A Post!

Some things that have happened since my last post:

- Turned 25
- Made good Hamilton friends
- Worked at a bookstore (in addition to the tutoring)
- Had many a cry
- Had many a laugh--one that was so hard it made me cry, actually!
- Became at peace with not renewing my Ontario Teachers Certification/not teaching while in Hamilton
- Painted with watercolours and oils..and quite loved it (and still do love it)
- Had a mom visit
- Caught and held on to a couple colds!
- Have had obvious answers to prayer and have experienced God's grace, faithfulness, and love in many ways
- Read some awesome books
- Took care of the sweetest dog for a weekend
- Sang with Jon at an art show

Things have been so busy that I have yet to decorate the house for Christmas! This is something I LOVE doing, and is an important tradition for me. So, even though we won't be here for Christmas, the decorating will be done this week!! Despite the lack of decoration, a heck of a lot of Christmas music (which I love) has been playing!

Right now Jon and I are looking forward to our Winnipeg Christmas visit! We fly out from Hamilton this Friday (the 19th) and are there till the 31st. Our visit is already looking pretty packed, but in a really good way. I am so looking forward to seeing family and friends from 'home!' Let the countdown begin...see you soon!

I'll leave you with a painting and some photos:

Break

I'm not going to post for a while. Maybe in November.

Thanksgiving in Hamilton (and another pie, finally!)

Friday: Relaxing night at home
Saturday: Cleaning the apartment, dinner at a pub & an evening walk...

Sunday was such a great day/evening. While Jon spent time reading for school, I went out and collected some colourful leaves. It was in the low 20s on Saturday, so the weather was perfect for spending time outside. While my pumpkin pie was baking in the oven, I "waxed" the leaves to make table decorations for Thanksgiving. Jon and I then went out to the "Rail Trail" by the escarpment for a lovely fall bike ride. The colours out here are beautiful--I love autumn in Ontario! Here is one of the views from our bike ride

We saw a garder snake on our ride! I love snakes (non-poisonous ones) and was thrilled to see this one...Jon and I laugh every time we look at my ridiculously happy face in this picture!


Sunday evening was then spent at Dale & Brian's place just outside of Hamilton (Dale is Jon's 2nd cousin) for a Thanksgiving dinner. They had some friends over from Toronto as well, with 2 of their 5 kids. Before supper we went for a gorgeous walk on part of the Bruce Trail, and saw a waterfall. We were kicking ourselves for forgetting to bring our camera!

I slept in till about 11 am on Monday (wow, that felt amazing) and then proceeded to prepare for our own Thanksgiving meal. The place got pretty warm as it reached 25 C (27 C with the humidex) yesterday! That with the oven and stovetop going all day made for one hot kitchen! Definitely a difference between Manitoba and Ontario. I had a great time getting things ready, and the results were delicious! I can now say I have made my own Thanksgiving meal. And the only thing that was from a can was the canned corn! The meal consisted of: a roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, dressing ("stuffing"), brussel sprouts, a carnival squash, and corn. And of course, pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert!

Where East Meets West

In Winnipeg, we consider ourselves to be central in terms of Canada and Ontario (and beyond), to be "out East." Here in Hamilton, people consider "here" to be central, and the Maritimes to be "East." I guess in terms of football, or even just BC, Winnipeg would be considered "East" too. Hm. Aaaanyways...

Jon and I have been happy to meet up with a number of people from "out West" the last few weeks...

In September, Kara was taking a massage therapy course in Toronto for a weekend. The Sunday she left, we met up at the Pearson airport and had a wonderful visit. It was so fun to catch up in person, and see a familiar face!

On Thursday (Sept. 25), Jon's parents flew in from Newfoundland, where they were visiting April, Jordan, and little Cori-Anne, and stayed with us till Sunday. We were definitely spoiled and we loved it! Their visit included dinner outings, baby picture viewings (Cori is sooo cute!), a wedding, brunch, and good conversation. Not only were we able to see mom and dad H, but we also had the chance to visit with our good friends Roger & Kelly (and their adorable girls, Cadance & Addyson), and their family as Cortney (Roger's sister) got married on Saturday. For some bizarre reason, we have no photographic evidence of a Hildebrand visit (mom and dad H do...) but we do have some photos of Rog & Kelly.

