The calm before the storm

I mean storm in a good way. There won't be much happening with the house today. Yesterday I did a walk through with the electrician and plumber- decided where everything will be, and am very happy with all the results. The plumbers started roughing some stuff in, and the roof got finished off. Today I think the only thing happening will be the framework for the soffits being finished- not much else. Then tomorrow it all starts to go crazy again. Ductwork is going in tomorrow, plumbers will really start working tomorrow. Windows arrive on Thursday and siding shortly thereafter. Electician guys go to work on Monday. I will very soon have to pick out my bathroom vainities and counters, and flooring, and paint, etc etc. I have to go and buy all my lights sometime in the next couple of weeks (tis scary how excited one can get when designing the lighting of a house!) It felt so weird having a say in every little detail yesterday, having the contractors make suggestions but letting me have the final decision- such a contrast from the building project in NS when I had to fight to get a different bathroom faucet- had to go and buy it myself and then didn't get any reimbursement from the builder for the faucet he had included in the price. And had to fight to get a light fixture moved when they didn't center it over the island. Nice to be dealing with a professional! I am wondering if I would be consulted on so many things if I wasn't on site all the time though. It sure is nice.

Not sure what today will hold for us- W has a soccer game tonight- hope he can finally score that elusive goal! He came SO close last week. I get to design my kitchen with Kitchen Lady, and it will probably be hot enough to live in the pool for the afternoon again. A nice quiet day all around.

Pizza's in the oven

Great day. Have almost recovered from the day camp last week. Did NOTHING last night after I finished the church media, and got a good sleep. Beautiful day today, so after church, came home and started chopping some wood. Hubby went in the woods with the chainsaw to tackle some trees that had fallen across the path over the winter. Drove the ATV in with the trailer attached, and brought out 2 trailer-fulls of wood. All ready to be split now- will be renting a wood splitter one of these Saturdays and get all those logs cut and drying for the winter. It's very rewarding to think while you're out there in the bug infested woods (thank you, Deep Woods Off) that the work we're doing now will keep our family warm this winter. After the logs were transferred to the pile and all the tools and vehicles put away, it was time for a family swim. Now we're all cooled off and smelling of outdoors (smelling "brown" as mom says), and supper is cooking. When it's done we will pack up the paper plates, drinks, etc and a blanket and have a picnic in our house- Hubby's idea- on the floor of what will someday be our kitchen! I thought it was a fantastic idea- just have to get supper done before it's too dark out to see in there- shouldn't be a problem.

Tomorrow I get to do my walkthroughs with the plumber and the electrician- tell them where I want plugs and drains- all that good stuff. The roofing should be totally finished by the end of tomorrow and perhaps the decking even started. Oh, I can hardly wait to have a house again. The trailer is home, but it's so small and temporary, and I can't hang anything on the walls (never thought that would bug me so much!) I already have 3 things waiting to go up on the walls of the house, and I know just where I'm going to put them!

Wonder what the Lord has in store for us next? I like life when it's blissfully dull, but sometimes excitement can be good too. After all, I have a compulsive need for change- maybe He's trying to cure me of it and give me enough change in a few months to last a lifetime. What will I do with my brand new house that doesn't need any decorating? I'm sure I'll find something. :)

Caffeine, the wonder drug

It's amazing to me how much you can do on pure adrenaline and caffeine. I have 1 1/2 days left of this crazy day camp, and it's gonna take a lot of coffee (and prayer) to get me through it. Wouldn't be so bad if after we came home and put the kids to bed I could go to bed too. But there's all the mom stuff to do that I didn't get done in the day to take care of- computer stuff, devotions, cleaning, laundry, pack lunches for the next day, wash the dishes, book keeping, etc etc. And yesterday I even had time for a shower. And sometimes I get to sit and actually talk to my husband.

