Perfect happiness

I just got back from what will go down in history as the most amazing week EVER...a week in which I discovered that perfect happiness = the beach, hot sun, crashing waves, a few fruity cocktails, lots of laughter with new friends from all over the world, no responsibilities, no stress, and no worries.

Yes, Debbie and I took a last-minute trip to Cuba.....a decision that was made one night as we unwound after yet another stressful day at work.....considered our rising blood pressure and ever-increasing levels of exhaustion.....looked at eachother, and said, "Let's take a vacation!" A few minutes later we settled on Cuba, and a few hours later, armed with permission from our bosses to take some time off, we booked our flights!!!

I've never been remotely drawn to the idea of a tropical vacation before. My travels have always included lugging around heavy backpacks, poring over maps, visiting record numbers of historical sights, and falling into bed exhausted (albeit happy) every night. For some reason, the idea of lounging on a beach has never been overly enticing. I like HISTORY. I like CULTURE. I like ADVENTURE! I'm all about Europe and Africa...right?

Nevertheless on November 19th I found myself on a plane bound for Cuba, my suitcase jammed full of bikinis and shorts and cute little skirts and lots and lots of sunscreen. I had very few expectations beyond a little rejuvenation from the most stressful, busy, and overwhelming fall on record...full of work, studying, deadlines, pressure, and so much to do that most days I had no idea how I was going to survive. (UGH...just thinking about it still makes me tired!)

But OH........when that first wave of humidity hit me stepping off the plane in Varadero......when my bare feet first touched the soft white sand.......when I found myself floating on a gentle wave looking up at a perfectly clear blue sky......everything changed!!! And thus began a week of total, perfect rest! A week of insane amounts of attention from men all over the world. A week of deep bonds being formed with a most random group of strangers...Alex and Yanna from Russia, Sam from Columbia, Larry and Dustin from Toronto, Merv and Vincent and Rodrique and David from Montreal.....just a few of the people who became our good friends and constant companions as we swam and tanned and played beach volleyball and laughed and ate and walked and slept and laughed some more. A week of God speaking to me about beauty and being pursued and having something of great value to share with the world. A week of tearing down the walls and letting my guard down and soaking up the stories and joys and heartache of the people we met. A week of falling in love with the passion and freedom and utter friendliness of the Spanish culture. Yes, it's safe to say...I have never known such perfect happiness, perfect peace, and uncontainable joy!

And so the trip that came out of nowhere has changed me! Two weeks later, I'm still at peace. I'm still "glowing" (or so they tell me at work!) I still refuse to take on stress. My accounting final is on Monday and I can hardly bring myself to even study. Instead, I laugh a lot, I smile a lot, I crack jokes at the most inopportune moments, I speak WAY too often without thinking, and every night Debbie and I pour ourselves a glass of delicious red wine and "make toast"...our simple way of keeping Cuba alive in our hearts, of taking time to stop and reflect and savour and connect, of remembering the ridiculous amount of things we have to be thankful for. I've never been more aware of the simple joys that each day brings...a late-night walk in the freshly falling snow, Christmas carols by candlelight, uproarious laughter, good movies, great music, warmth, and REST.

14 days till Christmas...I'm excited to spend it in Colorado, and even more excited to see how long this new ME lasts!!! :-)

"I've got my toes in the water....a** in the sand...not a worry in the world, a cold drink in my hand...life is good today!!!!"

Snapshots of Summer

I was a little shocked to drive down the street today and see the leaves changing colours already!! Where has this summer gone?! It's been a good one but BUSY....full of little adventures and road trips and all the festivals Edmonton has to offer. The Calgary Stampede, gospel jamboree in Red Deer, a week up north with all six nieces and nephews (which makes me cringe even now!! ha!), Capital Ex, the Fringe, Shakespeare in the Park, Taste of Edmonton, picnics at the Leg, long walks, barbeques, blitz builds, movie nights, floating down the Pembina river, and lots and lots of great bonding with my amazing new roommate......yep, I haven't been bored!

a highly anticipated visit from Karen and my beloved kiddos!!

road trip up north with Debbie, Aaron, Hannah, and Madison...
prelude to the vacation that wasn't a vacation!!! :-)

picking saskatoons...mmm mmmmm!!

oh how I love this boy!!!

