Let's talk about the Fall - and I mean the REAL Fall; not this sneaky Winter pretending it's Fall. On a beautiful warm fall day in late October, Andee and I decided to take a walk around one of the Prairie Lakes near our church. There were little critters everywhere, including grasshoppers, fuzzy caterpillars,and we even spotted a preying mantis! I had never seen one in real life! It was super amazing! One of my favorite things on this earth is admiring the creativity and diversity of our great God revealed in nature and wildlife. Of course, I am a lot more appreciative of this when it is warm outside - Ha! In the late afternoon, Andee and I also managed to carve a couple pumpkins to get in the Fall spirit! I decided to veer from my standard pumpkin face and move to something a little more creative - a cat.....okay so maybe not so creative. I like what I like! A wonderful day of Fall festivities!
The following week was Halloween! I love dressing up, but on a tight budget, we did what we could! I was a cat (so predictable) and Andee made his second appearance as Howard from The Big Bang Theory! We went out for dinner with a few friends, followed by an get-together with some of the Residents. Fun! Happy Halloween!
Continuing our Canadian tradition, we decided to put up our Christmas tree the day after Halloween! With Canadian Thanksgiving in early October, we get a full two months of Christmas prep! Just as it should be! And no one was happier about this than our sweet little Aloe cat, who quickly claimed his spot under the tree. The holiday season is always one of my favorites, excluding the crappy weather of course. It's the most wonderful time of the year!
The same day we put up our tree I received a very long anticipated item in the mail - my Employment Authorization Card! Which meant, in God's perfect timing, that I was officially able to start work at Prairie Lakes Church as the Receptionist - just 2 days after receiving this card! God is so Good!! So, for the first time in over 4 years, I will be receiving a regular paycheck! Hallelujah!! Four years ago we entrusted our bleak financial situation to the Lord as we embarked on this fantastic, difficult, and expensive season of life, and He has blessed us so much and given us everything that we needed and continue to need in terms of financial provision. We are now even in a state financially where we can start to bless others - and I am loving this! I seriously cannot praise Him enough! They even had a nice sign at the front for me when I started my first day! PTL!
Later in the month, a few of the Residents were able to be involved with a Resident Jeopardy competition in Des Moines, where all the Family Medicine Residency programs in Iowa competed for a trophy! The University of Iowa even put us in in hotel for the night, and we enjoyed a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres during the competition. Northeast Iowa Family Medicine Residency program came in a respectable third place, and it was fun to make the trip to Des Moines! For dinner, Andee and I went to Zombie Burger and had the most deliciously disgusting fried Mac and Cheese burger with a side of fries and gravy. It was amazing!! Too bad it's 2 hours away!
The next day we visited the big mall in Des Moines - Jordan Creek Mall. If you know me well, you know I am not much for shopping, but what I do enjoy are Christmas decorations and atosphere - and that is exactly what we found! And not only that, but there was a giant Bass Pro Shop in the mall, where we found lots of old animals that lived a long life, and after passing gave their lives for us to marvel at their beauty and sheer size and strength! God made some pretty amazing things! We didn't buy much, only a couple Christmas gifts, but it really got us in the Christmas spirit to see so many beautiful decorated trees! We arrived home just as the snow started to fall, and were greeted by a very needy kitty! Life is good!
Since August, I have been a part of PLC's Worship Team, and I just love worshiping the Lord and leading others into worship through singing! It is one of my favorite things to do, and I am so blessed to be part of such a great team! Somebody captured this great shot! Love it!
Andee and I are also very excited to announce that we will be home for Christmas! In just one month exactly today, we will be driving through the U.S and Canada making our way home to Christmas shenanigans aplenty! We were extremely fortunate to get this week off, and we are making the most of it by trying to see as many of our Canadians as possible! Hoping and praying for good weather for the drives, and we will see everyone soon!
