Friendships and Facebook, and Going Backwards?

I am going to do two posts in one, because I have a lot of posts that I want to do:) I don't know why, since no one ever seems to read this, but I love to write, so why not?

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I became addicted to it when I first joined, just after our wedding in 2007. I have honestly loved it; I love connecting with people, and finding my old school chums, and making new friends, etc. I played the games, changed along with FB (the sharing, of pictures, etc, the groups, pages, etc). I also have thought that being on FB is like being high school, and wanting to be the popular kid. Since I never went to high school, this has been a bit new for me. I am constantly amazed at how many of my "friends" can have 1000 likes and comments on statuses, pictures, etc. Every.single.one. Then there is me, who yes, I do get a few where a lot of people will comment, but that honestly hardly ever happens. I guess you have to be a mom to get that many?

There are a few people (long standing friends..or ones who I thought were friends) who I thought would at least connect with me via FB (comment, chat, msg, etc) that have only done that a few times. I am honestly very shocked. It isn't just about FB, either. They don't text me. They don't call. I mean, these are long standing friends. I am honestly tired of putting 100% into a friendship when I get nothing in return.  This even has to do with some family members, which also ticks me off. I mean, hello...what is wrong with dropping me a text once in awhile?? To be fair, I did delete one of my (good) friends' cell numbers, but I have asked her for it again, but she hasn't given it to me. I am thisclose to deleting her. (to be fair, she did wish me happy birthday on my wall) I actually did delete about 50 people the other day; either people that I didn't know (well, or not at all), never connected with (at all), or both. I am sure that are more that on my current list that still fall into that category, but I didn't want to do it in haste; I have probably deleted too many already. I even deleted some distance relatives. I mean, who needs people on your list who don't want to connect with you. Now, I am not talking about calling (if we are phone friends) me every day, or even every month; or commenting and liking my stuff ALL the time. Or even messaging or chatting all the time. I know life is busy. I am not an idiot. But I mean, a few times a year wouldn't hurt, would it? Or even just responding to something (a msg, a post/comment on their wall) would be nice. I only call my mom, gramma, my cousin (who is one of my BFF's, btw), and my aunt. I call one or two friends, a few times a year...and of course, I do call my sisters, too..but we mainly have an ongoing texting relationship going:) When my family (from the ranch) do come into town, I don't (always) expect them to have coffee with me; I know they are busy with errands, and business stuff.

I have two friends who I grew up with; one lives in town (about 5 minutes away), and we NEVER see each other. I don't feel too bad, though, because she never connected with her brother and SIL (who is also my good friend..the one I still connect with) when they lived here. I wish we would get together even once a month for coffee or something..but again, I know we are busy. She has kids, and even though I don't, I seem to be always busy with something or tired. My other friend was the one I am thisclose to deleting. She was my MOH, and she has since moved to another province, and we never connect. EVER (and yes, she is on FB...not a lot, but she is on it..I see her posts). When she comes home to visit, she never calls or emails me to ask to get together. I think that is what hurts most of all. I can understand life taking over, etc, but to not even want to get together? And no, my knowing that they are there, and supposedly knowing that I have an open invitation to visit (in my mind) doesn't count. Yes, how can you tell I am upset about this? I have just been thinking about it a lot lately. Then, months will go by, and  I won't let it bother me.

So, I guess what I am saying (or rather trying to), is that just because a person has 5K friends, it doesn't make you popular (or even a really good friend). I would rather have 100 good/close/online friends/family than 380 (my friend count as of right now); most of those who I never connect with. (actually, that isn't totally true...I probably only have about 100 of those who I don't really connect much with). Most of my friends are former gaming/online/blogging/and friends of friends friends. I connect with my online friends more than I connect with my RL friends sometimes. Funny how that is, isn't it?

I really don't think I made any sense...but hey, I vented, and I think I got my point across:)

Going Backwards?

I had a few family members (not my immediate, in fact, they stood up for me) say that they figured I was going backwards, because I didn't take that job earlier this month. I am also back working at my job that I had before I went to school. In a way, yes maybe I am going backwards. On the whole, I don't think I am. I am waiting for the job that is right FOR ME. I have been in too many jobs in which I hated it, and I didn't want to get into that situation again. The job I turned down was (in my mind) a care aid position. If I wanted to be a care aid, I would have trained to be one, and got more money. If I wanted a job where I had to clean the house and their company car, I would have taken a cleaning job. Some of the job sounded good, and I am still hoping that I did the right thing by turning it down, but I think on the whole, I did the right thing; for me; for Anker and I. So, in a way, I think I actually went forward, by KNOWING that a job wasn't right (I didn't say not perfect, but not right), and I had the gumption to turn it down, so I am very proud of myself for doing what I felt was right. Yes, it may look like I am going backwards, but for the store job, it is very relaxing; something that I need right now, and I love all things Books, CDS, DVDS, etc (Christian or not). As for my old job, they called me back, which I think is a testament to my character, and of what they thought of me. I am only working there 2-3 evenings a wk, and so that I don't get myself back in a rut, I am limiting myself to work there FOR SURE until the end of summer, but probably before (they just now have hired someone, so that takes the pressure off a bit). Yes, I am back to looking for work, but honestly, who isn't? I have a few places (including the school board) that I will go to in mid-August to talk to them again about my working there, and dropping off another resume. I am confident that God has a place for me in this field; somewhere in this town. Or, if we have to, we may have to move, and I am ok with that.

