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
Thursday, 17 February 2011
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!
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.
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!
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!
Monday, 31 January 2011
*sigh* Josh Groban
Donovan and I had a delightful weekend. On Saturday we hung around the house doing this and that, then we went shopping. Our first actual shopping trip so I can now annouce what kind of styles you all have to look forward to in a year or so. Or that you can avoid. You decide. Anyways, lets start with the mens style, I like them better right now. Very classy shirts and ties, and sweaters (excuse me...jumpers.) For pants...well...either jeans or dressy pants (I mean trousers) which are half tucked into open army style boots. Or they wear nice dressy shoes. You've got both the more casual look or the dressier look there. Now for the women styles...run and hide. A mixture of the 50's and 80's and 90's are coming back. I like the 50's look. Cute dresses, high cut skirts and lots of floral prints and ruffles. I can handle that. But lets talk about the other style. The evil style. Short cropped shirts, (You know the look, the shirt to your belly button and it is really baggy on the sides) and printed pants of any print, or just plain...but with elastic at the ankle with any type of shoe. Baggy pants are really really really in. And I will never touch that look. I don't even think that those clothes look stylish. Donovan is finding all of these awesome styles and I am standing in the store thinking "what is our world coming to!?" So, when I come back I will probably be in the really classy look. Lots of dresses and skirts. Which I am totally okay with adopting. But all I bought on our weekend of shopping was purple pj's. I like them. :)
We made it to church yesterday!! We went to the Elim Christian Centre. It was really awesome. A little taste of home. The worship was really good. So full of life. The Pastor had a really good message which we really appreciated. He approached us before the service started and asked us about ourselves and then at the end he came and asked us what we thought. People were approaching us at the beginning and the end and a few people have our number and are going to try and set us up with some people. So, that was really nice. We felt really good after and it was really nice to have some fellowship with people again!
Anyways, I am going to go listen to Josh Groban and do my yoga this morning. I haven't really been doing it as regularly as I should since I am have so much time during my day. So, today I am giong to do it. :)
God Bless and have a wonderful day!
Cheers!
We made it to church yesterday!! We went to the Elim Christian Centre. It was really awesome. A little taste of home. The worship was really good. So full of life. The Pastor had a really good message which we really appreciated. He approached us before the service started and asked us about ourselves and then at the end he came and asked us what we thought. People were approaching us at the beginning and the end and a few people have our number and are going to try and set us up with some people. So, that was really nice. We felt really good after and it was really nice to have some fellowship with people again!
Anyways, I am going to go listen to Josh Groban and do my yoga this morning. I haven't really been doing it as regularly as I should since I am have so much time during my day. So, today I am giong to do it. :)
God Bless and have a wonderful day!
Cheers!
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Yorkshire Pudding and Noisy Vietnamese Neighbours
So, last night Donovan treated me to a wonderful dinner at Toby's Carvary. A Carvary is where you take your plate up to a buffet line pretty much where there is a guy and he carves you whatever meat you want, they had three choices last night, ham, turkey, and beef, but sometimes they have 4-6 options. Then, once you get your plate of meat and your yorkshire pudding (the size of your hand...not kidding) you then continue on to 10-12 dishes of vegtables. Then you get your choice of 4 different gravies and yes, it is just yummy. Then you eat it (and apparently you can go back...which, I don't get because our plates were piled high.) Paired with this Donovan had a pint of beer...I don't remember the name and I had a glass of German wine that was so smooth it floated on your tounge. :)
I also met our landlord lastnight. He is a really nice guy I'd say in his mid-forties and he was asking us about the noise level and being the nice people that we are were like "All is really good...are the neighbours on our right...Asian?" And he said "yes, they are Veitnamese and they keep really weird hours." Yes, yes they do. I don't hear them all day until about 9pm when there is shouting and yelling and their child screaming (that is all that kid does...is scream.) And we learnt that he goes back to Vietnam and brings a new girlfriend home with him every 6-12months or so. And they all live in that apartment and he just got back from Vietnam this past weekend. So, that really explains things. Which is helpful. It is also a tad amusing and depressing all in one neat package. And annoying when you are trying to sleep and there is screaming in another language going on. The first time we heard them we were already half asleep and we woke up and Donovan said "I think the entire Chinese Continant is outside!" I just giggled until he realized that 1. There were only two people and a baby, and 2. China isn't a Continant on it's own. :)
Oh the wonders of having neighbours. :)
I also met our landlord lastnight. He is a really nice guy I'd say in his mid-forties and he was asking us about the noise level and being the nice people that we are were like "All is really good...are the neighbours on our right...Asian?" And he said "yes, they are Veitnamese and they keep really weird hours." Yes, yes they do. I don't hear them all day until about 9pm when there is shouting and yelling and their child screaming (that is all that kid does...is scream.) And we learnt that he goes back to Vietnam and brings a new girlfriend home with him every 6-12months or so. And they all live in that apartment and he just got back from Vietnam this past weekend. So, that really explains things. Which is helpful. It is also a tad amusing and depressing all in one neat package. And annoying when you are trying to sleep and there is screaming in another language going on. The first time we heard them we were already half asleep and we woke up and Donovan said "I think the entire Chinese Continant is outside!" I just giggled until he realized that 1. There were only two people and a baby, and 2. China isn't a Continant on it's own. :)
Oh the wonders of having neighbours. :)
Monday, 24 January 2011
Rejoice in the Lord!
