise You?

Didn't I just say in my last blog that I have to stop with epic novels? I guess you can't teach a procrastinator to update more frequently!

First things first, I start my class in LESS than a week! Wow, I am so totally nervous but also completely excited. Anatomy and Physiology, here I come :)

Second, in the course of 3 days in the last week, I was offered and have accepted a new job offer! Talk about unexpected, but I really feel that it's a God-thing. I was told of an opening at an engineering firm in Edmonton, but I put off applying because I thought, "I'm starting school, I can't possibly start a new job at the same time!!!" Then I tried to think objectively and realized that it's better to start both at the same time than to start a new job in the middle of my program, around all the work and exams and stuff.

I would never have heard about this any other way, and it all went so fast, that I really felt God was leading me to this. I emailed my resume last Friday, they called me for an interview this past Monday, I was interviewed on Tuesday over lunch, and they called me to offer the position on Wednesday morning! It will be a great experience and the pay will be a lot better, which will really help with school expenses...you know how that is :)

Last night I went with Lee and his dad to a car-thing in NE Edmonton. Then on the way home, we went "cruising" down Whyte Ave, which was fun, and I got to drive with my dad-in-law in his '65 Shelby Mustang convertible! It was SO fun, and it was a surprisingly nice night so we could have the top down the whole time. It is warming up in chilly Alberta...finally!

Overdue Update...Novel #2

I'm feeling the need to write something new, but do you ever feel that you don't know where to start?

Lee and I went to my parent's house in Three Hills for Easter weekend, and it was SO nice to spend some time with them. We drove into Calgary on the Saturday afternoon to visit with Scott, Carla, Brady, Megan and Caedyn, and that was especially wonderful! I love that the moment I walk into their house Brady and Megs yell, "Yay, Auntie Jana's here!" Man, they are awfully good for my self-esteem :)

Then it was back to work for yet another Monday, yippee (note the sarcasm?!) Anyway, my Mama had a birthday on Tuesday, so that was worthy of 2 emails and 4 phone calls! The week progressed until Friday...

The Oilers LOST!!!!! Yeah, baby! Ahem, excuse the rejoicing, but I do live in Oiler-ville, and as IF I could write an entire blog entry without mentioning hockey.

We had 2 of our neighbors over for dinner on Saturday night, and thanks to my mom's instructions, I think my chicken turned out pretty good! My sweet potato pie was yummy and my chocolate cake was rich and decadent, if I do say so myself. Chris & Allison are expecting their first baby in June, so it was really nice to have them over before they have "other" priorities. Then the Oilers won, so bah...GO RED WINGS!!

There's my last week, but I'm starting to realize that if I blogged more often, I wouldn't have to write novels!

One last thing, Shannon has been asking me for a picture, so I'll post one now, but it will have to be a wedding pic. Sorry, but it's hard to take pictures together when there's only 2 of us! I'll try to find a more recent one for you sometime soon.

It's been nice to have sunshine lately, but I'm waiting for my first spring rainstorm...soon, I hope. I want green grass! I also want mountains within view and an ocean nearby, but I guess I'll have to manage without :(

I'm a little groggy, but I think I'm still here

A comment from Shannon reminded me that I have been a terrible blogger lately. You know how life has a way of running away on you? Anyway, I've been fighting off some virus for over a week now, and I've pretty much just been trying to function!

Last Friday, I booked a day off work to go to my sister-in-law's mom's funeral, spent most of Saturday with my parents, who drove up for the service, went to church on Sunday, went to work on Monday morning, left work at lunch on Monday, came home and slept all afternoon, slept in this morning and went to work after lunch. Can you believe that after all that, I don't feel much better than I did on Thursday?

So, how are all the rest of you, from BC to California to Oklahoma? Erin, I hope you know how much I'll be praying for you as you go through this pregnancy. I'm sure you must be more nervous than you were with Colton and Noah, but I'll be praying for you to have a peaceful calm from God and for Tom and the boys to be understanding. You better be following your doctor's orders on your rest quota...