Ok...the posts I want to do in the near future are

A Canada Day post (and a wknd recap)
A Healthy post (or rather, lack of)
Our Wedding Day post
A Magazine/Book post
A TV/Movie post
These next few are "maybe ones" or ones I can do all in combined posts.
A music/radio post (this I just thought up)
A hobby post
About me post
A cooking/baking post
Our Kitty

I have been at work for an hour, and NO ONE has come it...I think it is going to be a long day:) Am off to the ranch tonight...spent this morning packing and getting stuff ready (including my lunch for today). Looking forward to getting away for a much needed semi-rest:)

Happy Canada Day:)

I am also loving Instagram, Twitter, and of course, Pinterest. My new email addy is april.t.wainwright@gmail.com

5 on Friday Link up and a weekly wrap up

 

I am linking up with http://www.hellohappinessblog.com/ and 5 other blogs for 5 on Friday!! This is turning out to be the highlight of my week, which in a way, is a bit sad:)

 

It took me a while to figure out what the 5 would be this week, but they soon started coming together..so, in no particular order, here they are:

 

1. Strawberries. I love them!!  I am very happy that they are back in season.

 

2. I got this matching Tote Bag from Avon to go with a wallet I had gotten (for free!) a couple of months back. It is a bit bright, but I really like it. It kind of screams "summer"!

                                                What do you all think? Too much?

3. I got the new Orange Verbenia Refresher from Starbucks the other day. I really liked it. They were also half off from 3-5 on the latter part of this week.

 

4. Cheap gas. 'Nuff said.

 

It was as high as 136/litre a week or so ago.

 

5. I made some chocolate crepes, and had fruit for the filling..it was good:) I may or may not have had 5 of them:)

Don't they look good?

 

My week was pretty quiet. Nothing too exciting or abnormal happened.

Yesterday, I spent the day relaxing at home and doing a few projects; I ran some errands, Anker and I went for lunch/supper. I grabbed a Starbucks Refresher, and I went to work. I did some late night grocery shopping on the way home, because we were out of everything! I kind of like going shopping at night, except that a lot of the stuff is gone:(

Wednesday, I met up for a few minutes with two of my younger cousins who were coming through town on the bus, to go to their dads. We only had a few minutes to chat, before they had to board their next bus, but it was nice to see them. I grabbed a starbucks and I relaxed for a bit, and then I had a few errands to do, and I dropped off a lot of resumes. I went to work, came home, relaxed.

Tuesday, I don't remember what I did, but I know I did work. I think I had some errands to do in the morning, and I probably hung out around home. Monday, I had a few errands to do, and I grabbed fries at McD's, for a snack. I took Anker to the doctor, where we found out that he had Bronchile Pneumonia. I dropped him off, and I grabbed his meds at the drug store, and came home. I am finished the second season of the Big Bang Theory, and I will probably start on Season 3 soon.

Happy Friday.

Miscellanious Monday Link up

Yay! Another Blog to link up with (or maybe this is one of previous ones...I don't remember, I am getting them all mixed up now)!.

I am linking up with http://www.carissagraham.com/ for Miscellaneous Monday. I was debating on blogging today, so I guess I will.

The rest of the weekend was ok. Saturday morning, I cleaned our bathroom, and cleaned up our place a bit. I went to work, and I brought back Montana's for supper. I had a gift card that I was able to use, and I was craving ribs. The supper was amazing!!! The best ribs I have had from them in FOREVER, if EVER. Even Anker, who doesn't like ribs tried one, and said they were good. We watched the news, and then watched Madagascar 3, which was cute. We then both watched "Life As we Know it", which we both think is pretty funny.

Yesterday, Sunday, Anker was still really sick, so I went to church alone. My parents were also in town, as they were planning on going to Calgary, but because of the road closures, and all the stuff happening, they decided to cancel their trip, so they came into town instead. They didn't want to hang out with us, but they did want to come to church with us:) The service was amazing!!!! I went up for prayer twice, and I totally felt energized after:)  The worship leader/pastor who was leading was saying that she was feeling that God was telling people to (and these are in my words) to come out of their comfort zone; not be afraid and go for what whatever we felt that God was calling them to do (or speaking to them about what He wanted them to do). I totally felt confirmed on where I want to go, and what I want to do.  I am SO excited!!! I tried to ask mom and dad to take me to lunch, but they had things to do. Oh well. I went to SBX to grab some lunch and iced tea, and read the paper and my mags. I had to grab a few things for our cold, and for the house. I came home and watched a movie, and had a rest. I ended up having a relaxing evening. I watched some movies, and didn't do a whole lot, which was nice.

I am loving "Who do you think you are" right now. I love seeing celebrities' stories on their family's roots. Love it.

Anker is still really sick. I am taking him to the doctor today (which I thankfully made last week), as he doesn't feel like he can drive himself. I am not feeling 100%, but meds, rest and fluids seem to be helping it. I am coughing a bit, and my nose is stuffy, but other than that, not much else.

My heart has been with Calgary and Southern Alberta the last few days. I lived there for over 5 years, and I have lots of family and friends there. When I see pictures of how bad the flooding is/was, I think "that was my home for 5 years". I am familiar with all the sights, and am sad that "my city" is underwater. I am confident, however, that it will be built up SOON! The Calgary Stampede is set to take place in about 8 days, and they are still planning on going ahead with it. I am impressed!!

