10 Days

Yup, that's right. We are almost into single digits until I am on a plane, bound for Abbotsford. The emotions are definitely mixed. As I had my bff's out at the cabin yesterday for the day, it hit me that it's going to be a year before we get to do this again. That makes me sad.

I have no intentions in crying while writing this post, so, moving on. 

I have had a number of people ask me if I was going to be blogging, etc while away. The answer is YES. However, I have created a new blog for my year away. I will be keeping this updated as well, but a majority of the postings will be on the new blog. 

Check out the new blog here:

Under Open Skies

Tea Time

I just spent a very lovely afternoon with 3 fantastic ladies. Heidi, Ella, Sophie and I made our way out to Captain Kennedy's Tea House for lunch as a last horrah before I leave on Trek. It was a lovely afternoon eating amazing, yummy food and walking the grounds. It had been a long time since I had been there and I had forgotten how beautiful it was.

 Gotta love the beautiful tea cups.

There is something so elegant about drinking tea from a cup like this.

 On my plate would be a fresh blueberry scone with coddled cream and raspberry jam.

One word... Devine

 Thank you ladies for a lovely afternoon. I am so glad we had the chance to spend time together. Today will definitely be a repeat upon my return home next summer!

17

17. That is the magic number of days I have left in Winnipeg. Does that seem at all unfathomable to anyone else? My days are currently filled with list making, organizing papers and bank accounts, packing up my personal contents for both storage and the next 10 months. There are last minute appointments I need to make. I am trying to squeeze in as many clients as I can over the next 2 weeks and most importantly, I am soaking up the time I have left with family and friends. Looking ahead at the next few weeks, I am currently scheduling my life by the hour. Sleep has become minimal as I lay awake going over my "To Do" list in my head over and over.

My heart is anxious and excited to just begin this new journey. It's been talked about for months and now, with only 2 1/2 weeks to go until I leave, it seems a tad surreal. My heart is ready to be stretched and challenged and I am excited to meet passionate and beautiful men and women of God. I am ready to make my way out to BC. I must admit, the change of pace will be nice and I will joyfully celebrate the day when I no longer have To Do lists running through my head at warp speed.

*For the record, I realize that me leaving also means that I will be needing to say some temporary goodbyes and for that, I am not excited.

In an effort to keep myself in a somewhat sane space, I am devoting this evening to quality me time. The family has made their way out to the cabin (I have to work tomorrow morning, so I will head out after that) and I have the house to myself - something I am going to be soaking up before. The weather has very quickly become humid and stormy outside. The rain is pelting against the windows and the constant tapping has quickly become comforting. I have blueberry muffins baking in the oven. "Sister Act 2" is playing on the TV (don't judge - it's a great movie). The cat is peacefully snoozing beside me. And I am enjoying a lovely glass of Relax wine. It is my definition of a perfect evening. My guess is that I won't have many of these evenings ahead of me in the next 10 months, so I am making the most of tonight.

Happy Weekending.

Backstreet's Back....

Alright!!!!

Who: Aimee, Heidi, Toni and Kara

When: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Where: The MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

What: Backstreet Boys Concert - This is Us tour

BSB fans forever

 We have been fans since 1996 - we were in grade 6.

It was a night to remember...Ahhhh!! Complete bliss. And no, that is not an exaggeration. The boys put on a fabulous show for their die hard fans and we went away, far from being disappointed (well, maybe Toni was a little disappointed - it wasn't her favorite concert ever, but she was definitely a good sport).

 if only I was cute and sitting right by the stage, maybe I could have gone ON the stage with Brian!!!! Maybe next time.

 I  HEART A.J.

Aimee and I may have had sore throats the next morning due to our incessant screaming and singing, but it was soooooo worth it.

Next time the boys come to town, Aimee and I decided we would pay for the $100 seats - definitely worth getting a rose and an up close view of our favorite boys.

These boys will always have my heart :)

Thanks for a night to remember boys (and ladies).

