Weddings, Pictures, & Things

It is official--my holidays have begun! I had a little "break" between my last two days of practicum, which were spent with my mom and sister in Fargo for some shopping. We had a great time together, and I was able to get a lot of Christmas gifts for people, as well as spend some (ok, all) of the birthday money I had received in November on myself. On our way back to Winnipeg, the trees were so frosty and lovely, that we stopped to take some pictures. The snow was super deep, and our pants/socks were at tad wet afterwards, but it was well worth it! A little adventure here and there is always fun!

Of our winter weddings, we have attended 2 and there is 1 to go before Spring! I guess this was bound to happen seeing as there were no weddings for us to attend this summer. Here is Jon and I at Matt and Karin's wedding last Sunday.

Last night was Kyle and Tiffany's wedding, and it was so beautiful! It was evident the whole evening how much love and joy was present. They have been dating for over 7 years, and now they are married! They are such a beautiful couple! Here are some pictures from their wedding...one of which includes me fulfilling my desire to one day be a guest book attendant.

As Christmas quickly approaches, my prayer is that I can keep focused and to take care of myself (I need rest!!!) and those around me. Tonight it begins. Jon and I are staying home by our tree, and plan to get a nice early sleep!




ps. Capo turned 1 year old yesterday--he is so cute!

A Break

It's been a long month! Yesterday was my last day teaching for my practicum. I will be going back this coming Thursday and Friday to make up my sick days, but I do have a nice little break in between.

Last night Jon, myself, my parents, and Jon's parents went out to see Steve Bell's "Holiday Express" with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It was outstanding. I had the best time there, absorbing the beautiful music, allowing all my stresses to lift off. I enjoyed it so much that I cried a couple times! It was part of Jon and my Christmas gift to one another. I was/am so thrilled that we were able to go--it was such a great time! The music was fabulous and the stories entertaining.

This morning (why do I do this to myself) I had a hair appointment for 9 am. It is a lot shorter now! After longs weeks of hard work, 9 doesn't seem like the ideal time for an appointment on a Saturday...but I made up for that by napping from 1:30 to 4 this afternoon. Clearly, I am wiped! It's crazy how much a person can do, just because they have to. As soon as I realized I was able to rest, my body just crashed.

Tomorrow Jon and I are going to a friend's wedding (Matt & Karen)...and then off I go to Fargo with Janessa and my mom! I'm really looking forward to spending time with them, and also to start (yes, start) my Christmas shopping.

This year I really don't have much I want for Christmas...and I feel comfortable with that. I didn't even give either side of the family a list. It seems trivial to me this year...not that I disagree with gifts--I think it's a fun tradition!
In some of the books I've been reading, and from different Advent readings, I am finding a lot more meaning this Christmas. I am enjoying just being in the presence of God, and focusing on the gift of Jesus. It's cool, too, because whether a person comes from a faith perspective or not, (this is coming from the mouth of Steve Bell and I think it is great) the concepts of what Jesus is and represents and is brought to us through Christmas; peace, love, joy, hope... These are all things that everyone can long for.

December already

It is now December--wow. And with this new month, comes a fresh start for me. I have been feeling overwhelmed and as though a dark cloud was hanging over me the last couple weeks, but this week has been wonderful! Advent started this week, and this week is the week of hope. The last couple weeks were weeks of (not exaggerating) despair, but not anymore. I have found and am experiencing hope and grace. I am so thankful! Wow I love Jesus.

Not much time to write, but here are some happy updates (some overdue!)

On another important note... my dear friend Alicia is engaged to Rob! They'll be married two days after Jon and my anniversary-- on July 26th! I'm super excited for them, and I'm also a first time bridesmaid! Here they are...in all their cuteness.

So that's that for now. I'm going to prepare for tomorrow and get to bed!

.sigh.

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy for me. And now I'm sick. This past week probably won as far as the worst in the last while. I'm not sure how often I'll be posting. It's busy time for me!

Mini Update

The past couple weeks have been pretty crazy with school wrapping up. I had my last exam this morning, and all I have left to do is this crazy (HUGE--you have no idea) math assignment, which I have been working on for a while and aim to have done by Friday (it's worth 75%!) After I hand that in, I will be totally done my last first term in the BEd Program--yippee! No more Math, ELA, School Systems, Gym, or Drama until I teach them! This weekend I will be focusing my time on planning for my teaching bloc, which starts on the 20th. I'm teaching 2 units; Healthy Bodies (Science) and Statistics & Probability (Math). I'm really excited to get back into the classroom and teach!