I am switching my email from Hotmail to this gmail. I am tired of my other addresses, and I never use it (except for it's attachment to FB, etc), except for "newsletters" that I get from various companies. Besides, I think Gmail is more professional than Hotmail, don't you think?
Speaking of which, does anyone still email anymore?? I am starting to think of it as old-school.

My brother finally sent me the pictures that he took when we were together at the end of April. I wish Anker was with me, since it looks a bit funny of just having me in them (and they aren't glamour shots), but they are some pretty nice ones, which I like. We girls also got a few taken together. I like them:)

I guess that is all the misceallany for today:) Happy Monday!!!

I am now in Instagram, and a Weekly Wrap-up!

Here is my link...since I have no clue on how to put this on the side like the other bloggers I have seen, I will just put it here..I also have to put a Pinterest and Twitter icon.


http://instagram.com/aprilnanker?ref=badge" class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24">

I was trying to find the link/icons or whatever they are called for FB, Twitter, and Pinterest, but I cant seem to find them now..oh well.

So, my weekly wrap up..who likes this? I do it partially so that I don't forget what we did over the weeks and months...I do go into more detail in my journal, but I don't do that here, so as not to bore you.

First, thank you for all the kind comments on my last few blog posts:) That is all very sweet. I enjoy writing, and I want to the world to see what life is like from a Childless Momma's view. I also can't stand "perfect blogs".  You know the ones..perfect life, perfect hubby, perfect kids....perfect house...anyway..not everyone has a perfect life...which is another reason why I blog:)

Ok..on to the week:)

I now have the full-blown cold, thanks to hubby and Bebop. It isn't terrible, but neither do I feel like doing much, and I also have a headache, but I am we need the cash, so I am at work. It is quiet, as usual, so I am just sitting here, sort of relaxing. I did do some dusting of shelves, and I may clean the bathroom later...I have been doing that every Saturday.

So, Sunday, Anker and I went to church..it was Fathers Day, but we didn't end up doing anything too exciting. We took our friend out for lunch, as her hubby was away for the day. We went to A&W, where we were a bit disappointed, but it was fun to hang out anyway. Went home and had a nap, then just hung out for the evening.

Monday, I had a few errands to run, and I met up with Mom, who was going to on a trip, so we met up before she left. I worked in the afternoon. Tuesday, I worked at the store, and then I grabbed lunch, and went to my next job. I have gone back to my old job a couple of days a week, as one of their girls quit, and they were looking for someone to cover until they found someone else.  By this time, Anker had gotten really sick.  He should have gone to the doctor, but our doctor wasn't available, and he didn't want to go to a WI clinic.  Weds, I hung out and relaxed, which was nice. I grabbed a coffee, and dropped off some more resumes. Went to work, and we had Wendys for a late supper. Thursday, was my only full day off. I relaxed in the morning, and ran some errands in the afternoon. I was quite tired, so after I came home, I had a nap. I did a few more things (computer, I think), and cleaned out our car, since I thought that I would be picking mom up from the bus. That didn't happen since their plans got changed. But I have a clean car anyway. Yesterday, I hung out in the morning, checking up on the Calgary flooding. Man, is that NUTS!!!

This came up on my FB newsfeed this morning. This was seen in Calgary. I think it was very timely:)

I have lots of friends and family there, so my heart is there right now. I also lived there for nearly 6 years before moving back here.

 

In case you didn't believe me, this is a true picture of HWY 1 (TransCanada HWY).

 

Ok, so back to my week...oh yes..where did we leave off?

Yes..Yesterday..Friday. I love Fridays. That is when my magazines come out. Yes, I am a bit of a mag junkie!!! Even if I can't afford the People or US Weekly mags, I will get a Woman's World. Love those mags. So, I sat outside in the sun and read while I drank my "coffee". Fun times. I went to work. We had Subway for supper..YUM! Then I spent most of the evening on our balcony, where I journalled, and I read nearly a quarter of my book that I finally got started on! I am reading Beverly Lewis' book (Trilogy) called The Mercy. I still haven't read Sarahs Key or The Pianist yet. I had to get them out of the library again. It was National Aboriginal Day (the first, I think), and Anker found that there was fireworks, so we ended up spending nearly an hour outside waiting for them to start. They were really good. I love where we live...we have a pretty good view of everything/where from our view.

I also am nearly half way done The Big Bang Theory. I love that show. Not sure if I would buy the entire series and re-watch it over again, like I do with Friends, but you never know:)

I guess that is my week in a nutshell. Here is something funny I will leave you with. Again, I found this (as I do most things) on my newsfeed this morning...pretty funny...aaaand..correct!

 

10 Things of Thankful;)

I am linking up with (again) http://summat2thinkon.blogspot.ca/ for TTT:) I am going to link up my post from yesterday in here, as well as try to think of 5 more...:)

http://thewainsateam.blogspot.ca/2013/06/5-on-friday-thankful-thursday.html

6. For gifts and gift cards from great friends and family for my bday and grad.

This picture doesn't do it justice...

I am looking forward to using these babies sometime SOON:)

 

7.I am thankful for a brother who I can talk to who is also in the similar work field than me. He understands stuff that other people don't.

