November Already?

Wow! It's almost that time of year again..CHRISTMAS!! For those of you who know me, I love Christmas!! It is going to be a crazy time this year, as we have the wedding just a few days before, but I think that my Grandparents are coming for the entire time, and they are always fun to hang out with. It will be fun to see everyone else (family, friends) as well, during the wedding. I just hope we get some snow!!

Anker has got a few more contracts, so that has been a blessing! We still need a few extra coins, as we need to get the car some tires and get a tune-up, Christmas, etc, so I have decided to take on part time job. I quit Sears in October, and I have enjoyed staying at home, but I am needing a bit more of a routine, so when I saw this job, I thought I had to apply! (that is a very long sentence) It is at a second hand bookstore downtown. I have had my first little interview yesterday, and I have an hour "hands on" interview this next week sometime. It sounds like I have the job, though. I don't think it is seasonal, either, so if all goes well, and if we all like each other, and if I like the job, and if nothing else comes up, I may just stay there for awhile. I love books, and I really like going to this store.

Last Saturday, Anker and I decided to go to Falkland, as we had heard of a really nice restaurant that serves really good and inexpensive breakfasts. After pushing back two times, we decided to go. It was a fun afternoon, and we also stopped at a Christmas Store in Westwold. It was a fun experience. They had a ton of Christmas stuff, lots of decorated Christmas trees, and fun ornaments. Definately worth the trip. They are open year round!

I have been praying for more friends about my age, that are in the same stage of life as me (us). I don't have alot of friends here, just ones that I can call on if I need to get out. I have a few church friends, but mainly ones that I just visit with at church, and maybe go out with a few times, there aren't alot of women that are around my age, married or single with kids, etc. I met a girl at church a few months ago, and we are finally connecting a bit. They have a little guy who just turned one, so that has truly been a blessing. My wonderful friend, Jill who I have grown up with is moving away, so I am very sad about that. She lives SO CLOSE to me, and it has been great getting together with her and her kids. I think I went there every day for a week a couple of weeks go:) I also got together with a few more of my friends from back home, and it was great to see them, and catch up. I hope that that keeps up.

I think that is pretty much it. We did get our pictures done at Sears in October, and we are doing Christmas cards this year. We didn't do a card last year, so I thought we would do a "First Anniversary" Christmas Card.

Have a great rest of November!!

The Last bit of Summer

Well, Summer is OVER! How sad..but from what I remember, we did have some good summer weather, so I really can't complain.

I hope your summer went well. The rest of our summer remained pretty quiet. We went to the "Becoming Shiloh" Music Festival the second in August (8-10), but we only went from Sat-Sun. It was a great weekend..hindered only by the weather. It was fun to see people I hadn't seen in YEARS there. It was really wonderful to see the community come together. Alot of people from all three towns were there. I hope it is even bigger next year.

August 22-24, we went to Vancouver, to see Anker's sister, and her family. We went to the PNE again, but Anker wanted me to go on the roller coaster! This was the old one..and I don't do Roller Coasters at all. But I figured, hey..might as well do it now..I may never get another chance, so I went for it. It was awful! It was very scary, and I was sure I was going to die, but I am glad I did it. We made ourselves stay away from the carnival games this year, as we spent waaaay too much money on them last year. We also went to the IMAX theatre, which was fun, and enjoyed some relaxing time with them. We came home in a bad rain storm, which thanfully only lasted from Chilliwack, to HOpe. We also came home with their Futon, as they are moving, and wanted to get rid some stuff. So, we know have a decent place for people to sleep when they come. We had an ugly old leather couch, which we (not so sadly) said goodbye to.

On Labour Day weekend, I made a less than 24 hour trip to my parents, as Luke was there, as well as my Sister-in-Law's family, who we all know. It was a short trip, but glad to see everyone, if even for a short time. Anker was very tired, and not very sociable, so he stayed home. EVERYONE asked about him, so I told him that he is not allowed to that next time:)

My sister/'s in-law came in mid August, for the day. We had a nice time of shopping and eating, and I decided that we should all get our pictures done at Sears, and since I was (am) working there, I figured we might as well get in on my discount. It was a fun time, and although some of the pictures didn't turn out like we hoped, we got new ones done last week, and had a fun time both times getting them done. Speaking of Sears, and of pictures...I am FINALLY going to order our wedding pictures. Yes, I am very excited. I am also glad that the colour can be changed into black and white, since my face was red in pretty much most of them. I am still at Sears, although barely, as I don't work many hours, and my last two shifts were cancelled. I am not sure as to how much longer I will be there. It was a good summer job, though. I made some friends, and money, and those are always good things!!

