Learning and growing

Its an interesting thing, growing up. Everything seems so much harder and yet in a sense more pleasant because you can look back on memories. The bad ones are never fun to look back at but i have so many good ones that the bad ones rarely surface unless someone asks about them.

I am sitting here in my room listening to a concert i sang in. Its so precious. I am thankful that i have some physical memories. I mean, i have proof of them. I have such a terrible memory that i always worry about forgetting about such dear things and not be able to help it. I should really try to keep a journal but i am so bad at being consistant. Even with this blog. i cant keep up all the time.

Now i am going to totally change my direction. i cant think of a smooth transition so i will jsut tell you that i am transitioning.

I was teaching my Sunday school class this week. I have children from 5-7. We were dfinishing up our lessons on the fruit of the spirit. The children were going to learn about goodness. I decided to bring in some good foods and some bad foods to demontrate how sometimes if we can taste and see something we can tell if it is good of bad. Then we covered them and decided to try again. And i tought them that we cant always tell what is good and bad by looking at them. Then we moved on to the fact that it can be the same with people. I was sadened when i heard a little students tell me that you can tell someone is a bad person if they have peircings. I mean, people have different possitions on that but why does a 7 years old already judge someone by their appearance? should they have been taught that it is about the heart and how they live? they might look rough but are really soft and so in love with God. I made my mission from that point on by drill them about how it is the fruit someone produces that can teach us weather they are good or bad. It is so easy to be legalistic. I know i fall into it sometimes, and it was good to teach the children. It taught me as well. God is good.

Anyways, i managed to make it home in good time so that i was able to make dinner. So rarely do i actually get to be domestic. So i should probably go check my dinner before it burns.

Parc Omega

Today i am off to spend my saturday at Parc Omega in Quebec. Apparently it is a nice place where you can go and see lots of Canadian animals. The down part is that it is Saturday and im getting paid less than what i normally get because i am not actually teaching. But hey, i get to go somewhere i havent been, for free and get paid something for it. It does kind of suck to not have a saturday though. Oh well.

Id included a picture but i dont actually have time to do it. At times this computer decides to be kind of slow and right now is one for those times.

baby-gaby

Although i posted many great pictures, i did forget one of my favourites. I took this photo of Gabriel at the right moment (actually i took several pictures and one of them turned out looking cute. the others managed to capture the side of his head). Is he not precious? All children are but this is so a picture for a magazine. Maybe im just biased.
Here, Jo managed to capture a picture of me getting Gabriel to tell me a story. He actually gets very excited and smiles a lot when you ask him to tell you a story. He will make noises and when he stops you ask him if there is more and he smiles and makes more noises. Very cute.

" 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdome of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hand on them and blessed them." Mark 10: 14-15

Promised pictures

In my last post I mentionned I needed to show off some of my camera's pictures. Im not saying the pictures are amazing but I am just so excited about the camera. So, here are some of the pictures that were taken on the camera's first day out as well as the promised rose pictures.







Here is Caelah drawing something. She had an accident earlier in the day so was not wearing a shirt.

Johannah caught her while she and Connor were being artists.













Here is my adorable baby brother Connor. My sister snapped this photo while he was creating a story book for Daniel.















Here is a picture of my picture wall. Im not terribly pleased with it but Jo and I were trying it out with different light settings ("it" being the camera.)

Here are the origami flowers i made my mom for mother's day. All i can say is "Wow, it took SOOOOOO long".

Here is the Elijah boy. He is always working on his own little project while the others play their game or draw their pictures.

Here is a part of my mom and Aunt Peggy's garden. It doesnt look amazing but notice the grass? Dave came to my mom's place and put it all down for free. It took him so long and ... i think i told this story already.

Finally, Here are the roses that mr. Dave bought for me. What an amazing man. Are you getting tired of me talking about him? Probably. Sorry.

And so ends the picture entry for today. I am going to a wedding tomorrow night and i hope to take a whole bunch of photos so i will be sure to update you about the wedding.

Red Roses

May 17th marked Dave and my's 6 month anniversary. Although some would say "it's no big deal its only 6 months." I praise the Lord for every day of it. In six months you can get to know someone pretty well. I still have a lot to learn and always will but i have seen some insight into who David van der Meer is. God willing he has seen more of who i am as well.

Dave has been very busy building a house. Its a two apartment house so he is at the stage where he needs to make two bathrooms, two kitchens... and all i know is that it takes a lot of time. He's been working from earlyin the morning until about 10pm everyday.

I assumed i wouldnt see him yesturday. He had so much work to do and a deadline to finish for but at around 7 pm he showed up at my parents place where i was and brought with him some roses. He appologized that there were 12 and not 6. I just smiled. ( i have a picture on my new digital camera but i havent had time to read how to download the pictures yet so ill post them later.) He is such an amazing man. We sat on my parents portch and chatted for a little bit before he told me that he had to go and pick up a kitchen so he could install it. He came to visit me and give me flowers and then went right back to work. I should learn from him. His work ethic is admirable. Dave gave me a litft home and then we said goodbye and he was off. I then realized i left my phone at my parents so i ended up having to walk back anyways... but walking is good. I do a lot of it.

Other news: I get to see a friend i havent seen in quite some time. She arrives from Scotland today at three thirty and my sister is going to get her since i will be at work. Then we are all going to a party for her to welcome her home and it is her birthday on Sunday but that is when she is leaving. The reason of her coming is because of a friends wedding. I am so excited for that as well. Ill be sure to include pictures of that as well in a later post.