 

8. I am thankful for the SUN:) It finally came out today!!!

 

9. I took a picture today on my phone, but it wont upload to FB, therefore, not allowing me to save and paste here..anyway...I had my usual Friday routine this morning...I got my Magazines, Starbucks, and sat outside in the sun. I had a lovely couple of hours before work.

 

10. I cleaned my car. It has been needing it for a few weeks..uh, I mean months. So, I am thankful for a clean(ish) car.

SUYL-Infertilty

I am blessed to be linking up with www.kellyskornerblog.com this week to talk about infertility.

This has become a very real and sad reality for Anker and I. And this has a special place in my heart. I haven't really talked too much about our infertile journey, but there are a few posts in which I have highlighted/touched on it.

As some of you are aware, I have PCOS (if you don't know what it is, look it up), which basically causes me not to ovulate on my own. Since finding this out (for sure) in Jan 2009 (approx.), I have been on Metformin. It has eased my cycles immensely, for which I am grateful. After trying for awhile, we (or I) started wondering why I wasn't getting pregnant. We were going to get some tests going, when I got sick in March 2010. Fast forward to August 2010; we went to the BCWCH for me to get checked out and to see if whether my body could indeed carry a baby. I was thought that I was told that we could cautiously go ahead with getting pregnant. I was going to start on Clomid, but I didn't want to spend $$ we didn't have on meds, when hubs hadn't gotten some tests done yet. Fast forward to February of last year. Hubs got tests done...and sadly, we aren't able to have them on our own. I also found out that I have the CF gene (as does some of my other family members), and I am also diabetic, have high cholesterol, among other things. Doesn't quite make me candidate for mommy-to-be of the year, does it?

This past winter/spring, we started asking hubby about using a donor sperm.  Anker said that it would be ok, as long as I was healthy enough to carry/deliver a baby, and it is what I wanted. Adoption is not an option for us, and hubby doesn't really want to adopt or foster kids, which makes me sad. I don't know if I could foster kids, either. Anyway...I went to my OB/GYN, who was all for my going the SD route.  A couple of weeks later, I got a call from her, asking me to come back to discuss some things. I wasn't exactly ready for what she had to say..although I should have. She said that the doctors at BCWCH said that it would be a health risk for me to carry and deliver a baby, and my doctor said that in her good conscious and good health, she wouldn't be able to recommend me to a Fertility clinic, and for me to have a baby. This was disheartening, to say the least. I didn't cry, but I was upset. Another dream. Gone. Dead.

To be honest, I am done with even trying anymore. Life hasn't been the kindest to us (see the other days post), and we don't have the money for things a baby and child needs. I don't eve know if I would make a good mom. Anker is over 50, and has decided that he is too old be a dad, and I am too tired to try to convince him otherwise.

Everything in life (well, most things) have been a struggle. Not everything has come easy. I didn't get married at 19; I got married at 31. I am not super skinny, or even fit; I am over weight. I haven't (until now) had the best training; I went back to school at 36. I haven't really had a job where I have enjoyed going to; until now, where I am working. I love it. I have had some mean bosses (and I mean, MEAN); I would cry all the time, because I didn't want to go to work. So honestly? I am done with trying anymore...just done.

To be honest, infertility sucks. NO ONE understands what it means to have (what I call) TRUE INFERTILTIY; when you can't have kids, and aren't able to adopt. EVER. I love how some people THINK they understand; "it took us a year to get pregnant", "We stopped trying and BANG! we got pregnant"..."it was hard to get pregnant with my first, then BAM, we have 4 more with out even trying!!" People try to understand, but they can't. Some people are really good in trying to say something nice, and I really appreciate it. They try to encourage, and say they are praying for God's will for us, etc...which is very sweet.

In a world where Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are places where people put on their pregnancy announcements, (not to mention celebs getting pregnant every 5 minutes...yes, I am looking at you K&K!!),it is hard to keep from becoming bitter. I have had to hide my PG friends' FB posts from my news feed. I don't go to baby showers, unless I absolutely have to. There are days that I am ok, and other days where it just plain sucks.

Take yesterday, for example. I got into a bit of a bad mood. I have two wonderful FB/Blogging friends...One is a BLM, and one who is an adoptive momma. One who is still missing her girl she lost nearly 3 years ago (who has 54 others, and one on the way), and one who was talking about taking her babies on an outing. And I was sad:( I wish I could have the "problem" of taking out my 2 or three small babies, or missing my girl, while pregnant with another...I haven't even had a positive PG test! I have taken many...you know..just in case:) It is always negative. I hate how I get upset and bitter at these wonderful people who are just going along on their journey.

I don't know what God has in store for us. I would love to go to Africa, or Asia, or somewhere, and work in an orphanage, and love on those babies and littles. I am praying that God shows me (us) where to go. I would love to work with kids in some capacity here as well. Which is probably partially why I turned down the job last week.

So, infertility is something that you deal with every day. Maybe not ALL the time, but yes, at some point in the day (at least for me), I think about it. There is some talk of our Health care system covering infertile treatments. You know what? I agree! Why? Because it is a disease of our Reproductive organs. Smokers who smoke for years, and get cancer get free health care. Why shouldn't infertile couples? Just my opinion. Anorexia is a disease; there is help. There is (AA)  help for alcoholics...anyway...that is a post for another day..:)

So, that is my post on infertility:) I would love to hear from any of you, especially if you are a Canadian Childless Momma!!