And then there's the fact that I can't even sleep as late as I should be able to- now I am not complaining about this (OK so maybe I am), but at 6 am- yes 6 o'clock IN THE MORNING, the builder's truck drove in our driveway today. By 6:15 they were on the roof shingling! I have decided that they are all crazy. Perhaps they should be medicated. Or it may be the fact that it's supposed to go up to 30 degrees without the humidex, so they want to be off my roof before it's one million degrees up there. At any rate, when I am this tired, I get these crazy notions that my house can wait, even though it means I'll be in my trailer longer. I just want my 8 hours of sleep. Ludicrous.

Think I'll go make some coffee- gonna need that first cup of caffiene just to get the boys out of bed- they may be even more tired than me.

thoughts.

Well, we all survived another day at VBS. It went a little smoother today, although I am still exhausted. It was nice to get to know the kids a little better today- and sad to hear some of their stories. One who lives with his mom and grandpa, and doesn't trust anyone outside of his family. It was amazing to see his face when I told him I had 2 families- my family I live with and my family in God. It was something that he'd never imagined, and by the end he promised to ask his mom to bring him to church soon. I would be so excited if they walk through that door some week soon. Another little one who is quiet and shy... turns out his mom committed suicide a year ago, and he knows everything. His dad is getting remarried soon, and so he will have 2 new sisters. I can't imagine kids that young having those kind of weights on their shoulders. My prayer time has been full the last few days. I just pray that we can reach some of these kids and that God will rescue them from the lives for which they are headed. We have it so good.

On to happier thoughts. The house looks good- still working on the roof today and tomorrow. Either tomorrow or probably the next day shingling will begin, and it will start to look even more like a house than it already does.

Is it Friday yet?

Well, the first day of our VBS is done, and so am I. It's gonna be a long week. Don't get me wrong- today was great fun. Lots of stories and crafts and music and games- with 10 grade 3 boys. Yes, that's right TEN GRADE 3 BOYS, and one poor lonely girl. She stuck pretty close to me today- we're good buds now. They're good boys for the most part, but holy cow, the energy- I don't think there's that much energy in one room in a nuclear reactor. And I know how they get it. They suck it out of the adults. If you want to test my theory, just come to VBS at the end of the day. All of the kids are still running around, and the teachers all have glazed looks in their eyes.

So you can imagine my relief and surprise when I came home after VBS (and chiropractor and groceries- walked in the door at 6) and got a phone call which reminded me about a birthday party I was invited to tonight (which started at 6). I was very tired- but hey, it meant I didn't have to cook. And it was at the pastor's house, where there's an awesome campfire, a hot tub, and Coronas- all of which were very welcome after the day I had. Now I'm home, tired little boys are conked out in their beds, I've had my quiet time and made lunches for tomorrow, and as soon as the laundry is done, I'll be heading to bed myself. And I do believe I will sleep well.

The house looks wonderful- while we were gone today they put the boards on the roof and finished up some little details of framing inside. I am hoping I will come home tomorrow to find the shingles, which are now on pallets in my yard, installed on the roof. It is so lovely to see it looking like a house now! Facebook pics to follow whenever I can find time to take them this week. Nighty night.

Summer fun

Another beautiful summer day out there- 25 degrees with a cool breeze- perfect. Spent the morning at church and most of the afternoon at the B's at a potluck lunch. It was for all the people helping out with the VBS this week- a nice chance to meet the folks who have come up from Alabama to helup us run it. The boys swam in the pool, (W is becoming a regular fish, and J is unstoppable as long as he has his life jacket on!), we chatted with our new friends, and a good time was had by all. Now I am enjoying (almost as much) the ac in our trailer, and smelling "brown" (as opposed to a "code brown"). Will be going out again tonight to help set up the church where the VBS will be held, and am tempted in the meantime to go and chop some wood. We have some set aside for the winter, but I know we will need much more. Now that the trailer is hooked up on the ATV, I have visions of hauling all sorts of lovely fuel in from the woods. That's my kind of exercise- none of this running 10 K races (although that's great for some, don't get me wrong), but I need a purpose to my workouts- chopping wood, canoeing with a destination in mind, yard work, stuff like that. That's what I enjoy.

