I don't know about you, but to me 9 years seems a long time. But it has gone by in a wink of an eye. I've been married now for 9 years and we have 3 beautiful girls, it's been a good start. Looking back I remember what I was like as a 16, 17, 18 year old. I couldn't wait to be married and it was taking SOOOOOO long. Who'd have thunk I'd only have to wait a few years for that to happen. Now I've been married 9 years and I'm pushing *cough*30*cough* (we don't want to talk about that).
I'm rambeling I know.
Anyway, Lana and I went out to O'Malley's in Camrose last night and had a great time, it really is a nice little gem. I don't know why Wetaskiwin can't get better places to eat at, it's really annoying that I have to drive a minimum of a 30 minutes to get to a decent restaurant. Oh well, what do I expect.
Oh, by the way, Happy Valentines.......now I have to go and buy my 4 Valentines something.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
A Legacy Continues
This is a short post, but a funny one, for those that understad the inside joke.
Growing up Dad would always use the classic Cheech and Chong line, "Oh wow man, right by the snackbar!", whenever we got a parking spot near our destination.
The other day we all were going to the mall on a rather busy day and had to park near the end of the parking lot. After looking at the distance that she was going to be forced to walk Emma lamented, "Awww man! Why couldn't we be by the snackbar!"
And the legacy continues to another generation.
Growing up Dad would always use the classic Cheech and Chong line, "Oh wow man, right by the snackbar!", whenever we got a parking spot near our destination.
The other day we all were going to the mall on a rather busy day and had to park near the end of the parking lot. After looking at the distance that she was going to be forced to walk Emma lamented, "Awww man! Why couldn't we be by the snackbar!"
And the legacy continues to another generation.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Isabel Saffron Berg
I am very proud to announce I have another niece! My brother Frank and his wife Heather had a baby girl on November 9! This is their third girl - yes, my brother and I are samesies now- and I am super proud of Heather for doing such a great job bringing her little girl into the world.
Heather had a midwife for this pregnancy and opted for a home birth. When labour started they called the midwife and transformed their living room into a birth room. Heather usually has 3-day labours, but the home birth thing helped, because this one was only 17 hours! Isabel was born without a hitch in their living room and the two sisters were there to see the baby less than a minute after she was born. Isabel weighed 10lbs 2oz!!!!!! Heather obiously did and absolutely amazing job!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Ten Years Ago Today
Today I am taking some time to remember a very important event that occurred ten years ago today, and I would like to share some of my thoughts with my family and friends. It is a heavy topic, and I apologise to those whom I may make uncomfortable, but thank you for bearing with me as I work through my grief.
Ten years ago today I gave my firstborn child, a daughter I named Rachael, away. It was the hardest, most devastating day I have known, and I remember it. The memories come to me as fresh and painful as when they happened, brought on by the timing or who knows what.
It started this summer, on my 29th birthday. It made me remember my 19th birthday, 6 months pregnant, and I remember being happy because my baby was still mine and we did everything together...riding my bike around Red Deer with my belly almost touching the crossbar...Doctor appointments and sessions at the Pregnancy Care Centre. I wondered...If I could go back and tell that happy, innocent girl one thing, what would that be?
I would tell her not to give her baby away! That the pain does not fade away in time, and it hurts way more than you think it will! This is what I realized after ten years. How do you explain to a girl who has not had a baby how hard it would be to give one away? I didn't understand...I thought it would hurt for a year or two, but sureley by the time the child turns five (that's sooo big!) the pain will have faded away and the child would be a distant memory. Why didn't any one tell me?
As the summer passed, I came across more memories brought on by mild coincidences. I went to the Haugan family reunion, the last one having been held at the same place ten years before. I was 7 months pregnant then and got to take my baby there...I remembered sitting on the beach in a black bikini giving my watermelon-shaped belly a tan, and I remembered the way my exteded family accepted me and loved me as I was- and unwed mother.
I also had to deal with painful memories as my two sister-in-laws progressed through their first pregnancies just as I had ten years ago. The newness, all the questions and feelings that you have for the first time. The breathtaking beauty of those first flutters... the sound of a tiny heartbeat bringing tears to your eyes. The wonder of knowing that your child will be a truly important and amazing child, to you at least. I wished that those memories could have been happier, not tainted with the stress and drama of all I was going through, of knowing there was no happy ending to my circumstances.
The hardest part, of course, came this past week. It was like watching a really sad movie for the second time, and you know whats going to happen but you still plead with the character not to go though with it... Irrationally, I desperately wished I could go back and not give her away! The emotional toll is too much, it is just too much. But what's done is done. I remembered meeting with the adoption agency, the prayer and careful consideration I took in choosing a better future for her. I also remembered the phone calls from her father, the ones where he informed me of his drug use and criminal activity and threatened to fight me for custody of our child. I remembered why I had felt I really didn't have any choice but the one that would be best for her. I had learned the first rule of motherhood- the baby comes first. I protected her at all costs, even if I had to pay the price forever.
