home

It doesn't feel like home yet. But it's a great little apartment and even though the novelty of unpacking and finding new things has definitely worn off, I'm enthralled to be here.

The move went surprisingly well despite the weather being miserable and rainy. And despite us getting a 26 foot truck that was standard and according to my husband, "a beast to drive". But he did it and he did it quite well.



So after a few days of unpacking the major things we're down to the nitty gritty random items. All of which - well, most of which I'd be more than happy to just throw out. So much junk!
Today is devoted to getting my home in order and I hope to conquer the rest of it today. Lots to do, so I better run!

ebullient

1 more sleep!!!

blessed

God cares for His children.
The small, insignificant things in our lives - he cares about them!
I once had someone tell me that they didn't think God really bothered about the small things in our lives - or even who our spouse would be because they thought He had better things to do.
But I beg to differ. God cares deeply about the small happenings in our lives. It's in those small happenings that character and trust and faith are built up within us.
He surprises us with small blessings.
On Wednesday I prayed with a student and asked her to pray for our move and especially with U-Haul, that things would work out and that they wouldn't be an unnecessary hassle.
Today I got a call from a nearby U-Haul. Everything is going to work out fabulously. AND on top of it all, we get a bigger truck for the same price because that was all they had.
Thanks God. You really care about me and you love to see me smile.
Even at the little things.

2 more days until I move!!!

packing

I only like packing because I'm moving to a fantastic apartment.
My own. My precious.
Ahem.
Thanks to the LCBO for providing unlimited boxes for all my packing needs.



Another thing I enjoy about packing is that I get to purge. Purging is a good thing. Throw out things you don't like and don't use and sometimes don't even know what they are. I have no problems with getting rid of things. I think sometimes I border being on the opposite end of a packrat. I throw out too MUCH. I throw out random nicknacks that I have no use for. I hate nicknacks. I throw out shampoo bottles that are half full and I haven't used them in a while. I throw out little jewellery boxes that I've had for forever that I don't really like especially because they clutter surfaces.
*shudder*
I hate clutter.
The one thing I won't throw out even though I have no use for is my old diaries and letters I've written and received. Reading back through old diaries and letters sheds light on what you've been through, how you've grown, old memories you've forgotten, some funny, some sad.
I don't think I'll ever throw those out.
I think that after I read The Diary of Anne Frank I always thought my diary would discovered and published.
I doubt that will happen.
At this point I'm probably glad it never was discovered.
Sorta.

Jose

His name is Jose.
He looks like he is in his late 50's.
He is from El Salvador.
He sells toques.
He tells me I am an angel and that I radiate peace.
I tell him it is Christ within me and ask him what he believes.
He is a Catholic.
Does he know Jesus?

politix

(As a precursor, my political views are my perogative. Feel free to comment, but not bash my views. Thanks!)


Stephen Harper is our new Prime Minister. And I helped vote him in. I did my duty, as did many people across Canada.
I'm still so surprised at the amount of people that voted Liberal. What were you thinking? So the Conservatives aren't perfect in every area. At least they didn't misuse millions of tax payer's money! It's like ... hmm let me think of a good one here ... it's like giving your home to the wrecking ball. You've seen what it can do and yet you're handing over your own home. What, are you hoping it won't do what's in its very nature to do - which is to wreck things? Destroy your home! Unbelieveable.
By voting for Liberal, regardless of what you think you are doing, you are telling the Liberals and all future parties that scandals are permissable. That they can get away with throwing away our money. That it's ok, try, try again. NO! It's a little late to be making mistakes of that magnitude when you are running a country!
I'll stop the rant, but I am glad that some people in Canada have an ounce of sanity and sense to vote in change. And if this government doesn't provide the change we need, vote in more change and more change until politicians see that we won't stop changing the government until Canada gets what is best for it.
We'll see how things go with the Conservative minority, though.

new

So I've given up on this problem with my picture blog EVER being solved. I like blogspot, but they are horrible with getting back to people the minute something happens to go wrong. Oh well. So I've set up a new picture blog that can be found at: http://treatsterspics.blogspot.com
Enjoy!

