A note from my husband..

I think my husband's post from today pretty much summarizes our day:

It's Raining INSIDE!

So I woke up this morning at ten to seven. It was a dark and cloudy morning and I could hear the rain pouring and rushing down the eves. Slowly I got up and got ready to take Lennox for his morning walk. With each step I took towards the door my sense of dread grew, I did not want to step outside in driving rain and walk Lennox, I didn't want to have to ride my bike to my breakfast meeting after my walk with Lennox, I just wanted to stay in my nice warm bed. As I flicked on the outside light imagine my surprise to find that there was no rain coming down! True it was dark and wet, but there was no rain. So I slipped on my shoes and left with Lennox. Forty minutes later as I walked back to the house I saw that the basement light was on. And I realized that after hiding out last night (Niki had her Jr. Youth small group over) I had left the light on. So I tied Lennox up gave him some food and went downstairs to turn off the light. All of a sudden my senses were over run! Water beneath my feet, and the sound of pouring water in my ears... and what did my eyes see... that our hot water tank burst all down the seem and there was water in our basement! That lovely rain I had heard in the morning? Not rain, but water escaping the confines of it's tank. A quick call to Dwight (the man to call in any emergency) and I had stopped the water... and now the clean up continues. There is a plumber coming this afternoon to give us a new, more efficient, and hopefully dryer Hot water heater.
Well that's the news from here.

Back to the old grind...

I can't believe how fast time goes by once you're out of high school! People always told me that time would speed up and I never really knew what they meant (how could I?) but I'm finding out! This past year just sped by with all the new things that we've been experiencing and learning. It's hard to believe that we're already starting this whole youth schedule thing for the second time. I'm glad it's come to this point. I've realized already that life is far less stressful when you know what you're doing. Life is alot more relaxing when you know what you're doing!

Speaking of doing things over again...last week Wednesday until this coming Friday I'm back at Friesens. I've been working reception for the mornings (when I started last Wednesday, it just felt like I'd been gone for no more than a weekend!) and in the afternoons I've been at a different desk doing tasks for invoicing. It's been pretty mindless, but hey, if I can help out and do what they need done so they don't have to leave their work, I'm happy to do it. Working again has been pretty good. Like I said, I only have two days left...Friday I'm done and I'm glad too. I'm enjoying being back there, but I think the only reason I'm actually not hating it is because I know that I'm done soon and I'm not getting the projects that I hated when I was there. I'm getting the best of both worlds: I am at Friesens so I can see the friends that I made while working there and log some hours, but at the same time, I don't have to do the things that I don't want to do! YEAH!!!

Life outside of work is busy too. Last weekend we went to Camp Arnes for an EMMC youth leaders retreat. The best part was hanging out with two of our youth leaders (and one youth leader's wife) and getting to know them more outside a youth night setting. That was really good. I also had some good thinking time during the sessions, so that was also a plus. Nate and I came home really tired though (thanks to a spontaneous "Let's go to Gimli for pizza" moment-I didn't go, but the guys all went, so I was one of the wives waiting up for her husband so I didn't have to walk back to the cabin alone in the dark-I ended up walking in the dark alone anyway, because pizza took a while: ) ).

We came home from Camp Arnes to a sick puppy. He was coughing alot and whenever we took him for a walk, he would end up puking. Not fun. After a day of being pampered by his loving master (Nathan), he's back to his old self again, and we're relieved. Having a puppy that doesn't have puppy-like energy isn't fun.

Well, I was going to end off with something that I've been thinking about lately, and I have been thinking alot lately, but I'm just too tired to come up with any witty conclusions. I'm just going to go home and take out my contacts and relax for a while. Then, I've gotta get up again and get ready for our supper...mmm...steak... Is it true that you don't eat steak anymore once you have kids?

Haircuts and other changes...

Do you ever get bored with life and just feel like changing something, no matter how small? Sometimes I just crave change, even a new hair cut would do. It's not like life is boring in that it's not moving. It's moving all right! This month is just flying by and we're right in the swing of the whole youth thing. And I'm happy, don't get me wrong! I'm so excited that I am where I am right now in life. I'm happy like crazy that I married Nathan a year and four months and five days ago. I'm happy like crazy that we own our own home and have adopted our own puppy. I'm happy like crazy that we moved to a town where we knew nobody and that was new for both of us. But some days, I just feel like doing something different. Something like randomly flying somewhere exciting -like to Mexico to visit Jen. Or maybe something smaller like calling up some friends I haven't seen for a while and driving out to Winnipeg or Rosenort or Saskatchewan to have coffee, just because I can. Sometimes I feel like booking a hair appointment and when the hairdresser asks what I want, just saying "something different" and leaving the rest up to her. (-sidenote:I've definitely done the hair change thing and it really is alot of fun, especially if you have a trusted, young and trendy hairdresser.---Marsha? hehe) Sometimes I feel like repainting one of the rooms in our house, but I like them all too much to risk changing them and not liking them anymore. Sometimes I feel like buying an antique piece of furniture, just so I can strip it and re-do it, just because it would be something different from the ordinary, but when would I have time? Sometimes I feel like just going out and getting a job in a coffee shop or somewhere fun in Winnipeg just because it wouldn't be in Altona. Sometimes I wonder whether Nate and I were too young to start pastoring, like alot of people said. If I was older, maybe I wouldn't want as much diversity in my life. But, I'm working with youth...that's pretty diverse, right? Sometimes I just crave to be one of those people that can just get a job one week and quit the next if I feel like it...I can't do that because I feel for the people who have to hire the next person, just when they thought they'd found someone.
Change, diversity, the new car smell...these are a few of my favorite things...