Yesterday, I remembered the most amazing day of my life. The birth of my first child, Rachael Christina. I remember looking into her face and thinking how absolutely perfect she was. I remember watching her tiny jaw working as I nursed her for the first time and thinking it was the cutest thing ever...I remember not being able to sleep that night because I didn't want to miss hearing one of her little sleepy sighs. I remember falling in love at first sight.
Today came and I was able to distract myself with books and tv shows for most of the day, but then this evening came and I remembered. I remembered the moment my bubble of maternal bliss burst and I realized that I had to give her away. I remember crying histerically and deperately begging God to give me the strength to go through with it...then calming down. I remember the tearful service where I gave her to new parents and my friends and family came to cry with me.
And worst of all, I remember walking down the empty, echoing hospital halls alone, with no baby, and hearing her sleepy sighs in the car on the way home because she was already a part of me. I walked around for weeks unable to shake the feeling that I had forgotten something important. I dreamed that my daughter needed me and that I had abandoned her. A part of me was missing.
Over the years I handled the loss very well. I was content knowing that Madeline (as her parents named her) was in a loving, secure home and her parents were doing their best for her. So why has all this grief circled back to me years later? Mabye I am just unable to be content that others are happy, and I need to start paying attention to my feelings about it. Mabye I have not been strong enough to grieve like this till now. Mabye God's timing is perfect. I don't know, but it is something that I am working though and wanted to let people know, just in case I start crying for no good reason one of these days. Thank you for letting me share this with you.
Ten years ago today I gave my firstborn child, a daughter I named Rachael, away. It was the hardest, most devastating day I have known, and I remember it. The memories come to me as fresh and painful as when they happened, brought on by the timing or who knows what.
It started this summer, on my 29th birthday. It made me remember my 19th birthday, 6 months pregnant, and I remember being happy because my baby was still mine and we did everything together...riding my bike around Red Deer with my belly almost touching the crossbar...Doctor appointments and sessions at the Pregnancy Care Centre. I wondered...If I could go back and tell that happy, innocent girl one thing, what would that be?
I would tell her not to give her baby away! That the pain does not fade away in time, and it hurts way more than you think it will! This is what I realized after ten years. How do you explain to a girl who has not had a baby how hard it would be to give one away? I didn't understand...I thought it would hurt for a year or two, but sureley by the time the child turns five (that's sooo big!) the pain will have faded away and the child would be a distant memory. Why didn't any one tell me?
As the summer passed, I came across more memories brought on by mild coincidences. I went to the Haugan family reunion, the last one having been held at the same place ten years before. I was 7 months pregnant then and got to take my baby there...I remembered sitting on the beach in a black bikini giving my watermelon-shaped belly a tan, and I remembered the way my exteded family accepted me and loved me as I was- and unwed mother.
I also had to deal with painful memories as my two sister-in-laws progressed through their first pregnancies just as I had ten years ago. The newness, all the questions and feelings that you have for the first time. The breathtaking beauty of those first flutters... the sound of a tiny heartbeat bringing tears to your eyes. The wonder of knowing that your child will be a truly important and amazing child, to you at least. I wished that those memories could have been happier, not tainted with the stress and drama of all I was going through, of knowing there was no happy ending to my circumstances.
The hardest part, of course, came this past week. It was like watching a really sad movie for the second time, and you know whats going to happen but you still plead with the character not to go though with it... Irrationally, I desperately wished I could go back and not give her away! The emotional toll is too much, it is just too much. But what's done is done. I remembered meeting with the adoption agency, the prayer and careful consideration I took in choosing a better future for her. I also remembered the phone calls from her father, the ones where he informed me of his drug use and criminal activity and threatened to fight me for custody of our child. I remembered why I had felt I really didn't have any choice but the one that would be best for her. I had learned the first rule of motherhood- the baby comes first. I protected her at all costs, even if I had to pay the price forever.
Yesterday, I remembered the most amazing day of my life. The birth of my first child, Rachael Christina. I remember looking into her face and thinking how absolutely perfect she was. I remember watching her tiny jaw working as I nursed her for the first time and thinking it was the cutest thing ever...I remember not being able to sleep that night because I didn't want to miss hearing one of her little sleepy sighs. I remember falling in love at first sight.
Today came and I was able to distract myself with books and tv shows for most of the day, but then this evening came and I remembered. I remembered the moment my bubble of maternal bliss burst and I realized that I had to give her away. I remember crying histerically and deperately begging God to give me the strength to go through with it...then calming down. I remember the tearful service where I gave her to new parents and my friends and family came to cry with me.
And worst of all, I remember walking down the empty, echoing hospital halls alone, with no baby, and hearing her sleepy sighs in the car on the way home because she was already a part of me. I walked around for weeks unable to shake the feeling that I had forgotten something important. I dreamed that my daughter needed me and that I had abandoned her. A part of me was missing.
Over the years I handled the loss very well. I was content knowing that Madeline (as her parents named her) was in a loving, secure home and her parents were doing their best for her. So why has all this grief circled back to me years later? Mabye I am just unable to be content that others are happy, and I need to start paying attention to my feelings about it. Mabye I have not been strong enough to grieve like this till now. Mabye God's timing is perfect. I don't know, but it is something that I am working though and wanted to let people know, just in case I start crying for no good reason one of these days. Thank you for letting me share this with you.