I took my fundamentals of Insurance test on Sept 10, and sadly, I failed. I wasnt worried too much about it, as I thought that even if I failed the first time, I could still get a job in an insurance agency. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case. I had a job "invterview" (if you could call it that) at one of the agencies in town, and when I got there, she was too busy to see me. She just asked if I had passed. I told her that I hadn't and she told me to call her when I knew. So, she called me yesterday, and I told her that I had failed, and she basically said I couldn't work there until I had passed the test. I also went to another place, which sounds more promising, but it is for a Mat leave, which is fine, but it doesn't start until Decemeber. (if I even get hired) I just wish someone would give me a break. I did have an interview on Friday with an Underwriter Company, for and Admin Assistant, but I dont know if I will get it or not. Also, if I do, I may not end up writing the test. I would still like to write the test, as if I do, I will have a sense of accomplishment. I officially didnt get any certificate for my MOA, so I really hope to pass and get on with my new career. So, that is the end of my rant!! Oh..I am planning on re-writing it on Oct 15. I have found a lady here who lives just above me, and she was in the insurance field for years, so she has helped me study for it. I am also going back to the South Kamloops WorkSearch Centre, so that we can find jobs (mainly office) for me.
Anker is doing ok. He is kind of pain right now, due to his back, and shoulder. I keep pushing the vitamins into him. He is getting more work, which is great. More contracts just keep rolling in. This is a very enocouraging thing! We are spending more time together (more date nights), which is awesome!

I think that is pretty much the rest of our summer:) Joe and Cade's wedding is December 20/08:)

Mid-Summer

I can't believe that summer is half over!! I hope you have had a great summer so far. For us, our has been pretty laid back. We have gone on two trips so far, and would love to go on another "major" camping trip, and also may also go to the PNE, in Vancouver, and see Anker's sister, and also I have decided to take my Insurance Test there. I found out that re-writes cost $80, and while having to do one may be possible, I thought I would do my first attempt in Vancouver, and then see what happens. I am almost done my course. Yes, this has taken a bit longer than I had hoped, but I also don't seem to be tackling it like I thought. Oh well, it is almost over:) I have one big chapter left to go. It has been pretty hard, but interesting as well. Even if I don't pass the first try, I hope to go out and still look for work at insurance agencies in the city. I had one "pre-interview" with an HR manager of a major insurance chain here in the city, and she said to call her when I am finished, as they are opening up a new office in Valley View, so I hope to re-connect with her sometime around the end of this month. If needed, I plan on re-writing the test here on Sept 10, or maybe in October.

Anker is busy working, and trying to work more hours in order to make more money:) He was able to make enough to fund our to trip to Alberta. He works pretty much every day, usually about 5 hours. It isn't usually strenious, as he does about 2-3 hours in the early morning, then a few more hours at night. But he doesn't get a day off from that. I hope soon he can ask someone to spell him off so that he can take a weeks vacation without having to wait for the offices he works at to close for a week or so.

So, our trip to Edmonton/Drayton Valley went pretty well. We left July 26th, and came back July 30th. We ran into a bit of snag in Jasper. We found out we had to reserve a campsite in Jasper. We didn't reserve b/c I wasnt sure if I had Saturday off or not, and also we just didn't think you had to:) We ended up finding a really cute place near Edson. It was called "Willmore Creek". The Campsite was really nice , and the sites are pretty secluded. (treed, etc)We would definately go back.

We had a nice time with our friends in Drayton Valley. We also spent a day in Edmonton. I hadn't been there in forever, so I took lots of pictures:) I saw where Anker went to school, and the places he lived. Since Sunday, July 27 was our 1st Anniversary, and we were at our Campsite, and travelling on that day, we decided to have a nice dinner in Edmonton. We went to Red Lobster (my favourite), and had a wonderful meal:) We also spent a day just hanging out with Crystal, and we got to see Drayton Valley. It seems like a really nice town. We were only gone a few days, but it was a nice mini-break, away from "life".