Rain, Rain, and...muddy pawprints?!

Fall is in full swing here in Altona. Well, I’m sure it is all over Canada by now. Didn’t I hear that Edmonton got snow? Ouch. With this nice wet fall weather this year comes something that I never missed while not having a dog. Wet, muddy paw prints on my clothes as I’m heading out the door to church. Lennox is a wonderful dog, but, like all puppies, sometimes he gets so excited about seeing people that he forgets all of the training we’ve already given him. On the dry days he’s perfectly well-behaved, but then on rainy days I think the changing weather affects him (like it does kids) and he’s bouncing off the walls, or, as the case may be, off my white Sunday pants.

This past week, my parents were out from Hudson Bay. It was really good to see them. They arrived on my birthday (what a wonderful present) with a piano in tow! It magically kept it’s tune through two nights outside on the back of a truck and an eight hour drive. I’ve already been playing quite a bit and can already feel my skills and abilities returning! I thought it would take a lot longer after not playing for two years, but all those long hours of practice, practice, practice in high school are paying off (thanks, Lenora!). One of my dreams when I was in high school was to play at weddings someday. Wouldn’t that be an awesome job?! I’ll have to practice many more hours and days and years before I could be hired to do that though!

We’re right in the middle of the busy September that we’ve been dreading. With two youth nights each week plus most Tuesdays and weekends booked, we’re feeling like we’ve hit a brick wall as far as our schedule goes. But it’s fun. I’m enjoying youth much more so far this year. I feel like I know my place a bit more so I can pour myself in a bit more instead of just taking my cues from other people. This coming weekend, Nathan and I, along with three of our other youth leaders are going to the annual EMMC youth leaders retreat. This year it is at Camp Arnes. It’s nice that we’re closer to home this year, but last year, going to Saskatchewan for it was a pleasant return to our homeland.

I’m still going through the book of Ecclesiastes, taking one chapter each day. It’s still just a fascinating book. Solomon really stresses the meaningless of life when it’s not lived in/through/with God. I think about it and it’s true. If you’re poor, you just want to become more wealthy and if you’re rich, what does that help because when you die you leave it all behind anyway! So why work and save up more money than you’ll ever need? It’s much more meaningful to take that extra money that you’ll never use and put it to work in Africa or inner city or your church or anywhere! That said, saving and investing is a wise thing to do too, because it’s one thing to be smart about the future and it’s another thing to save up millions just to brag that you have millions. So eat, drink and enjoy the fruits of your labour for these things are gifts from God! What a wonderful command! God commands us to celebrate!

Skittles, Alf, and Ecclesiastes

Here's my list for today. I just decided that because this day is such a beautiful, sunny, warm-winded fall day, I may as well think about my favorite things, because days like these are some of my most favorite days.

Another reason I was thinking of my favorite things was because I’ve been reading Ecclesiastes for the past three days, and I’m really enjoying the book. Most people when they read it see it as a really depressing book because everything Solomon talks about is “meaningless.” If you really read it carefully though, yes, a lot of things are meaningless, but his conclusion is that we should eat and drink and work hard (celebrate) because we are doing it all in Christ! We can’t eat or enjoy anything apart from Him. That’s the message I’m getting from the book anyway. Read it. It’s a great encouragement for me to just enjoy little things and thank God for them, because without Him, as Solomon would say, “Life is meaningless, like chasing the wind!”