Noah and I making saskatoon pie together

picnic by the river...

the cousins had tons of fun together,

but remind me never to have six kids!!!

we were EXHAUSTED by the end of the week! :-)

putting the finishing touches on Brandon and Mandy's basement...

shouldda been a carpenter!

Shakespeare in the Park with Jenn and Debbie

a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll...

...which quickly turned into a photo shoot! :-)

ready to tackle the mighty waters of the Pembina River!

the perfect way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon!

Road Trip

So apparently all it takes to make my heart come alive in a BIG way is a weekend getaway to the mountains!! Moriah and I just got back from a quick trip to a retreat centre near Banff and had SUCH an amazing time! There's nothing like a road trip with a kindred spirit...getting away from the traffic and noise and constant busyness of the city...heading into the wilderness and learning to breathe again! :-) I need to start making this a regular part of my life! Seriously, we had barely pulled into the parking lot of the lodge we were staying at when I felt my creativity coming back in full force, my lungs expanding, and my heart exploding with all the possibilities!! (Yes, it was THAT dramatic!) ;-)

Friday night on the road...

yakking our ears off...what else? :-)

the forecast was cold and rainy...

but Saturday turned out to be the most glorious day ever,

nothing but hot sun and blue skies!

How can you tell we're in heaven,

finally getting out of the city??

Ah, a little sun-bathing by the river...

Beautiful views!!

Where I spent Saturday afternoon!
The most phenomenal few hours ever...
napping, journaling, praying, and the kind of
worship that words can't even begin to capture...
just my heart in communion with my Savior's.
Total, perfect peace!



A little hiking to get the heart rate up!

Our 6 am hike on Sunday morning...

got caught in a rain storm and then

locked ourselves out of the building.

It's all part of the adventure!

Very little sleep all weekend = yet another trip to Starbucks

on the way home! It's official; I'm addicted to coffee.

Our spontaneous and enthusiastic (three-hour-long) karaoke

party erupted shortly thereafter. :-)

And that's it!! Back home now, refreshed...renewed...with a killer tan...ready to tackle another crazy week!

Stepping back in time!

So the fantastic organization that I work for put on a roaring 20's fundraiser the other night...SO MUCH FUN! I think I was born in the wrong decade...we had a blast dressing up, eating delicious food, wine tasting, gambling with fake money, listening to live jazz bands, and mingling with local media celebrities. Barbara (our receptionist) and I had tons of fun designing our outfits...yep, we tend to get a bit crazy when we're together. :-) Here's a few shots from the night!

Things I love!

So I've been keeping a bit of a gratitude journal lately, just because I think it's healthy to focus on THAT for a change instead of all the things I can't control but try so hard to! :-) And it's amazing how, once you start learning to open your eyes and really see and recognize these things, there's SO MUCH blessing all around! Here's a bit of what I'm loving from the past few months!

The glorious return of spring...and summer...

and a chance to dig in the dirt, plant my first garden,

and watch the flowers spring to life!!

A job that I'm absolutely passionate about

with a team of co-workers I adore

and the chance to be part of something that's bringing hope

to families all over the world!

Old friends who come to visit

and no effort is required to rekindle the bond...

just lots of laughter, catching up, renewal...

oh, and painting the spare room!! :-)

Old friends who ALSO cook gourmet meals

that are waiting for you upon your return from work!!

The laughter and adoration of one of the sweetest, most

delightful little girls you'll ever meet...

Carefree summer days, and the return of
picnics in the park after church on Sunday,

barbeques, patios, long walks, sun-tanning....

can you say GLORIOUS???

Discovering a new (or perhaps OLD!) addiction and

shamelessly giving into it at every opportunity!

Sleepovers with my favorite little people

complete with movies, more junk food than should

be legal, games, crafts, stories, milkshakes for breakfast...

does it get any better than this?

Sleepovers with some of my favorite BIG people...

girl talk, manicures, pedicures, facials

and the comfort of just being ourselves!

Boys with amazing voices who teach you

that music, good music, transcends any language barrier

and shoots straight to the heart!

Creativity and inspiration for my latest writing project
(shhh...it's a secret!) and the freedom to take risks!

The fabulous ladies of Thursday

who love nights of cupcake decorating as much as I do

and faithfully gather every week to share life!