Last week on Thursday, I had the chance to visit with Alissa and Ayla! They were visiting Alissa's aunt and uncle in Guelph, and they were kind enough to stop in for an afternoon. We went for a Fall walk (and were rained on a bit), and chatted in the apartment over tea (as well as played with stuffed animals, sang and danced with Ayla). I may post some pics from that day later. It was a treat to spend time with both mother and daughter. Thanks for visiting!

The next visit we look forward to is my mom, in November!

Delight

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I was looking for a verse this morning, and I found this one. I was thinking about the word "delight" and how it's such a great word! It encompasses the idea of taking great pleasure in something so beautifully. God takes great pleasure in his creations. God delights in you and in me. I should also delight in Him! Right now, I think I need to focus less on my present struggles (not ignore them) and I should be delighting in the one who delights in me.

This brings me to the question, "what are the desires of my heart?" On the surface I'd say I want a satisfying job that will support Jon and I while we're in Hamilton, or, I want to be able to get enough sleep...

When I really think about it, though, those aren't really the things my heart desires. They are important, and the list could go on, but they aren't really all that deep. My heart desires deep connections with God and with people. It desires for all to know and feel they are loved. It wants suffering to cease. My heart desires to be the heart of God. Those are the desires of my heart, and if delighting in the Lord will bring those things...I will delight!

News from Hammer Town

How I'm Doing:

For a while I really wasn't inspired to write anything on here. After coming to terms with the fact that I can't teach in a school until February (even then, that's a maybe), searching daily for jobs, trying to juggle volunteering, evening tutoring, and job searching, and the stress of money, I was getting pretty discouraged and depressed.

I had an interview on Monday, however, with a placement agency and started a temporary position this Tuesday! It has been really busy for me, with working 7am-3pm and then tutoring on Mon. & Wed. from 6-7, and on Tues. & Thurs. from 4-7! Despite the long days, I am so thankful for the opportunity to work this week! I am a woman who loves (and needs) her sleep, so I am really looking forward to a good sleep-in tomorrow.

Not having friends out here yet can get a bit lonely sometimes, but I have had some wonderful support and encouragement from home--thank you, you know who you are! Also, working this week has been a great chance for me to meet and talk with people, which has been refreshing. I've even met some teachers from around here who are in the same boat as me which is comforting.

This Week and the Next:

This past Sunday, Jon and I attended a church that reminded us of Faithworks in its early stages. It's a new church plant (1 year old) that meets Sundays at 5 pm, and it was full of young people! Everyone was extremely friendly and made us feel so welcome. We are trying to arrange a dinner with the pastor and his wife, and another young couple. We plan on going again, but may also try out some more.

Volunteering this Monday in the Kindergarten class was so fun! The teacher is wonderful, and gave me a "hello" and "goodbye" hug--very sweet lady. This coming Monday I will be with the Kindergarten class in the morning, and in a 4/5 split at another school in the afternoon. I'm happy for the opportunity to make connections with teachers/principals and to be a part of school environments.

Now that I've had a boost in spirit, I can eagerly await the Toronto visit with Kara this Sunday! I am so excited to see her!

Also, the following weekend, Jon's parents will be out for a visit! They will be on their way home from Newfoundland (visiting April, Jordan, and their new daughter --my new neice Corisma Anne Marie!) and will be here from Thursday to Sunday. We have a family friend's wedding to attend that Saturday, so it'll be a fun weekend. I'm pretty excited to host our first guests to our new apartment!

So, things are looking up! Life here definitely isn't what I had anticipated, but in the grand scheme of things, it's only a year. Keeping that in mind, I guess anything can happen within that year, and who knows what God has planned for me!

A Little Compare/Contrast

My certification finally came--and earlier than I had been told it would, too! This is very exciting for me as I can now be considered to places I apply! Recently, I acquired a temporary (hopefully) job as a tutor. My hope is that while I work as a tutor and volunteer at some Hamilton schools, I will be offered a position in Brantford (a place ~20-30 minutes outside Hamilton). It seems to be where all the teaching jobs are at around here. I'll keep you updated!