Friday, October 05, 2007
The Unequivacle Word of God
A couple months ago Dad wrote something (Blog or e-mail I can't remember, I couldn't find it on the blog so it must have been an e-mail) about the Bible needs to be taken in context. That Paul was preaching from a different time period. He argued that many, many people have had their fingers in the Bible and that there was bound to be a mistake or two.
I was dead set agains this and debated with him about it, I don't know if anything was every resolved, things rarely are when we debate. As a side note Dad, I enjoy debating with you, even if sometimes you won't 'hear' me. =)
Anyway, back to the point, to me if you start picking and choosing what to believe in the Bible you are walking a VERY slippery slope. You either believe all of it or none of it. There is no in between. We have to trust God that every word in the Bible is there for a reason and he knew every translation, every language it would be in and knew that it would all work out. If there is only a thread of doubt that enters into this equation you run the risk of having your logic blown to bits by anyone. If we are truly to be strong we must have the foundation to our faith. We find this foundation in the Bible from "In the Beginning"to"Amen". Every verse, every word is there for a reason. Through the next verses I plan to prove this point.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God and the Word was God.
Does anyone know what a GSA is? I use them all the time in my job. They are General Security Agreements. They are known as living documents. You simply add a piece of property, a vehicle or something else. You don't have to create a new one. It's a living document, it's always there. The Word (Bible) is living. The Word is and was God. If the Word is God, how can anything be wrong with it? It can't....
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God is perfect. If God is perfect and the God is the Word, then the Word must be Perfect.
But wait, there's more.
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie,nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
God just doesn't lie, he can't lie. He is simply incapable of it.
Deuteronomy 4:2
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
God's word is unchanging.
Proverbs 30:5-6
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
The Word is flawless, if you add to it (or take from it) God will prove you are a liar.
And finally from the last book of the Bible comes the most compelling argument.
Revelation 22:18-19
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I was dead set agains this and debated with him about it, I don't know if anything was every resolved, things rarely are when we debate. As a side note Dad, I enjoy debating with you, even if sometimes you won't 'hear' me. =)
Anyway, back to the point, to me if you start picking and choosing what to believe in the Bible you are walking a VERY slippery slope. You either believe all of it or none of it. There is no in between. We have to trust God that every word in the Bible is there for a reason and he knew every translation, every language it would be in and knew that it would all work out. If there is only a thread of doubt that enters into this equation you run the risk of having your logic blown to bits by anyone. If we are truly to be strong we must have the foundation to our faith. We find this foundation in the Bible from "In the Beginning"to"Amen". Every verse, every word is there for a reason. Through the next verses I plan to prove this point.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God and the Word was God.
Does anyone know what a GSA is? I use them all the time in my job. They are General Security Agreements. They are known as living documents. You simply add a piece of property, a vehicle or something else. You don't have to create a new one. It's a living document, it's always there. The Word (Bible) is living. The Word is and was God. If the Word is God, how can anything be wrong with it? It can't....
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God is perfect. If God is perfect and the God is the Word, then the Word must be Perfect.
But wait, there's more.
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie,nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
God just doesn't lie, he can't lie. He is simply incapable of it.
Deuteronomy 4:2
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
God's word is unchanging.
Proverbs 30:5-6
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
The Word is flawless, if you add to it (or take from it) God will prove you are a liar.
And finally from the last book of the Bible comes the most compelling argument.
Revelation 22:18-19
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
God did not let things be added to the Bible, he also didn't let passages to be taken away. The Bible is perfect and whole in every way that God intended it.
Does this mean that we understand every word and passage in the Bible? I would be a fool to suggest this. Far from it. I think there are alot of passages in the Bible that we don't understand and may never understand until we get to heaven. But it is not up to us to ignore these passages, they are in the Bible for a reason and God will reveal it's meaning to us when he sees fit.
So simply read your Bible there is so much knowledge in there.
Psalms 119:105, 130.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
New Blog
Just a little self promotion here. After Lana has prdded me over the last couple years I have decided to start my own little blog on the Oilers. The link is on the side. I'll be discussing players, games etc. Nothing major, I just thought some of you may enjoy keeping up with the team.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Where was Shem?
I was reading in Genesis today and came to some begats. You know Noah begat Shem, Shem begat Astrix, Astrix begat Oblex and on it goes until we got to Abraham. The thing I found interesting was that Shem begat Astrix and lived 500 more years. If you add all the years till Abraham its only like 290 years from Shem. Abraham lived 175 years for a total of 465 years from the time Astrix was born till Abraham died. Shem was still alive after Abraham died! Where was he? What was he doing? Did he travel with Abraham? Was he a mentor to him? Did he stay back in UR and become an oracle? He was the last of the ancients in the world, he must have some wisdom to share.
