Monday, 28 February 2011

A Mid-February Night Dream

Hello! Sorry, it has been awhile since a update has come. Well, life isn't much different except that I have a different attitude than the one I have had the last two weeks. A better one. Go me.

Donovan just finished a week off of work and it was so nice to spend time together, we snuggled, watched lots of tv, lots of sightseeing, drinking of coffee, and just enjoying each others company. Stratford-upon-Avon was incredible! Except for the modern conveniences it feels like this awesome little old fashioned town. The buildings are the same from when Shakespeare lived there and it just has a wonderful feeling about it. I loved the fact that you could walk the entire town in about 20 minutes. People were friendlier there, the air smelt better, the air was clearer, all in all. I'm in love with Shakespeare's town. I had done a paper on William Shakespeare in grade 12 and I thought I had learned everything I could...but I learned so much more! He led a fascinating life. It was also absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Our Anniversary was wonderful. Besides the fact that Donovan was sick, we spent the day sightseeing then after lunch went back to the B&B and rested then we went for a nice supper and went to Starbucks where I read and Donovan presented me with a Shakespearean Love Sonnet for our Anniversary. I have his permission to share it with you all so I'll tack it on to the end of this.

We are both doing well, a couple of weeks of me being sick, Donovan being sick, me being sick, Donovan being sick...you get the picture. I think we are both finally on the mend and doing much better. Donovan is unsure what this next semester is going to bring since as of this morning when he headed off he had no idea what he was supposed to do for most of his classes. From what we can gather from some people that is not normal. Teaching is different over here, but it isn't supposed to be that different.

I am getting a better attitude about being home alone everyday. Sometimes I let it consume in a bad way and I get all cranky and depressed...but no more. I am getting back in the routine of my devotion and that is that!

Here is the Love Sonnet.

And so it is, we two for two years wed.
Two years ago, this day, we spoke our vow
That we, though two, as one, one path would tread.
And we as one, have walked from then till now.

On that sweet day to you I did declare
My heart, my soul, my love, and all in me.
I thanked our God that He, to me, did dare
entrust a gift so great, so heavenly.

And through our years of marriage I hold sure.
From then till now and onward till we've passed
this truth: that which declared by us endure,
this love inside my heart I know will last.

Dear, I was ever lost till you I found
And never free, till you and I were bound.


And yes, I did bawl my eye balls out.

Have a blessed week!

Thursday, 17 February 2011

Hello!
London was amazing! We had so much fun and we saw so much! (Check facebook for pictures!) I have two favourite parts of our day. Westminster Abbey and just walking around London. We left our hotel at 8am and we got to the train station at 6:30 pm and we didn't take public transport once! We walked everywhere. On Sunday our legs were so sore! Plus my cold came back because I got chilled so my nose was running the entire day. But, I didn't really care because we had so much fun.

This week has been good, getting over my cold, Donovan getting my cold and he is busy with term end. Lots of marking and stuff like that. We leave Saturday morning for our Anniversary trip! We are heading to Stratford-on-Avon. The home of William Shakespeare. We are staying in a delightful little B&B for 4 days. We plan on relaxing, reading, walking, taking pictures and just having a good time. Hopefully there is a nice restaurant that we can have our dinner at on Monday. Which brings me to another thing...I can't believe that we have been married for 2 years! In some senses it feels so much longer but in other ways it feels like so much shorter! God has been so good to us in these two years.

I have become addicted to puzzles. Word puzzles to be specific. Not so much crosswords or word searches, but code words, kriss-kross, and sudoku! I love them. It keeps my brain busy. As for a job, I don't have one yet and honestly I haven't been looking too hard. But, I have decided where I am going to look. We live within walking distance to 3 Primary schools. So, after the break I am going to go into each of them and enquire about a job. Over here they have supply teaching (substitute teaching) even for TA's. So, I am going to see if I can sign on with those three schools for that. Apparently I could get about 3-4 days work with that so that would be perfect! The agency that Donovan is working for is willing to help me find work as well, so they are going to get an agent to call me...if they remember (this was all discussed at the gathering we went to on Friday where there were free drinks....enough said, you get the picture.)

I hope everyone is having a good week! We miss you all very much.

God Bless

Friday, 11 February 2011

London!