This past weekend (BC day long weekend), we went to Paul Lake, to check out the campsites and the beach, etc. It was a very nice day, although slightly cooler than in Kamloops. I decided to go swimming, and Anker and I had a nice time together. I didn't get "Swimmer's Itch", which was great:) We loved the Campsite, and it's definately on our list to visit. Speaking of Camping, we have decided that maybe next year we may invest in a tent trailor. It rained ALOT the Saturday we were camping, and when it does, it makes everything a bit harder when camping in a tent, also, Anker tends to get a bit cold at night, so we may have to look around soon for something. We ended up staying in the Braaten's "travel trailer", and we both really liked it. Okay, back to what I was talking about earlier...This past weekend. So, we came back from Paul Lake, and we went for Ice Cream, and then walked in Riverside park. I hadn't been there in ages, and it was very pretty, and very busy. We also decided to go and check out "Music in the Park". It is a daily (nightly?) event that happens during the summer. It is free of charge, and you get to see local and not-so-local acts/artists perform. Sunday it was "Men of the Deep". I don't know how to do a hyper link to sites, but they do have a website. They are basically a coal-miner group, and they are really good.

On Monday, Anker and I decided to go to Highland Valley Coppers Open House. HVC is located about 75KM Southwest of Kamloops, near the beautiful community of Logan Lake. We didnt realise it would be such a big event, so we went mid afternoon. It was VERY hot, and we missed out on alot of tours, but we got free food, and the 2010 Olympic Mascots where there, and we did get a bus tour of the Mine. It is the largest open pit copper mine in Canada, and one the larges in the world in terms of tonnage mined and milled. It employs about 1100 people.
Work is going ok. It is hard to plan your life, as I often don't know when I am working. I hope I won't be there much longer.

This weekend, Anker and are planning to attend "Becoming Shiloh". It is a music festival held at a friends place near my parents. It should be a fun time. We will probably take our tent and camp.

We were planning on going my Sister-in-Law's birthday party last weekend, but decided to stay home and save on gas.

think that about does it for now.

It's Summertime!!

