Quiz time

[A is for age]: 25
[B is for booze of choice]: Strongbow.
[C is for career:] Executive Directors Assistant, so basically office admin stuff.
[D is for your dog's name:] My mum has a dog called Millie, but we used to have a very adorable Border Terrier cross Lakeland called Brandy, but we had to put him down when I was 15 cos he went senile.
[E is for essential items you use everyday:] Shower gel, toothpaste & brush, hair brush, clothes, deoderant, moisturiser.
[F is for favorite song(s) at the moment:] Spies by Coldplay, I'm not ashamed of the Gospel by Deliriou5?, Please forgive me by David Gray, Discotheque by U2, Destiny by Zero7, Honest questions by Daniel Bedingfield, Peace of Me by Natasha Bedingfield.. I could go on but think you'd get bored.
[G is for favorite games:] Monopoly, Full House, Dutch Blitz, Skip-bo, Extreme Uno, Rumoli, The Bean Game.
[H is for hometown:] In Canada it is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In the UK it is Eaglescliffe, Teesside, North East England.
[I is for instruments you play:] I used to play the violin, piano and percussion
[J is for jam or jelly you like:] My Grandma Jennings' strawberry jam was the best, nothing else will ever taste as good as hers.
[K is for kids:] Eventually.
[L is for last kiss:] This morning when I dropped Lindsay off at work.
[M is for most admired trait:] In me or in others? In others it's definately honesty.
[N is for name of your crush:] Lindsay Scott Unger, I have absolutely no qualms about saying that I have a HOT husband, hot, hot, hot, he's a hottie! It's very simple.
[O is for overnight hospital stays:] None that I can remember.
[P is for phobias:] Spiders.
[Q is for quotes you like:] "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!" Monty Python's Life of Brian. "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life, no-one comes to The Father except through me." Jesus Christ.
[R is for biggest regret:] Putting my BIG FAT FOOT continuously in my mouth.
[S is for sweets of your choice:] Galazy chocolate, Fruit Gums, Milky bar, Black bullets.
[T is for time you wake up:] Between 6.20am & 6.45am depending on if I hear L get up.
[U is for underwear:] I have plenty thanks.
[V is for vegetables you love:] Freshly podded pea's, corn on the cob, peppers, mushrooms, courgette (zuchini), garlic, onions.
[W is for worst habit:] I don't even want to admit what it is thank you.
[X is for x-rays you've had:] Mouth, head (when I slid on the ice... ON MY FACE)
[Y is for yummy food you make:] Roast chicken dinner, Toad in the hole, potato wedges, Crunchy Cream with Bailey's in a meringue nest.
[Z is for zoo's:] Apparently I've been to London zoo, but I don't remember it cos I was a baby.

Another retreat

So I was in Manitoba last Wednesday to Friday on a work retreat. It was OK, just a lot of travelling for the amount of time. But it was good to meet other YFC staff.
We babysat Daniel and Steven during the day on Saturday, that's always fun. Then went over to Randy & Andrea's in the evening to drink their home made wine, and play Scene It & Sequence.
Sunday was a really lazy day where we really didn't do too much apart from just being together, then we headed over to Wes & Diane's for the evening for Wes' birthday, we ate chinese and had an ice cream cake for dessert, it was great, I love hanging out at their place. Wes & Lindsay were meant to be watching the NFL game but got distracted by Daniel wanting to play XBox, so I think they only got to watch half an hour at the most. What a shame.

Things to look forward to this week:
Lunch with Kristin & Melissa.
Life group at ours tonight.
CATCHING UP WITH TANYA...missed ya!
Yoga Tuesday night.
Phil & Shelly's wedding Saturday.
Hanging out with friends Sunday afternoon.

Great weekend

We had a great weekend. Friday night we stayed in and just watched a movie, and snuggled, it was great, I love just vegging out with my husband, he's so goofy, he makes me laugh until my stomach hurts.... just around me though... no one else.