PS...in totally unrelated news, my Alberta (and some of BC) friends in a flood, please pray for them today. The City and a lot of AB is underwater. Hashtag # yycflood, and you will get TONS of pics:)

Frustration and Stress....

I was debating about even whether I should post this or not. It isn't a very positive one, and it doesn't paint either of us in a positive light. But, life isn't always happy, happy, joy, joy, right?

Honestly? It has been a week. I am very stressed. Finances, Marriage, House..you name it, I am stressed.

I feel kind of bad that I didn't just keep with the job. I may have come to enjoy it. I KNEW that it wasn't the job for me. I can tell when a job is right for me, or not. But on the other hand, we NEED the money. I am not getting as many hours as I would like at the store.

Hubby is sick, and got into a bit of a funk last week. Our house is a mess. Anker has stuff (projects) scattered through out our place. I don't even want to have anyone set foot in it. Our place is too small.

 We both have colds. Anker got really sick on Monday, and is still in the throes of it. He won't go the walk in clinic, even though we both know that he has an infection. I got a sore throat last night, and it is a full blown sore throat this morning. It is raining. I also went back to my old job. I didn't want to, but they called me the other day, as one of their girls quit on the spot, and they were wanting me to work until they find someone else. But, we need the money. What am I supposed to do? I am only working 2 days a week (at my old job), as any more than that, well, I will lose my patience. I worked Tuesday and last night, and it wasn't that bad. I am still dropping off resumes, and I am getting some good responses, so that makes me hopeful. And September will be here before we all know it!

Our marriage isn't perfect, and anyone would be lying (bloggers, etc) if they said that their marriage was. No marriage is. I am thankful for who God gave me, but we go through some interesting things, that is for sure. We don't always see eye to eye on things. We are not always on the same page. He has a workshop in our one-bedroom apartment. It is in the kitchen. You do the math.

Our cat decided to throw up on our duvet/duvet cover on Monday morning. That made more extra work for me. I was not happy. I nearly threw the cat away. I was one ticked fur-baby momma!!! But hey, he's our baby. And duvets/covers/sheets are washable.

I am thankful that I can talk with my brother about work/school-related stuff, since he is in the similar field as me. I talked with him yesterday about not taking the job. He totally understood where I was coming from. So, I felt better after talking with him. He is a cool brother like that.

I am also thankful that I got two free drinks from SBX JUST from doing a survey! I am almost through my bday sbx money. True story. Even I am surprised that I went through it so fast. I guess buying Anker coffee didn't help much. And buying their lovely sammies and cookies:) I love warming up their chocolate chunk cookie in the micro..DELISH!

I (re)joined Twitter on Sunday. The jury is still out on whether I like it. I only have 57 followers, and no one re-tweets me:( I DO like it for news, though.

Well, I guess that is all for now. Enough complaining for one week. There is a Starbucks drink waiting for me with my name on it.

5 on Friday (Thankful Thursday)

Well, since I will be joining/linking up with KK tomorrow (if she has it),I thought I would do FF today. It was a bit of work coming up with 5 things this week...but here they are..

1. Hot Iced Tea. You should try it:) I had it a few times when I was growing up, and I tried it today, as I have a cold (more on that in my next post). It is very good. In Canada, we also put lemon juice in our iced tea...so it gives it that lemony goodness.

 

2. Wendy's Frosty. I stopped off on the way home from work last night, as Anker wanted a Frosty, and since I was getting a sore throat, I would wanted one too. I had the rest of it this morning. DELISH!

 

3. Our church gave me a GC for Chapters/Indigo, and I needed to buy a journal. So, off I went. The one I bought was pink (my fav colour right now) and ON SALE! This picture makes it look like it is red, but it is pink. Honest.

4. I also got a grocery list. I LOVE their funny notes, etc. I have been trying to figure out if I wanted to buy it for awhile, so I thought that this would be a good time. I love it because you just tick what you need. It makes it easier for Anker and I to just tick something off that we need, instead of writing it down. Did I mention it was pink, also?

5. Y&R. I am loving it right now:) It is my ONLY soap that I watch. I am sad that Michelle Stafford is leaving; Jeanne Cooper has died, and they have a new actor for some characters, but it is still good:) I actually watched 3 or 4 episodes of it on Friday night. True Story. Plus, some of the actors are pretty hot, too:)

 

That is all for this week:) Have a great wknd:) Try to be thankful!

A Follow up Father's Day Post

I would be remiss to acknowledge how hard Father's Day can be on some people. There are people who have lost their dad, or who are estranged, who have a terrible relationship with their fathers, or who are not yet fathers themselves.

It can also remind us Childless Parents yet again that we don't have kids. Father's Day doesn't affect me quite like MD does. I think because MD has to do with, well, me. FD doesn't affect Anker the way it affects me. As reflected in yesterday's post, he doesn't let it bother him. It doesn't even really affect me much anymore, which I am thankful.