Yes, we are well into summer!! I just had someone ask for an invite, so I guess that means that some people really ARE interested in reading this. I hope to try to get some pictures on here soon. I figure most everyone that would read this would also have access to my Facebook account, and therefore, my pictures. I hope that they look at my pictures over there.
So..wow! I can't even remember when I last wrote in this..May, maybe?? We are well into summer, and we have had some nice weather, but need MORE of it!! Actually, most of this month has been nice. We really can't complain.
I took a job at Sears Portrait Studio the end of May. Basically, we needed to have more money coming, and EI had "cut me off" (for lack of better words) mid May, due to may taking my insurance course. I panicked, and took a job that I had applied to. I don't mind it too much. I plan to be looking for another job come August/September. In the end, I am making LESS at this job than what I would have been making on EI, BUT EI ended (or would have ended) about now, anyway, so I guess it is good that I have something. Also, it makes you (me) look good and feel better about myself when people ask what I "do". And also, it is also good when you are looking for a job, that you are already working. (did that make sense??) I was really not liking SPS, but I just went to God one day, asked Him to help me and to give me peace about everything. I feel a bit better about stuff, and will stick it out. I had a couple of interviews, but nothing came out of them. Oh well:) So, I am working anywhere from 4-25 hours/wk. I really dont want more than that anyway, since it is summer, and I taking my course, etc.
So, just to quickly re-cap our summer so far....My 32nd (sob) birthday was on June 9, but I had to work that day, but the Saturday before that, Mom and Dad, who were at the coast for a homeschool convention had supper with us. Anker gave me some beautiful earrings, and a locket, and a beautiful card. On my actual bday, after work, I made arrangements for Anker and I eat at Tony Roma's (you get free food there on your bday). It was a pretty low-key bday this year. Oh well:)
The Canada Day "Long Weekend"(June 28-30), Anker and I decided to put our camping gear to good use, and we went off to find a place to lay our heads for a couple of nights. We were good (or so I thought) in our research, and found some campsites that "Looked" good. Sadly, that was not to be. We finally found a family-run campsite just outside Clinton. It was ok, but not overly wonderful. We did have free firewood, and the bathrooms/showers were really nice. Because it was sooo hot, and we really didn't feel like finding a lake to swim in, we went to 100 Mile House for the afternoon. We went to these beautiful falls, and then we managed to get lost on the way home!! We had a fun time, though. It was nice to get away. We got home on the 30th, and spent Canada Day just hanging out. We did manage to go and see the fireworks.
On July 12, Anker and I made the trip out to my parents place for my younger brother Joseph's Graduation from High School. Because we were all homeschooled, mom often grads us in July (well, I was gradded end of May). With the boys, she has had an Al-fresco party, complete with lights! Very fun. I think about 60 people were there. It was a fun time, and I got LOTS of pictures. I only put about a fraction of my pics on Facebook, so feel free to take a look! This next weekend, we are going to go to Jasper, and then on to Drayton Valley, where my friend Crystal, and her husband live with their three kids. They moved there last September. They seem to really like it there, and it seems that they are staying (sigh). Oh well:) Her husband hs really good work up there, so that is great. Anyway..our Anniversary is on Sunday, so we are going to make a little trip to see them. It should be a fun time. We are taking our tent, as I think we will stay the first night in Jasper-I have always wanted to stay in that big campground near Jasper-, and then have a nice dinner somewhere, and then move on to D.V mid Monday. We will use our tent while we stay with Crystal, as well. I think that will be the extent of our summer holidays. I hope to get one more camping trip in this year. Not sure when. Maybe over Labour Day, or sometime during the week if we can both get away.
One more MAJOR annoucement! Joseph and Cadence are ENGAGED! I am sooooo happy! Not sure when they will be getting hitched yet, but probably in December. It should be a fun time!
I think that about does it for us for now.
Oh..and a few other tidbits..some big, some not so big...
Oh yes..I took a minor spill on a scooter on Saturday. I skinned the inside of my foot, and my knee hurt for about 24 hours. It was pretty scary, as I almost (ok, could have) gone over the bank. I survived it, thankfully!!
On a sad note, a long time friend of the family, and my cousin's sister-in-law, died on July 4th, after a short battle with brain cancer. It was a very sad time. It came sooo sudden, and it was such a shock! Her mom has been coming to Vavenby Church for a VERY LONG time, and our families have been (farming) friends for years. I don't know why God chose to take her. She was married with three children. Her name was Wendy Graffunder, for those who may have known her. Also, my cousin Keir got married on July 1st. I would have loved to have gone, but we were both woking, and we couldn't have gotten away. I thought about going alone, but I just get everything together in time to go. Apparently, it was a fun wedding.
My two cousins, Andrew (Keir's brother) and Kelly (on my mom's side) both had babies (well, their wives did), June 15 (I really can't remember the date). Their names are Anna Grace, and Kaiya (pronounced Kay-yah) Zeny Lynn, respectively. They are very cute, and I hope to meet them sometime soon.


Have a wonderful summer, everyone!! And please, leave comments!

It's Spring, isn't it?