Saturday me & Tanya went to our ball class at the gym, fun but definately harder this week (or are we just out of shape again??).
Then me & Linds went shopping. Now there is something about my husband I need to explain here. He is very picky about clothing, I very rarely will just randomly buy him something unless I am ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that he will like it, because it will go back faster than you will believe. Shirts are the worst, no stripes, no patterns, no checks... NOTHING, or pretty much nothing. So you can understand why I almost fainted on Saturday when he picked out a STRIPED shirt, I was ecstatic! And he looks pretty hot in it to boot. So he got a new Gap shirt and Gap jeans, he looked mighty fine when we went out that night.
Talking of going out that night... we were taken to The Keg for dinner on Saturday night. For Brits back home it's like being taken to Chadwick's in Yarm. So yeah, we have some awesome friends who took us out for a EXTREMELY good dinner. I had an 8oz steak, rolled in pecans with goats cheese, with red wine and shallot sauce, accompanied by garlic mash and sauteed mushrooms. I was in heaven. Afterwards we went to a friends h0use and finished the night playing this hilarious game called Apples to Apples (I think), it was an awesome evening.

Sunday I was in the baby nursery, and we were rushed off our feet let me tell you. We had Landon and.... that was it, just Landon, and he is ADORABLE. So yeah, that was easy and very fun. Then we went for church lunch to Moxie's, and I had the Western Veggie burger, which tastes SO GOOD! Then in the evening we went with some friends to Jerry's for some gelato. So I got to eat some awesome food this weekend.

Surprise lunch date

My good friend Rochelle called me at 11am this morning to as if I was available to go to lunch with her, and I was very pleased to say yes. When she got here I discoved that she had never been to Keo's, so we went there, such a hardship.....NOT! I love the food there, it actually rivals my affections for Ding Dongs.

Sorry T, that's twice I've been there without you. And the girl there is starting to remember what we order!!! Last week Kristin ordered the green curry and she thought I was the one that always ordered that, and today she was like "isn't this the second time this week (that you've been here)" and I was like "no, but I was here late last week". She's getting used to us;-)

It's tagging time again

7 Things I would like to do before I die:
1. Have children
2. Go back to Greece
3. Visit Italy
4. See the mountains
5. Visit my brothers house
6. Go on a cruise
7. Spend a week in the Lake District

7 Things I can't do (yet):
1. Speak a foreign language
2. Draw or paint
3. Give up my bad habits
4. Forgive the way I know I should
5. Sports
6. Keep my house tidy
7. Impressions

7 Things that attract me to Blogging:
1. People from home being able to have a more intimate view of my everyday life.
2. Being able to put my thoughts down, and make more sense of them.
3. Share exciting thoughts when I have them.
4. Share photo's with family from home.
5. People being able to leave comments on what they think.
6. I love reading other people's (I'm nosy)
7. It's interesting to read what you were thinking a year ago.

7 Things I say most often:
1. I love you!
2. I miss you!
3. Have a good day!
4. Sweety, can you ....?
5. Good Morning/Good Afternoon Youth For Christ.
6. That boy!
7. Hey handsome.

7 Books I love:
1. Mark of the Lion series - Francine Rivers
2. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
3. Katherine - Anya Seton
4. The Belgaraid & Mallorean series - David Eddings
5. Anything by Terry Pratchet
6. Harry Potter books
7. The Bible of course

7 Movies I watch Over and Over:
1. The Sound of Music
2. Elizabeth
3. Grease
4. 10 Things I Hate About You
5. Cinderella
6. The Matrix
7. Gone With The Wind

7 People I want to join in too (you've been tagged!):
1. Tanya Lemke
2. Mark Tuma
3. Helen Boutell
4. Allison Longueil
5. Nevada McKenzie
6. John Benton
7. Helen Varley

Musing

I'm crabby today.

My face is starting to hurt... My sinus' are playing up again... They haven't done this in quite a while so I guess I shouldn't be to annoyed... But I DON'T like being sick, I don't want another stupid infection... I guess I'll just have to wait and see...

