Holding out for Spring!

Ok, soooooo it's still winter.  Which is horrible.  But the good news is, there is really only a month (might be a tad bit optimistic but just humor me) left of official winter weather, and Blue Jays Baseball Spring Training has started, so Spring can't be THAT far away!!  Woohoo!!  I'm holding out for Spring!!  Spring is such a magical time - utter relief from the frigid temperatures, ability to again get back to outdoor activities without your skin falling off, the start of baseball, fishing, going on long walks, hearing birds chirping, warm sunshine, and all sorts of other wonderful activities!  GET EXCITED!!

So, the only photo-worthy event that happens in February is Valentines Day!!  Andee and I celebrated with some practical and needed gifts (my favourite!)  Andee got me a dishwasher-safe travel mug/canister so I can stop refilling plastic water bottles from the church, and a leopard print bath mat to replace the dollar-store towel in our bathroom - 2 items I have been wanting for many months but was too "frugal" (cheap) to buy!  Oh, Medical School living!  He also got me a Reese Peanut-Butter Heart - yum!!  I got Andee something we have been looking for for almost a year - the Forever Comfy - a super comfortable cushion to put on top of a not-so-comfortable chair!  That is indeed what my skinny Husband has been looking for all this time!  I also made him a pop-up card, and got some Valentines Day themed balloons from Dollar Tree, because I drove by and saw everyone coming out of the store with them, and I couldn't resist!  We then headed to Red Lobster for Dinner, which is a huge treat for us!  Red Lobster is seriously the best, I would eat there every day if I could!  Andee ordered shrimp pasta and crabs legs, and I ordered a 4-course meal (a special!) that included  clam chowder, caesar salad, garlic shrimp, and a hot brownie with ice-cream!  And of course, unlimited cheddar baked biscuits!  THE BEST!  A wonderful Valentine's Day!!

So now that Andee is back to his happy baseball self with Spring Training underway, I am happily back to work doing something I really love, and Easter coming up very soon, it is a great time to celebrate!  And let's not forget, we are coming HOME TO CANADA in March!  Let's recap this story!

Andee and I needed to return home to Canada to renew our American visas and attend a couple Doctor appointments (with free healthcare!) on the weekend of March 9th.  We had no idea what kind of time off Andee would be allowed, since he just last week started a new rotation.  However, we really needed to make the trip, so we accepted the fact that we might be driving home on Saturday morning, and driving back on Monday afternoon, leaving only a day to enjoy Canada.  However, when Andee started this new rotation, the Doctor immediately announced that the students had Friday the 8th off, because he was not working that day!  In addition to that amazing detail, this new rotation allows for Andee to have Thursdays off, every other Saturday off, and optional Mondays that can be alternated with the other student.  Which means, drumroll please....................that Andee and I will be heading back THURSDAY morning, and heading back Monday afternoon!  Which gives us 3 whole days, an evening, and a morning to enjoy Home!!  So this "Visa and Dr. appointments" trip has now turned into a mini vacation!  So exciting!!  God is Good!  He definitely orchestrated this plan from the beginning - what are the chances he would have those exact days off??  Amazing!!  We are also planning on bringing back our cute little kitty for a visit home as well!  He will get to meet (and be mauled by) my family, and my big kitty, Mr Purr!!  YAY!!

Speaking of my little Aloe cat, I would like to take this oppourtunity to post some cute pictures!  Nothing says "it's winter and nothing happens worthy of photos ops" than pictures of my cat!  More photos on my and Andee's phones that I will be adding at a later blog!  Enjoy!

Well, that is about it for now!  We are super excited for our trip home, and for all the amazing things God is doing here!  Lots of exams on the way for Andee, and lots of Easter preparations for me at work!  Exciting stuff!  We will see all you Canadians on March 7th!!!

We Got a Cat!!

For anyone that knows me at all, I am 100% obsessed with cats.  So I am absolutely overjoyed to be exclaiming to you all that after two and a half years of moving around, we have FINALLY become settled (enough) to be cat owners!!  Just today we renewed our lease for another year in Illinois, hoping and praying that Andee will be able to complete all his clinical rotations here, as well as the possibility of residency!  So with the exciting possibility of remaining in Illinois for at least another 14 months, and possibly another 3 years after that, we decided to take the plunge into owning a little kitty!  And a cute little kitty he is!!  We named him Aloe, because he is chill, gentle, cool, and nice!  He is puuuuuurfect - a tabby/bengal mix who is very affectionate, and the most beautiful spotted and striped coat and golden eyes!!  A bengal mix, you know, the domestic kitties known for their leopard-like coat?  Amazing!!  We adopted him from an overburdened shelter and it was love at first sight!!  He was a little tentative the first night, meowing like crazy and scratching on the doors, but by the very next day he was rubbing up to us wanting pets and genuinely showing us love!  Which, if you have met my Parent's cat Mr. Purr, you know that is something I am not used to!  Aloe is very playful and loves to play "fishing" with Andee, a mouse toy tied to the end of a fishing rod!  He loves to be in the same room as us, and has the cutest little "mews" and squeaks, can't make much of a meow sound!  He is the cutest little thing ever, and Andee and I are soooo happy we took him home with us!!  Enjoy too many pictures of my little sweetie!!!

Oh, so I guess some other stuff happened this week too.  Haha, just kidding.  On Thursday the Staff at Harvest had a surprise going away party for Larry, who is stepping down from his position to Pastor at a neighboring church - exciting!  Larry is one of the staff members who helped to solidify my volunteer position at the church, and so I am very thankful to him for that!!  Delicious food and amazing people!  It was a lot of fun!!

We have been spending so much time with our new little kitty that this is about the only news we have to report to you all!  It has also been too cold and snowy to do anything else!  I will try not to be the crazy cat lady I am deep down inside and limit the amount of cat photos I share, but let's get real, I'm not really going to try that hard.  Enjoy the pictures!!