I start my Anatomy & Physiology class in 4 weeks from tomorrow, and the feeling of extreme stress at starting school again is slowly surfacing, but I think I can handle it... I am excited and I'm NOT going to let my nerves get the better of me, even if I am an espresso! Tonight, I got to watch House on TV, and it is always a good way to unwind and get lost in a story.

Have I mentioned how great my family and friends are?? I love you guys!

Welcome to the world, Natalie Sawyer!

I love posting exciting things!

Kristal and Shaun, Congratulations on a baby girl! You guys will be great parents, and I'm ecstatic for you!

Now, make sure you give me all the details, time of birth, weight, length, hair?, any other details and of course...the length of labor! Oh, and post pictures soon.

Kriiiiiistal..........I'm waaaaaiiiiiting...........I want to hear news about your baby and you're taking forEVER to post something! Hurry it up, already! Our Canucks lost in a shootout tonight, so I need some good news :(

Hockey, as usual, and other stuff

So here's the deal, my Canucks started playing the Minnesota Wild a few minutes ago, so I'm going to listen on CKNW 98, their Vancouver radio station, and write out some thoughts to steady my heart rate!

I have never been one to expose my personal struggles to the whole world, especially where the internet is concerned, but I feel the need to tell you about my recent events. I have been feeling restless in my life, as I've posted before, but I have not been sure what can be done about it. When I graduated from high school, I had a full plan for my post-secondary pursuits and goals. My friends may remember that I was going to go to Briercrest for 2 years then university for 4 years to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree before I would think of getting married. Due to a series of circumstances, that didn't happen and now I am 26 and an Administrative Assistant in our church.

Earlier this month, Lee and I decided that if there was a part-time nursing program, I could register for some classes while still being able to work. A house mortgage kind of has a way of preventing full-time studies, you know? Well, here begins my stress. The school I would like to go to does not have a part-time option, but one other school does. The problem with this school is that the program goes over 3 years and is only an LPN level. This is not so much of a problem in that there are ways to upgrade from there, but my issue comes from my age. I know 26 is not old, but since I can't start until next January, I won't be finished until I'm 30!! This would be great and all, but my crisis is that I will be 31 or maybe even 32 before we can have our first child, and I'm not certain that this is the right path for me to take.

My mom and I were talking on the weekend and she was encouraging me to pray more for God's peace in this process, and so all last weekend I focused on getting my spiritual life back in line with God's plan for me and by the time Monday morning rolled around I did feel peace...finally. I'm still not certain that this is the perfect situation for me, but I have come to realize that in order for God to be able to give me direction, I have to take a step of faith so that He has something to work with. I've done my part to register and I will study and strive to do well, but a door can close or an "accident" can happen, so I'm just going to have to do my best and wait on God to lead me through this.

Anyway, the Canucks and Wild are tied 1-1 at the second intermission, so I'm going to listen to the rest of the game and unwind before bed.

I am an Espresso??

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Things are fun in fours

Friends are really a huge wealth of information, especially when it comes to blog/email type things. I mean, I would never have started a blog if people like Kristal would not have said it was easy and fun! Well, Kristal posted this short, fun-fact type thing on her blog and I was one of the 4 people she tagged and thought might reply, so here goes...

Four jobs I've have had in my life:
1. Receptionist/Admin Assistant at Beulah Alliance Church
2. Jack-of-all-trades at Scott's Parable Christian Store
3. A variety of different restaurants
4. More baby-sitting than I can remember!

Four movies I would, and DO watch over and over:
1. Anne of Green Gables (OBviously!)
2. Pride & Prejudice (the A&E mini-series)
3. While You Were Sleeping
4. Emma

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Criminal Minds
2. CSI
3. Corner Gas (quality Saskatchewan humor!)
4. American/Canadian Idol (I can't help it...it's addicting)
***as an aside, I have to pay tribute to a show that I miss, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman***

Four places I dream of going on vacation:
1. Prince Edward Island & Green Gables
2. Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England
3. Italy, Florence and Venice in particular
4. Antigua

our web sites I visit daily:
1. The Official Canucks Homepage (it's my homepage at work)
2. Google
3. NorQuest College
4. Canada Post (for work, hardly exciting but a definite necessity!)