The Bible is interesting, it only relays so much about the person. A story here a story there, enough to impart a message and then they fall off the face of the earth as if they never exsisted. As a VERY amature historian I love to know the stories behind the stories. What were they like, what did they do. The Bible however does not lend itself to this. I mean we don't REALLY know what Jesus' life was actually like. I guess it'll be fun to get to heaven and ask all the little nitpicky questions that have bugged me over the years. Or (and more likely) I won't care anymore.
Either way it's just a little interesting tidbit that bugged me this morning.
The Bible is interesting, it only relays so much about the person. A story here a story there, enough to impart a message and then they fall off the face of the earth as if they never exsisted. As a VERY amature historian I love to know the stories behind the stories. What were they like, what did they do. The Bible however does not lend itself to this. I mean we don't REALLY know what Jesus' life was actually like. I guess it'll be fun to get to heaven and ask all the little nitpicky questions that have bugged me over the years. Or (and more likely) I won't care anymore.
Either way it's just a little interesting tidbit that bugged me this morning.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
What is an Account Manager?
I've had a few people over the last few days ask what I actually do. What's wrong with you people don't you know bank lingo? ;)
I'm an Account Manager, that doesn't mean I do peoples banking for them, or, surprisingly manage their accounts. I'm a business lender. Businesses come to me when they want loans, mastercards or lines of credit. I take care of customers who are only looking for 250k or less.
My days, once I'm trained, will be full of talking with customers about their businesses, customer visits and then meeting their needs.
There, now you don't have any excuses.
I'm an Account Manager, that doesn't mean I do peoples banking for them, or, surprisingly manage their accounts. I'm a business lender. Businesses come to me when they want loans, mastercards or lines of credit. I take care of customers who are only looking for 250k or less.
My days, once I'm trained, will be full of talking with customers about their businesses, customer visits and then meeting their needs.
There, now you don't have any excuses.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Boy Talk
Today while I was threatening to comb Sophia's hair, she decided it would be more beneficial to be a boy.
"'I want to be a boy!" She proclaimed, but I didn't believe her. I told her she was way to pretty to be a boy.
"I will blow my nose in the shower, mom." She countered. Ew, gross!
"I will drink out of the milk jug, mom." Only daddy does those things!
"I will eat all of the food, mom." Oh no, this is definitely sounding like daddy!
How could I argue that logic? "You must be a boy." I replied, "But even boys have to have their hair combed, believe it or not!"
Later, at supper, Emma and Elizabeth came to the distinct realizaton that they needed a baby brother. I told them that if they want a baby brother they need to pray and ask Jesus for one. Emma obediently folded her hands, closed her eyes, and prayed-
"Dear Jesus, please give us a baby brother. Make him a good boy who is sweet and good,
make him perfect and polite, and not gross like Daddy. Amen."
Now please do not think that my husband is a cave-man, he is simply a normal man who is sadly outnumbered by girls with delicate sensibilities!
Monday, July 30, 2007
We Survived Moving Week... Ok, Almost
Judging by the last post I have a lot of information to catch people up on! Things seem to happen fast around here.
Well, we have moved to Wetaskiwin. God provided a nice little 3-bedroom duplex that is a step up from our last place. We have a little more space and are enjoying the feeling of being in a proper house rather than a glorified camper! We are on a nice, quiet street with a small park across the road, we even have sidewalks!
As many of you know, Robert's company paid for us to move, so we were able to enjoy the "luxury" of getting people to pack and move us. This was really a lifesaver for me stress wise as I was babysitting until the Friday before we moved. There were things we needed to get done before hand, but they were minor, like putting stuff away and taking all the stuff off the walls.
The Sunday before we moved I drove the kids to my moms place in Lloydminster, then drove back on Monday morning. Monday I was definitely in freak out mode due to the fact that we were moving in two days and nothing was packed at all... I have moved a lot in my life and not packing my stuff just didn't feel natural.
Tuesday the packing crew showed up at 10:30 in the morning (I had been ready to go since 7!) and I had the uncomfortable job of standing around and being in the way. I found stuff to do around town for a couple of hours,and the packers were done by 3:30! It was crazy that a job that would have taken me two weeks took four people a handful of hours. they packed everything, too. They would have packed my purse if i hadn't stopped them. I told them not to pack one of the phones, but everything got packed. I had a sweater that I put down for a minute and when I came back...it was packed. I had a bag packed for the night, fortunately, and I had put it in the van that morning so it was safe.
ATB had agreed to put us up in a hotel for the night in between our stuff being packed and our stuff being moved, and they also paid for our supper, so rob had booked a jacuzzi room at the local hotel and then took me to the Keg for supper. It was definitely the twilight zone of moving experiences, but I wasn't complaining. We were well fed and relaxed, and it was sooo nice.
Wednesday was moving day, and Rob was at the house waiting for the moving crew before 8. We were ready to go, but they just didn't show! Finally at 10:30 or so I called the moving company to find out the deal, and they informed me that the crew was on it's way, but that they were only picking up our stuff today, we were going to have to wait overnight to get our things delivered. This was the first time we had heard of such plans, and it was definitely annoying. Robert only had a few days off and this set us back a full day, not to mention that we had only packed one change of clothes. We tried to make the best of it and got some cleaning done at the Rimbey place after they cleared out all our stuff, but we hadn't asked for two days in a hotel, so we stayed at the Hutchy hotel that night.