On another exciting note, one of Jon's brothers, Denver is engaged! He and Janet will be married on January 19th. It's only been a few days, and their planning is unbelievably quick--I have to say, I'm quite impressed. So that means, along with the excitement for them, that I get to be an official auntie now! Janet has the most beautiful little girl and I am excited to have Halle a a niece!

So that's a little mini update for me. Back to the math now...oh, it will be nice to be done.

Janessa

Janessa turned 21 yesterday! Happy birthday to my super sister!
She is the best.

Frank

The other day I met a man while waiting for the bus. I was on my way to meet Jon at the University after picking up a couple movies, and I had cinnamon buns in my bag.

There are a lot of people who ask for money around Osborne village, and I wondered before leaving the house if someone would approach me. I felt that I really could not tell a person I couldn't give them anything when I had 6 huge cinnamon buns on me. It was really on my mind, so before I left the house, I told God that I was open to giving, or open to whatever.

As I was waiting at the bus stop, a wasp started coming at me. Every time I moved my bag, it would follow, so I ended up moving beside this man. He took off his hat and tried killing it for me, and we began talking about wasps; how I'd never been stung and how he had.

I finally killed the wasp by whacking it with a dvd case/stomping on it, and we continued talking. There was a pause in our conversation, and he said, "You know, I wish I had done things differently in my life." It was obvious he wanted to talk, so I asked him why he felt that way.

We proceeded to talk while we waited, and ended up going on the same bus. I listened to this man and we got off the same stop. When it was time to go our separate ways, I he thanked me for the chat, and I told him that maybe we'd see each other again someday on Osborne. He said he hoped so.

As I walked away, I realized I had not gotten his name. I have met people in the past that have made an impact on me and I (I think) on them, and not gotten their names. It's nice to have a name to a face or memory. I turned around and asked him his name and introduced myself. We shook hands, his face lit up, and he kept repeating my name. It was really special. His name is Frank.

God did end up using those cinnamon buns...and me.

24 and a Day

Yesterday I turned 24...I like this age! I don't really feel all that different (I usually don't) but I think I will remember how old I am better this year. Do you ever forget how old you are? Sometimes, I have had to think, "Ok, Jon is 24, and my birthday hasn't happened yet, so I'm 23..yeah, I'm 23!" Maybe I'm weird, but that's how it works for me! Anyways, I have a feeling I will not have to resort to that this year.

I had a great birthday, with lots of wishes from family and friends! My day started with a phone call from my dad at 7:50 am. He forgot that I don't have class on Thursdays, so he thought I'd be awake at that time. It turned out to be a good thing, as I fell right back asleep, but also because Jon's alarm didn't wake him (or I) and he had to leave for class 10-15 minutes from then! My mom, remembering that I would be sleeping, waited to call at a "safer" time. When we talked, she told me of her plans to take Janessa and I to the States for some shopping after our school is done! It will be SO fun to go just the three of us--I am really excited!

I met Mary for breakfast at 11 at Stella's and I had the Norweigan waffle, which was so good. I was also treated to a Pecan Square (my favourite)! It is always so wonderful meeting with Mary; she is such an insightful, loving, and godly woman who I really value.

In the afternoon, I did some cleaning (I know, kind of lame, but I didn't do more than I wanted to!) Jon and I also walked down Osborne St. and peeked in to some of the shops. Desart is one of my favourites nearing Christmas time as it has the most beautiful decorations! Jon's gift was a book by Brennan Manning. After raving about the last book I read of his, he got me another! I'm pumped to read it!
For dinner, Jon took me to Colosseo on Corydon, which was really fun. I love Italian food, and being in Jon's company is always great! We then went home, after getting some Skittles along the way, and watched Singin' in the Rain together. I had never seen that movie, and I LOVE it! I really enjoy old movies, and Jon's pick for my birthday was perfect. He had been thinking of places to take me, but chose the movie at home which was just what I needed. Jon then spoiled me with a candle-lit bubble bath. After all the hectic days preceding, I had the most relaxing birthday.

I ignored the fact that I am a student with loads of school work yesterday..and now it's back to work for me!

Halloweening & 27 B-day Bumps for Bre!

It is Bre's birthday--happy birthday friend! You are wonderful. Picture me blowing a birthday horn--woooot!

Lately I have not been able to sleep well and have been exhausted--I think it is stress related. So, today I went to hand in a paper for my first class, then went home (skipping 2 classes) and slept. It definitely helped. I later went to my last class as I had a presentation. I'm glad I went cause my friends from class had a card and jelly beans for me as a birthday gift! I like them.