And I need to get it in while I can- before I know it school will be upon us again. But by then (especially once we're in the house) life will have some more routine to it- the lovely swing of each week, as each day brings pretty much the same schedule... extracurricular activities that are on the same day each week, chores assigned to certain days, a school schedule. It's amazing how much time I find for other stuff when my core activities are organized. I am missing that and can't seem to get there while I'm in the trailer. Too many other things on my mind, I guess. Oh well- "whatever".

Sunny days are here again.

Well we survived the rain- have instructions from Builder to go and drill a few small holes in the plywood subfloor of our house so that the inch of water laying on it will drain through and not ruin the floor. It was like a good ol' Nova Scotia day yesterday. I've never seen it rain so hard for so long since I moved here.
But today the sun shines, and we will take advantage of that. Yard work aplenty awaits us, for most of which we will be able to find a use for the ATV, I'm sure. There are a few indoor chores to do, but we'll have to get them out of the way early.

Last night was a new exerience for me- the family jumped into the car after supper and headed of to a county fair. I've been to county fairs before, but never to the much antipicated (by the boys anyway) demolition derby. I paid $10 to watch beat up rusty old cars ram into each other and fling mud everywhere in the process. It's like bumper cards for adults. Not my idea of a great night out, but when there are three pairs of eyes belonging to the boys I love most saying, "Please, Mommy come with us- it'll be fun!", how could I say no? So off we went- the boys had fun, and I had poutine- made it all worth it. And I happened to see LB, another mom from church there with her little boy, so at least I had some female company to talk to. I'm only afraid that I have set a precedent now that county fair season is here- there is one somewhere around here every week, and each has it's own demolition derby. I fear for my sainty (for that and so many other reasons)

Maybe we'll pack up a picnic lunch and go to Pakenham today. Been meaning to do that for a while, but the weather hasn't cooperated. Besides I need to keep busy for the next couple of days. Unmentioned dilemma hanging over my head needs to be pushed aside. There's NOTHING that can be done about it over the weekend, and yet it haunts me. Sometimes I'm jealous of E's ability to compartmentalize and not let emotions over one quandry taint everything else. Got a little crabby with him last night when he expected me to do the same, but apologized later, reminding him that I'm a girl and don't want him to fix it, just want him to listen. He said he forgot for a minute that I was a girl and apologized too- kinda funny now that I think about it.

Well, J has just woken up and is wanting some breakfast, so I must go and feed his little tummy.

The romance has ended

There's always been something romantic about the sound of rain on a metal roof. And in the trailer we're in right now, it's somewhat the same. No attic or roof insulation to quiet the sound. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. It rained ALL night last night like it has never rained before. The thunder and lightning were spectacular (even with both kids in bed with us- one loving it and the other scared to death). Just when you thought it couldn't rain any harder, it would kick up another notch. Was pleasantly surprised this morning to see the house still standing, and no flooding. Scratch that- a huge puddle in the middle of my kitchen floor as I come out to breakfast after about 4 hours sleep. Didn't come from the ceiling, all I can figure is that it came in from the side- some kind of leak in the wall.

I don't think there will be any work done on the house today as it is STILL pouring. Good thing they were ahead of schedule. The shingles arrive on Monday, and yesterday, for some good old retail therapy after a stressful day, I went and picked out my kitchen cupboards and countertops. Very therapeutic.

Off to take W to soccer camp- thing we'll see if one of our neighbours has a canoe that I can take him in.

crazy days

The children are still asleep. I think soccer camp is finally catching up with W. He is having a ball, but they don't stop all day- and on top of that, after camp yesterday he came home, had supper and then it was straight out to his weekly soccer game. (which they won 4-1... GO BEARS!) Came home, went for a cool-down swim in the pool, and then we couldn't send him to bed without going for a spin on the ATV. So now he sleeps- first morning I will have had to wake him up to get ready for camp. But he is loving it, making all sorts of new friends, and learning new stuff. I am learning new stuff too, for example that I need to come up with a new standard lunch than peanut butter sandwich, and that bananas are another allergy I have to worry about with kids (who ever heard of a kid being deathly allergic to bananas? Well, there's one at W's camp and now I can't send bananas). And I was informed yesterday in no uncertain terms, that I FORGOT to send dessert with him the first two days of camp, and he didn't want to see it happen again. tee hee. So the chocolate chip cookies are packed today- wonder what he'll eat first?