There a lot of people, however who for them, FD is awful. I find it very interesting that there are usually a lot more MD cards than FD ones. When I was shopping online for the store for FD cards, there were none..oh, there was FD stuff; cups, ties, etc., but no cards, which I found very interesting. I also recall a story that Mom heard from someone quite awhile ago, where a prison had given or handed out MD cards, and most or all of them were used, but when FD came around, hardly, if any, were used or sent out. How sad is that? It breaks me heart to see and hear of families that don't communicate, or get along. It is foreign to me when I hear of people that don't get along with their families, or have not have a place to go for holidays. I am sad when I hear of people's fathers not being here anymore. My cousin is one such person. Her father died a few years ago, and when I posted about FD yesterday, she remarked on how it was for her read the post. Our dads look(ed) a bit alike, so that made it even harder for her. I felt terrible that I never even acknowledged that.

So, for the ladies (and men) who read this, who want to be parents (daddies) but can't...this is for you..you are not forgotten.

For those who have lost their fathers. You are not forgotten...this post is for you.

For those who's fathers are no longer in their lives, not from death, but from being estranged, this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who are longing for a father-like model, this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who are looking for their birthfathers; this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who are wanting to get in touch with their fathers, or who are looking for their dads, who are absent from their lives for various reasons, this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who's fathers have left or abandoned them; this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who's fathers/hsuabds are away in the army, fighting for our country, this is for you. You are not forgotten.

For those who's husbands/fathers are away for work, and couldn't be with their families yesterday, this is for you. You are not forgotten.

God has not forgotten you.

Just Daddy and Me:) (A Father's Day Post)

I was going through my photos that I have on my computer and on FB, and I sadly have very few of just my dad, and even fewer of Dad and myself. There are a lot from the past; I have a lot more in photo albums, that I could scan if our scanner was working. I DO have a few that I can and will post on here...

My dad and I are actually more alike that Mom and I, I think. We have a lot of similar personalities, and our make up is similar, as well. He was 25 (?) when I was born, and he is in his 60's now. It seems old to type it, but he really doesn't look or act old. He is still very involved on our farm's daily activities, and his a fully paid pastor at our church. He really quite a hoot. He starts off quiet and can seem a bit, well, dull, and not "into" people at times, but he really does have quite the sanguine personality!

 As a father, he is fantastic. He loves spending time with his kids. When I was taking my Driver's Ed classes, we would go into town once a week, just the two of us, and spend the day together. I think that is one of the most memorable times I remember. We had a lot of talks on our way in (no cell phones back then...at least not for us), and would usually have a meal together. He always goes out at Christmas, too. He would go and buy presents that Mom had no idea of; he always makes Christmas so fun:) (He still does). He always makes a big deal of Mother's Day, and of Birthdays, and special days. His favourite quote (from the Cosby Show) is "I'm the Father, that's why". He still quotes it to this day. There are so many wonderful things that make him an amazing dad.  He is patient, kind, loving, funny, generous, and funny, and of course, he is an excellent Spiritual Leader of our home. We have morning devotions at breakfast, and because we were home-schooled, we would often spend the morning talking about life...:)  He is far from perfect; but those imperfections make him who he is, too. He is still raising kids; the youngest is 16, so he isn't done with the teenage/raising years of kids, yet.

 He LOVES being a grandpa, too. He loves Bebop SO MUCH, and misses him when he isn't there. He loves Rosebud, too. He spent a lot of time holding and talking to her when they were here in the spring. I think this is the first Father's Day, at least in awhile, that we haven't been there to help him celebrate. They had an excellent time, though, as we called them later (as well as in the morning) this afternoon.

I will leave you with something sweet that Anker said today. We were driving to church, and I asked him if he were sad, because of this being Father's Day, and him not having his dad around anymore, and we not having kids. He said "no, I have a father now". I wasn't sure if he were referring to God, or our Pastor, or my dad, but I asked if he was referring to my dad, to which he replied "yes". I thought that was so sweet of him to say that.

Here are a couple of pictures of my dad...

Dad at his birthday party a couple of years ago.

Dad and Bebop riding the quad.

 

I hope that everyone had a great Father's Day!

Getting Connected:)

I am FINALLY (re) joining Twitter. Please follow me @the2ws. I am also on Pinterest Here is my link: http://pinterest.com/showers2_2011/boards/. And I am also on Instgram. It is aprilnanker. I am a serious Pinterest Addict:) I used to be on it EVERYDAY, but I am now on a few times a week...I LOVE it, which I stay away from it:) I am loving Twitter, too. Anker joined Twitter, and so I decided to rejoin:) I had joined awhile back, but everytime I logged in, it would forget my password. Now that I have a cell phone, I thought it would be fun to try again. Speaking of mobiles, and apps..how many apps do you have your cell phone? I tried to have FB, but it kept messing up my phone, so I deleted it. I do have Pinterest and Instagram..and am thinking of adding Twitter. I guess no one can add EVERY app to their phone, right? I just usually book mark them, to save a little time.

Ten Things of Thankful (pt 2) and Graduation Day!!

Well, I am still a bit confused as to whether the blog hop is in one or two parts...but I thought I would do 5+ more things that I am thankful for this week....So, here goes...

1. Strapless Bras. Whoever invented them is a genius. Just sayin.

2. Having Spencer West talk at my graduation (more on that in a bit). I am ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of him before today. I got to have my picture taken with him.

This guy is my new hero:)

 

3. My lil nephew. He came to my grad (he left for a bit during the ceremony) and he had lunch with us. He is such an awesome lil guy!