After class, I went to the Frain's house and had a great time trick or treating with the kids! They were SO cute in their costumes! Liam was a Glow-in-the-Dark Skeleton, Katy was Princess Ariel, and Kyle was a Power Ranger (apparently that fad lasted!). They each had spray-on dyed hair, which was awesome.
Here is a picture of me and my "costume"...if you want to see the kiddies you can check out some pics on facebook! I love dressing up! Hopefully next year I'll be able to show off a creative costume!

Pre-Birthday, Birthday Dinner

Tonight I had my family birthday dinner, which was really nice. Jon will be taking me out for a surprise outing on my actual birthday, so tonight was family birthday night.
My mom will always make whatever the 'birthday person' requests, so this year I chose lasagna with french bread, and there was also broccoli salad. AND, of course, my favourite dessert since childhood; this graham cracker bottom raspberry thing with whip cream--I love it.

So, here are a couple pictures of me trying on my new winter jacket, which my mom bought in Kingston. It's really nice! Just in time for the increasingly chilly weather, too. The jacket I've had for the last 5 (?) years can retire at last.

Happy pre-birthday to me!

Two Weeks Left

Two more weeks of class until my 4 week practicum! As much as this is exciting, there is SO much school work to do before then. Gotta love year 5 education assignments.

My sister recently talked about the importance of doing something you love each day, or at least each week, and I fully agree with this. Last night I did one of those things. After a long day (couple days, actually) of working on a paper/other assignments, Jon and I rented some more Scrubs episodes and snacked. While we were doing this, I had the wonderful idea of printing off a couple of colouring pages from the internet! I ended up with some baby muppets pages, proceeded to dig up my Crayolas, and coloured while watching tv. I enjoyed all of the above, and the colouring was awesome.

And now, I return to my school work.

Happy Birthday Kara!

My dear friend Kara is always doing this for her friends...so I figure she deserves a birthday page, too! Kara is so fun to be around, is very thoughtful, and it is clear she loves her friends. We also come up with really awesome ideas together as seen in this beach/lawn chair picture! Annnd we both own a Backstreet Boys t-shirt. Have a great birthday Kara! You're great and I love you!

I LOVE Thursdays & Fridays

For those of you who don't know, I was asked by a prof I had last year to be a marker for one of her classes this term. That's never happened before so it's kind of exciting. Yesterday I worked all morning on marking 23 papers, and was all happy to be finished, but then I got a message in the evening that there was one more that was handed in late. I thought I was done! Ohh well. One more won't take that long. But this is not why I love Thursdays and Fridays.

Since I have stopped working on Thursdays, I have had both Thursdays and Fridays off! Jon has one class first thing in the morning on Thursdays, and all day off on Fridays, so we get to spend a lot of time together which I really value. I LOVE these two days...not only are they attached to the weekend making it nice and long, but they are days to both rejuvenate, spend time with my hubby, and get things done.

My Thursdays mainly consist of relaxing and cleaning. It's my day to unwind from the hectic days preceding; days that are very full and tiring. I LOVE that I have a day to spend cleaning, as it is then easier to focus on schoolwork etc. I also spend time reading for pleasure, sleeping in, and other things I enjoy. Also, sometimes Jon (the breakfast maker in the house) will make me delicious breakfasts such as the saskatoon berry sauce covered pancakes. Mmmmmm.

There is less pressure in the evenings to do schoolwork with Thurs. and Fri. off. So last night, we went out and bought some cherry ice cream, chips (and a doughnut for me) and rented a couple discs of Scrubs, and a movie (Movie Village has a great deal for Thursdays!). We had so much fun laughing our heads off at Scrubs, eating, and cuddling.

Although we have these wonderful days off, they are not always as I've described. Sometimes, Jon and/or I will spend most of it doing schoolwork. But that can get boring.

Another thing that is going on is that Jon has been busy applying for funding and preparing for applications for his Master's degree to McMaster University (in Hamilton) and York University (in Toronto). We will be living in one of those cities next year! Queen's (Kingston) was originally another option, but apparently there are so many teachers there that they won't even add substitutes to the list right now! In order for me to work...no Kingston. I'll keep updating as things progress!


Also...it looks as though my going to bed at 8 helped a lot! I have a bit of a stuffy nose, but otherwise, I'm pretty good! So I would recommend 8 o'clock bedtimes when needed.

zzzzzzzzzzz

I went to bed shortly after 8 last night. That is the same time as Liam (he's in grade 3). I'm pretty sure I've got a cold coming on.

Bees give us honey

I just got home from my respite job (with the cutest kids) and Kyle (who is 3 and a half) informed me of where honey comes from. We were looking in the pantry for a snack, and he showed me their honey supply. He said, "Bees make honey, you know. They make it and then they put it in a box and then they give it to us!" He made it sound like bees are busy making honey to give it to people as a present in a box. I could just picture a bunch of bees wrapping a box with a bow and a tag reading, "To The Human(s), love from The Bees." I love how kids think and explain things. It makes me smile.