The house is still chugging along. Builders finished framing the top floor yesterday, and today roof trusses arrive. Not sure if they get put on today or tomorrow (or both)- either way, it will be cool to see it actually house-shaped- will post pics on facebook later.

Must go wake the kiddies up or W will be late for camp. It's a day at home for J and I today as we were out ALL day yesterday with meetings, playdates, errands and coffees with friends (oh wait, that last one was here- nice to be able to say "bring your kids' swimsuits- they can swim while we chat).

I got a new ATV!

I got a new ATV! I got a new ATV! I got a new ATV! I got a new ATV! I got a new ATV!new ATV!

But don't worry- it's purely for work purposes. NOT

The entrepreneurial spirit- did I spell that right?

So today after church, W decided to set up a lemonade stand at the end of the driveway. For those who know where we live, it's not exactly a high traffic area with lots of potential customers. But, not wanting to crush his little spirit for capitalism, E helped him set up a little table and sign, and I mixed up a batch of yummy lemonade and sent it out with some plastic cups. He decided to charge 5 cents a cup (where are you going to find a better deal than that?). I gave him the little speech of "now, don't be disappointed if you don't sell any. This is a quiet street, and noone wanting lemonade may come along". Out of pity, I bought the first cup- 5 cents for the lemonade and a 5 cent tip, which he thought was great. J bought a cup (he was only allowed one free one and then he had to pay) and so did E. Shortly afterwards, I see a car stopped at the end of the driveway, and thus was born W's first drive-thru sale. My generous 5 cent tip seemed paultry now in the face of the $2 paid for this cup. W couldn't believe his good fortune when he was told to keep the change. Then came the guy from up the street walking his dog- didn't have any money on him, so after he was done his walk- he actually went home, got a quarter, and came back to buy a cup. Again, keep the change. Gotta love this neighbourhood.

Well, after that rush of business, things were quiet for about 5 minutes, and W decided to pack it in. So on W's first business venture, he made $2.45. Not bad for 20 minutes work, when all I paid him to help me clean the whole trailer the other day was $1.50. He was a little surprised when I told him he had to pay me for supplies- lemonade, water, ice, and cups, and grudgingly agreed to pay me 15 cents (this amount was arrived upon after ferocious bartering- that kid drives a hard bargain). And of course, next Sunday, a tenth of that will go into the church offering. but still- over $2 left- that will buy a Hot Wheels car with change left over- life is good.

W starts soccer camp tomorrow- 8:30-4:30 every day this week. He will spend each day doing soccer drills, playing 2 games, playing other fun soccer `games`, and swimming at the CP pool. Add to that his weekly Tuesday night soccer game and his Thursday night soccer practice, and I don`t forsee having any trouble getting that kid to sleep at night. (As opposed to tonight when he is so excited sleep is not coming easily). J and I will spend our days getting lots done and just spending quality time together. Tomorrow will include, among other things hunting down all the oregano on our property. Yes, we have oregano growing all over our lawn- smells great when you cut it. So I plan to harvest it, and hang it to dry in the shed. We`ll never have to buy the stuff again. Although it just occurred to me that E mowed the lawn tonight- may be slim pickings.

More progess will occur on the house tomorrow- I expect to see walls go up on the second floor, which will be very exciting. I am getting a little bit impatient for the interior to start- it`s been a while since I had to pick anything out or make any decisions, which for me is the fun part. I`ll have to try and nail down the shingle color soon (no pun intended).

Speaking of money making ventures- pics for the art show are still coming along nicely. It`s going to be hard to choose which ones to blow up for prints- I`ll have to get votes on them or something- or ask Serendipity- she has an eye for art. You can all feel free to comment on my facebook which ones you would buy if they were, say 8x10 enlargements.