disappointment

I knew that when I recognized my hopes for Cousin's Christmas and realizing how high they were, that I should probably expect an overall good time with the family. Needless to say we had lots of food (and GOOD food!) and I made my first turkey with my cousin Jocelyn.
And I spent a bit of fun times with the gals, but that was it. Some people there got stupid drunk and ultimately ruined it for the rest of us. I'm actually really upset and hurt about it all and feel that all my work and time I put into this weekend was ripped up and stomped on. It was a disgusting display of drunkeness and a horrible example to the younger cousins who were there. I hesitate to ever do anything with these people again.
*HUGE SIGH*
Why don't people know their limit? Has no one ever told them how selfish and mean and incompetent they are when they are drunk? And that the only person that is having any "fun" is them! Especially at 5am after repeated polite requests to go to sleep as SOME people have a 2 hour drive home the next day.
ANYWAY...it was good to see my girl cousins and my sister and I love them dearly. It just hurts to see people you love with people who don't treat them as well as they deserve to be treated. Yep. It hurts.
So that's my disappointing update on (quite possibly the first and last) Cousin's Christmas.

Apartment countdown: 7 days

Lost

I don't know if animals know the pleasure of being found after they have been lost. I know when I was little and I thought I lost my mother in the store my heart started racing and I went into panic mode. I searched desperately up and down each aisle until at long last I saw her. I was found. It was such a delicious feeling of relief.



Today I thought that my cat Stanley had run away. He's not an outside cat, but the other cats in this apartment are and so the window, quite frequently is left open. Stanley will wander out and about but always returns. So when it was 8pm and we realized that none of us had seen him all day I started to worry. Looking under beds and in closets and in all his favourite nooks and crannies. He was not to be found. And the window was open. I started having visions of seeing him dead on the road. Or maybe that someone saw him and thought him to be such a beautiful cat that they took him for their own. I went around with a flashlight calling his name out over and over again (he comes when he is called - and even used to play fetch!). Finally I returned inside only to find that he had come in and was in the kitchen eating. What a cat!
I'm glad he's safe and sound and in 10 days he'll have his own apartment, with no other cats and no windows to escape from.

Apartment coundown: 10 days

Slippers

Silly Hannah wearing my fuzzy slippers.

Very Historic

This is me in the miserable freezing rain on my historic first day on campus.

Cooking Obsessed

I'm back in TO and I just got back from grocery shopping. I bought lots of groceries. They're for this weekend at ... *trumpets* Cousin's Christmas! Huzzah (as my good friend Tamsin would say)! It will be a fun weekend - yes, my hopes are high. High in the sky apple pie hopes. That's what I've got.
BUT I digress...
I'm making a whole heap of things - I even had to cut one thing out because I'm just making too many things and I'm not sure if I have enough time to make them all! Yipes!
But here goes:
My beloved Mashed Potato Layer Bake (with sweet potatoes and regular potatoes...but all you can taste is sweet, sweet cheese.)
My Almond Pear Cream Cheese Torte - so good.
An Asiago Pate which I've never made but it sounded good so why the heck not?
A Broccoli, Corn & Green Bean Saute
AND a Chocolate Caramel Explosion Cake.
Whew. I am going to be busy on Friday. Yeah, I don't know why I go nuts like this, but ... *Shrug* I enjoy cooking/baking. What can I say?
Anyway, I'm actually feeling quite tired and I foolishly said I would go to a body pump class tomorrow sooooo...that means I think I'll just go and relax now.
Bon nuit.