Watching my brother's heart come alive

as he takes one step closer to his dreams!

(with an amazing woman at his side!)

Rediscovering the freedom to worship

and dream

and live carefree in my Father's love.

Finding a kindred spirit who will soon become a roommate!

what are YOU thankful for???!!

Sick

Well, there's nothing like an entire week of sickness to put things into perspective!! Last Monday I came down with some sort of cold/flu/migraine mix, which knocked me out for six glorious days......the first three of which I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep or eat (until I discovered sleeping pills!!), and the next three of which I could sleep but still couldn't eat and was too weak to do anything but continue to lie in bed moaning and groaning! Needless to say, it's a great weight-loss plan, but not so great on the morale. :-) Thankfully today I've already kept down three small meals, and tomorrow I'm (gasp) actually planning on going to work!!

What I learned during my week of bed rest:

1) Asking for help is about the hardest thing in the world for me, but something I must learn how to do!!! (even if I'm so weak and frail that as soon as I call my poor, unsuspecting friends, all I can do is burst into tears! it's OKAY!)

2) On the same note, bursting into tears while calling in sick greatly increases the credibility. :-) (Why didn't I think of this years ago?? HA!!!)

3) I "wasted" a whole week of my life lying in bed, shut away from the rest of the world....but that's all I want to waste!! No more settling, waiting, hesitating, wrestling endlessly with questions that I already know the answer to...bring on SPRINGTIME, adventure, JOY, a fresh start, change, growth, laughter, and spontaneity!! I want to start LIVING again! (okay, so that might seem a bit dramatic, but I've had a lot of time to think!)

4) I have a pretty smoking awesome family that holds nothing back in their expressions of love for me!!!! Flowers, cards, chicken noodle soup, twenty phone calls a day to check up on me, listening to me blubber....if that isn't love, I don't know what is! :-)

and last but not least....

5) I never want to get sick again. :-)

Africa's Angels

I've been looking through some of my old writing today and just came across this article that was published in Brio last year...yes, the article that made me famous, complete with a cover story and all. :-) Here it is now!!


Africa’s Angels
by Sherry Funk

I used to be able to watch World Vision specials on TV without batting an eyelash. Sure, I was sad for the children they showed – starving, malnourished, and orphaned. But it all seemed so unreal, so far away, and I didn’t see how the problems in Africa affected me, a typical carefree North American girl.

For years I had dreamed of traveling and experiencing the world and somehow making a difference in my own unique way, but Africa? I was much more interested in the history and culture and breathtaking beauty of Europe. Or maybe the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Anything but living in a grass hut in the middle of a hot desert, munching on dried caterpillars as the sun beat down on me. Besides poverty and the AIDS epidemic, that’s all I thought Africa had to offer.

So it was funny and slightly ironic that after months of trying to arrange a short-term missions trip to anywhere else, I suddenly found myself on a plane bound for the very continent that had once held no attraction. My destination was a tiny farm just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, where I would spend three months caring for abandoned babies and orphaned children with an organization called The Love of Christ Ministries.

Stepping off the plane in Johannesburg after two long days of travel, I was filled with anticipation for the adventure that lay ahead. Visions of casually lounging in the hot African sun day after day, reading stories to smiling, well-behaved toddlers, and rocking precious babies to sleep at night danced through my mind.

The next morning, however, after a sleepless night battling jet lag, reality began to set in. I stepped into the nursery and was immediately met by a flurry of activity, babies everywhere, screaming, laughing, and running, sleeping, bathing, eating, and playing. Volunteers rushed around, confidently preparing bottles and balancing several babies in their arms. I stood stunned, overwhelmed, then felt a tug on my pant leg and looked down to see an adorable little boy gazing up at me with a wide smile, raising his arms in anticipation.

His name was Ignatius, and as I picked him up and he snuggled close, I suddenly wondered if I had what it would take. After all, I was the girl who had changed a grand total of three diapers in my lifetime. Now I suddenly found myself responsible for a nursery overflowing with unfamiliar faces. Looking at the feeding charts, I stumbled over names like Nkululeko and Zinhle and Noluthando and Mpho. If I couldn’t even pronounce their names, how would I ever learn each individual baby’s schedule, their preferences, and their needs? There were AIDS babies and those suffering from tuberculosis, heart conditions, and fetal alcohol syndrome. There were tiny, fragile premature babies still in incubators, and others dependent on oxygen. There were active, energetic toddlers asking questions and begging for attention…the list went on and on.