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

It's been a good summer thus far. I can't believe it's already half over! One of the highlights of the summer has been spending time with Aimee and Hayley. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am beyond blessed with amazing girlfriends!

Last weekend, Aimee, Hayley and myself ventured out to my cabin for the day. The weather was perfect...30 degrees and sunny - not a cloud in the sky, which also made the water a beautiful temperature. 

*Note - most of the pictures we took are of Hayley cuz let's face it, she is much cuter to photograph than ourselves :)

A stop off at Starbucks is a MUST before heading out on any sort of road trip. We teach this to our children at a young age.

*disclaimer - don't worry, Hayley's drink was only water :)

Hayley L-O-V-E-D the water!

...she just wasn't so sure about sitting in the sand

Peek!

The day together was perfect. We are definitely planning on doing this again before the summer ends. Cheers to summer and a few more weekends at the cabin ahead of us!

T - 38 Days

It seems somewhat surreal to think that in 5 weeks, I will be leaving the known and familiar for a new adventure. It has been amazing how things have fallen into place and I am being blessed by people's generosity. The more I think about how these past few months and how everything has come together - big and little things, I find myself with more confidence and peace that this is where God is sending me to journey. That in itself has been incredibly freeing and life-giving through the moments of utter fear and apprehension as I question things sometimes.

One of the neat things I have experienced over the last few weeks is the reaction of clients as I have filled them in on my plans for the fall. Every single client has been amazingly supportive and excited for me as I venture out on my own for a few months. Many have let me know that they will be disappointed not to have my hands working on them over the next year (apparently I'm good at what I do!), but they will be eagerly awaiting my return and have wished me nothing but joy. Talk about affirmation and support.

I've been contemplating over the last little while, especially this last week, what it is that I am hoping to gain from this year ahead. Summing up my hopes and expectations in one or two points is hard. I guess my prayer for the year is that I would learn and experience what trusting God in all circumstances looks like and that I would gain a huge love for the people around me. There will no doubt be challenging times throughout Trek. There will probably be people that drive me crazy, moments when all I want to do is be in the comfort of my own bed, days of missing the familiar - family and friends and I will be stretched and grown in all sorts of ways, which won't always be easy. Despite all of these things that I know will come up, I want this year not to be just be about me experiencing a new culture and seeing the world, but when I look back I want to be able to confidently say that God and I have grown closer together because I was able to trust His leading and provision over my life and that I would be able to extend the same grace and love that God so willingly lavishes upon me to teammates and people I will be ministering to. As I reflect throughout the months, I am going to be asking myself if I am staying true to these two things - am I trusting God and am I loving people unconditionally?

My date of departure is September 7. I have a hunch that the next few weeks are going to fly by - far quicker than I want them to sometimes. In the meantime I am spending copious amounts of time with friends and family, soaking up what's left of summer and days at the cabin. A definite perk to being in Abbotsford for 8 weeks is being able to spend some time with Kristy, Graham, Norah and the baby. I will be heading out a few days before Trek starts to enjoy time with them and I couldn't be more excited. 

Please continue to pray for me over the next 5 weeks as I continue to get ready to leave. There are still numerous items left on my to do list, but I am already learning what it means to rely on God - not just for the big things, but for the little things too!

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Manitoba Summer

"If you're not from the prairie, 

you don't know the sun,

you can't know the sun.

Diamonds that bounce off crisp winter snow

warm waters in dugouts and lakes that we know.

The sun is our friend from when we are young,

a child of the prairie is part of the sun.

If you're not from the prairie,

you don't know the sun.

If you're not from the prairie,

you don't know the sky,

you can't know the sky.

The bold prairie sky is clear, bright and blue

though sometimes cloud messages give us a clue.

 

 Monstrous grey mushrooms can hint of a storm

or painted pink feathers say goodbye to the warm.

If you're not from the prairie,

you don't know the sky."

*poem taken from David Bouchard's book entitled "If you're not from the prairie"