This morning I am sitting on my couch, sipping my morning coffee while watching a wonderful sunrise outside my window! I have been told that we are being spoiled with the good weather lately. Not very much rain, just cloudy and windy. I can handle that!

This afternoon at 4:25pm our train leaves for London! Yay! I am so excited. We are booked into a 5 star hotel (Which we found a deal for, 90 pounds, a steal of a deal) When we get to the hotel we are going to settle in then head to Leicester Square where we are meeting up with a bunch of people for the agency that Donovan works for. Mingling and free drinks! Then we will wake up early in the morning and head out! We are going to go down to Trafalger Square and go to an Art Museum there and take pictures, then we are going to head down to the Parliment, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, then we are going to go to Buckingham and then up to Oxford Street (A street with pretty much the best shopping) Then we are going to go out for a nice Pre-Valentines Dinner then catch our train to come home! I am SO excited!!!!

Other than London this week has been pretty average. I started to get sick on Tuesday night, but with lots of rest and fluids, I have been able to scare it away! Donovan is in the middle of Assesments (The term ends next Friday) and they didn't tell him what he needed the kids to do till this past Monday. They do things rather different when it comes to marking stuff over here, they only mark two or three assignments, one in the middle of the term and one or two at the end. Plus most of his students could really care less about school so that makes things difficult. We also found out last week that when the next term ends (April 8th) his time will be up at the school. Our agent is already looking for another job, hopefully in Northampton. Please pray for a good school and something close so we don't have to move.

God Bless your weekend!

Cheers!

Monday, 7 February 2011

It's a New Week

Happy Monday!
I have decided that this week is going to be better than last. Last week was a bit of a write-off. I barely did anything productive, I spent my days in a homesickness bubble. No more. I am going to put on some happy music and clean this flat and be joyful!!

We had a wonderful weekend. Saturday was spent walking around Northampton looking for a DHL outlet to send something to lawyers in Canada about the house...that was fun. Then we went for lunch, did some shopping. I bought shoes!!! I am starting to feel human again. I pretty much left all of my shoes back home and we have a wedding we are going to in two weeks and our anniversary is coming up, so I wanted some nice shoes. They are very pretty! Sunday was a struggle to go to church, we were both feeling sorry for ourselves and being grouchy. But we got our act together and got to church. It was really good and we met lots more people and got set up in a small group! It is really out of our way so they are going to keep looking for us, but until then we are going to go to this one. The people that run it are like the Mom and Dad of the church. They are an older couple who are very sweet. They hugged us and we both almost started to cry as it was the first contact we've had since we came here.
After church we went to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was built in the 1100's by a crusader and it is a model of the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem. Tons of history and so beautiful. Then we went home!

The one thing about this week that makes me sad and is going to be hard to plug through (so pray please!!) On Wednesday...my baby sister turns 18. All I have to do is think about it and I start crying. I miss her so much and I wish I could be there to celebrate this milestone in her life. I love you lil sis!!!

On that cheerful note...I will say goodbye.

God Bless you all this week.

Friday, 4 February 2011

Life

Hello all! My third week here is almost past! What a whirlwind it has been. Even though I don't do much during the day the time has seemed to go by rather quickly! We haven't done a lot of sight seeing yet so other then things being a little different it doesn't really feel like I'm in another country! This weekend we are going to put our tourist hats on and tour Northampton. We are going to go to the Church of The Holy Sepulchre and the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. I am sure we will go other places as well, but those are top of the list! Next weekend Donovan has to go to London for a one day course, we are going to make a weekend out of it, stay in a Hostel and do some sight-seeing! If anyone has somewhere they want us to go to take pictures let me know!!! Then the following weekend it is our anniversary so we are going to Stratford-On-Avon (the home of William Shakespeare) We are both looking forward to that.

The job hunt is still going very slowly, but it is coming along. I am having a hard time trusting God on this one. But, trusting I am. I'm learning how to fill up my time productivly, rather then just sitting around watching TV. I baked muffins for Donovan's English Department yesterday, did laundry, and read! I have also signed up for an online course on Creative Writing. I am really excited to start that on Monday.

That is pretty much it for right now! As we do some more sight seeing and I get a job there will be more juicy things to write about...but for right now, I don't think you want to hear about laundry, yoga, and vacuuming everyday. :)

Cheers!