Boys and their toys

Went out and bought an ATV this morning. Got a used demo from a dealer with only 500K on it. It's got 700CCs, automatic transmission, winch, trailer hitch, removeable plow and passenger seat, and... the only thing that I really understand... it's red. But E did lots of research and is happy with the purchase, so that's good enough for me. Also got a gas powered weed whacker (or as J calls it, a whipper-sniffer) after we discovered that no extension cord will do on a 30 acre property for the electric one we had. The boys are very excited (all 3 of them) that we now have an atv, and are all a little sad, I think, that we can't pick it up until next week. I always kinda freak out when we spend major money on stuff, even if it's worth that much. But helloooo air miles on the Visa! :) We earned ourselves about 1/2 a plane ticket this morning alone. Ran into House Builder who was at the store looking at a boat, so it was nice to see him and chat. ATV salesman inquired about the house we're getting built, and after we told him our story, we got 15% off all the helmets and the extra seats! I'm not one to milk this, but hey, the guy asked. :)

This afternoon holds outdoor work for us. E will be whacking at the many weeds around the property, and I will be re-organizing the shed to fit both the lawn tractor and the ATV. And I will dream of the time when the ATV will be in the garage and we'll have our snowmobiles in the shed. Maybe we'll have enough insurance money left over for a couple... one can always dream!

Lunch is ready and we gotta get outdoors before the rain comes.

Little boys

Poor J had a rough day yesterday. Burnt his hands on hot water when he tried to wash them and turned on the wrong tap. Fell down the ramp leading into our new house and skinned his knee. Scraped a spot where he had scraped a few days ago when he fell in his room.

But the day had it's plusses too. Got to sit in the cement truck and pull the air horn. Got to write his name in the concrete floor of the garage before it dried. Got to watch even more of our house take shape (we now have a top floor and it will have walls today!)

Today we were supposed to go to Serendipity's cottage, but the black clouds overhead may cancel the day trip. Too bad- that's always such a fun place. Ah well, it's pretty exciting around here too these days. And the foreman keeps checking with me on design possibilities and what I would like him to do here and there. What a refreshing change from the last time we built a house! Pretty soon I'll be choosing interior finishes, electrical layout, all sorts of stuff-woohoo!

Off to get W's breakfast for him and then get dressed so I can go and say hello to the guys.

I'm baaaack!

Wow- almost a whole week without internet. How do people do it? Lots has happened since I last blogged, including my survival of the canoe trip. Lots of fun was had with good friends, and we made some new friends as well. Next year, however, I'm thinking "spa". Less potential for injury and drowning.

TONS has happened on the house front- we now have a fully framed first floor, concrete in the garage and basement, and they are working on the second floor. Was able to make a few last minute changes to the closet layout in the boys' rooms to give them a little more space. The boys are in heaven with all the trucks and tools around here every day. The cement truck driver today let them sit in his truck and use the air horn- much excitement over that. Once they're done smooting out the garage floor, they're going to come and get us so that the boys can write their names in the floor before it hardens. They think that is pretty darn cool.

Well, both boys are standing in their swimsuits looking at me and waiting for me to go to the pool with them and watch them swim. Will blog more later- and to anyone who e-mailed me in the last week- once I'm done downloading my 137 messages- on dial-up- which will probably take days, hours- several minutes even... I will respond.

Heading Home

I'm sitting in the Vancouver airport, marvelling, as I sometimes do, at what technology allows us to do. Wireless internet, for example, pretty much baffles me. If we could see all the messages and information flying around in the air everywhere, it would be insane.

The conference went great. In the end, the media went very well, and everyone seemed pleased with the work we did. We have already been invited back next year- a convenient thing, as the convention is in Charlottetown and we will make a family vacation out of it. We will get to enjoy the Charlottetown Canada Day fireworks, a lobster supper, and much to Eric's dismay, Anne of Green Gables- I think the boys would enjoy it. And I'm sure the golf clubs will need to be packed as well.