Donovan and I had a wonderful weekend together. On Friday we had a nice Stir-Fry and we watched "The Other Guys" Saturday we walked to the Weston Favell Centre went for coffee, Donovan got a haircut, went to the library and I got a cookbook!! We did some shopping...and this time I followed my list and wasn't quite as overwhelemed! Yay for me. We then went home ordered in Chinese food watched Twister on the telly then I got to Skype with my awesome Sister-In-Law Sarah and that is when we realized that we did have a microphone! So awesome.
Yesterday we slept in so Church didn't happen. We just lazed around, Donovan had marking to do, I did some cleaning and reading. We then went on an adventrous walk where we saw a three wheeled car (hehe), gray squirrels, and fat pigeons. We then made a yummy supper, chatted with Donovan's parents and then read and went to bed!
On a different note. With me not working and not knowing anyone I feel like I could be consumed by depression in an instant, so I stay on top of dishes, keep the house clean, happy music playing, and I sing "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart" and read my Bible lots! It all helps in different degrees, then yesterday Donovan and I were reading about Joseph. The story of Joseph has always been one of my favourites and every part has spoken to me at different parts of my life so far. We read where Joseph was in prison and the chief wine taster and chief baker were in prison with him and he intrepretted thier dreams. Today I read before and after that...more about Joseph being in prison and how joyful he was and the hope and joy that he clung to. Now, I am not comparing my situation with being in prison at all. More, I'm saying that God is showing me that if people who were in prison and they could still be joyful and give praise to God then I have no excuse to be down. I have so many things to be thankful for! I have an amazing husband who has been blessed with a job that he is happy with, I have food to eat, a wonderful flat that I live in, and hello, I'm in England!
Thank you all for your prayers from both of us. We feel so blessed knowing that you are all back home thinking of us. Blessings on all of you!
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everyitng. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Thing about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
Yesterday we slept in so Church didn't happen. We just lazed around, Donovan had marking to do, I did some cleaning and reading. We then went on an adventrous walk where we saw a three wheeled car (hehe), gray squirrels, and fat pigeons. We then made a yummy supper, chatted with Donovan's parents and then read and went to bed!
On a different note. With me not working and not knowing anyone I feel like I could be consumed by depression in an instant, so I stay on top of dishes, keep the house clean, happy music playing, and I sing "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart" and read my Bible lots! It all helps in different degrees, then yesterday Donovan and I were reading about Joseph. The story of Joseph has always been one of my favourites and every part has spoken to me at different parts of my life so far. We read where Joseph was in prison and the chief wine taster and chief baker were in prison with him and he intrepretted thier dreams. Today I read before and after that...more about Joseph being in prison and how joyful he was and the hope and joy that he clung to. Now, I am not comparing my situation with being in prison at all. More, I'm saying that God is showing me that if people who were in prison and they could still be joyful and give praise to God then I have no excuse to be down. I have so many things to be thankful for! I have an amazing husband who has been blessed with a job that he is happy with, I have food to eat, a wonderful flat that I live in, and hello, I'm in England!
Thank you all for your prayers from both of us. We feel so blessed knowing that you are all back home thinking of us. Blessings on all of you!
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everyitng. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Thing about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
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