| Reality TV |
The other day Lance said to me, "Do you know the reality tv show 'the newly weds', Nick and Jessica?" I told him I did. Then he said, "Sometimes I feel like we're on a show kind of like that" - I thought he was saying this because we live in a dormitory and are always being watched by the students. He went on to say, "Anything I say or we talk about/do could show up in your blog"... "This conversation will probably go in your blog". I made sure he knew that he could request that I not put things in the blog and I would respect that. I thought that was funny, comparing the blog to reality tv. Be assured readers that what you read on this blog is more real than reality tv.
Today the second year students come. We have been working so hard getting ready for them. It's fun to see them again. All the manuals I was working on have been sent off. This week I will work at setting up my office.
That's all for now.
Aimee |
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| Work and Lance |
Hello friends. I thought I'd give you an update on the work I've been doing lately. I've been working on manuals for the internship program that I direct. I am almost done. I have revisions on one more, then a couple short letters to write (to include with the manuals) then I just have to mail them out. I am looking forward to being done - then there's more work, but it is not as pressing.
The 2nd year students come on Sunday. I am looking forward to seeing them again. They are a great group of students. The first years come the following Saturday. I'm a little nervous for their arrival - new encounters are somewhat difficult for me, I often worry about people fitting in and not being lonely. After a day or two things will be fine. Last year I just loved the students, I bet I will love them this year too.
I have been very grateful for my husband these past couple days, so here is a little tribute (as platinum blonde says) to him:
Lance helps me be realistic
Lance made lunch for me today (trying hard to make a meal that would be good for me)
Lance kisses me (that's all I'll say in that category)
Lance knows (usually) when I'm on the edge and need a break
Lance makes me laugh and laughs with me
Lance is my best friend
Lance loves me
There's way more, but that's all for now. I'm at the office and now I'm heading home.
Hope you are all well.
Aimee |
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| Sometimes I feel crazy |
Today I felt like I was crazy.
Here's why. Because I have hypoglycemia it is really important that I watch what I eat. No sugar, low carbs, and only complex carbs, lots of veggies, not too much fruit. I also need to eat many snacks throughout the day and not eat large meals. If I eat poorly for a couple of days it catches up with me. Today I paid for eating poorly. I am under a lot of stress because of deadlines for my new job. Stress exacerbates my symptoms. The symptoms I experience are - stiff neck and shoulders, headache, coldness, extreme (extreme to me) irritability and irrationality. I felt like these symptoms just attacked me today.
The worst symptom is the irritability and irrationality. I feel like I don't have control over my thoughts - but I do, I just need to try hard I think. Today I quickly left the kitchen while I was making supper - I left and prayed for Jesus to take control. Usually the thoughts that seem out of control are strong negative thoughts about myself because of some minute mistake I've made -- I blow things way out of proportion.
If I eat regularly and properly irrationality and irritability is really reduced, I just need to be consistent. Tonight I had a yogurt, raspberry, orange smoothie. Even though Melanie won't be able to believe it, I enjoyed it so much, it was such a good food choice for me and it tasted great (don't puke okay Mel, I'll never make you drink one). Tomorrow I will try to get on track again.
I'm heading to bed now - 2hrs earlier than usual. I think that will be good for me. It is so interesting to me that the body is totally interconnected. How we eat can even effect our emotions and how we think. I think North Americans are very good at compartmentalizing and not acknowledging interconnectedness.
Just some thoughts.
Aimee
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| You'll Never Guess |
You'll never guess what I'm doing today. I am currently on a break from helping Lance's dad out at his booth for "Founders Days". It is Camrose's hundredth birthday this year. Lance's dad owns a Scandinavian (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Finish) bakery/cafe. He made a booth to look like the inside of an old kitchen, wall-paper and everything. Jane (Lance's sister) and I wear these ornate Norwegian costumes and pretend to be cooking (rolling pin, cookies in the old stove). The interactive portion of the booth (there were all sorts of requirements - interactive, roll-play, selling only "old-time" products) is potato peeling which people are welcome to try if they want.
I have to be back there at one. There is a "Family Street Dance" tonight. I want to get Lance dressed up Norwegian too. We'd sure look funny two-stepping together - first because of our costumes, second because we're not that good.
The work I have to do for my new job is always on my mind. I haven't given myself enough time to do it. I want to take Sunday completely off. When I'm busy like this I really recognize my need for a "Sabbath". God knew what He was doing when He commanded sabbath rest.
Bye.
