Week 16 - Chinook Comes to Calgary

I can't believe how time seems to be flying. Already Christmas is on our doorstep. How did that happen?

This week has been the same as last, with a couple of twists. Monday was a day like any other day. Tuesday was a little different as I accompanied Pete to work so I could use Jelly that day. I was slightly hesitant driving as some of the roads are still a bit icey. However, I bravely undertook the task. The reason I wanted Jelly was to visit Michael's (Canada's version of Spotlight) as they had substantial discounts off items I was going to need for the Christmas wreath I wanted to make.

I picked up the items as well as running a couple of other errands and then headed home to create my masterpiece. Once complete, I hang it on our door with pride. The fact that it covers the peep hole and our apartment number means nothing. It is pretty and brings the Christmas spirit to our apartment. End of story.

Wednesday was another day like any other. When Pete arrived home from work, we had dinner and then headed out to um... Micheal's again. The sales were continuing and I could not pass them up. So with ideas sourced from Pinterest, we purchased all we would need to decorate our tree. I cannot wait. Pete is making a pom pom garland and I am making pine cone decorations. They are sitting behind me as I write and make the whole room smell like cinnamon. We are going to have a Christmas decorating night and then a trim the tree night. This year we will have a real Christmas tree.

Thursday was another day except Pete wanted to get a head start at work so left for work at 4:30am. 4:30!!! He did this as he has a lot on and we were heading out for a pizza night at connect which he did not want to miss. I had plans to head out with a friend to go to a local university to participate in a discussion about God. Things didn't go according to plan, so instead I stayed home.

Connect was awesome as it was simply that... connect. We had a meal together and simply got to know each other better. We played a game of 2 truths and a lie. As you can imagine, a lot came out in this game, and we got to know each other on a deeper level.

Friday was bank day for me. So I rugged up and made my way to cash Pete's cheque. I was greeted with a big smile, and I even smiled back. I guess I have put our rocky start behind me and have become quite courteous with the members of the bank. That night, Pete had the house to himself as I was going to a girls night at Daphne's house. I arrived to a table laden with snacks. I ate far too much and enjoyed catching up with ladies I knew and meeting new ones. We then watched a movie together. All in all, a great night.

Saturday came and I was determined not to spend all weekend running errands. So we got ourselves sorted to head to Bragg Creek a small town not too far from where we live. I had no idea where it was, only a rough idea of the general direction we needed to head in. So we just drove, choosing to rely on road signs instead of Moana our GPS. We arrived to a small town with beautiful scenery. After doing the touristy thing of taking a few snap shots, we made our way to a bakery to get something to eat. We then took a look around, and in just over an hour, we were making our way back home. When home, we decided to start making the decorations for our Christmas tree. I am making pine cone decorations (see pic), and Pete is making a pom pom garland. It was cool to just chill and get creative together.

Saturday night arrived so quickly and before we knew it we were heading off for church. The night seemed to go from good to outstanding. The worship was awesome. We were then singled out by someone who prophesied over us. This has never happened to me before. The man saw that Pete was a man of great faith. (This week he sure has shown me this) He said it took great faith for us to come to Canada and that God loved our faith. He then looked to me and mentioned I was also a woman of faith. This was the last thing I felt like at the time as I have had a rocky week with God and had a bit of a  'poor me' mentality. However, I looked down to see our tithing envelope with cash inside. That's our faith right there, as we are still sewing into the church despite our financial difficulties. The message then came and it was like it was written for me. It was about joy. Let's just say that I was feeling a tad convicted once we left for home. We arrived home to Face time with Pete's parents. It was so nice catching up. They are planning to visit next year and want to go to New York with us. We are both really excited about this. I'm having faith that we will be able to.

Sunday was a lazy day. After a bit of fluffing around, we headed to Fabricland for me to purchase some fabric to make some make up remover pads. I can't exactly make them as of yet as I don't have a sewing machine. However, I know it is coming, so I just need to be patient. We then ran a couple more errands, and then headed home to relax a bit. Later that night, we met with friends to go to the movies to see the latest Hunger Games movie. It was awesome. The only downfall is that we have to wait another year before seeing part 2!

And so we have come to another week in Canada. The weather is warmer as a chinook has come upon us. A chinook is a warm spell that sees the temperatures rising and the snow melting. We are quite lucky here in Alberta as in other parts of Canada, chinooks are non-existent. So, Pete is now back in shorts and a T shirt. He still gets comments, but I don't think that deters him, instead I think it encourages him.

Week 15 - Emotional Roller Coaster

I have done it. After loosing several pieces of work, and after various headaches, I have decided to move the blog to blogger instead of weebly.

So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road.

Here goes...

You know how some weeks seem to go by at a snails pace, and some seem to speed past? Well this week has been one of the later.