Hi Everyone!!
It has been over 2 months since I have written in this!! Part of the reason is that I don't even know if anyone reads this:) If you read this, could you please let me know?? The other part is that I am not good at posting pics up on this site. So, if you want to view pics, you must to to Facebook. If you are not a member of this phenomonen yet, well, let me know:)
There has been LOTS of little things happeneing lately. Not alot of major things. You may know that we did buy a new car. Well, it is new to us. This happened the end of March. It is an Oldsmobile Alero, 2002. The best of all, is that is an automatic:) We have had no major problems yet, so we are very blessed. I have already driven twice (alone) to the ranch, so I feel like I have more freedom, which is great. The not-so-great thing is that the gas prices are rising, which is scary, but at least it is pretty good on gas.
I FINALLY had my Gallbladder Ultra-sound last week, and I will see my family DR this week to get the results. I had a fairly busy week (for me) this last week, and there seems to be more to come.
The most interesting thing is that I have been called to/fo Jury Duty! It is kind of cool, but at the same time, a bit frustrating, b/c if it is a long drawn out thing, then it could mess up my plans. I am taking an Insurance course, and my test is July 9. I also would like to attend my friends wedding and my cousins wedding the end of June and early July respectively. Anyway..it is kind interesting to be called, an adventure.
I (well, we), went to Kelowna this past Wednesday, to attend a Career Day for insurance agents-in-training, or are thinking of going into that field. It was a good thing to go to..mainly because I got in contact with some people, and I asked questions, and I got to know more a bit about it. It seems like a really neat area to get into, so as of now, I am on chapter 2 of my course. We also spend the evening at my aunt Rhonda's house. That was the first time I had been to K-Town in 9 years. Pretty sad, I'd say. We vowed that we would NOT let that amount of time go by again w/o seeing each other (we had seen each other, of course, since then, but I had not been there in that amount of time).
On Monday, I went to my parents place for a Melaleaca presenation. I am "in" Melaleuca now, and I really love it. I hope to make it as a business. I dont mind working now, but when we have kids, I would prefer to stay at home, so I would like to get this going, but we shall see.
The last weekend of April, I attended a Ladies Retreat w/ the Ladies at Calvary Community Church. It was held at SunPeaks, and we had a really wonderful, encouraging time together.
We went to the ranch at Easter, and had a nice time there. Anker helped John put up the outhouse, I helped doing various things. The weekend before the Retreat, I went to the Ranch to help out again, as they were a bit short on help. The weather wasn't great, but it was fun to be around the busyness.
I also had a few other appointments this week. Not much else, really. Lambing on the Ranch went well. I think their Tourist numbers were down, but they still saw alot of people.
I sure wish the weather was warmer. We keep getting these lovely days, then promptly get cold again!! Oh well. I hope summer comes soon!
Oh..also..Luke has left for Scotland (well, actually, he is almost home now), and Adam and Krystle have left for England, and will be back the end of June. They will celebrate their first anniversary over there.
This is more than enough for now, I am sure. Until next time....

A Trip to the ER

Well, I know, two updates just two days apart. Shocking!! I really wanted to write more the other night, but I was just too tired!! The last couple of days have been interesting!!

Two nights ago, I decided to try a new recipe, called Shrimp Stroganoff (SP??). Anyway, it was good, but a bit spicy, but I can usually handle abit of spice! (BTW, the recipe was out of "Company's Coming" book "Fish and Seafood". Anyway, I started getting a stomach-ache. That part didnt worry me too much, but when I work up at 4am the next day, I had REALLY bad cramps!! Also, they radiated around to my back. I dealt with that all day, they would come in spasms, and then go away. I hardly slept. During the day, I did manage to get a few things done, but then it got worse, at about 5pm, I finally decided to go to the walk in clinic just down the road. He (at 8 pm) told me to go down to the ER to get X-rays, etc, done. He was afraid it could be a bowel obstruction. Esp w/ all my adhesions from my scars. So, armed w/ a magazine, I braved the long night in the ER. It was quite an adventure, let me tell you. I must say that it was a very interesting night!! It was a great time to people watch!! Anyway, I finally saw the doctor about 1:30 or so. By this time (well, even when I got there at 8), I was feeling better, as I had taken Tylenol, just to dull the pain. The pain wasn't as severe, and the spasms had all but stopped. I am glad it wasn't as bad, but, at the same time, it was frustrating, b/c you want the doctor to get a full picture on how you are feeling. Anyway, he finally said that everything looked ok, and that it may have been something I ate (why do they say that?? And they say it like you have just downed a full pizza, or something). I was not amused!! I am seeing my family DR tomorrow, and I really want an Ultra-sound. I had called my aunt, who is a nurse, earlier in the day, and she said it may be a gallbladder attack. The X-Rays didn't show anything, but my blood test had a hight WBC, which the DR didn't seem too concerned about. I felt kind of silly going down there, but at the same time, I am glad I did, cause if I didn't I may have gotten worse, or I would have just worried about it. I was told to just stick w/ bland foods, but I already had a sub today. Does that count??

Well, I am sure this is much too long of a post!! Maybe a bit too TMI?? Nothing I wouldn't tell you all in person, I don't think!!