Thursday Rob wasn't in as much of a hurry to get to the house but he still waited at least an hour for the truck to arrive. I spent the day in Rimbey cleaning and packing up the things that were left there, and Rob did an amazing job of setting up the kids room and the play room.
Friday we both went back to Rimbey in the morning to finish everything up, and then rushed back to Wetaskiwin to meet the kids when my parents dropped them off. The kids were definitely happy to see their stuff had all made it, even though the rest of the house was absolutely all boxes. Emma was feeling a little sick and you could tell, she was quite subdued, but she had some antibiotics that she was on so I was hoping she would feel better soon.
Saturday morning we were working hard at unpacking and making sense of the walls of boxes everywhere- starting to see the drawbacks of having someone pack for us. We couldn't find anything and we had to unpack everything to find anything. There were kitchen boxes in the basement, boxes marked one thing but containing something else, and everything inside the boxes was wrapped liberally in paper so you can't tell what's there until it's unwrapped. Needless to say we fed the kids leftover pizza for breakfast...and lunch, and we slowly but surely tried to make sense of the contents of the boxes.
Saturday afternoon was Victoria's birthday party and a welcome break from work and it was awesome to enjoy the sun and fresh air! We had a great time, except when Lizzie got a pretty bad wasp bite. She got over it, though.
Sunday we mostly spent all day unpacking, but ran out of the leftover pizza so we had to go out for lunch. We asked the girls what they wanted at the restaurant and they all said "Pizza!" but we wouldn't let them, crazy kids! By evening I had the kitchen mostly set up so I went and got groceries and made supper, much better! We get so sick of eating out when we move.
This morning I had planned on working more on the house but when we got up I had two problems. Emma was still feeling sick and now had a bad toothache and a big swollen cheek! She had actually been complaining of a toothache for a few days, but it was the weekend and Advil seemed to handle it fine. The other problem was Lizzie's wasp bite, which had naturally been swollen afterwards, was now swollen to the point of looking like a bad sprain (the bite is on her ankle) there was bruising starting from being so incredibly swollen, and red marks spreading up her leg. So I spent the morning calling the dentist, taking Lizzie to the doctor, and filling prescriptions for lots of antibiotics. Emma has an infection in a tooth she had filled earlier this year, and the doctor said Lizzie's bite had somehow turned septic (I didn't mention to him the mud we slathered on it, or the lake water we washed the mud off with, or the sand that got all over it after that... oops!) Nothing a little antibiotics wont fix!
So we survived our move, almost, we are now mostly settled, at least the important stuff has been located. We are only missing our phone chords, so we are still using cell phones for the time being. We love our new place and we are enjoying being in a city again.
Well, we have moved to Wetaskiwin. God provided a nice little 3-bedroom duplex that is a step up from our last place. We have a little more space and are enjoying the feeling of being in a proper house rather than a glorified camper! We are on a nice, quiet street with a small park across the road, we even have sidewalks!
As many of you know, Robert's company paid for us to move, so we were able to enjoy the "luxury" of getting people to pack and move us. This was really a lifesaver for me stress wise as I was babysitting until the Friday before we moved. There were things we needed to get done before hand, but they were minor, like putting stuff away and taking all the stuff off the walls.
The Sunday before we moved I drove the kids to my moms place in Lloydminster, then drove back on Monday morning. Monday I was definitely in freak out mode due to the fact that we were moving in two days and nothing was packed at all... I have moved a lot in my life and not packing my stuff just didn't feel natural.
Tuesday the packing crew showed up at 10:30 in the morning (I had been ready to go since 7!) and I had the uncomfortable job of standing around and being in the way. I found stuff to do around town for a couple of hours,and the packers were done by 3:30! It was crazy that a job that would have taken me two weeks took four people a handful of hours. they packed everything, too. They would have packed my purse if i hadn't stopped them. I told them not to pack one of the phones, but everything got packed. I had a sweater that I put down for a minute and when I came back...it was packed. I had a bag packed for the night, fortunately, and I had put it in the van that morning so it was safe.
ATB had agreed to put us up in a hotel for the night in between our stuff being packed and our stuff being moved, and they also paid for our supper, so rob had booked a jacuzzi room at the local hotel and then took me to the Keg for supper. It was definitely the twilight zone of moving experiences, but I wasn't complaining. We were well fed and relaxed, and it was sooo nice.
Wednesday was moving day, and Rob was at the house waiting for the moving crew before 8. We were ready to go, but they just didn't show! Finally at 10:30 or so I called the moving company to find out the deal, and they informed me that the crew was on it's way, but that they were only picking up our stuff today, we were going to have to wait overnight to get our things delivered. This was the first time we had heard of such plans, and it was definitely annoying. Robert only had a few days off and this set us back a full day, not to mention that we had only packed one change of clothes. We tried to make the best of it and got some cleaning done at the Rimbey place after they cleared out all our stuff, but we hadn't asked for two days in a hotel, so we stayed at the Hutchy hotel that night.