Here's a picture of the hike from the last post:


Other than that bit of information, I thought I'd do a little comparison/contrast of Winnipeg and Hamilton today...

1: Bus tickets. They both have them, but look at the size! For some reason I find the big size of Hamilton transit tickets to be quite fascinating... 2: Students + Bus Passes. Jon's bus fare is taken care of through an added fee to his tuition (which, by the way is a small fee compared to the benefit!). All he has to do is show his student card and it acts as a bus pass for the whole year! That is so cool! In Winnipeg, this would not be the case. Instead, a monthly pass would be cheaper for students, but both the pass and the student card are required. Hamilton wins!

3: Milk. In Winnipeg, the 4 litres come in jugs. Normal, yes. In Hamilton, 4 litres come in 3 bags. This, we are now used to, but like the big bus tickets, this change was very interesting for me. Oh, also, milk here is super expensive! I remember it being $3-something in Wpg, but here it's over $5! What a person needs for their calcium these days.

4: Lack of hills vs. hills...pretty self explanatory.

5: Young people. They are everywhere in Wpg, but in Hamilton, they seem to not yet exist! I mean, we've seen a few...but we're thinking that we'll be seeing more starting next week and as university begins.

6: Church. We've been to many in Winnipeg, and even have a church "home." Here, we've visited 3, and it seems to be the pattern (see above) that there are a LOT of old people (and I mean, canes and white hair old) and not-so-many young people our age. We even accidentally attended a senior service when the younger service had happened earlier that morning! Anyways, that too should be better come September when university is in full swing.

That's enough for now. And I didn't get around to the skirt picture...

Hamilton Life

Some fun things as of late:

- Bike ride down to the waterfront (the harbour of Lake Ontario). It's really beautiful--and not too far from our place! There are some ice cream places, a museum, some stages, and lots of paths and green space. Jon and I plan to take many a trip down there. 

- Shopping in Toronto! It's been a long time since either Jon or I went shopping with the purpose of buying clothes--and this was something I was really looking forward to doing. So, we took the GO Bus to Toronto and spent the day at the Eaton Centre. We both came home with some new items and were very pleased with our successful day. This won't be happening too regularly, but it was fun!

A not-so fun thing as of late:

The teaching world in Hamilton is not as friendly to substitutes (or occasional/supply teachers as it's called here) as I'd like. The sub list is capped and locked until February at the moment, so I am making every attempt to find a teaching position surrounding areas of Hamilton (Brantford and Burlington) that aren't too far to drive to. I have applied to a few, and am waiting to hear back--and I really hope to! Things could go a few different directions at this point...

a) I don't get a teaching job; will then volunteer in Hamilton schools to get my face out there/meet principals; and work somewhere (?) until I get an interview in February and then substitute...

b) I find a private school opening in Hamilton

c) I get a job (term or permanent--most likely a term) in Brantford or Burlington; we buy a car and I commute

d) I don't work and we get kicked out of our place...wait--that's not an option!

I am hoping/praying for outcome "c". Time will tell! Also, my Ontario Certification is taking long and may possibly affect my desirability for hire. If you pray, please pray for that to hurry the heck up! Thanks!

Unfortunately the camera did not accompany us to any of the above things, but there will be more opportunity---coming up: one of me in my new skirt! Oh, the excitement, I know.

The Move Part 3

Here are some pictures from the ride down and a few of us unpacking the new place.

Capo enjoying a road snack.

Me in the middle. I wasn't always there...but I did have the shortest legs.

Jon sleeping with Capo on his lap after driving for 5 hours (starting at 5 am). Cute!

Here are 2 sneak peaks into our apartment from the inside and outside. To see more, go to Jon's Flickr site and you'll find photos of our apartment as it is now, as well as photos from our neighborhood!

Trying to organize the new place! Sooo many boxes.

Down the street that intersects ours, looking at our apartment building. You can see some of the cute brick houses, too.

The Move Part 2

Here are some pictures taken while preparing to leave Winnipeg. All our stuff is currently unpacked, and our apartment is only needing some curtains and for pictures to be hung. Other than that, we're pretty settled. It has been raining/thunderstorming most of the week, which is getting a bit old. We are told, though, that this is not usual Hamilton summer weather. Phew!