 

4. For beautiful vistas. I went to my friends for my bday party with my girl friends from church, and I LOVE her view. I think it is actually better than the view we have at the farm! Everytime I go there, I usually take a few pictures...

 

 

Her view faces the North Thompson River...and houses across the way...love it.

 

5A. A fully loaded Starbucks card! And also the fact that I have not one, but TWO free drinks (other than the money that is already loaded) on it:) This makes me happy! 5B. I have (re) discovered warmed up chocolate chunk cookies at SBX. YUMMY!

 

 

 

6. Our Kitty:) He has helped us this week...he totally calms us down, and KNOWS when we are upset, and comes and cuddle beside us.

 

7.. My Weekly mags. I don`t know what it is about them...but I LOVE read these nearly ever week! I love PEOPLE, and US WEEKLY, and I also get (not all the time) Women`s World. These are my therapy.

 

8. Fans. Love `èm!!

 

9.My job at the store. I love it:) I barely call it a job, it is so fun.

 

10. I already said this yesterday, but I love new clothes and shoes:)

 

Ok...on to my grad...well, on to my week, really...

 

On Wednesday, I spent it doing errands, having coffee, blogging, etc. I grabbed my box of Avon that had come in, and I came home and did some Avon business. I went to my friends out of town (picture above), to celebrate my birthday:) We do this with all of the girls in our group. We had a nice evening with friend chicken, and salads, and Tiramasu for dessert. I got GCs for the movie theatre, $50 in SBX card, for a pedicure, and for Tim Hortons I may have had an iced tea and cookie while having my pedicure...maybe. We had a nice time visiting outside, then went inside went it got too chilly. I came home around 9 or so. Hubby was having a blah night, so I spent the rest of the night cheering him up.

 

Thursday, I spent it RUNNING around. I got my hair cut, shopped for new shoes, got a new dress, and then hubby and I went to Arbys for supper. Came home and his sister called, so we talked for an hour.

 

Friday....GRAD DAY!!!

I woke up early, as I had to be there at 830, and the ceremony was at 10. Hubby drove me down, and I met up with some of my classmates. We got gowned, stolled, and capped:) We stood around for an hour just waiting around for it to start.

I met up with Anker outside, when he came with Mom, Dad, K, V and Bebop, and I gave him my purse and phone...he took this picture of me. I am holding my name tag.

 

....AAANNDDD then it started...SO FUN! I found out after I sat down that they had awesome seats, otherwise I would have looked over and waved (he got a very blurry picture of me walking in).

The ceremony was really fun. I was homeschooled, and I never had been to a graduation ceremony like this. I enjoyed very second of it. As I mentioned above we had an AMAZING motivational speaker, Spencer West who, at a young age, had his legs amputated from the hips down due to degenerative disease. He is the COOLEST guy ever. That is not to say that he hasn't had his fair share of disappointments. I thought his message was very encouraging, and uplifting.

 

Then it was time for us to get our papers;)

I was excited, but I was very nervous as to what to do, and I didn't want to forget to do anything.

Me with my Fake Certificate..they give you the real ones after you leave the stage.

 

After everyone in our related field (not just our class, but Education and SW) got their degrees, etc. it was picture time,

Me and my Sister.

My Dad, My Sister, Me, and My Mom (yes, my dad is carrying my moms purse. We should have told him to ditch it. lol:)

                                     Me and Bebop:) I wanted a picture of him with my hat.

Me and Hubby:)

Me and my sisters:)

 

Well, that was it. After lunch, they took us home, and we went out for coffee. The evening we just hung out and relaxed:)

 

Tomorrow, I hope to do a Fathers Day post:)

Ten things to be Thankful (pt 1) Blog Hop

I am linking up with (among others) http://summat2thinkon.blogspot.ca/ for Ten Thankful Things. I will do part two tomorrow:)  Here are the first 5 things that I am thankful for this week...(please refer to this post) http://thewainsateam.blogspot.ca/2013/06/5-on-friday-link-up.html.

5 on Friday Link up

Well, despite having a somewhat crazy week, there are a lot of things to be thankful for, and that I regarded as favourites this week...probably more...but here are a few..

1. This lovely dress from Penningtons. I usually don't wear dresses, but I have a few, and I haven't had a sun/maxi dress, in well, forever..I love it!!!! I wasn't going to get a new dress, but I am so glad I did:)

I love the back, too...

 

2. And to add to that...(which I will consider the same picture...my new hair cut:) I rarely go to expensive salons; I usually go to the cheap ones, and why not, when I can get what I want there?

 

3. I got my first pair of wedged shoes. I quite like them:)

Okay, you really can't see the wedges...

Not sure if these are the exact ones, but close enough:) Apparently, wedged shoes are very popular, as a lot of girls wore them at grad:) They did squish my left baby toe, but hey, they looked nice:)

 

 

4. My pedicure..my friend gave me a gift card to a local spa to have a pedicure

for the summer. I thought I would get it done before grad. My toes are pink:)

 

5. Friends and family that gives me birthdays, come to my grad, and is there when we need them.

 

I will post more about this past week probably tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

 

My Single Sis, V(SUYL)

I am loving all of the blog link ups I have been seeing lately:) At least 4 (?)!!! Well, today, Kelly, at www.kellyskornerblog.com is doing a link up for Singles:) So, I am going to introduce you to my sister, V. For safety reasons, I wont use her full name. But here is her picture...

Doesn't she look like me?