“What was I thinking?” was a question I found myself asking during my first week at TLC as I struggled to make it through each day. Then one evening, after twelve hours alone in the quarantine room caring for eight sick babies, I finally reached the end of my rope. When the night shift girls came to take over, they found me sitting on the couch balancing Wendy and Unika in my arms as I fed them each a bottle, rocking Toby in his car seat with my foot, Zein
and Barbara’s screams providing the background music – and all the while the tears were streaming down my face. “I can’t do this!” I told Catherine, one of the British girls, as I handed the babies over to her and fled to the solace of our cottage.

That night, though, everything changed. After sending a desperate email home, I sat down and commiserated with my Texan roommate Kelby over a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate. It didn’t take long before we were laughing together in the midst of our tears, wondering what had happened to the strong, confident girls we once thought we were. And then, just as we began to contemplate dragging ourselves off to bed, knowing the five o’clock wake up call would come soon enough, there was a knock on the cottage door. “Do you girls want to come watch a movie with us?” came the shy invitation from one of the older boys in the main house. As tired as we were, how could we refuse such an offer?

That night, as the animated adventures of Hercules flashed across the screen – with Crispin snuggled next to me, Jesse and Kieran fighting noisily for a place in my lap, and Tommy sitting primly at my other side rolling his eyes at the antics of his brothers and sisters – something deep inside my heart was touched. Suddenly, I no longer cared about the huge challenges that lay ahead or how overwhelmed and homesick I was. The tears that filled my eyes had nothing to do with me, and at that moment, I knew why I had come to Africa. It was for them, for each of the precious kids that now surrounded me, and for the nursery full of sleeping babies in the next room. I have never felt as blessed as I felt that night, filled with so much love, and thanking God for the amazing opportunity He had given me. I couldn’t wait to love every child, and every baby, that He had brought into my life.

From that moment on, I soaked up every minute of my African experience. And it wasn’t long before the long, exhausting days in the nursery were second-nature and TLC became home to me. There was nothing like learning to feed four hungry babies at once, or supervising bath time with eight unruly toddlers. There was nothing like showering Wendy with kisses and tickles and words of love and seeing her sad, serious face light up in a bright smile. And nothing warmed my heart more than walking across the playground and hearing Theresa and Beniah and Favian’s excited screams as they spotted me, running as fast as their little legs would carry them into my open arms.

Of course, there were many adventures too. I’ll never forget an early morning bike ride among the giraffes and zebras at a nature reserve, shopping at busy markets in Johannesburg, and visiting a traditional tribal village. There were trips to the hospital to pick up abandoned babies, walking down the rundown hallways in a daze as starving children reached out to be held. I visited Soweto, the center of the apartheid uprising in South Africa, and walked through Nelson Mandela’s home. Hiking through a poor township where millions lived in tiny tin shacks, I marveled at the spirit of the African people. They had nothing, and yet the dirty, dusty streets were alive with laughter and singing, smiles, children playing, and people rushing over to shake our hands and give us hugs. It was amazing.

I could write a novel on my time in Africa, full of stories of growth and learning, of laughter and adventures shared with friends made from all over the world. And even though I’m back in North America now, surrounded by everything familiar and comfortable, not a day goes by when my thoughts don’t turn to the children living in the huge farmhouse down a rough dirt road in a continent far, far away. Because of them, Africa now holds a huge place in my heart. My apartment walls are plastered with pictures of beautiful, smiling black faces. I have been changed, but not because of any heroic selfless act on my part. No, I have been changed because of the open, enthusiastic expressions of love offered to a homesick girl by a family of children who had lost everything but still found so much to give. For despite their horrific pasts and the pain they lived with every day, the AIDS, the loneliness, the uncertainty – they loved freely and openly without holding anything back

I pray that I will learn to do the same, no matter where God leads me – that my life, and yours, will overflow with the love and hope of God.

25 Random Facts About Me

I keep getting tagged for these things on Facebook, so I figured I might as well get it over with already...so here they are, 25 completely random things that you may or may not know about me...it's a dream come true!!