My friend (Helen) will be staying at my place with me. I am excited about it but nervous. Will she actually be able to sleep? Not only is my bed as hard as rock but my upstairs neighbours are a pain in the bottom. SO LOUD!

I am actually going to look at a new apartment under my sisters place today. At leaste i know there are no domestic disputes there. Just some noisy children who are in bed by 8. It may be too small but that is what i will check out.

Other then that, its test week at the school so i have to be a mean teacher and give my students an exam. I hate having to give tests. Especially when i find out my students didnt study... it kills me. I know its their fault but it sucks just the same.

Anyways, I should go get a bite to eat before i go to work. Sorry this was a long time coming. And I promise i will have some nice pictures to post soon.

A weekend away

Fridays are now my favourite days. It used to be Wednesday because i knew half my work week was over but i really do love my Fridays now. Firstly, i finish work at 11 o'clock because many of the students go on outings in the afternoon. Secondly, it's Friday and i can go home and have a moment to clean my apartment and do my laundry. It may seem strange to be excited about such a thing but i seriously look forward to the cleaning.

Last weekend, however, i had a whole different reason to be excited for Friday. Dave and I were off to Montreal for the weekend. He came to pick me up from downtown at around 3:00 and we began our journey. It didnt seem long at all. Not that it is a long drive but we got to montreal and it seemed no longer then when we drive out to his place which is much closer. I guess thats what good company can do... or maybe its just being in love with the company :)

We arrived in very good time and i dont believe Dave was really speeding much. We parked his truck at the mall and walked to my Aunty Laura and Uncle George's place where we were staying. I was so excited for him to see the old town house. With the high ceilings and their numerous collections...

Uncle George prepared dinner for us it was very yummy. He makes some very tasty dishes. Then I gave Dave the royal tour of the house and we decided to go out and find something to do with our evening.

Out to St. Catherine street we went. A very interesting place during the day let alone at night when all the signs for the strip places are lit up and hard not to notice. Dave wanted to see Mission impossible three so we went to check out the old forum adn believe it or not, they weren't playing it there. So we had to ask some stranger where to find another theater. sure enough there were another two not too far away so off we went.

We arrived to the Paramount and the first show was sold out. so we grabbed tickets for the second show and went to find a drink. I think this was the funniest part of the evening. We started looking everywhere for a pub and no where could be found. I couldnt believe how long we were searching and still nothing. Finally Dave spotted a place called Alexanders. So we sat down. Right away a server came but instead of saying something he simply stod and stared at me. I had no idea what to say. we had no menus and he didnt ask us what we wanted to drink... so eventually he said he would be back in two minutes. He never came back. I went and got us a menu and when we saw the prices we decided maybe this wasnt the place for a drink. For s bottle of wine, obviously a very special one, they were chargins $ 2,500. this place seriously did not look so hoity toity. So we decided that we would get up and leave. Soon after that Dave spotted a very humble looking plave and we went inside and had a drink and he had a piece of apple cake. Then it was off to the movie.

We got there 20 mins early thinking it would be a good time to get a good spot. Boy were we wrong. We got there and the only places left were in the front rows. i think we managed to get three rows back and lay down in the seats ( picture how interesting that is) and watched the movie.

It finished early in the morning and we made the treck back to Aunty Laura's and went to bed. Needless to say i had a bit of a sleep in the next morning.

I had hoped that Satuday would hold a great deal of activities: Old Montreal, Mont Royal, the architecture museum and maybe the art museum... We accomplished one of these things. the weather made it rather difficult to do anything else. And i made a very bad suggestion of leaving our coats behind. Note to self and anyone else, May in Canada means always have a coat.

We walked arond and and saw the old buildings and at about 11 it started to rain so we thought we would go to the science museum and see if we could watch an IMAX. we were too late and it there wasnt another one playing until 5:30 that evening. So, we went for lunch. While walked to the restaurant it started to POUR!!!! thankfully aunty Laura gave us an umbrella so we kept are top half dry. But the wind was strong and cold and i was in flip flops... So we ewre wet and cold.

After lunch we decided to head back to the house to warm up and just didnt end up leaving it. The last thing we really wanted to do was go out and get codl and wet again. So we built card houses and worled on a puzzle for a bit and then looked at a bad hair calendar. Then it was dinner. Stir Fry.

After dinner we watched a movie. Count of Montre Cristo. I actually really enjoyed it. i think tha made Dave happy since he wanted me to see it and had already seen in three times. Im not sure why he didnt chose another movie but that was the one.

Bed came at 10:30 and we left the next day at 7:30.

Made it back to Russell for church and I got to spend the Sabbath with Dave and his family. I enjoy being with them. I am learning more about the dynamics of the family and every time i feel a little more comfortable. We watched home videos which was so cute and the church had a fellowship meal so i got to chat with a few people. Then, before dropping me off at home we stopped by Jo and Aidans. Dave and Aidan enjoy each other so that's kind of cool. Then it was home for me and Sleep!

So, all that long schpeel for me to say, i had a wonderful weekend and i got to know Dave more and just hang out with him. I especially liked the card house building. dont ask me why.

And, when Dave buys his motorbike, we are going to go for a day trip to do the things that we didnt get to do on the weekend. That is very exciting as well.

Ok, I am finished now.