 

Well, V is in her early 20's, and is showing me up in more ways than one. We are nearly 16 years apart; she was my baby doll, then I got to boss her around:) I love that in the last few years we are finally getting closer, as women, and sisters. We have SO MUCH fun when we are together. She has a heart for God, can make a pie that will make Buddy Valastro cry, and is an amazing cook! She wants to get into midwifery, and would love to go overseas to get her training. She LOVES kids, and can't wait to have her own dozen!! She LOVES the farm life (animals mostly), and but also loves to get dressed up. She loves to shop, and hang out with her girlfriends (and sisters). She loves The Hunger Games series, and loves to read.

 

Well, if you have a son/brother/nephew/grandson about her age, well, contact me first:) 

When A Door Closes...

I don't usually post twice in day, but when I saw a post to link up with, well, you know me, I HAD to do it:) Click on my previous post to take a look:)

Well, the job that I have I don't have any more. I won't get into it all, but suffice it to say, it wasn't for me. I had a 25 minute commute ( I know to most people it isn't a big deal, when your car is a bit of a gas guzzler it is), and I had to be on call the time. That was the main reason for me not staying. I also am not comfortable driving late at night in a car that isn't 100% reliable (granted, that would be fixed if we had more money..lol), and I know a not so-great-boss when I see one. I have had my share of really bad and abusive bosses, and even yesterday, I could tell that we wouldn't get along. The other reason was that it wasn't what I thought that it was going to be. It was working in a residential home, and taking care of their needs, plus running the house. I won't go into all the particulars, but I knew that I wouldn't enjoy it. I know that if the job isn't going to be fun or enjoyable the first day (other than being overwhelmed, and learning new things), I know that it isn't going to be any better in the coming days. I am too old to be working in a job that I don't enjoy, and dreading going to work every day. Trust me. I have been there.

I wrestled with this even during the shift, and last night. I hoped I was doing the right thing. When I talked with Anker about it,  he was on board with me, and he realized that I wouldn't enjoy it either, which isn't good for my health, and for our relationship. I called them this morning, and they were good about it. I have to admit, I was hoping that they would beg me to stay, but I am glad that I didn't have to make that choice. I talked with my boss at the book store, and she said that she would give me more hours. I hope I get some more hours next week. I know I will be working on Saturday all day.

Last night, we celebrated a young woman in the church's grad. It was a great time of laughter, prayer, food and of course, visiting. I came home around 9, and did some Facebooking, and called a classmate of mine that is actually working at the same place as I was. We worked together yesterday, and I called her to tell her how I felt yesterday went. I chatted with Anker last night, and I did a bit more stuff on the computer, and went to bed. I was sooo tired.

I am trusting the Lord to open another window. I hope I did the right thing:)

Beautiful British Columbia

Yay! I have found yet another blog to link up with!! I love link up days/s posts:) Today, I am linking up with http://influencenetwork.blogspot.ca/ to share where we live. Most of the ladies are from the States, so I think it is called the State link up, or something. Anyway....here is what I love about my PROVINCE:)

1. The Ocean. I love it. I don't swim in it as much I as would like, but I love going to the seashore:) I love pretty much any body of water.

2. The mountains. They are so beautiful and mighty.

3. The farm land. 'Nuff said.

4. The desert-like weather. I love that we get +30C weather in the summer. Our winters are not too terribly cold or long, either.

5. That we have (mostly) 4 seasons:) Yup, we have all four.

6. Our world-famous golf courses, wine, beer (although I don't drink), and ski-hills, and restaurants, and fishing spots.

7. On how some of our province-no wait-MOST of our province looks like places in Europe:)

8. Nelly Furtado, Ryan Reynolds, and Joshua Jackson were born here. Again, 'nuff said.

9. How celebrities come HERE to open restaurants, buy a home, vacation, to fish or ski.

10. MY FAMILY LIVES HERE! I was born and raised here, baby:) I am proud to be from BC:) It REALLY is what it says on our license plates, Beautiful British Columbia:) And I am proud to be from here.

11. That we have the coast, mountains, farmland, and even some flatland all in one place:)

12. Lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, streams; we have a lot of them.

13. I could be wrong, but I thought I read that our coast is one of the longest coasts in the world.

14. Nearly every type of fruit and vegetable grows here:)

15. We are free from tornadoes, earthquakes (ok, there have been a few small ones), hurricanes, etc.

16. Canucks, Lions, Blazers, Whitecaps, baby! (if you don't know who these are, look these up)

17. We are home to some amazing talent (see number 8).

18. Vancouver 2010 put BC on the map, no wait, that was EXPO '86:)

19. The colour and beauty that is autumn/fall.

20. We have hippies, rednecks, and yuppies all in one province, and we (mostly) get along!!

I have lived in Alberta and  Saskatchewan (if you haven't heard of these places, look them up), and I can say that I BC is my favourite province. I LOVE BC:) Not only that, but I love the area that we live in. I think BC has the best of everything.  I am proud to live here, and proud to call it my home.

A mountain on our way to the coast.

 

Did I mention that we have amazing sunsets?

 

The farm land:)

 

 

Cherries from last summer. You can pretty much get ANY type of fruit in BC.

 

The North Thompson River.

The beauty that is fall.

 

I love sun and leaves/tree photos.

 

And, that, my friends, is what I love about my home province!!