All done.... big sigh...
Surgery date finally.... December 19th...

Hello Blog World.. aka in recent news...

I'm coming up for air!  I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Only two more weeks with my students!  It's been quite a journey and learning experience, all mostly good.  It feels a bit like being totally entrenched in the daily goings on at the University and what they are learning (so I can stay on track and pretend I know what I'm doing), and now we're just smooth sailing til the end.  I've also been orienting to a new area of the hospital (our ward closed down in the new hospital tower expansion and everyone got bumped around),  so that I have somewhere to work next term and post- my knee surgery.  I won't be teaching next semester and I kind of am a bit sad about that, so that's a good indication that I like it and hope to do it again. 

Still no surgery date...  Maybe I won't be couch surfing Christmas Day :)

Erin has the Crystal Ball coming up in early December, a Christmas dance for grade 12s, and after a once around our one and only mall, we realized we weren't going to find anything, let alone have it fit properly.  So we've tackled a sewing project.  We bought the most beautiful deep eggplant satin:

and have had so much fun sewing on this together.  I won't show the finished product, because it's not done :)  and we don't want to spoil the surprise.  But this is what we're making.  $32 later, what a deal!

School volleyball season is coming to and end, can I hear a collective sigh of relief?   In Jacob's own words, "We lost, we lost EVERYTHING".  He is especially happy, and Erin is just done. With club season just around the corner, we'll have a short break til January without driving someone somewhere EVERY week night.  Plus, Erin is going for her Driver's License next week!! It will be nice to have another driver in the house, especially for her 6:30am practices.  "Bye Honey, sorry I didn't get out of bed to say goodbye!"

New

September and half of October have been a blur of activity, learning a new job (still in progress), school and grad activities and meetings, soccer, volleyball, board meetings, picking fruit, trying to keep up with some new ministry things, and attempting to keep supper on the table most nights.  When things just drop on your lap, and you feel them fully, and you know you can't say no because they are just right there on the edge of your heart and so much YOU, I know it had to be a God thing.  That's happened 3 times this month, so I'm praying for the strength to not be overwhelmed by them all, that His strength has to provide for what He's given me.  It feels like so much blessing all at once! My heart, my mind, and my schedule are so full and rich!  I just can't imagine a better, more full life, but fall into bed with sleep heavy on my eyes, before I hit the pillow most nights.  Just ask Kevin, he's jealous of my ability to do that.

We had fun last weekend watching the girls play. What a fun bunch! 

In other news... Jacob has grown an inch and slept 15 hours on Saturday.  The growing didn't all happen on Saturday :)  Here it comes!  You know what I'm talking about!

I love my students, well almost all of them :)  Brings back tender memories of those university days.

1st Day of School

 Erin wanted to re-pose her very first day of school ever with her last first day of school! 

 Kindergarten, grade 12.  Where did the time go?  She was a little less excited this year than 13 years ago.

How cute is she in her little skort?

 Jacob missed the action on the 1st day, (or maybe wasn't totally cooperating).

 But, this is actually the 3rd day of school.

  Close enough for the crazy first week of September this year :)

I'm pretty much just happy we all got there in time.

Erin and her One Direction notebook, oh my!

Poser.  Grade 9!

Officially...

I'm working for UBC!!  I interviewed in the summer for a job I applied for on a whim, that I didn't really know much about or want for that matter ~ especially after I found out more about it.  I had hoped to just get an interview, so they could know who I was if something else opened up.  I hadn't heard anything back from them and didn't really expect to.  I got an out of the blue phone call last night offering me a job as a clinical instructor, which is really what I've thought about doing and think I would like to try at some point, so why not right?.

So I thought about it over night, and accepted this morning!!  It's part time, which is awesome, and I'm hoping it's not more than I can handle.  I have orientation tomorrow!  YIKES!  Pray I get awesome students.

It's scary thinking about all that lies ahead, so I have to just take one day at a time... "sweet Jesus".  I guess when something like this falls in your lap after saying, "Id take a job if it were like this..."  and then it is, what more can I wonder about?  I guess we're up for a new adventure, which is sort of what my restless mind has been looking for.  No turning back now.

It's starting... the September hurry...

It came in the mail:  the big grad. student package with all "the stuff", the events that are going to happen, the calendar for the year, the credits and grad. info. and all the busyness of the school year fell into my lap.  I wasn't ready for it, and I'm still not. Grade 12!!! I spent some time putting all the important dates on the calendar and September is filling up, and fast.  But we still have 2 MORE WEEKS of summer!  I want to savor the last dusky days of the season.  To sit by the lake and feel the sun heat, to read more books than I have this summer, to stay up late with my teenagers making milkshakes and talking in the dark.  And I want more time with her.. this last year!? When did that happen?  When did she turn from pigtails and blonde curls to tall and lovely, thoughtful and thinking her own ideas?  It all just needs to slow down!  The world can stop spinning today for a bit and let me wait a little longer before some more change overtakes us.

So I will hold on to the moments I get with them before the busy season returns and I go back to work next week.  Some boring, long summer days will become more lasting and we'll cling on to them when they are the last few.  We'll take a walk by the river and maybe jump in, catch that drive in movie we haven't seen yet, go for ice cream one more time, swim in the lake before it's cold,  meet friends for supper at the beach, paint that bookshelf still waiting, do a hike in the wilderness before city life closes in.  What about you?  What's left of your summer list to hope to's?

Family Time

Had some good times with the inlaws this past week.  The kids drove back from Alberta with Kevin's parents, and then the rest of the siblings joined us.

a LOT of volleyball action, all of Kevin's siblings played and all the teenagers play

Gramma, a bit of a texting addict at the beach

I love this kid...  drinking laying down? relax a little would you?

Erin and Morgan got into Uncle Cam's motorcycle gear! Village People?

Dinner time on my deck!

trip to the Kangaroo farm

Sebastien and the joey

Sam and the joey in his "pocket"

Erin, the animal whisperer as usual

hanging out in the pool

The Drew 5