Thursday Rob wasn't in as much of a hurry to get to the house but he still waited at least an hour for the truck to arrive. I spent the day in Rimbey cleaning and packing up the things that were left there, and Rob did an amazing job of setting up the kids room and the play room.
Friday we both went back to Rimbey in the morning to finish everything up, and then rushed back to Wetaskiwin to meet the kids when my parents dropped them off. The kids were definitely happy to see their stuff had all made it, even though the rest of the house was absolutely all boxes. Emma was feeling a little sick and you could tell, she was quite subdued, but she had some antibiotics that she was on so I was hoping she would feel better soon.
Saturday morning we were working hard at unpacking and making sense of the walls of boxes everywhere- starting to see the drawbacks of having someone pack for us. We couldn't find anything and we had to unpack everything to find anything. There were kitchen boxes in the basement, boxes marked one thing but containing something else, and everything inside the boxes was wrapped liberally in paper so you can't tell what's there until it's unwrapped. Needless to say we fed the kids leftover pizza for breakfast...and lunch, and we slowly but surely tried to make sense of the contents of the boxes.
Saturday afternoon was Victoria's birthday party and a welcome break from work and it was awesome to enjoy the sun and fresh air! We had a great time, except when Lizzie got a pretty bad wasp bite. She got over it, though.
Sunday we mostly spent all day unpacking, but ran out of the leftover pizza so we had to go out for lunch. We asked the girls what they wanted at the restaurant and they all said "Pizza!" but we wouldn't let them, crazy kids! By evening I had the kitchen mostly set up so I went and got groceries and made supper, much better! We get so sick of eating out when we move.
This morning I had planned on working more on the house but when we got up I had two problems. Emma was still feeling sick and now had a bad toothache and a big swollen cheek! She had actually been complaining of a toothache for a few days, but it was the weekend and Advil seemed to handle it fine. The other problem was Lizzie's wasp bite, which had naturally been swollen afterwards, was now swollen to the point of looking like a bad sprain (the bite is on her ankle) there was bruising starting from being so incredibly swollen, and red marks spreading up her leg. So I spent the morning calling the dentist, taking Lizzie to the doctor, and filling prescriptions for lots of antibiotics. Emma has an infection in a tooth she had filled earlier this year, and the doctor said Lizzie's bite had somehow turned septic (I didn't mention to him the mud we slathered on it, or the lake water we washed the mud off with, or the sand that got all over it after that... oops!) Nothing a little antibiotics wont fix!
So we survived our move, almost, we are now mostly settled, at least the important stuff has been located. We are only missing our phone chords, so we are still using cell phones for the time being. We love our new place and we are enjoying being in a city again.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
What I Do Know
Well, we are moving. I do know that for sure.
Robert has been transferred to Leduc, where he will begin on-the-job training for the position of Account Manager. His first day at his new job is July 16, so we are going to be moving, most likely this summer! We are not sure when we will be moving yet, as we do not have a house to move into yet, and we havn't quite decided which city it is that we will actually be living in,Wetaskiwin or Leduc,...
I am very excited about this move, as it is about 1 1/2 years overdue. When we moved into this old stinky trailer almost 2 years ago it was "just until we can move somewhere better". We epected that would take a few months, not 24. We have been living here in our crowded space as the place literally fell apart around us, praying that it wouldn't actually fall down as we could not afford to move anywhere else. We have been through unexplained power surges that made the lights flicker and fried our computer, infestations of mice, ants, and beetles, leaks due to rain or snow melting that are too many to count, some leaks coming through light fixtures and electrical things that seemed pretty dangerous. We survived. The end is in sight, Praise God!
God really has been faithful to us, too. When Rob got posted at this job in Rimbey, we were living in Wetaskiwin and going to church in Leduc. We were both sad to leave our church as we really liked it and felt at home there, but we were definitely willing to go wherever God would send us. We thought "if God wants us at this church, mabye when Rob is done his tenure he'll get a job in Leduc-that would be perfect!" in fact, we prayed for this, at the same time knowing the chances of a job opening up in that branch at the right time were very slim.
So slim, in fact, that we pretty much forgot the idea once we got here. Especially after Robert learned that jumping from a CSM in a branch the size of Rimbey to a CSM in a branch the size of Leduc was nearly impossible. When Robert's tenure was up, as many of you know, he applied everywhere. Any job that he was qualified for within the range of cenrtal Alberta and Edmonton area he applied for. And one after another, they turned him down. He was actually getting pretty desperate when Leduc posted the CSM job. Probably why he applied, since he knew he was'nt really qualified for it. God knew he was supposed to be in Leduc,though, so the Manager at Leduc offered him another job- one that wasn't even open yet- that Robert hadn't applied for. We remembered what we had thought when we moved here, and we remembered that God still has his hand on our lives, He still has a plan.
So praise God! We are moving! No, we don't have a place to live yet, but we do know that God probably has that figured out, since he arranged the job thing so well! We would still appreciate your prayers, though, as transitions are always stressful. Moving is a lot of work, and I am hoping to get my dayhome running as soon as possible after the move.