I basically slept today, as I got home at 5 am:) I basically have slept the last couple of days away. I did go on errands w/ Anker today, and I could feel the pain when I walked. Oh well:)
It has been really sunny today, which has been great!! I wished I could have gone on a long walk! Maybe on the weekend.
Just a few other notes:I am attending a Ladies Bible study, which meets every Thursday. I am really enjoying that. I didn't go today, b/c of my not feeling well. I will be going to do my weigh-in tomorrow. I am not in KidsLife anymore, as my heart wasn't really in it. Also, w/ Anker's wierd sleeping and working hours, I just felt better to not be involved.

I have really being feeling the pressure (from myself), to get a job the last few days. (maybe this pain was from stress, but I don't think so).Unfortunately, w/ my being sick (my ear infection as well as this), I really haven't been doing alot. We need new brakes for the car, and we really want to enroll in Melaleuca. We both could use the supplemants. Also, I want to start saving for my insurance course, as well as just regular daily life. I hope to work on my resume this weekend.

That about covers it for now. I would write more, but I am sure you won't be inerested in hearing all about it!! LOL.

A long over-due update!

Hello All!! Yes, I am finally going to try to get this blogging thing up and running and again. I thought I would get to this all the time, but alas, I have not!!

Just a short note, as it is late, and I am getting sleepy!! It has been three months since I last updated you all of our lives. We are doing very well. I am now (as of this week) on regular EI. It also means that I have to start looking for work. I hate looking for work. It is almost worse than the work itself:)

I will be (Lord willing) taking an Insurance course in June, in Vancouver.It is only a week, so it is a pretty attainable thing for me to do. I can advance in my career, with more courses that I take. I am really excited about this. Unti then, I will just find something to help us through the next few months. I have been working w/ a wondeful career counsellor, as well as I took a course in nov/dec (3 weeks long), about decision making (careers), so that was very enlightening.

Christmas was a wonderful time. We spent it w/ my family, and we had a great time of laughter, and visiting, and of course, food and pressies!! And yes, it was a white Christmas. Anker said that he wants to spend every Christmas with them!! I guess we will have to work it around visiting his sister, and her family around that time, too!! Anker gets along great w/ my family and loves joke around w/ my younger brothers, or help out around the ranch, with Joseph, or whoever else needs him.

Speaking of Joseph, he is officially dating a WONDERFUL young lady, Cadence. They have been friends for years, and as of last spring (I think), my parents said that they felt that he was old/mature enough to spend more time (and time alone) w/ her. This is the first time my parents have had an under -19 yro child w/ a b/g/friend. I am not sure if they know what to make of it:) This is all so new to them. But they are very "for it", so that is great. Cade's family attends our home church, and is also homeschooled. The mom's have been friends for a long time:) She is only a few months younger than Joseph (Cadence, not the mom).

Vienna turns "Sweet 16" next month!! I can't believe it. It seems like only yesterday she was my live doll, who I played around with and dressed up. Now, I am feeling old!!

As of Jan 1, Anker is now working Full time at the church here in Kamloops. He works btwn 3-6 hours every day. Yes, sometimes on weekends. He also is working at the Dental Centre. He is very tired alot of the time, and goes to sleep around 7pm and wakes up around 3 am. For him, it works, for me? Not so much. He wasnt feeling well at the beginning of the year (well, actually, in Nov he started not feeling well), and we thought it was a wheat allergy, but he got sick two weekends in a row, and he didnt eat any wheat, so we went to the DR, and he (anker) got some more tests done, and we think it is now IBS. For the most part, Anker has been feeling better. Not sure why, as we really havent done alot of changes to his diet. So, that makes it a bit strange, too! I guess we are eating healthier.

Our first Valentine's Day as a married couple didnt go so well. The intent of the evening was good, but things happened, and the evening didnt end great. So, last weekend, I decided to take matters into my own hands and whisk him away to my parents B&B. It was a great weekend. We really needed it. Had a nice chat w/ my family. Everyone said we all looked better than we did at Christmas!! (not that i was feeling bad then, but I guess I look better now)

I have started (again) w/ Weight Watchers.I finally got sick and tired of being overweight. I have lost 6 pounds already, and, although it has been hard (we Moilliets LOVE our food), I feel that it is well worth it. I just need to up my excerise!

That is all for now..More stuff to come, but it is late, and I my eyes are drooping.