Monday - Thursday were days similar to any other day. Pete and I arise at 5:30am now as Pete is on yard checks so needs to be at work at 7am. I still rise with him, have a cuppa and a chat, but more often than not, I will slink back into bed once Pete departs for work. My routine has changed slightly when I emerge from my slumber however. Recently, God has been speaking to me about my time and how I use it. I can be a supreme time waster. What helps me achieve this is Facebook and YouTube. I used to spend time perusing these sites before doing anything. That has changed. I want my schedule to reflect my relationship with God. So, now when I wake, I head to the dining table with my bible and journal to spend time with God. It's been an eye opener and I am enjoying what God has to speak to me about.

The weather here is beautiful. I love the winter as it is snowy, but the sun shines and the sky is blue. To test out my winter boots, I headed out doors to go to our local drug store for a couple of things. The only thing with this cold weather is it now takes me 2 to 3 times longer to get ready. The walk was so invigorating. It was cold though. So cold that I'm sure my nostril hairs were beginning to get crispy. 

Pete has been working a lot lately. Thursday was the record with him heading off to work at 6:15am and arriving home at 9:45pm. As he is working so much, he is often tired. Lately he has arrived home from work, had something to eat and then headed for bed. I could tell Thursday he was particularly tired because when I asked him about his day, all I received were one worded answers. Those who know Pete know that this is highly unlike him.

Friday came to me heading to the local Christmas Craft Market with some girls from church. It was amazing. With carolers singing, eggnog being consumed and seeing Santa's gang of reindeer, I was thoroughly emerged in the Christmas spirit. 
When Pete arrived home that night, our intended visit to the supermarket was put off as it was getting pretty late. Instead we chose to have dinner at IHOP. (Intenational House of Pancakes) I have developed a deep affection for IHOP. One thing I am not fond of though is being misunderstood due to the accent. 

Waitress: "Table for two?" 

"Yes thanks," I replied.

"Oh, a table for 6?" She then queried.

"No, I said yes thanks, not 6." 

"Oh sorry, I couldn't understand your accent."

Saturday arrived with sun streaming through the windows, so we decided to walk to the bank. I swear I go to that place far too often. We went to wire money home. As we didn't have all the details needed, we left with me having a job to complete on Monday. We then walked to Starbucks for a Christmas beverage. It was so nice to just sit and talk as we haven't seen a lot of each other lately. We then went home for about an hour before heading to one of my most dreaded places - the supermarket. Did I have reason to be concerned? You better believe I did! I had planned all of our meals, so it was a simple matter of finding the items, paying for them and getting out of there. Yeah right. Things were going fairly smoothly until we made our way to the meat section. We weren't able to find many of the things on the list, and I was loosing my patience. After strolling down the isles for the forth time, I lost it. I hate to say it, but I morphed into an emotional monster. I was ranting about this stupid place with nothing where it should be, and no prices showing. Poor Pete. I was in such a state that I didn't even notice the stares we were getting. Well scrap that. The looks that Pete was getting. Apparently for a wife to respond like that must mean the husband said or did something wrong. So poor Pete got shot dagger looks from women all over the shop. I realized I had lost the plot, so stormed off to visit my happy place - the Christmas section. After a while there, I was calm enough to return so we could get the heck out of there. 

Once home, Pete ordered me to lie on the couch while he unpacked and put away all the groceries. I don't deserve that man sometimes. Pete suggested we give church a miss as by this stage it was dark. I agreed. Later that night we had organized to Face time friends (Jayden and Tony) from home. I love catching up with them as we always pick up where we last left off. Pretty soon, 2 hours had passed, so we said our good byes and made our way to bed.

Sunday dawned another beautiful day. We had to run a couple of errands, which we did, then we made our way to a coffee shop (a good one) and consumed another Christmas beverage each. We then made our way to the license place to discuss what we needed to do in order to drive legally on Alberta roads. To cut a long story short, we were told that we had to do a theory and a practical each. In total $500 for the two of us. I was livid. However, I kept my cool and then began the rant with Pete in the car. It just seems that by coming to Canada we have taken 100 steps backwards. We are constantly having to prove ourselves, what with work and now this. Poor Pete, I have been a highly unpleasant person to be around as of late. Anyway, I said that I was willing to break the law as I thought it was stupid that we had to go through the entire license process again. As I don't use Jelly half as much as Pete, I felt I could get away with this a bit easier. Pete managed to calm me down with some firmly said words. We then went to Value Village (Canada's version of Save Mart). Pete has succumbed to the cold weather and the fact that he has to wear clothes other than shorts and a T shirt. So we selected a range of pants which he tried on. We then made our purchases and headed home. That night I googled the license thing as I was not convinced. Turns out that was a good idea. As we are not Canadian citizens, we are unable to get an Alberta license. All we need is an International Drivers Permit which we should have got before coming over here. However, sleuth Deb is on the case and I have a feeling I can get a hold of a couple of permits before too long. 

And that concludes another week in this adventure we are having. And to answer the question that may be on many lips, sadly no we are not having a baby. There was a reason for the emotional outbursts if you know what I'm saying.