So that's all I know...we will try to post again as soon as we have any new info!
Robert has been transferred to Leduc, where he will begin on-the-job training for the position of Account Manager. His first day at his new job is July 16, so we are going to be moving, most likely this summer! We are not sure when we will be moving yet, as we do not have a house to move into yet, and we havn't quite decided which city it is that we will actually be living in,Wetaskiwin or Leduc,...
I am very excited about this move, as it is about 1 1/2 years overdue. When we moved into this old stinky trailer almost 2 years ago it was "just until we can move somewhere better". We epected that would take a few months, not 24. We have been living here in our crowded space as the place literally fell apart around us, praying that it wouldn't actually fall down as we could not afford to move anywhere else. We have been through unexplained power surges that made the lights flicker and fried our computer, infestations of mice, ants, and beetles, leaks due to rain or snow melting that are too many to count, some leaks coming through light fixtures and electrical things that seemed pretty dangerous. We survived. The end is in sight, Praise God!
God really has been faithful to us, too. When Rob got posted at this job in Rimbey, we were living in Wetaskiwin and going to church in Leduc. We were both sad to leave our church as we really liked it and felt at home there, but we were definitely willing to go wherever God would send us. We thought "if God wants us at this church, mabye when Rob is done his tenure he'll get a job in Leduc-that would be perfect!" in fact, we prayed for this, at the same time knowing the chances of a job opening up in that branch at the right time were very slim.
So slim, in fact, that we pretty much forgot the idea once we got here. Especially after Robert learned that jumping from a CSM in a branch the size of Rimbey to a CSM in a branch the size of Leduc was nearly impossible. When Robert's tenure was up, as many of you know, he applied everywhere. Any job that he was qualified for within the range of cenrtal Alberta and Edmonton area he applied for. And one after another, they turned him down. He was actually getting pretty desperate when Leduc posted the CSM job. Probably why he applied, since he knew he was'nt really qualified for it. God knew he was supposed to be in Leduc,though, so the Manager at Leduc offered him another job- one that wasn't even open yet- that Robert hadn't applied for. We remembered what we had thought when we moved here, and we remembered that God still has his hand on our lives, He still has a plan.
So praise God! We are moving! No, we don't have a place to live yet, but we do know that God probably has that figured out, since he arranged the job thing so well! We would still appreciate your prayers, though, as transitions are always stressful. Moving is a lot of work, and I am hoping to get my dayhome running as soon as possible after the move.
So that's all I know...we will try to post again as soon as we have any new info!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Enjoy It
I received some disturbing news this morning. Our homeschool facilitator died of a massive heartattack yesterday morning.
He wasn't much older then Mom or Dad. He and his wife lived around the corner from us and we would always see them taking walks every night including the -30 nights. His wife was Emma's teacher in kindergarten. Cam was the first person that has died in Rimbey (and trust me, they drop like flies out here) that we actually knew, and it's been a little hard to grasp. He wasn't old, he was in good shape...I just saw him on Friday as I was taking Liz to school.
What does this mean to us? Life can end in an instant, nobody knows when it will all end. Enjoy life while you can, don't worry about all the stupid details, they don't matter. What does matter? The basics, our heavenly father, family.....spend time with them and you won't regret anything.
God Bless you on your way home Cam.
He wasn't much older then Mom or Dad. He and his wife lived around the corner from us and we would always see them taking walks every night including the -30 nights. His wife was Emma's teacher in kindergarten. Cam was the first person that has died in Rimbey (and trust me, they drop like flies out here) that we actually knew, and it's been a little hard to grasp. He wasn't old, he was in good shape...I just saw him on Friday as I was taking Liz to school.
What does this mean to us? Life can end in an instant, nobody knows when it will all end. Enjoy life while you can, don't worry about all the stupid details, they don't matter. What does matter? The basics, our heavenly father, family.....spend time with them and you won't regret anything.
God Bless you on your way home Cam.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. - Aristotle
Waiting is hard. I'm part of the instant gratification generation. Waiting on confirmation on a new position is excruciating. We've been waiting for what seems months, even though it's only been about 3 weeks. The reason its taking so long is an entire mixed up saga. I was offered the an Account Manager A (AM-A) position in Leduc, only problem was there was already an AM-A in Leduc. But he was going to be moving onto the Account Manager B (AM-B) also in Leduc. Only problem there was already an AM-B in Leduc. (You confused yet?) ANYWAY, the AM-B has now moved onto a different position and the AM-A has moved to the Am-B position. Leaving me for the AM-A position. The position is now posted as all positions must be. The posting will come down on Friday or Monday when the negotiations with my manager and the my new manager will begin. When can I go to Leduc? Marg (my manager here) will want to keep me as long as she can until she can get a replacement, I'm sure my new manager (Troy) will be anxious to get me started, I would anticipate a move to the new branch in July. Meaning we'll be moving to Weaskiwin/Leduc in August probably.
On top of all this we have had to keep this a secret from Lana's parents that she babysits for and her boss on the slight chance that this doesn't happen. She will also have to set up shop as soon as she can when we move as we need her income on top of mine.