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Anything Italian, I love pasta!
2. Lots of Mexican foods, especially Tacos and Quesadillas
3. Easy Enchilada Casserole (thank you, Nikki!)
4. Lori Hafermehl's yummy and oh-so-spicy chili! (If it doesn't make you sweat, it's not spicy enough!)
***editor's note - Chocolate goes without saying***

Four of my favorite sports to play or watch:
1. Ice Hockey
2. Road Hockey
3. Volleyball
4. Football

Four reasons I don't like mornings:
1. I like my sleep and can never have enough
2. The air is too cold in the house
3. I'd rather stay cozy in bed than go to work
4. I don't want to have to drive and get my car dirty and deal with Edmonton drivers!

There's a brief summary of me. Who's next?

Hockey Battles

It's late and I have to go to bed, but I just HAD to say how much I love my Canucks!!!! They beat Edmonton tonight in a shootout (ahem, take note Brent!!), they have 82 points and are tied for 6th in the West! Woohoo :)

That's about all I have to say on that topic, other than...

Go Canucks Go! (Can you tell I'm sort of a fan?)

OK, So it's been awhile?!

Alright, so I haven't posted anything in about a week and I have a bit of catching up to do, so here goes...

1. My friend Shannon had her baby on March 11th!! This is a very exciting 3rd addition to her and Donnie's family.

2. Lee had his grade 10 boys small group over 2 Friday nights ago for a big all-nighter of movies and video games - I'm still recovering.

3. I'm waiting, waiting and waiting for my friend Kristal to have her baby, and so far nothing on her blog yet...

4. I received a parcel in the mail on Friday. It contained the textbooks and syllabus for a course I'm taking starting on May 10th. I registered for Anatomy & Physiology I at a university in Edmonton, and I'm excited about it!

5. It has snowed here LOTS and I'm getting a little bitter. It's almost spring, and now we have winter weather when I want spring weather. Why couldn't we have had this in January when it's normal! Well, in Alberta, snow in May doesn't surprise me (sense the pouting?)

Hmm, I thought I had more to write after a week, but apparently I have either missed out on the action or else a very short memory! My niece Caedyn and sister-in-law Nikki's birthdays are coming up this week so I have to make sure I get cards mailed out tomorrow. I cannot believe that Caedyn is a year old already!

I'll try to post more than once this week...

By the way, Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!!! I trust you were all wearing green, but if you weren't, here's a big **PINCH** from me!

What a Weekend...

Wow. I am so glad that last weekend is over! It was so chaotically busy that it was not restful in the slightest. Ah well, Bus Stop Day went well and the kids remembered most of their music cues, but it was still an emotional few days. The theme for March is Hope which is really good but it couldn't help but make me think of who I've lost in the last couple of years.

Anyway, the balloon animal teaching deal went pretty well, but it turned into much more of a crash course than I expected. I thought I'd have an hour with each group to go over the process, but it ended up being 25 minutes and really quick! I think the youth all caught on pretty well, once they got over the fear of balloons exploding in their hands :) I haven't even tried to make anything in so many years, but it wasn't hard at all to pick it up again. Just like riding a bicycle...!

So, this afternoon at work I'm sitting at my desk around 4:30 pm, and I look up to see my parents walking into the church! They came up from Three Hills to see a friend of theirs from Briercrest who is battling cancer, actually my sister-in-law's mom, and they came to surprise me at work and go for supper with Lee and I. It was so sweet of them and completely unexpected, but such a lovely treat :) I don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like to, but at least they don't live too terribly far away.

My brother Scott and his wife Carla celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary yesterday. It is so weird that it has only been that long...it feels like Carla's been in the family forever! What's more bizarre is that I was still 13 (almost 14) when they were married, so how old does that make me?! I think I realize now just how young I was then, and soooo immature! I'm glad they loved me enough in my early adolescence to involve me in the wedding - it was SO special to me!!

Happy 12th Anniversary Scott & Carla...I love you!!

I Love Weddings!