Aimee |
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| We're Home |
We arrived in Camrose on Saturday night after a 13.5 hour drive (including about 45min worth of pee breaks). We have often done the trip in two days so I think that spoiled us. I was so excited when we got to Jasper, then saw the kilometre sign to Edmonton, 386km, and Camrose is about an hour from Edmonton - stil 5 hrs to go. When we got home we were tired but started unpacking. We took way too much stuff to Abbotsford - we were there for three months but that isn't really that long. Both Lance and I do not like clutter and prefer a tidy house. The idea of "a place for everything and everything in its place" is very important to Lance. While I prefer a tidy house it is way more important to Lance to get everything into its appropriate place quickly. He made a special effort to be relaxed about the unpacking - when he's really driven about organizing I get flustered as he hands me stacks of my papers or points to piles of my stuff and asks me to put it away (I'm usually doing something else and then feel forced into joining his organizing rampage). All said unpacking and reorganizing our home has gone quite well. I would also like to announce that the last load of laundary is in the washer and tomorrow I will be all caught up - if you can ever really be caught up with laundary.
Both Lance and I are working on school work from the course(s) we took. Lance has four papers to complete this week before he can focus on his job for CLBI that recommences next week. You can pray for him as he struggles to get these papers done when he'd rather be doing almost anything else. I have two small papers to do and lots of loose ends to wrap up this week for my new job (internship director). I sometimes get overwhelmed with all the organizing I need to do. You can pray for me about this. thanks.
We've had a chance to see Lance's family, and our friends Pete and Jenna and Brent and Jena - these people are so special to us it is so good to be near them again. Brent and Jena came over tonight and we just talked and talked. I love our friends.
I've been really trying to eat well lately - since I have hypoglycemia I need to be careful about the amounts and types of carbs I eat (excercise is important for me too, but I haven't got around to focussing on that yet) Anyways, since I do most of the grocery shopping and cooking/baking Lance gets swept up into my health freakyness. I try to make good tasting meals that are also good for us. I like this challenge. When we have guests I like to keep that fact that the meal is very nutritious a secret until after they comment on how tasty it is - then I surprise them with the facts - "It's good for you too". This is especially the case with desserts. In order for me to be allowed to eat a dessert it needs to be sugar-free. When we have guests over I'll make a fruit crisp or pie without sugar. I like to surprise people with the fact that it's sugar-free after they've enjoyed it. This is where Lance and I differ. I would prefer not to mention that a meal is really healthy or sugar-free because I think that will set people up for not liking it. Lance thinks the opposite and likes to mention the healthiness (aka this might taste funny to you) or sugar-freeness before they try it - he thinks they'll give the food more grace if they know its not normal food. I think the food all tastes great and therefore doesn't need "grace". Lance and I have discussed this and he's going to try to refrain from what I think of as sabotaging guests' possible enjoyment of healthy food by warning them ahead of time. I'm grateful for his effort in this area.
Lance is in bed and I'm really tired. I'm outta here.
Aimee |
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| Pretty Busy |
Tomorrow Lance and I drive back to Alberta. Today is our last day in Abbotsford- I'm a little overwhelmed with things that need to be done. Loose ends that need to be tied up before we go. Mom encouraged me not to tie up ends that don't need to be tied. Good advice.
As you probably know from reading Platinum Blonde, Melanie and I had a great adventure on Wednesday night. I was expecting dinner and visiting and we got a full-fledged adventure. Highlights: 20ft high cork popping, swimming in the ocean, snapping polaroids, fine Japanese style dining, learning to be honest in little things, getting a lovely card from Melanie, tons of laughing and talking.
Hands down Melanie has been the highlight of my summer!
I think I will wait till I get home to blog more, I'm just too distracted now.
Aimee
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| I'm Back |
So, it's been too long since my last blog. Lance and I were away at a camp for the week (Aug 1-6). This was the camp where we met, where I had a crush on him, he started to like me and I fell in love with him. It is also where Lance and I got engaged. We worked at Camp Luther (a Lutheran Bible camp near Mission BC - 20min from my parents house) the summers of 97 and 98 together and I worked 99 and 00 as well. This camp has a special place in my heart.
Lance was invited to be a speaker at Family Camp this year. He spoke for one hour each day. His topic was the Kingdom of God. His main point was that the gospel is more than Jesus dying for our sins so we can be forgiven and go to heaven. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to earth and we can experience it now. We studied some of Jesus' miracles (as proof that the kingdom is more than just words) the parables (as descriptions of the kingdom) and the Beattitudes (as a picture of what the kingdom can look like in our lives). Lance prepared well and was well received. I was proud of him. What an exciting thing to get to help people understand God's kingdom. A good book on this topic is Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy, a tough read, but worth it according to Lance.
I loved being at camp. Seeing friends and relaxing.
This is our last week in BC. We head home on Saturday. That will be good. I am excited to get settled in again. This week will be full of friends and work.
I better get some work done now, hope you are all well.
Aimee
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posted by Aimee at