Anyway, I know I rambled alot there, but that's what's going on with the job. I'll let you all know when I know more for sure. =)
On top of all this we have had to keep this a secret from Lana's parents that she babysits for and her boss on the slight chance that this doesn't happen. She will also have to set up shop as soon as she can when we move as we need her income on top of mine.
Anyway, I know I rambled alot there, but that's what's going on with the job. I'll let you all know when I know more for sure. =)
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Sophia's Song
Sophia is usually singing as she wanders around the house, as she plays, as she reads, even sitting on the potty! Lately she has been singing a song we hadn't heard before,repeating it over and over;
"I believe in God, I believe in God, I believe inGod, and the Truth!"
"Did you hear my song, mommy?" she asked me, "Jesus gave it to me."
I agreed with her, Jesus probably did give it to her, but how great is it that little girls take time to listen to Jesus!?!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Elizabeth is Popular
Today I was driving Elizabeth to school. I walked past the van and she asked where I was going. I said that we were taking the car. She was so excited and said, "I'm going to be popular today. I have my hair pretty, lipstick on and I'm driving in a red car".
Where does she come up with these?
Where does she come up with these?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A Raise for Me
I got a raise....yah!
Every beginning of the year, which in ATB is April 1 reviews are done and recommendations for raises are made. Last year I recieved a modest cost of living increase mostly because I was still training on the job. This year my manager recommended me for a larger increase. And I got word yesterday that I got a 10% raise in pay. To clarify with some of you, that will be on top of what I will recieve when I go to Leduc.
To celebrate we all went out to Tony Roma's for supper and had a great time.
Every beginning of the year, which in ATB is April 1 reviews are done and recommendations for raises are made. Last year I recieved a modest cost of living increase mostly because I was still training on the job. This year my manager recommended me for a larger increase. And I got word yesterday that I got a 10% raise in pay. To clarify with some of you, that will be on top of what I will recieve when I go to Leduc.
To celebrate we all went out to Tony Roma's for supper and had a great time.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Don't Forget Blogger
I know that we're as bad as the rest of you, but we shouldn't neglect Blogger as a result of Facebook. Blogging differs from facebook and is better at relaying what has been on our minds as of late. So get on here and write something profound.
Like has anyone tried out "igoogle" as their homepage? I just started using it earlier this week. It's great. You can customize it with 'gadgets' to have what you want on it. Lana and I have our calendar, quotes, comics, weather, news and a bunch of other things. Check it out. http://www.google.com/ig
Like has anyone tried out "igoogle" as their homepage? I just started using it earlier this week. It's great. You can customize it with 'gadgets' to have what you want on it. Lana and I have our calendar, quotes, comics, weather, news and a bunch of other things. Check it out. http://www.google.com/ig
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Emma's Haircut
Well, I finally have a computer. Last week we went out to Best Buy and picked up a great computer with a new falt screen. I never realized how bad the last screen we had was until we got this one. WOW! What a difference, I think that it has better resolution then our TV does. I'm getting my hard drive from my last computer installed in the new one so that I'll still have everything.
Anyway, back to the point of this post. Emma got her hair cut a couple weeks ago. She said that she was tried of having longer hair, and when Soph got her hair cut she was convinced that she wanted her hair cute too. Actually this is just an excuse to put this new cute picture of Emma up.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Computer Gone
This is just a quick note, while I'm at work. We don't have computer access for the next few days as our comptuer has finally completly quit. We won't be able to post anything anywhere until we get a new computer. Hopefully this weekend, but we'll see.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Rob's New Car
Well, after some refinancing of loans that we had we were able to get enough money to buy a 'new' car. With my new financing in hand I was able to start looking for a used car. In true nerd Rob fashion I developed a database to help with the decision making giving every aspect of the car a different point value.I found a bunch of cars that were in my price range and were appealing to Lana and me. So we went up to Edmonton to check the best one out, a 93 Jetta with 110,000km. We saw it and took it for a drive and realized it was horrible. Really not taken care of at all.
So we kept looking. We had left the girls at Mom and Dad's while we were looking for a car. When we went on the Saturday to pick them up Mom told us that her cousin, Beth was selling their Jetta, so she called them up and got the particulars, 105,000KM a '99 and it was in our price range. Only problem was that it was a stick shift and as you all know I had never really driven one before. At any rate Lana and I went out to look at it. We were very impressed with it. Well maintained, very tight when we rode in it, and it was owned by someone we quazi knew. So we decided on that one and bought it.
And yes I had to learn to drive it. So when I went to pick it up I got Aunty Mel to meet me and give me a quick lesson. I had some problem to begin with but I've been doing a good job since. I'm still not totally comfortable but it's getting better all the time. I drove Emma in it and she said it was a cool car, but that it started slow.....I still haven't mastered taking off fast. Anyway hopefully this will cut down on the K's we were putting on the van because it's a lease we do have a cap on that. Ever since the Cavalier went down we've been putting too many K's on the van. Plus I figure the car is twice as good on gas as the van, so that's another plus. I'm really happy with it!
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