I just received an email from my bible school roommate, Cathy, today and she informed me that she is engaged!! How completely exciting! She may kill me for posting this on a blog for all to see, but that's too bad... She has been dating a long-time friend, Scott, who we also were at Briercrest with, and I am so totally delighted for them!

Thank you to all my friends who have been commenting on my last post, I decided to take a risk and if I find out that it worked you will be the first to know! I really do have awesome friends, I'm so blessed.

My Uncle Bill passed away this morning just before 6 am. It is really hard on my Mom because she wasn't able to get out to Ladysmith to see him, he went so quickly. We just found out he had cancer of the liver not long ago, and this is really hard to deal with. He's the first family member that we'll never know this side of heaven if he made his life right with Christ. It makes it really hard.

This weekend's church services are our monthly kickoff in Children's ministry, it's called Bus Stop Day, and so I'm going to be there a lot. It makes for a long, busy, draining and exhausting 2 days, but it's still fun. Did you know that I volunteer in children's ministry? Anyway, on Sunday afternoon, our youth Mexico missions trip team have their weekly meeting, and somehow I was recruited to teach them how to make some basic balloon animals for when they're down south. I've been practicing and trying to remember for a few days now and man, it brings back memories! Right now I really wish I had Erin here to teach them with me, 'cuz she was so much better at it than I was! Care to offer a satellite seminar??!? C'est la vie...

Quarter-Life Crisis

I feel restless. I feel dissatisfied with parts of my life and am looking into my options and debating what move to make next. I would love to explain it but until I figure this out I don't want to delve into details just yet, but I guess I would love for you to pray for me once in a while for some divine direction and open or closed doors. I think I may have lost an opportunity so I'm praying that God will allow me a second try.

I love my friends and I am so grateful that our paths have crossed!

Sad Puppy Story

You will never believe this story I heard on the news last night...it is so sad. This beautiful, 10-year-old German Shepherd dog was stabbed twice by it's owner. She has struggled with depression and was drunk, and just started stabbing her dog. I guess she hit the puppy once above the eye and once in the jaw and missed a major artery by 2 cm. Her husband woke up to the dog's whimpering and was able to tie a towel around puppy's neck to stop the bleeding a bit, though there was an awful lot of blood lost. The dog had no defensive wounds, but why would it? The woman was the master and the sweet puppy was just submissive and docile. Anyway, it was so horribly sad.

I had a music practice after work with Amy, one of the girls in our youth group, for a couple of songs but when I was leaving work my car was covered in snow and it took me about 15 minutes just to sweep off my car. After I left her house I had to sweep off my car for about another 10 minutes and it was coooolllllld :( Now, I fully admit that I am a snow-rookie southern BC driver, but some Albertans drive so fast that it's all I can do to not slide into the ditch! I got home safely, after praying pretty much the whole way :) and now I'm just SO ready for bed! Of course, after I finish watching American Idol and some laundry!

Monday Doldrums

I hate Mondays. I mean I really hate Mondays. It just takes forever for them to end. This morning was snowing and sooo chilly, it felt like -20 (Celsius for all those Americans!). After snow, melting snow, more snow, more melting snow, and now more snow, my poor little car is so filthy and I couldn't go through the car wash 'cuz another car had stalled at the entrance and was waiting to be towed! I had driven to work on the freeway and gotten pelted, and I mean covered, in mud spraying off a semi-truck ahead of me, and I barely even recognize my little Sunfire anymore :( There were a couple of bright spots...I had time to stop for a coffee at Tim Horton's on my way to work, and Lisa from work bought me a second coffee in the afternoon! That'll make any day better, plus it's Rrrroll up the Rrrrim to Win time again and I won another coffee...woohoo! We got home just in time to watch Corner Gas and laugh a lot :) I was born in Saskatchewan, so I think it's priceless!

After work I met Lee for supper and he surprised me with 2 new CD's of Roxette. I go in these waves of listening to classic 80's music, and that's my new sing-along kick - what a sweetie! Now I'll have to choose between those, Nichole Nordeman's Brave and Charlotte Church - choices, choices.