These are a few of my favorite things… (in no particular order)

• Nathan
• warm wind
• long, hot showers
• sneezing hugely after needing to (but not being able to) sneeze for a long time
• the smell of apples (but NOT apple breath)
• hugs from my husband
• catching up with friends either face to face or through email (but I don't really like phones at all)
• getting to know new friends when it's as though you know them already
• getting presents, especially on my birthday (quick trivia question: what day of the year is my birthday...?)
• writing notes and letters and sending skittles through the mail
• decorating the envelope when I send a letter (because then the recipient doesn't have to wait until they open the letter to be excited)
• watching movies and waking up just in time for the last few credits
• reminiscing about childhood sleepovers
• thinking about what my kids will be like (though this can be kinda scary too...)
• sudoku (how did I let myself get hooked???)
• in winter, when the afghan I'm crocheting gets big enough that I can sit under it as I'm working on it
• naps
• Alf re-runs
• heart-to-hearts
• holding newborn babies
• going out on a beautiful day with an SLR camera and a couple roles of film
• walking by the river back home
• being able to hide and knowing that nobody but God can find me
• hearing when someone I haven't seen for a long time just randomly thought of me
• dates at home that don't cost anything
• dates in the city that don't cost too much
• dates in the city that cost a lot but are sponsored by a third party : )
• buttons
• notes from friends
• pictures of people I love
• sun tanning on a barn roof reading Archie comics and eating spitz
• skinny-dipping ( I don't recall ever doing this, but I've been told it's a wonderfully freeing feeling
• being considered an adult by society's standards when I still feel like a kid inside
• living in a house (not an apartment, cabin or dorm)
• warm chocolate chip cookies
• frozen French fries
• shadows (because in spring, this is the first sign that there is a bit of summer sunlight breaking through the winter clouds)
• Real Simple magazine
• Scrapbooks (when they're done...working on them is just something that needs to be done to enjoy the finished product)

It's like having a kid!

So the biggest thing happening in our lives right now is, shallow as it is, our dog. We've had him for a week now (I can't believe that it's only been seven days!) On Saturday we were gone to the city for a few hours and he found his barking voice...we're in the middle of training him that barking is dumb and wakes up neighbours. He was such a quiet dog before...what happened??? Enough about dog talk though, cause really, unless you have seen him, there's not much interesting that I can tell you on a blog.

My mom and dad are coming down to visit this week. My dad has meetings out here in Southern Manitoba every few months, so mom comes along since there are no kids at home to get ready for school and they visit their two girls in Manitoba! It's always great to see them and hear about things back home and show them how we're real grown-ups, living all by ourselves in the real world. They are bringing the piano down that they bought when I was working towards my grade 8 level in piano. No one plays it in Hudson Bay anymore, so I'm "inheriting" it. I'm pretty excited. I haven't really played any piano since my second year of Bible school and even then it wasn't too much. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't make more of an effort to keep up with practice. I just hate people hearing me play when I'm not practiced. And playing in the common room in our apartment or in the church would have pretty much guaranteed an audience! So now I get to practice in the privacy of my own home! Nathan will get to start playing again too, so we're both pretty excited!

Youth is starting this week. We're playing games and having a barbecue in the park here in town. It should be fun, but I'm trying to take a deep breath right now because I don't see much room to breathe for the rest of the month. It's actually insane how busy the ten winter months get when you're involved in youth ministry. Summer was a nice break from evening plans, but now we're gearing up to go again! Woohoo!

A work in progress...

Just in case anyone has noticed/been wondering what's going on with my blog lately...well, I got sick of the green template that I've had for the past few months and have been in the frustrating and time-consuming process of finding a new look. This template doesn't let you comment, so I'm going to look for a new one in a few days...when I have time. SO, if anyone is just dying to comment in the meanwhile...you can just email me! Hey, I like that idea...

Lennox

Yup, Nathan finally convinced me to let him have his own puppy dog. Meet Lennox.

Lennox is a five month old cross between a golden lab and german shepherd. I know…it’s not what I would have guessed either.

We got Lennox on Monday morning and spent the day chasing apples with him and walking with him and just sitting outside reading while he wandered around the yard and chewed on fallen apples. He’s doing pretty good. We thought, knowing what we know about dogs, that he would be whining all night, but we didn’t hear anything out of him until morning after Nathan tied him up after his walk. He doesn’t like being left alone at all…I wonder what’s going to happen when we’re gone for youth nights. Hmm…I guess he’ll just have to get used to it. That’s our life!

We’re realizing first hand how much work it is to have a dog in town. Both times when my family had a dog in town, I was too young to have to do much more than play with it. And having a dog on a farm requires basically no work at all because it’s not tied up and it doesn’t need entertaining and, well, it just stays outside all the time! In town dogs require much more guidance and supervision. Hopefully we can provide that with how busy we are.

Speaking of farms…I’m really hoping that we can move to a farm sooner or later in our married life so that we can more easily have dogs and cats and so there is more room for the kids to play (once they come). I do realize that you can raise wonderful kids in town, but my experience on the farm was so great that it’s taken much adjusting to live right in town again. Farms are so much quieter and when you have a day off of school/work, you don’t even have to shower and get dressed if you don’t want to because if anyone is going to drive out to see you, they’ll call first. Ahhh, my dream! Maybe someday…

Well, I should get going and take Lennox to go get the mail. He’s being so good and quiet just entertaining himself in the backyard. He deserves some exercise and attention! I probably deserve some exercise too…