The conference also grew a desire that I've had for some time now, which is to go on a family missions trip. It won't happen for a year or two, as we want the boys to be older (found out that E has been thinking of this too), but what an experience it would be. We really connected with a missionary who just got back from 4 1/2 years in Taiwan, and we both feel that this may be where we are supposed to go for some short-term missions. Our lifestyle really allows for something like this- E working on his own could go away for a while and still have a job when he got back, and the boys would not be missing out on school. Who knows when it would happen, but the possibility is exciting. We'll see what God does with it.

Also I am really looking forward to getting back home and having a coffee with DL over the possibility of working with her on some things. It really answers the prayer of my needing a "break" from home- one day a week- it allows me to serve where I've been wanting to for some time and haven't seen the doors open, and it will free up DL to take some things where she's been wanting to take them. We've e-mailed a bit about it during my trip here, and are both looking forward to the other's ideas and perspective on it.

And now I find my thoughts turning to tomorrow. I packed for the canoe trip before we left for Vancouver, and now I have no idea what exactly I packed. I hope I remembered everything, as I am not about to take it all out again to check. It was hard enough to get in that bag- I'm not taking it out until I have to. The weekend will be fun- last year I was scared to death, until we actually dipped, and I realized that I was not going to drown and leave my children motherless. I also found that I was physically up to it, despite my fears in that regard. I have heard since the men's trip this year that the water is substantially higher than it was last year this time, so I know that we will probaby be going for a swim again. I just hope the weather's warm enough that we dry off fairly quickly after we dump.

In celebration of my 100th blog

I have been inspired by my sister to write a second blog today. I won't write (not today anyway) how much I think of my parents, as it would be redundant to her blog, as my sentiments are the same. It has gotten me thinking, though, of the little snippets of childhood memories that are interwoven with my parents.

Things I remember of my childhood...

- catching fireflies on the golf course in PEI with dad.
- learning the gift of hospitality every time mom got me to serve punch at the dinner parties.
- sharing brownies and ice cream with two spoons, usually called "chocolate explosion" or something like that, with dad
- digging holes in the sand and seeing how long it would take to hit water.
- being taught to sew, knit, crossed-stitch, you name it, by mom.
- being allowed to navigate in downtown Boston traffic with no questions asked.
- being allowed to lead the way through airports even when they knew I was going the wrong way.
- listening to mom and dad play bridge with the nickersons while I was pretending to sleep in Brudenell.
- being allowed to watch TV when I was home from school and really sick and being made to stay in bed when I was faking it.
- dad sitting in his chair at Christmas, making sure the star on the tree was facing him just right.
- being made to go places and, as mom promised, having fun once I got there.
- dad driving around Orlando after dark trying to find a hotel with a pool for us after he had already driven for 12 hours.
- mom sticking up for me when my big brother thought I was just in the way. (and I probably was)
- dad letting me drive his Lincoln to the prom
- mom and I making strawberry jam- my job was skimming the scum off the top
- dad letting me stay up late to watch 1/2 of the dukes of hazard, and telling me I could stay up until the end of the 1/2 of my choice.
- doing jigsaw puzzles with dad while listening to the gatlin brothers (all the gold in california....)
- doing the middle of the puzzle with mom behind dad's back, knowing we'd get caught later.

Learning to be flexible

Well, yesterday went pretty well, I think. No one has told me that I'm not allowed to work the computer today, anyway, so I guess that's a good sign. I managed to handle the powerpoint presentations that were handed to me AFTER the session had already started. That's always a scary thing, as there was no time to test it out, so I had to pray that it would work. And downloading stuff onto the computer while trying to keep up with the other video clips and song lyrics at the same time is always interesting. But it came off without a hitch in the afternoon session.