Mass emails can be a pain sometimes, but I realized the other day that they can actually be helpful. For example, I had lost touch with 2 of my Bible School friends, Cathy and Scott, but I found Scott's email address on a mass email and he gave me Cathy's. It actually worked quite well! And my friend Shannon, who I haven't seen in years, is on my email list now too. My goodness, the internet is a wonderful thing!

Until tomorrow, or whenever I post next...

By the way, my husband is very jealous that I've mentioned his daddy's Shelby Mustang and not his, "1989 Camaro Iroc Z Player's Challenge Race Car, originally owned by Richard Dean Anderson [who played MacGyver on the 80's TV series]" and I quote! Oh my, boys and their toys...

Oh, and did you see the closing ceremonies for the Olympics? Andrea Bocelli and Ben Heppner in the same night? Amazing! Really, I'm done now :)

I think I could become an addict!

Well, it's day 2 and I think I could very easily become a chronic blogger! Today we went to church with Lee's dad in Sherwood Park. Phil Callaway is an author/speaker/comedian from Three Hills, Alberta, and he was a guest speaker for the weekend. He was really funny and had many illustrations, but he still delivered a sermon with content. Lee's brother Jeff and sister-in-law Kay came with their three kids, so we had a very eventful and interesting dinner at Boston Pizza afterwards. The kiddies are 4, 2, and 9 months so I'm sure you can imagine...

We just got home after making a quick pit-stop at my father-in-law's business to take a look at his new (at least to him) 1965 Shelby Mustang convertible that he bought in Arizona in January. It's a really nice blue with off-white racing stripes. I've never been a car girl but I married into a car family, so I'm trying to learn! Lee was teasing me about being "all excited to write a new blog," so I see I have to work some persuasion tactics on him...

I was talking to my mom last night and my Uncle Bill called her to say that he has cancer of the liver. Apparently it is very fast growing, so we don't know how much time he has left on earth. He has seriously strayed from God and believes that nothing on earth happens for a reason and nothing happens after death, so my family is really praying for a miracle. We've been praying for him to accept Christ for so many years.

I've been reading the blogs of my friends, and I'm noticing things. For example, Cherylene's sister Wendy is engaged to Tim!! I didn't know she was dating a friend from our youth group...that's so cool!

I think today I feel like cross stitching for the rest of the afternoon. I'm making a stocking for Lee for Christmas, and with my broken arm in November it did not get done in time...too bad...I guess it'll have to be for 2006.

Well, here goes nothing!

I decided that I'll never know if I like blogging until I try it, so I am finally sitting down at my computer and doing just that! You'll have to go easy on me until I get the hang of it...

It is early Saturday evening in snowy Alberta, but it is warm inside my little house. The BC girl in me looks outside and says, "Brrrrr, this is not what I left behind in Abbotsford last weekend," but the slowly-adapting Albertan says, "it's not nearly as bad as it could be." As long as I live in a prairie province I will always be a freezing-fingered and cold-toed BC girl to the core!

There are a couple of perks living here. A sweet husband, the biggest shopping mall in Canada, and Family Day! It's the only long weekend in February, but it's still a good excuse for a day off work! My mom and I flew out from Calgary last Friday to spend the weekend in Abbotsford and Vancouver with my brother and sister-in-law, Aunt and Papa. It was surprisingly windy but beautifully sunny. Mom and I went for a late lunch at Dutch Mother's restaurant in Lynden, an ice cream cone from Edaleen dairy and a quick shopping trip to Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham. It was a whirlwind but fun!

On Saturday, we went into Vancouver to buy shoes for Mom from Ingledews for her narrow feet and over to the Lion's Gate hospital to visit my Papa. He's 92 now and much weaker than I remember, but he's doing alright. Sunday I went to Northview with my brother, Brent, and after lunch Mom, Brent, Nikki and I all went to Papa's apartment in North Vancouver to help my Aunt Bet sort through his belongings before he moves into a different extended care facility. Then Monday had to come, most unfortunately. I just had to see Lana and David's apartment and new baby girl, Noelle, before I flew back to Calgary, but then all too soon it was time to leave. Talk about busy! Hopefully Lee and I can go back for a more relaxed visit this summer or fall.

I think that's all for now, so I'll go and play with my options on my new blog!