1. I left a HUGE chunk of my heart in Africa when I was there, and so far I don't see any sign of ever getting it back. :-) The sight of beautiful African children still makes me cry. Someday I will adopt a precious orphan.

2. I'm terrified of mice...in fact, the very thought of them makes me instantly break out into hives.

3. I still miss my grandpa, even though it's been over ten years since he died. Sometimes I can still hear his laugh, though, and see the pride in his eyes when he talked about us, his grandchildren. I'll never forget all the times he'd beg me to sit down at the piano and play him some old hymns...then he'd stand behind me with his hand on my shoulder and sing along. "You were one of my favorites" is the last thing he ever said to me.

4. Going to Bible school in Austria and travelling across Europe in the fall of 1999 was the first time I remember feeling really, truly ALIVE. Something changed inside me that year, and I discovered a passion for travelling and experiencing other cultures that is now a huge part of who I am.

5. Public speaking ranks right up there next to mice on my list of all-time greatest fears...so it's funny that the only trophies I've ever won have been for 4-H public speak-offs...I can still see the admiration in the judge's eyes the year I stepped up to the podium to deliver my spell-binding opening line..."Elephants are tall, thick-skinned animals, with long powerful trunks..." :-)

6. I love decorating and one of my favorite pastimes is collecting ridiculous amounts of artwork and stuff for my house (mostly Europe-themed, of course!)

7. My most successful romantic relationships all took place in elementary. :-)

8. I'm a country girl and proud of it!

9. I was once involved in a high-speed police chase and for a few glorious days became a household name among the police force of Dawson Creek.

10. I have a ridiculously hard time dealing with change, especially in my family. Sometimes I still ache for the good old days when we all lived together on the farm, picking rocks, performing The Bible Tells Me So Show on the combine, swimming in the dugout, laughing, fighting, sneakily watching "forbidden" TV shows whenever mom and dad finally left the house (a.k.a. anything not news or sports-related!) Most days I'd rather hang onto the way things were than move forward into the future.

11. Loving my nieces and nephews and being the "favorite aunt" is probably the most rewarding thing in my life right now. There's nothing better!

12. My life is starved for adventure since I moved to the big city. Back in Dawson we were out quadding and mud bogging and camping and playing some sort of competitive sport every weekend. Now I spend my free time in coffee shops and movie theatres and shopping malls, which means my redneck, country side never gets a chance to break free. Yes, it's tough. ;-)

13. I have a huge weakness for Australian accents. I once kept a telemarketer on the line for a good half hour just because the mere sound of his voice made me weak in the knees. :-)

14. I hate birds...they creep me out big time. Plus I'm still haunted by that time I was driving home from College and Careers in Rolla and I drove over an entire flock of baby ducks crossing the highway. I can still hear that series of loud thunks followed by feathers everywhere as I closed my eyes and screamed "I'm a murderer!" Not a pretty scene!

15. I love books...bookstores (especially ones with coffee shops!) are my weakness. I'd be happy to buy every book in sight, whether or not I ever get around to reading them...there's just something about being in their presence that makes me happy.

16. I'm extremely competitive...blame it on the Funk genes. :-) For the most part I don't see any point of playing a game haphazardly...whether it's Rook, Dutch Blitz, soccer, hockey, or Spoons...you gotta at least TRY to win!!

17. I detest making small talk. Put me in a room full of people mingling and chatting about nothing in particular and I'll hate every minute of it (although I'll keep a smile plastered on my face, of course!) But give me a good friend and a cup of tea and some music playing in the background, and I'll happily listen to any deep dark secrets you want to share and we can talk for hours.

18. I've been a bridesmaid seven times...and shockingly enough, some of the dresses actually WERE semi-attractive!

19. I'm a kid at heart, and am still strangely passionate about Lego and playing in the sandbox, even after all these years. There's something super therapeutic about it.

20. I love history and politics and current events, but never feel smart enough or informed enough to carry on a decent conversation about them...so for the most part I don't!

21. Manual labour makes me happy. :-) Accounting and business are what has paid the bills for the last ten years...but if I could make a living mowing lawns, being a carpenter, cleaning, organizing, cooking, and hauling around heavy stuff, I'd be set!

22. Family is the most important thing in the world to me. I can't wait to have one of my own, but until then, I love to love my amazing sisters and brother and parents and nieces and nephews!