My head is so fussy today, I keep getting distracted. But I did start thinking over a converstion I had a while back with some friends, we were sharing... hurts, relationships, frustrations. I remember being surprised with a comment about insecurities, how we hurt others because/through our insecurities. We feel insecure so we lash out or draw inside ourselves or say hurtful words, all in protection, but we hurt those around us, those who want to love us, care for us. We are so scared of opening up ourselves to the love others can give us and that we can give, because when we open ourselves up like that we lay ourselves open also to being hurt. Is it better to keep ourselves locked inside ourselves rather than risk getting hurt? Do I keep my mouth shut because I'm scared of rejection? Why am I scared of sharing my feelings with my friends?

I really do need to spend more time with my bible and in prayer, God may not tell me all the answers I long to hear, but I may stop being so paranoid and scared. And hopefully I'll stop hurting those around me.

The aftermath

Well the busy family season is over, it was great fun but tiring, I'm hoping next year that it will be a little more spread out.

I got some great pressies, english show DVD's, foot spa, England football shirt for me, Newcastle United football shirt for Lindsay, board games, hair straightners... the list goes on, I was very happy, we were well and truly blessed by loved ones this year.

Steven and Daniel were entertaining as ever during the holidays, I think Daniel was sick of getting bugged by his aunt and uncle by the 27th. And I heard funny stories of Ben from Mum and Bob. I even got to have a short conversation with him on Jan 2nd after I heard Bob asking him who went away on big aeroplanes 'Aunty Ciss Daddy', telling me he had 'cars Aunty Ciss' when prompted by Marie-Ann about his Christmas presents from 'Granny English' (my Mum). I miss watching him grow up, but am glad that Bob and Marie-Ann talk with him about us, and show him pictures. I'm looking forward to the longer conversations with him when he is older.

New Years was fun at Ryan & Allisons, I LOVE how pregnant Al is beginning to look. I am so excited for her, she is just GLOWING!

And Julie (L's cousin)& Gerrard are visiting from Ireland right now, showing off Oscar (who is adorable!). We got to have breakfast with them and some of the Unger family on News Years Eve, and we're hoping to see them Sunday evening too.

Back at work now, I'm bracing myself for the onslaught of preperations for Calbreak and our annual banquet. We're so busy here... and I remember getting so stressed Feb/Mar time last year, please pray for me, I stress out far too easily and I need to learn to control it, because otherwise I LOVE this job. And please continue to pray for Youth For Christ as a whole, remember the bigger picture, we yearn to bring Christ's light in to these young peoples lives, and to help equip them to love and serve others. I know that I can feel so unworthy, and I know that as a team sometimes we can all feel so inadequate of the task that God has given us, pray we lean on Him and not ourselves, that we are drawn closer to Him and in that process draw others closer too.

Along the lines of loving my Saviour, I am rereading the Mark of the Lion series written by Francine Rivers and encourage you to read these books. They are just inspirational. Set in the Roman Empire they are a story about new Christians, and the persecution they endured at that time. AWESOME! SERIOUSLY! How fresh Jesus was in their minds, and how new the scriptures were. They had men in their midsts who had walked with Christ. It shows how turbulent those times were, how being a christian was seen as being offensive to society, they fed our brothers and sisters in Christ to Lions as sport. My heart breaks reading this fiction that was inspired by true stories from those times. Read them, Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. And then ask yourself, how much do I love my saviour? Enough to die? Enough to love my enemy? Enough to live with less comfort to feed others? Are we, as THE church, the family of Christ, truly loving Jesus and serving Him faithfully or are we just giving lip service? Are we truly loving and serving each other and those in our communities? I'm praying we are ... and then some. And if we're not I'm praying for hearts, eyes and ears to be opened to those whom Jesus loves... the whole world... are we ready?

3 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS

SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!!! God has been really talking with me about His miracles, and Christmas is a HUGE one. He was a BABY, I know I've said this a lot to some people recently, but have we really grasped this. God was a BABY, God the almighty, powerful, majestic, was a BABY. He reduced Himself to this defenceless child, all because He LOVES us. I am SO unworthy, and even though I am VERY grateful, I know I can never be grateful enough, can never do enough, which makes His love so much more.... so big, so huge, so unexplainable. How I love Him.

