Lovin it!

This has been such a great week. Thursday night the long awaited surprise visitor arrived. Karyn came home for two months from Jordan!!! See my cousin's post to see who that is if necessary. Then Friday I got my job, on Saturday Monique came home and we shopped and went out for lunch. It was fabulous! Sunday we went out to Mennville to see Grandma as well as my aunt and cousin who are in from Alaska. Grandma was tickled pink to have almost two whole benches full of her family in church. We also brought Monique's friend with us who is from Australia and who is living in Vancouver currently, but working on a project here in Winnipeg for a couple months. This was her first experience with a large family as she has less people in her entire family then were there just for Sunday at Grandma's. Last night Karyn, Monique and I went to Renee's parents (our aunt and uncle's) for supper and Karyn came over for night.

I don't think I have to tell you but I love having Monique, Karyn (and when she was alive Renee) home. They all left Manitoba before they were 20 and I... stayed. I don't regret staying because this is my home and staying led to me meeting Steve and starting my life with him. I know I was meant to stay here but I miss them when they're gone. However, that makes it so much sweeter when they are here. Even when I know they are in the province it makes me happy. But what makes life even better is that tomorrow at my grad party, my friends and my cousins get to meet. Now when I talk about my friends to my cousins and vice versa there will hopefully be a face to the name.

Alright, I should head to bed so I look all fresh tomorrow for Grad!

Cheers!

Employed!

Today the call came! I got a call from the Superintendent in the Hanover division who said that there was another opening that (not quite how he said it) was mine if only I could impress the principal and I was willing to take the position right away as I was the only one being interviewed for the position. So I took another drive to Steinbach for my interview. It went very well and later in the day while I was in the spice aisle at Superstore I got the job!

So now you're wondering, where and what. Well it's a half-time afternoon Kindergarten. Currently it's a term position but because of numbers it may become permanent and the superintendent said that I'm at the top of the list if a morning half-time position becomes available. And with the growth in the division I'm not too worried about getting another position next year. It's in Steinbach and is only 2 minutes away from the picture above which is where hopefully our future house will be. The phase is not for sale yet though so we need to wait a little bit longer.

The pieces seem to be falling in place- this is the official I have a job and we're moving to the country post I suppose. And that picture was taken with my new camera!
Cheers!

Ode to 29

Today is Steve's 29th birthday. His first 29th birthday at that! And where is he on this day? Why he's heading with his parents and sister to Kansas for his cousin's wedding. But we did get a chance to go to Carlos and Murphy's for his birthday yesterday. And then off to the mall so he could buy a new Bomber hat to go with his jersey that my parents and I got him.

So to honour my wonderful husband on his birthday here's a couple pictures. I promise I didn't chose the worst. This is just how pictures go with him...

Runner Up

I finally got the call that I'd been waiting for at about noon. Except that... I didn't get the job. Boo. But I was the 2nd ranked candidate- so the runner up. But this cloud isn't all rain showers, there is a very shiny silver lining. It was the superintendent that called me and he said my interview was very successful and that there was new positions coming up next week which he will be calling me for. He couldn't tell me what those positions were but if he wants me back it looks like this will turn into a job somehow. Patience right?

I did soothe myself with a little retail therapy. I got myself a grad present today- a pretty, new camera. It's an Olympus FE-310 so hopefully I'll be posting more pictures.

Cheers!

An EXCITING week ahead!

This week could be a huge week. But regardless of that it will be exciting! And not only this week, next as well. Tonight we are heading over to Dana and Cody's for supper. Dana was one of my bridesmaids and recently got married herself. Wednesday I have an interview (eek) for which I will find out the results later in the day. Thursday is Steve's birthday which we are celebrating Wednesday night because on Thursday Steve is heading to Kansas for his cousin's wedding. Thursday I will be going to the airport to welcome home someone who cannot be named at this point (it is a surprise for someone). Saturday I welcome home Monique who is home for a week from Vancouver and we'll spend the day together. On Sunday, Monique and I as well as her friend who is here as well from Vancouver will head out to Mennville to spend the day with Grandma as well as our aunt and cousin who are in from Alaska. Fast forward a little bit and my Graduation and grad party are on Thursday the 29th and then family camping with the Reimer's out in Hecla. Oh and in there somewhere I will be getting my first paycheck! Hopefully I'll be subbing some more... And if I get the job we could be making some movement on housing. I may be getting a little too excited and a little ahead of myself but can you blame me?