23. I still have to stand during the national anthem whenever I'm watching a hockey game or the Olympics...it's something mom made us do when we were kids, and I can't shake the habit!!

24. I'd be happy to leave my comfortable life in North America behind forever to go live and work with people overseas who have nothing and are crying out for someone to just love them. That's my dream, and even though I can't for the life of me figure out how it's all going to happen yet, I'm pretty sure a big part of my future will unfold across the ocean.

25. I love country music, pop, classical, worship, and everything in between...but if you really want to touch my soul, play me some southern gospel. The four-part harmonies, the timeless melodies, the simple but powerful truth in the words...it's woven into the very fabric of who I am, thanks to my Mennonite heritage! And I love, love, love it when we get together as a family, aunt, uncles, cousins, and break out into song...it's the music of heaven!

The new job...

So I just finished my first week at Habitat for Humanity, and I think I'm still partially in shock that such an amazing opportunity landed in my lap!! I had a whirlwind week of orientation...got to spend a day in each of the different areas of Habitat so I had a more well-rounded perspective on the whole organization, and it definitely WORKED! It didn't take long to catch the passion and the vision for what Habitat's doing in the city and around the world...yep!

Monday I basically spent the whole day meeting everyone and getting settled and reading through mounds of, um...interesting and informative paperwork (haha...yeah!) It was cool to read some of the family files, though, and realize what an international component there is to this job...so many families came from refugee camps in Africa, one was on the run from an extremist group in South America, etc....it'll be cool to get to know them and hear their stories!

Tuesday I was working in the ReStore, where they sell new and used donated construction and household supplies, which is then used to fund Habitat's entire administrative budget so that all money donated can go directly to building the houses. I was pretty impressed, I have to say....seeing how they take perfectly good stuff (lumber, windows, appliances, cupboards, whatever!!) that big corporations and individual families would otherwise just throw away...and turn it into something useful...over a million dollars in sales last year. That's a pretty creative way to be a good steward in our ridiculously affluent and wasteful society! I spent the morning tagging along with a charming old British man picking up donations from Home Depot and the afternoon cleaning and organizing and stocking shelves in the store. Good times...

Wednesday I was OFF (yep, I get Wednesdays off in this job too! Can't quite believe how amazingly God arranged that all!) And then Thursday the fun really began...I got to go on site and help out with the house construction. It was a bit intimidating at first, just me and 15 men...some of them staff, some of them volunteers...but all of them had such great attitudes and fantastic senses of humor that it didn't take long to get over the fact that I had no idea what I was doing. :-) I spent the day drilling holes in concrete to secure basement walls to their foundations, framing, measuring, hauling around tools, embarrassing myself with my hammering skills (or lack thereof!), and getting to know the guys. Probably the coolest thing about the day was getting past my "stereotypes" (I didn't realize how quickly I make judgments about people after meeting them!!) and being reminded AGAIN that people are not always what they seem on the outside! And everybody has a story. For example, one of the volunteers I was working with had been homeless just last year, living on the street in Edmonton, and he definitely looked the part. Long scraggly hair, a dirty messy beard, old baggy clothes.....and as much as I hate to admit it, I was surprised to see him there..."weird...I wonder what he has to offer?" I was thinking. But then I started talking to him, and I was blown away. He was hilarious, smart, well-spoken, obviously educated, totally aware of current events, and not afraid to show his heart and his passion for Habitat's mission. I was pretty much humbled after getting to know him...and the other guys were great too. Old and young and everything in between...we shared coffee breaks and lunches and they were infinitely patient with all my questions and insisted that I get to try everything...whether I had a clue what I was doing or not. It was strangely refreshing to spend the day with them, talking trucks and power tools and outdoor adventures and swapping building stories...I was definitely in my element. :-)

Friday I was back in the office, and the steep learning curve began...yikes, the non-profit world is completely different and it feels like I may never master it all...my poor brain is very tired! But who wants a job you can figure out in a week, right? :-) So even though it could be weeks or months before I feel totally comfortable and like I'm actually contributing (!!) I'm excited to grow and learn and be challenged, and blessed to be part of something that's way bigger than just me. And there ya have it! :-)

Ah, the sweet life of leisure!