On to the trivial...

Can you over sleep. Really... can you sleep too much? I love it, sleep is so good, I really do love my nice warm, comfy bed! Last night was great, I stumbled up to my bed just before 8.45pm, and was asleep AT 8.45pm. I'm such an old granny.

So me & Tanya exchanged gifts last night ... she got me a YOGA MAT. I was so excited, no more doing yoga with my bare feet on the freezing cold gym floor! No more downward dog with my hands going numb! So now I just need to buy one of those gym exercise balls (it's a big ball that you do exercises with, and you can sit on and get good posture) to take to my Saturday class.


Back to the not so trivial:
I have just been talking with one of my colleagues, and I really feel the need for prayer. We have a young man, who has been blessed since September by being able to attend a christian boarding school. Now before this school, he really struggled with attendance (skipped school a LOT) and passing his classes. Since he has been there he has been flourishing, he has passed his classes, and it has made a huge difference to him and his relationship with God. Unfortunately his mum has been made redundant, and now if he wants to continue his schooling at this school, he needs to fundraise $3500. Please could you pray for this situation, and if you can help, please contact me.

Dan the man, spinning his discs (he's actually really good!) 

Daniel (don't we have the cutest nephews??) 

Me & Steven 

Ryan bashing pumpkins @ Pumpkin Smash 

Daryl being a goof again 

My Bro and Ben 

Sad times

My Grandma died on the 3rd of December so I flew home on the 4th. Last week was a busy week, I didn't really have time to notice jet lag, we had too much to sort out. The Funeral went as well as it could, with lots of good memories being shared, and I heard things that I never knew about my Grandparents, which was great. Grandma was 88, and had lived a good long life. She will be remembered for her wonderful cooking, her letter writing, her knitting, her clothes making and the very funny cute little gesture she did where she would breathe 'Oh' and put her finger just in front of her mouth, I doubt she even realised she was doing it half the time, she did it when we told her we were getting married, and when Bob & Marie-Ann told her they were going to have a baby, they were the major times I remember her doing it.
During that week I did get the opportunity to see/contact some friends, not as many as I would have liked, but then things were manic. So I was blessed with a good long chat with my best friend Hannah who I miss so much, and went for drinks with some of the lads from church (which only really happened because Lee was on MSN one night and he rounded the others up for me). And I got to spend some time with my Dad.
Understandabley I was very excited to spend some time with my nephew Ben, in his 23months alive, this was the second time that I saw him. He is SO MUCH FUN! And he has a very cute irish accent. So I stocked up on cuddles and giggles, enough to see me thru to May.
Please remember my family in your prayers this Christmas as we miss the presence of loved ones.

Snowflakes

Winter is definately not my favourite time of year, infact it really is my LEAST favourite. I DO NOT LIKE the slippy icy roads, how cold it gets, or the possibility of frozen fingers/toes/noses etc.... BUT I do snowflakes, not piled high at the side of the road, but when it drifts down and lands on the windscreen, where you can actually see the beautiful pattern on it, Gods own personal lace. I love how He does that, makes something that will melt eventually, in a second or in a month, but works on it to give it the exquisite detail it has. SO BEAUTIFUL! How can we doubt Him, His heart, His very existence when there is so much beauty, so much detail, the fact our very planet is in harmony the way it is. How seeds become trees, how there is night and day. how our bodies even know how to work. The miracle of a baby! I can NOT doubt when I really think of all the wonders there are in every day life, and to think He LOVES ME!!! WOW! I can't wait for Christmas, to celebrate how He sent His Son, who would give His all for us.

All praise to Jesus, our Redeemer. All Honour, power and glory to His Father who is the Mighty Judge. My Father I love you.

