Christmas Picture

Just a cute picture I had of Stephen and I at my ESTI Staff Christmas Party this past weekend. Lots of fun...quite entertaining!

And then there was Christmas

It sure has been awhile since I have posted on here. I suppose I haven't really had anything significant to post about, or for that matter anything that I really felt I needed to talk about to the whole world.
These past few weeks have been incredibly crazy. Stephen's family came to visit and we had a lot of fun, although the visit was short. This weekend I had both of my work Christmas Parties, which turned out to be quite eventful. It sure was nice to get them both over with back to back, but with that said I wasn't dreading them in the least. They always prove to be a great time, with lots of laughs and good food and some wierd Christmas games. There are some pictures of me and my friend Sharee at the Scotts Parable Christian Stores Christmas Party (I don't have any pictures of my first Christmas party with ESTI).
Also, we finally bought our very first Christmas tree this past weekend and set it up and decorated it! It proved to be quite fun and really made it feel like our own little Christmas. Although the tree needs some work with decorations, I think that will come as the years go by. I am looking forward to some day having children and putting up the homemade Christmas ornaments of toilet paper rolls, popcorn, beads on pipe cleaners, and best of all popsicle stick figures! The only downer with our Christmas tree is....its fake. I know this will be horrifying for some of you, and for others it won't matter at all because in fact, most of you might just own a fake tree. We debated about the "tree issue" for quite some time. We came to the conclusion that trying to get a real tree down in our basement and THEN back up would be just too much for us. I think for myself, buying a real tree seems unheard of in my books. When I was growing up in BC, in my elementary years, the tradition in my house was to go and cut down our own tree. We made it an all day event, and travelled up into the mountains with the 4x4 to find the perfect tree. I can recall many stories of almost getting stuck in all of the snow! So...to be buying a tree all wrapped up and perfect looking just doesn't seem right. But then on the other hand, buying a fake one seems even more wrong! I guess I'll just have to live with the guilt all Christmas and go out to WalMart and buy a evergreen air freshner and plug it in near the tree. That solves most of my problems:)

New beginnings

Isn't that what life is about? New beginnings...second chances. God's grace at work in our lives. It is amazing how he knows all things and orchestrates all things. He believes in new beginnings, and hopes for them in our lives.
This past weekend was a new beginning for myself and my family. For the first time in my life, I met my Dad's father, my Grandpa. For my own Dad, it was the first time he had seen his own father in 23 years. My Grandpa George is now 67 years old, and has just moved this past September from NovaScotia to Alberta, with the help of my Uncle Bob. My Dad's parents were divorced when he was quite young, about 12 years of age. Since that time, my Dad has only made contact with his own Father a few times. Those few times were also accidents I believe. There were many hard feelings, and hurts and bad memories about my Grandpa.
It truly is a miracle from God that they met for the first time in 23 years this weekend. God is so good. He is the healer and the restorer. To be able to watch my father interact with his own father and share interests that they probably never knew they had, made my heart fill with joy! They were able to start some new memories this weekend, ones that hopefully will prevail over the old ones. We know that this isn't a drastic change, and that hurts are still being healed, but our family is so excited.
Grandpa is a wonderful man, and funny enough, reminds us exactly of Dad!
It was fun to get to know Grandpa. After all these years, we all realized we had been missing out on a lot!
When God is able to release us from the fear that binds us, and we are able to let it go and move forward, he wants to and does do amazing things.
I am excited and look forward to being able to spend more time with my new Grandpa. I think our entire family feels that way.

let it snow...let it snow..let it snow

Give it a week and this is what it is going to be like...for the next 5 months!

So as I look out my window here at work, millions and trillions of little snowflakes are falling down from the sky. And they seem to be getting bigger and bigger...which isn't a good sign. Today the forecast says "isolated flurries". I wasn't sure exactly what that meant until last year when I asked my mother. Snow falls in only certain areas, and sometimes harder than others. Apparently all the snow is falling in MY isolated area, because there sure seems to be a lot of it!
It hasn't yet begun to stick to the ground. The flakes thankfully fall and then dissapear, but let me tell you...that won't last for long. One long pause away from the window and then I look back and somehow a whole 5 cm is on the ground.
Every year I anticpate our winter, and every year I am so unprepared when that first snow fall hits. It is like my hearts sinks to my knees when I see mounds and mounds of snow on the ground. (just a little update...the flakes are gigantic now! And yup, as I predicted, they are starting to stick to the ground.)
But I also realize how beauitful the snow is. It really is amazing how God created it. No two snowflakes are alike. I suppose I need to keep telling myself that there is beauty in ALL of God's creation...even in the stuff that I think is cold and icy! Even though snow can be such a pain to shovel, to scrap off your car when it is wet and frozen, or a pain to drive in...I can still think it is beauitful and thank God for it. (But man...I am gonna need some serious help because right now I could cry! One minute its beauitful the next it is snowing gigantic balls of ice!)

So in love...

I just came across this picture of Stephen and I on the computer and felt compelled to post it. One of our favorite things to do is take pictures in photobooths. Speaking of that...I think it has been long overdue since we last stepped into one. That will have to go on my list of to do's this weekend when he comes home to me!

I just looked at the picture and realized again why I love this man so much! I realize when he is gone how much I have learnt to work with him and need him as my other half. I love how he makes me laugh and how he can make me smile like no one else.

I guess I'm just really in love:)