Also, a big shout out to the following moving helpers:
Day 1: Randall, Kim, Bre, Andrew, Kyle, Tiffany, Mom and Dad H --your help was SO very much needed and appreciated (and a mini shout-out to Kara who offered her help!) Thank you!

Day 2: Joel, Alissa, Airyn, Kendall, Graham, Kristy, Randall, Janessa and Kyle. You were amazing U-Haul packers/lifters/visitors! We would not have been as pleasant without your help! Thank you!

To the pictures...

Here I am in the mess that was our Stradbrook kitchen!
Kim, Bre, and Andrew packing "Neo" Bre's amazingly roomy Matrix!


The rest of that day is not well photo-documented as it was quite busy! This is a photo of my parents' garage after moving all our stuff into it! (Due to the U-Haul delay)

Here are some Day 2 helpers doing an awesome job packing the U-Haul. You can fit quite a bit into those things!
The ladies, babies, and Janess encouraging the men. ;)

Kendall looking tough walking down the ramp, and the helpful packers finishing up!

All ready for the morning move!
The 4 of us all ready to go!
And we're off...
More to come.

Hope you are all doing well. We miss you Winnipeggers!

The Move Part 1

So, we moved the other day, and then moved the stuff again the next day. We had WONDERFUL help. Then we drove 2 days. And moved our stuff AGAIN. Now we're here in Hamilton. We love our new apartment and the area we're living in! We can get wireless if we're on our balcony or the laptop is on our bedroom window ledge...more details/pictures to come when our internet connection is up and running in a couple days!

Recent Activity

Well, our time in Winnipeg is quickly coming to a close. Our days/evenings have been packed with visits and preparation. We've been able to see a lot of people which has been great! Here is a photo synopsis of some recent activity (note--my family always has fun taking pictures, and always include crazy ones...and apparently this time, the siblings are into piggy-back rides).

Our family (minus Janessa that night) went for a boat ride last week. Ayii and I thought we would look like flying super-heroes...but according to the picture above, we did not.









Nick came out from Alberta and stopped in before going to Altona!













Some party people...the camera wasn't used that
much unfortunately!
















And, family fun after our last Sunday dinner for a while! My parents are flying to France tomorrow, so it was the last time Jon will see them till Christmas. (I get to drive them to the airport) .We had a great dinner, were given a beautiful new-apartment-warming gift, played a good game of Guesstures (this = hilariously good times with the family) and then the photoshoot began. I love my family.

I am a Roadrunner (but a happy one!)

It's summer, and I can only keep track of things at the moment with my calendar!
Here are "snapshots" into my life these days (you do not have to read them, but glancing at it may give you an idea of the breathless feeling I am sometimes left with!)

Last week:
- went to Altona for the weekend
- went to "Can I get a Bus with that" (fundraiser for a bus for Cambodian kids my sister worked with)
- booked our U-Haul
- made Jon and myself a few appointment
- had a wonderful going-away dinner hosted by dear family friends
- volunteered at Siloam Mission Wed. morning, then headed straight to Liam's for the afternoon, then cleaned the house like a mad woman and prepared for dinner, and had Kara over
- hanging out with friends/family
- got Capo a carrier for our trip!
- did some major organizing of papers/teaching stuff etc.
- went to Cirque du Soleil! Incredible.
- packing

This week so far consists of:
- last time with my kiddies (well, that was today) and we went to the zoo--very fun. My camera was used a LOT! I love taking pics of those cuties.
- practicing for music (last time at FW before we leave) and then of course doing the music
- Siloam Mission again
- hanging out with my university girls
- orthodontist apt. and doctor's apt.
- our party!
- more packing

Here are a few stand-outs for me from the past while:

Altona Visit:
The Hildebrand parents, Jon and myself went for a country drive and had a nice time last Saturday. Here are a couple shots:

Cirque du Soleil:

This was like a dream! Jon and I gifted this outing to one another to celebrate our 3-year anniversary (which is actually on the 24th). It is incredible what the human body is capable of! Well, some human bodies, anyway. We were seated on the floor, row 2, just to the side of the center--completely amazing! I had my mouth hanging open with a smile the whole time! A great gift to share with my lovey. **by the way these photos can be credited to the Cirque website--they're not mine!