Cheers!

The Sicko is Coming Home

Chad called my parents today to say that he's on his way home. Being sick and trying to plant just wasn't working for him. That's all I really know for now. I know no one responded initially so I don't know if anyone actually read about it but thanks if you did.

Cheers!

Pray for Chad

My youngest brother Chad (also referred to as Stinky- although he does not) is tree planting in the bushes of Ontario as of this week. Which I suppose would be fine, except that before he left he got pneumonia. (Well really he was sick for a while, ignored it and finally found out before he left that it was pneumonia) And it's not the better kind to have because the antibiotics have not helped him. Tonight he called home and talked to Dad. He is not feeling any better, and he is having a really hard time planting trees because of it. Which means he's barely planting enough to pay for room and board and really not making any money at this point. Pray that he would feel better and that his pneumonia would clear up, or have the courage to come home to recover. I don't think he wants to come home and follow in my footsteps of abandoning ship.

What I'm referring to is the summer after high school graduation when I moved to Banff and became a housekeeper at a hotel there. I hated it! I was sick and I knew no one, plus the people I lived with didn't speak English. The scenery and great shops that I couldn't buy anything in were not enough. So after three weeks, I had broken even with my room and board and plane ticket and my seven month adventure got significantly cut down as I took the bus back home. I came home, went to camp for the rest of the summer and then got my Boston Pizza job. So who knows what would have happened had I stayed in Banff.

But back to Chad. Please pray for him! I know he would really appreciate it.

Cheers!

Much Better

Today was a completely different day with the same kids. They weren't quiet but they were much better and I kept them very busy and so we all survived. I was very pleased, and then I got a message on my answering machine that I got very excited about. I can't tell you quite yet but I will eventually. Thanks for the prayers!

So tired

Student teaching was somewhat tiring, but substitute teaching is absolutely exhausting. The class I had today and tomorrow is more then a handful. They are great kids deep down (I saw a little bit of it in flashes today), but behaviour management is more then one person alone can handle. Thank goodness I do have an EA in there, as well as a floating sub for some of the day. Even so, I left school in an absolute frazzled mess today and at the end of the day the principal came in and asked if I could come in tomorrow and I said yes. I can't turn down work. On my way home I stopped for a fistful of cookies at my parents (conveniently it was snacktime). However, when I got home I could barely function and I haven't done much this evening. Pray for me tomorrow! Pray that I have a swarm of angels hovering around the children keeping them learning and quiet.

Stepping Back in Time

This week has been interesting. On Monday I didn't get a sub call, but I did get a strawberry call. So I headed off to LaSalle Valley Berry Farm where I planted strawberries for the afternoon with my brother. I even got to drive the tractor for a bit- I was very excited!

On Monday I got a call from the principal at the elementary school I went to. She wanted me to come in to substitute for the resource person, so I agreed. Once I got there she asked if I was free Wednesday and Thursday and I said of course.

As the resource person this week I have been supporting teachers by coming in for a little bit to help out with different lessons and activities. And it's been crazy. The school is so much smaller now, less kids and part of the building including the portables are completely gone. However, what has stayed is everything else. Same desks, desk bins, and I even caught sight of our old textbooks. The teachers are all different but it was a huge sense of deja vu when I walked into the Grade 2 class where I had that same grade. It's also been very interesting to be in other teacher's classrooms and to see how they teach. It has made my own beliefs clearer and definitely more concise.

So tomorrow I'm there and then I'm back to waiting for the phone to ring on Friday.

Cheers!

Yay for Pay

Today I got my first call to substitute teach! I looked at my alarm clock at around 7:45 this morning and figured I wasn't going to get a call because it was too late. Nope! A minute later my phone rang and for some reason the lady at the other end asked for Steve because he wanted him to sub.... I said, hey I'm the sub! I don't know how they got Steve's name.

So I get my call at 7:45 and was asked to work in Blumenort for the morning and Niverville for the afternoon. That's a big yikes because it was 7:45 the school day in Hanover starts at 9am but as a teacher you have to be there at least 10 minutes early and Blumenort is about 40 minutes away. And I was still in bed. No problem for Super Teacher- I showered, got dressed and packed my lunch like a maniac. Sped down to Blumenort very scared out of my pants- I've never taught by myself before but it was AWESOME. Such great kids in both schools, which just makes the day!

Now I have to wait till the end of the month but I am finally getting paid for what I've been training to do. Success!