A historical day

Today was my first day ever as Campus staff...on campus! Today Jamie and I were on campus at the university of Guelph. It was a good day. Nothing spectacular happened, but nothing dreadful happened. There were times of awkwardness of not knowing what on earth I was supposed to be doing, but everyone was very friendly and very nice.
AND a shout out goes to all my secret blog stalkers (that means you Shelley!) that I just found out I had. How exciting.
I felt nervous this morning and a bit last night. Not knowing what I was going to be doing but knowing that it involved going out sharing and a whole bunch of meeting people that I didn't know. But it was good. I got to chat with some of the gals on staff and some other lovely gals and that's what I enjoy most. Building relationships and getting to know people.
And I realized another thing. Perhaps it IS a good thing that we are just starting off at 2 days a week. For me I think it gives me time to slowly sink my teeth into what is known as The Campus Ministry. Having pretty much ZERO experience in Canada this is giving me time to adjust and get a feel for how things work and what my days will look like.
I like flexibility.
I like building relationships. That's a thing I realized. I thought I liked meeting new people. It's not that I don't like meeting new people, it's just that I enjoy building relationships. It's the prospect of a beautiful relationship that I could build with this new person that is so exciting.
Ok, so I'll end this yawner of an entry, and I wish I could post the picture I took of me by the Guelph sign in the horrendous freezing rain, but I forgot my USB cable at home. Doh-eth.
I will update asap.
Oh and my darned picture blog is down. At least it was the last time I checked. I'm still waiting for Mr. Blogger to tell me how to fix it. Or at least for HIM to fix it. Whoever Mr. Blogger is.

Apartment countdown: t-minus 12 days

Treat pic 'o the month!

It's a little late this month and for that I apologize. I actually would have completely forgotten were it not for the concern of my husband that I hadn't put up the treat pic! What a loyal reader. :)
Anyway, this month's treat is Glosettes Raisins. I love 'em. The chocolate is so sweet. The raisin is nice and chewy. What could be better? And they're bite sized, so you just pop 'em in your mouth. 3 at a time or even 4! Or if you're like my husband you might just tip the entire box into your mouth and fill 'er up. :)
Try this tasty treat and look out for February's treat pic!



Apartment countdown is t-minus 13 days

Marvelous Light

1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

I love this verse. For so many reasons.
I am chosen. Royal. Holy. I am for HIM. My reason for being is to proclaim the excellencies of Him. I was called OUT of darkness INTO his MARVELOUS light.
It's beautiful. It's the verse that the song "Marvelous Light" was written about. It's a victorious, freeing song. Every time I hear it I can picture myself at first in a heap, covered in rags, in the darkness. Then, as Christ died for me and released me from my sins and called me to be his own, in exchange for my rags, he gives me a beautiful white dress. And everywhere is white light. And I am running and dancing for Him. For He who called me out of the darkness is my everything. My Husband. My Lover. My Saviour. My Provider. My Protector. My Peace. My Grace.

I once was fatherless,
a stranger with no hope;
Your kindness wakened me,
Awakened me, from my sleep

Your love it beckons deeply,
a call to come and die.
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take your life.

Sin has lost it's power,
death has lost it's sting.
From the grave you've risen
VICTORIOUSLY!

Into marvelous light I'm running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

My dead heart now is beating,
My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs.
Now I'm free. now I'm free!

Lift my hands and spin around,
See the light that I have found.
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light

Lift my hands and spin
See the light within...

Sin has lost its power. Death has lost its sting. How I love to sing those lines. What a wonderful, powerful, amazing, totally undeserving thing that Christ has done for me. For me.
wow.



Apartment countdown: 17 more days

19 days and counting

6 Brant Avenue. My new address.
Yesterday my husband and I went apartment hunting. In the end, we found our apartment (or did our apartment find us?). But the first few we looked at were complete dumps! Smelly lobbies, weird & loud tenants, busy streets, crazy landlords, sketchy elevators, and even sketchier apartments. I was actually getting a bit down after looking at these small, icky apartments that were more expensive than our apartment in Kitchener. It came to our last apartment viewing. I instantly loved it. It's all brand new and it's just beautiful. No balconey because it's on the bottom floor, so it's half above ground, but there's lots of windows and light and ... I love it! New kitchen, new bathroom, new tiles (they are goregeous and not the tacky kind of tiles!), new carpet...oh and a TON of closets and lots of space. Which is good because it's slightly smaller than our old apartment.
So needless to say, I am counting down the days 'til January 29th. We can move in early so that's a great bonus. And the landlady is normal. Not weird or crazy or trailer trashy. (Is that mean of me to say?)
Anyway, I'm glad and ever-so-thankful. God totally provided for us and I know He will continue to do so as we are finishing up raising our support.
I'll post pictures when we move in because I only took short videos of the apartment.
Silly Vaness.
No pictures.
They will come. Oh yes, they will come.
I'm giddy with excitement!