My only challenge was the song lyrics- I have realized just how very spoiled I am with the worship team that we have. For one thing, we actually know the songs that we are singing. Ugh. No I know that every band will not always do a song in the same order that they had planned, but it makes it really interesting when they skip around, and I can't understand what they're singing to skip to that same slide because they're so unsure of themselves. Add to that my computer software's peculiar tendency to switch the slide orders from time to time, and it kept me on my toes finding the right ones. Oh, and then there was the time that the leader verbally cued one line, saying "from age to age", and then immediately singing a completely different verse ("Name above all names")- go figure. And then there was the song they stuck in at the last minute and didn't bother to tell me about. Fortunately I found it in the list about half way through the first slide and was able to throw it up there. But in the end, I don't think many people noticed my quandry, which is exactly what I want. My job is to go totally unnoticed up there. It's only when things go wrong, that I am paid any attention to.

So today it's another morning session (with a different worship team, I believe- could be interesting), and then we have the afternoon off. Not sure what we'll do- but R, E, and I have plans to do a little sightseeing. The last session is tonight (which the sound guy warns me could be full of fun and interesting things for me) and then we fly out mid-morning tomorrow.

Oh, and before I forget- happy 4th of July, goaliemom :)

Bee, the media chick

So I'm in the media booth at the conference burning some DVDs. With the new computer, which I am learning to hate a little less, there is a huge learning curve this weekend, but I think D will be happy at the little tricks I have learned this weekend. Yes, D, I can finally play videos on a Sunday morning- and yes, even WINDOWS videos. There will be much rejoicing.

Went to see the ocean last night- E had to stay at the conference and do some filming, so he gave permission to R to take me out on a date. We went to White Rock, a beach not too far from here, and I got my first smell of salt air in way too long. Walked along the boardwalk and then out on the pier, and had supper at a little beachside restaurant. Got to look at both the ocean and the mountains while eating the best clam chowder I think I've ever had, and had my first Corona. This has been quite a journey- E has been trying for a long time to find a beer I like. I have always thought it pretty disgusting stuff and didn't know that I would ever enjoy one. E said I needed to try a Corona- that I would like it. So I thought- what better time to try a Corona than on a balcony at a seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean. I have to say I was VERY surprised to find it really quite good! E was happy to hear that at long last there is a beer that we will be able to enjoy together. I, for one, don't see what the big deal was, but at least I found something to enjoy.

R and I had some great chats during our dinner- about E and I, about church, and about some exciting possibilities for ministry for me. Don't know if anything will come of it yet, but if it does it will be an answer to prayer for E and I, and for R and D as well. Can't say more right now, but I am excited about the possibilities.

Well, the DVDs I was burning are done, so I need to go and do some more actual work and earn my keep. Am very nervous, and hope I don't screw things up and can earn my keep. We want them to invite us out to next year's conference, which happens to be in PEI. Would be very fun to make a vacation out of it, take the boys and visit the family. We had planned to do that this year, but our summer got a wee bit derailed back in Feb.

Speaking of which, I am excited to go home at the end of the week and see how the place looks different- they are supposed to be backfilling it today and starting on framing tomorrow. So exciting.

And now back to my role as Bee, the media chick.

the unknown

I have no idea what today will hold. We are at the disposal of convention staff, helping out wherever we can. The conference doesn't actually start until tonight, so there'll be lots of setup and last minute computer work today to get everything ready. Our flight and hotel have been paid, so we want to make sure we "earn our keep" and do the fantastic job everyone is expecting us to do.

Vancouver is a pretty city. I think it just about has it all. The beauty of the mountains, and you still get to enjoy the ocean (the one thing I miss in Ontario). If it weren't for the rain 360 days of the year, I'd be tempted to live here.

Well, it's off to reintroduce ourselves to the CCSB folks who are having breakfast and don't seem to remember us. Gotta push that shy hubby of mine into taking the lead and introducing us. That's always a little bit fun for me as I don't have to say a word- I just give him that grin and I know he knows exactly what I'm thinking. "OK honey- time to do the head of the family thing that you are learning to do so well" tee hee.

Jet Lag

We're in Vancouver now. And I'm tired- I've been up for over 20 hours. Woke up at 5 this morning, and now it's 1:10 am on Monday, Ontario time. Need to get to bed pronto so I won't be useless tomorrow. I went without caffeine all last week and did fine- think I'll be making up for that this week.

Nighty night.