Here's a shot from a part of our Thanksgiving weekend. Jon and Mom were playing Hey Jude--it sounded good, too! It was fun seeing them play together.

OK. Now for the serious stuff.
As I was innocently walking to my first class this morning, I smelled something not-so-pleasant. Bad smells come and go every now and then, it's a part of life. So I decided to forget about it. But then, I heard one of the 2 guys in front of me (starting to go up an escalator) say, "Oh that's what that was. I thought I smelled cabbage."And then they both laughed.
So how gross is that! I'm pretty sure my face looked a little horrified for the next while as I shuddered and kept on walking. My nose was so violated. Let me tell you: there was no cabbage around.

And I'll leave you with that.

Productivity and Thankfulness

Today and Yesterday have been productive, satisfying days. I did some schoolwork, and then handed over the computer to Jon who had a couple papers to do for today. Being students together can be interesting sometimes! Anyways, I ended up doing a TON of cleaning, reading, and a bit of baking. I love a clean house, where I can rest, and where I can eat good baking! I also got some things I've been meaning to do out of the way.

One of those things was to register for the SAG conference (an annual teacher conference thing where there are a lot of options to chose from as far as sessions go.) I am really pumped for my sessions! One is titled, "Fair Trade, Tasty and Teachable," and the other is "Look Deeper at Global Issues in your Classroom." It was also a very good price for students, which was a bonus! It excites me to be able to bring some passions of mine into the classroom.

I started this book called The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus by Brennan Manning awhile ago, and finally picked it up to read again last night. It is a wonderful wonderful book, but I just hadn't made time for it lately. So. I started last night and I am determined to finish it this weekend because it is SO good!

As I was reading this morning, I was compelled to write some 'notes' down on things that really stuck out to me. I'll share one of them, or else this post will get a tad long (it's hard, though because there is so much greatness is this man's words!!)..

"I like your Christ but I don't like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."
- Mahatma Gandhi
Not much more to say on that one--I wonder how many others feel the same way? It really is something to think about.

Jon and I are off to Altona tonight until Sunday. It'll be great to spend time with his side of the family! It didn't work out for us to go to both sides of the families' gatherings, so we're spending the weekend in Altona, and coming back to my parents' for "the Dinner" on Sunday.

This is not only because Thanksgiving is coming up, but I am just SO thankful for everything! And I am thankful to Jesus for it all. (And I hope this doesn't sound preachy! BUT it's true for me.)

I think that's long enough for now...Happy Thanksgiving!

Fancy Power Tools etc.

Thursday was my last day at my "summer" job. I'm glad to be able to focus more on school! Jon and I were just on our way out to Carlos and Murphy's for a "last day" dinner celebration, when I received a call from the prof I'm a TA for. Our dinner was slightly delayed as I had to go pick up 11 papers to grade by the next day! Dinner was lovely, and was topped off nicely by 6 papers. In total, it took me 3 hours to finish all of them--and it was actually pretty fun! I love making corrections--I guess that a teacher part of me.

Friday afternoon was spent doing as much schoolwork as possible before Denver (one of Jon's brothers) came to pick us up. We spent the weekend at Lake of the Woods, where we were helping Jon's parents at the newly-built cabin, getting as much work in as possible before winter. Some things that were accomplished included: wiring the place(having a father-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncle who are electricians helped with that!), putting in the wood stove, priming a couple doors for painting, and putting in insulation. You can see Jon, Dad H, and Denver carrying the Arc of the Covenant--I mean, the wood stove up the dock...notice the little music note-like lights across the lake--awesome, I know.


At one point, Jon was sitting with his back to the lake, and a deer stopped right behind him, about 4(ish) meters away. I saw it from the deck and was trying to get Jon's attention by pointing silently. I have a feeling Jon just thought I was being weird, but he finally looked and got to see it nice and close! I really wanted to run for the camera...but sometimes moments are meant to be enjoyed without interruption--it was really nice.

So now I'm writing instead of sleeping...and I have SO much to do before Wednesday! At least I have ANTM to look forward to after the next few intense days!

Off to bed with me.

First Post

Well, here I am.

I want to 'journal' a bit more, and I think this blog will be a good way to ensure I do just that! This is new to me, and although I have a tendency to get bored with new things after awhile, my hope is that I can keep this up, to keep people who are interested informed, and have fun sharing the crazy happenings that go on in my life. So that's pretty much it for now. I'm not sure why I posted my "first" when I'm particularly tired and uninspired, but hey, it'll happen I guess.

Until next time...

Jessica