Phones and new apartments

I caved. I finally caved. For a couple months now my husband has been pleading, begging and sometimes whining about wanting the Rogers iTunes phone. And I've been strong. Steady. Resolute. Until I started looking around online and found the Rogers $100 package where you get your home phone, cable, internet and cell phone. For $100! Crazy. And then I started looking at the couples plan and started thinking that it'll be like having 2 phones for $40 which is what we're paying right now for 1 phone! So...I caved. I figure, I'll get a new phone for free because you have to buy one to get one free. And my husband will get his beloved iTunes phone. Other than the COST of the phone (which he'll have for a bajillion years - he better anyway), we're saving money.
Oh justification.
Anyway, here is the one I'm thinking of getting - because I don't really feel like getting one of those flip phones.


So I'm getting pretty pumped. Pumped about having my own cell again but also about having my own place again. I can't even describe how excited I am. 7 months of living with the in-laws has had some good times and it's been awesome to be in Toronto, but all in all, I will never do it again. I need my space. WE need our space. As a married couple.
I lay in bed last night and was overwhelmed with the thought that I am 24, married and living in a cat house (ya, there are 4 of them) with my in-laws. *Sigh* Less than a month, Vaness...Less than a month!
So tomorrow we're apartment hunting in Guelph and I am UBER excited. Hopefully we'll find "the one" and all will be well! Then there's the first/last months rent, the moving fees...but it'll all be worth it. I just know it. My own kitchen! I could go on...but I will watch, as my mother calls it, "Simpson". AKA, The Simpsons.
Oh mom.

common or uncommon?

What is with the phrase "common sense"? Because it doesn't seem to be too common. Seriously. How many times have you seen someone do something stupid or dumb and just shake your head in amazement at their lack of common sense. Clearly, common sense was not just dolled out in abudance to everyone. Rather, I think it was scooped out and given to a choice few who were destined to be frustrated with those around them who walk around in apparent ignorance - or at least laziness.
However, I am beginning to see that common sense has a lot to do with how you were raised. Maybe it's a genetic thing. Maybe if your parents (or at least one of them) has been generously scooped the gift of common sense then you have it - and notice how few others have "common" or as I see it now, UNcommon sense.
Simple things. Things that seem to just make sense. Uncommon sense.

Why?

Why is it that every time I sit down to check emails or blog or take my time at the computer, I have this sudden and intense urge to pee?

Should old aquaintance be forgot?

Happy New Year. 2006 is here. Why does everyone go all nuts when it's midnight? Hugging and cheering and singing? It's kinda funny when you think about it. Who started that anyway? Hugging and kissing people you don't really know all that well. And some you DO know well. But all the same, it's an odd tradition.
Last week was the Winter Conference for CCC students. I'm pretty tired. Late nights, early mornings...but it was a good week. I am looking forward to actually getting to know students (other than Tanzania students) and build relationships. I'm really excited for that.

Team Mbeya - minus Ashley

My biggest fear (for some reason) was the day of evangelism. It just made me anxious. I haven't done evangelism all that much here in Canada so I was a bit nervous about what would happen.
In the end, it was an amazing day, I had a great partner named Jon from York and we got to talk to a lot of really amazing and great people. We didn't lead anyone to Christ, but it was so encouraging to know that we spoke to them for a reason and God will use that conversation in their lives some day.
So now it's back to support raising. *sigh* I just want to be done. But I know you're never really DONE support raising. But I would like to be on campus soon. We'll have see how things go.
Anyway, here's a few pictures for your enjoyment.
Happy New Year! *hug hug*

Jamie & Uche

Jen L., Terra & Me - oh the 80's were hot!

Me, Jen L., and Jen C.