So I'm in the middle of a week and a half off between jobs right now, and I can't even begin to describe how heavenly it is!! I didn't think I was going to survive my last two weeks at Givens...NO motivation to work; I just wanted to be FREE! And now I am, and can't help but think that retirement sounds pretty good. :-) I have a long list of stuff I want to get done this week....scrubbing the house out from top to bottom, catching up on my scrapbooking, going for a long-overdue hair appointment, getting my car fixed, shopping for a new wardrobe, taking down the Christmas decorations, numerous coffees and dates with friends, cooking enough meals to last for the next month, having some good God time, catching up on sleep, and doing a bunch of writing!! So YES, boredom shouldn't be a problem, as always!!

The week started off with a bit of an adventure, though, when I woke up on Friday morning and the house was a balmy 10 degrees!!! This is when home ownership gets REALLY exciting, when there's a problem and you're the one who has to solve it! Anyway, needless to say, I got on the phone with dad pretty quickly and he gave me my first lesson in Furnaces 101. Then Diana and I marched downstairs and managed to diagnose the problem! It looked like the ignitor had burnt out, so off we went to the furnace store and bought the part from a super-helpful dude whose business card said "Furnace Expert" but the first words out of his mouth were that he didn't know anything about furnaces. Hmmm. :-) But here's where the story gets REALLY exciting! We came back home, bundled up in our winter gear (the furnace would have to die on one of the coldest days of the year!!), gathered all the tools we could find, and got to work! And....within a few minutes....as we waited with breathless anticipation....the furnace roared to life!!!! We were pretty stoked, I have to say...to fix the furnace ourselves, no men in sight! The house is nice and toasty again now, and all is well!!

Ummm....I think we have a problem!!

No worries....I was born to use a wrench!

Aha!!! Problem solved!

You're looking at two triumphant women!

Today I had another exciting adventure when I took my car in to get the thermostat fixed (a simple $190 job, or so I thought!) and was presented with a long list of everything ELSE that needed attention too! A list that topped $2,000.....so needless to say, I was a little choked. But after a quick phone call to dad (what would I do without him?!) I calmed down and decided to trust that they weren't in fact taking advantage of me because I'm a helpless female (haha), swallowed hard, and got $1,200 of the work done today...the rest can wait a bit! So that's a nice chunk of unexpected change down the drain...I might have to start budgeting if I'm going to be able to afford to pay my property taxes in June! ;-)

Nothing can steal away my joy this week, though....to be able to breathe again, to not feel TIRED for a change, to get so much stuff done that I haven't had time to....it's indescribably wonderful! I'm excited to start my new job on Monday, though!

Some highlights from the past month...

My fabulous roommate scored luxury box seat tickets through her job for....wait for it...the Backstreet Boys! For one glorious night I was 16 again, swaying to the music (let's face it...I can't dance!) and crooning along with those fabulous lyrics..."I don't care who you are, where you're from, what you did, as long as you love me!" :-) sigh...



Then, to continue the trend, my friend Amy invited me to join her when the highly anticipated New Kids on the Block reunion tour hit Edmonton. I was never really a fan (their music was highly controversial back in grade six....and I had strict parents!!) but you couldn't help but get into the spirit...17,000 middle-aged women screaming and crying and having flashbacks to their much-younger days. Really, does it get any better than that?? ;-)



Then there was the spontaneous Christmas dance party that erupted during life group one Thursday night....one minute we were having a deep spiritual discussion, the next minute we were rocking out to Mariah Carey! "All I want for Christmas is you, babyyyyyy!!!" That was followed by some late-night frolicking in the freshly falling snow and a little experimenting to see if sticking our tongues to metal poles was as fun today as it was when we were kids. :-)



December 20th....my kindred spirit got married in Fort Edmonton Park! A great night of amazing food and meeting new people and wishing again that I knew how to line dance!

Christmas Eve I surprised grandma with a visit to Three Hills (mom and dad were there too)...we had such a great day of Rook, laughs, food, watching the Waltons (that's grandma...always livin' on the edge!), and going to a Christmas Eve service at her church. So much fun to bless her that way, and be blessed in return!

And in between it all, of course, there was lots of talking on the phone with Mr. Noah....Karen snapped this picture one day while Noah was talking to me. SO PRECIOUS!!!!! I love his priceless little smile!