Siloam Mission/"Can I get a Bus with that?"

These two are connected, because they resound with the same message, one that has been calling to me a lot lately: "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" - Jesus, Matthew 25:40

As I was helping out in the kitchen at Siloam (I'm there by the way because my mom has been going once a week in the morning and since I'm not working now, I am now accompanying her till I move) and as I worked, and met people (volunteers and those in need) I kept thinking to myself how these people were representing the face of Jesus, that in serving them, I was/am serving Him. It was really profound to be conscious of this "in the moment." Anyways, it is so easy to love myself first in life, but I'm not called to do this. So...using the words sung by Matt Epp at the "Can I get a bus with that" event (a fundraiser Janessa helped organize), the essence of what I've been thinking about lately can be summed up nicely. It's from a song called "Religion of Sand."

Is my faith a religion of sand?

Did i help You when you were hurt?
When You were naked did i give you my shirt?
Did i bring water when You had thirst?
Did i serve You or did i serve myself first?
Lord Lord what i have done for the least of these, for the least of man?
What is my heart in the eyes of the Son?
Did i glorify You or did i pretend?

I hope to be able to ask myself these questions daily and be honest with myself. I want to completely, truly, honestly, love my neighbor as myself. And if I'm to see the 'least of these' as Jesus, then more.

Hello July

Well, despite the lack of posting, things have not really died down for Jon and I.

My last day subbing was on the 24th of June--can't believe it! I had a great time subbing, with not too many days leaving me too worn out. Times when kids would do something like, oh, you know, throw tacks at another child, or put someone's gym clothes in the garbage...those are not times I miss as a sub! But being called the "cool sub" by the older kids and getting little pictures and picked dandelions from the little ones..those made it fun! Now I'm looking for jobs in Hamilton/Brantford/Burlington for the fall...

Jon received some stuff from McMaster letting him know the options for courses, and his TA duties, which include leading tutorials, marking, maybe teaching, and he will have his own office space. He's pretty excited for the upcoming year!

I'm glad for a break now. Jon and I leave on the 1st of August, so our time here is wrapping up! So far I'm mostly excited for the move. The last time I had my kiddies, though, really hit me. I'm going to see them a few more times before we move, but knowing that I won't be seeing them every week anymore, which I have for 6 years now, makes me sad. I've really seen them grow up--Liam since he was 3, Katie since she was a couple days old, and Kyle since he was born. It's been a blast! I love those kids. For those of you who have Facebook, there are some new (adorable, of course) pictures of the kids to be seen!

Another sign that move-time is coming up fast is that I got a whack-load of boxes from Laurie (the kids' mom) yesterday...which means it's time to start packing! I'll be doing most of this, as Jon will be working right up until we leave.

Other than that, Jon and I have been catching up with friends such as Alicia and Rob (who are getting married in 23 days!), Nils and Melissa, who just came back from Europe, Kurt, Jon's old roommate, and hanging out with family. Parties have been in abundance lately, too! Funnily enough, the camera has not come along much! Here's a picture of Ayii, dad, and Jon playing basketball, Jon and Ayii, me and Janessa playing some duets..somehow my mom didn't make it into the pictures..next time!














I have been reading a lot, which is what I want to do all summer--read! So far, in June, I've read I am a Taxi by Deborah Ellis, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip, The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I am currently reading A Wind at the Door by Madeleine L'Engle. I plan on reading the whole "Time" series this summer..it's been a long time since I've read those books and I am loving them! I also got a book called Vintage Jesus from Faithworks as a grad gift and I will starting that soon, too. I just read Ian's blog about the books he's been reading..maybe I'll take some of his as ideas for future books! Yeah for reading.

On a completely unrelated note, I got a new pair of summer comfy shoes...with peacocks on them! I've always loved peacocks...looking for their feathers at the zoo as a kid etc., and now I have them on my feet! I needed a pair of shoes that I would allow me to walk around in comfort, and these are just the pair.

Onto the packing! Until the next.