It's my day off

I love when you get to take a day off. And it's OK to not do much. Today I have lots to do, but all fun stuff so that's OK. I'm meeting Melissa for lunch at Ding Dongs....YAY, the food is SO GOOD there. Then we are going shopping for christmas pressies. Tonight I have the gym, then a PartyLite party at Allisons. All FUN.
Monday Gil, James, Daryl, Tim & I travelled down to Regina to help with the Regina YFC banquet. Boy was that a long day, but it was really good. Tyson, Gil & James really shared their passion and vision for YFC and what YFC can bring to Regina, and people seriously seemed excited about this ministry, it was great.
Tuesday night was meant to be Yoga, but as I was rushing to get to my car to go pick up Tanya and Erica, I slipt on some steps and whacked my shin and knee. I put lots of cold stuff from the freezer on to my leg for the rest of the night, so up until now there hasn't been too much bruising, but it's starting to show thru now. It's fairly sore to say the least.
I'm in the middle of reading a couple of books which is weird for me, I prefere to read one thing at a time normally, but I'm reading War and Peace, which you need to be patient with. And Gil gave us an assignment at work to read a book from a list he had put together, so I am also reading The Sacred Romance, which is really making me think...not sure how to put my thoughts in to words right now, but watch this space.

New beginnings and slow finishes

It is the morning of Uncle Art's wedding. At 4pm his wedding to Hertha will start. I'm quite looking forward to it, Art is a really lovely man, and always makes me laugh, it should be a fun wedding.

But, I started my day on the phone to my Mum. My Grandma had a stroke on Wednesday and I've been waiting for news about what is actually happening. My Mum tried to explain things to me, but I don't really understand much of it, I'm just glad that Mum understands it, being a nurse is helpful in these situations.
It was only a mild stroke, but my Grandma is 88 years old so we'll just have to wait and see how badly this has effected her. So Grandma is in North Tees, and it sounds like she may be there for quite a while depending on her progress and if they can find a suitable facility that has room for her. Her dementia got hugely worse after the stroke, Mum says that she doesn't always recognise her, and she doesn't recognise Sue (my sister) at all. It's pretty heartbreaking. When she talks you can never tell if she is thinking of now, or if she thinks its still the war.
My Grandma has been slowly drifting away from us, I am praying that the Lord will grant her some peace and rest soon, however He sees fit. My family would really appreciate prayer on this. Thanks.

Being lazy

I really can be so lazy, I haven't blogged because I AM LAZY!!!

Anyways, I went on my church's womens retreat the other weekend, it was so good. Very relaxing. Just like last year, God met us, brought things together how He wanted them. I love God, He never ceases to amaze me, I am so in AWE of Him. There are so many things he could chastise me for, but He is gentle and forgiving. He sent us a Saviour, sent us His son, and yet we can be so ungrateful, I can be so ungrateful.
But yes, the womens retreat was wonderful, lots of praise, love, games, and new friendships made. Awesome.

Sunday just gone, I had an opportunity to speak in church about my job at YFC. I had a 5 minute slot, so Greg (he's so good) made me a video, which went down really well, then Russ interviewed me quickly. I think it went well, it felt OK... and I didn't cry...Gil almost sounded disappointed that I didn't, he's funny.

Sunday evening we had a family birthday party for Grandma Wiebe, she turned 90 this year. The party was a little daunting as there were a lot of family there I didn't know, but it was still good, and Marla was home from Regina so we got to hang out which was good.

Monday was Pumpkin Smash, I'll put some photo's up of that soon. It was manic as usual. We had around 650 kids there, not as many as last year, but it was a school night. Gil was pleased, he felt it went well, that's a good thing.

I am very excited, Tanya is having a wine & cheese night at her place tomorrow night, it should be FUN, FUN, FUN! And Melissa is coming over beforehand for a roast dinner...yummy. Saturday Tanya & I will be going to the gym for a class, then in the afternoon/evening it is fondue time with the ladies of our old LIFE group, so girly movies and fondue...YES!!! And then I think we're having family lunch at ours on Sunday, as Marlene & Peter will be leaving for Texas early next week. So a nice full weekend.

Tagging

OK, so if you were tagged you need to quote the 5th line from your 25th blog, then you tag someone else. Sounds easy huh?