Spring!

It looks like Spring has finally sprung!  And I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who as excited about this as I am!  Aloe is quite excited to be watching some good shows on Cat TV (looking out the window) as the many ducks, geese, squirrels, birds, and other little critters are finally out of hibernation!  The ponds have completely de-iced, and the fish are hungry from a long, cold winter...which leads me to my next story!!

Just a few days ago, Andee brought all of his fishing gear out of hibernation and packed it permanently in the trunk of our car for the next 7 months; for easy access whenever the need for a quick fish arises.  The first casts of the season took place right at the beginning of April, and although with the intense Chicagoland wind chill it is still cooler than we would like, hungry fish are great motivation for starting to spend some time outdoors!  Just yesterday, with quite the freezing windchill, Andee decided to stop by on the way home to fish at Bass City.  Many of you may have forgotten about Lisle's premium fishing spot known to us as Bass City over the winter, but not Andee.  And certainly not the fish!  After only a few casts (and a good thing too, because it was freezing) Andee pulls up a HUGE BASS!!  The first Fish of the season!!  He was soo big that he actually pulled Andee's foot into the water, shoe and all.  At least, that is how Andee tells it, but either way, he ended up with a wet foot!  A few minutes later, low and behold, another huge Bass!  Bass city fish, bass bass city fish!  Two hugies in a matter of 5 minutes!!  After capturing photo evidence of these monsters, we headed back in to de-thaw - and to re-live the experience by viewing the pictures one too many times!  A very successful first fish!

 

A great kick-start to this wonderful spring was of course, Easter!!  Easter was surprisingly early this year, and Harvest was hard at work preparing for all the festivities and celebrations!  He is Risen!!  What an amazing time of year to take the time to really celebrate and acknowledge the work that Jesus Christ has done for us in sacrificing himself for his children, us!!  What an amazing and merciful God we serve!!  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8.  And Hallelujah, He is Risen Indeed!!  Death could not hold him, and so it cannot hold us either!  For as children of God, believing in the work of His Son and accepting the free gift of salvation, we are purchased and declared redeemed, accepted, and blameless!  AMEN!!  My Jesus, My God, Thank you!!  Easter is just that extra special celebration of what we should be celebrating every day!!  God is Love!!  Amazing Love!!  Easter!! 

Spring also marks the beginning of BASEBALL SEASON!!!!  Let's Go Blue Jays!!!  This season comes with palatable anticipation, as the Jays odds for winning the World Series this year are ranked #1 in Vegas!!  Toronto traded and signed for an All-Star team this year, and we are extremely excited to watch this year play out!  The Jays have not been contenders for 20 years, and at the ripe old age of 5, it is needless to say that at this time I was not a Jays fan.  Andee however was quite the little Jays fan, but 20 years of faded memories leaves both of us eager to see the Jays make it far this season!  Andee doesn't get excited about much, but with the combination of Blue Jays and fishing all in one week, he is definitely a happy camper!  Unfortunately the Jays lost their opening game, but the anticipation is high, and the opportunity for an exciting and eventful season awaits!  And of course, a Jays themed photo shoot!

In other exciting news, our good friends from St. Kitts/actually from Canada, Naomi and Joey and their little ones, have just recently made the move to Illinois for Joey's clinical rotations!  It looks like they are following a similar path to us, as Joey is scheduled for several rotations at the Adventist Hospitals!  They are currently living only about 20 minutes from us, and so there shall be many hangouts to commence when the weather gets warmer!  We were able to see each other a couple times since their big move to catch up and play with the kiddos, and they have come to a few Harvest Bible Chapel services as well!  We are so happy that they are on track to completing the long process of medical training, and especially that they are completing this training only 20 minutes away!  Sure beats living in separate countries!   

Oh, Spring!  I think God planned Spring in perfect timing to contrast the bleak and cold winter and immediately replace this season with one of new beginnings in Easter and the new growth of nature, fun outdoor activities such as baseball and fishing, and anticipation of warmer weather to come!    

Unfortunately, Andee and I are both sick today, and with a cloudy and rainy forecast along with "strong wind warnings" (what the heck?) in the Chicagoland area, making the supposed high of 18 degrees Celsius temperatures feel much cooler, we seem to be stuck inside for the most part.  At least we have our Blue Jays to keep us company!  And our adorable Aloe Cat!  Here are some cute pics our sweetie just for fun!

Happy Spring Everyone!! 

Canada!!!!!

Canada!!!!!  Yay!!!!  So as I described in a previous blog, Andee and I ended up with 5 days off in a row to make the trip back to Canada!!  PTL!!  We left at 4:30am on Thursday, and arrived in Whitby a little after 3pm!  Great timing!!  We also had two visitors in the car - a friend of Andee's who is a Med Student currently working at his same clinical rotation, and of course, our little Aloe cat!  So needless to say, it was a full car!  We weren't sure how Aloe was going to be in the car, and for the first few hours, he was not a happy camper in his cat carrier!  However, (and you can see from this adorable picture below...) once we decided to let him out of the carrier and kept him from roaming by using a harness and leash, he was much happier!  He quite enjoyed sitting on my lap and looking out the window, and snuggling with me when he was a little uneasy about the car ride.  I love him!!

Once we arrived in Whitby, we headed to Andee's parents house to have some dinner.  We hadn't really eaten much all day, and we (especially Andee, since he was the driver) were very tired after driving for 10 hours, so a nice home cooked meal was much appreciated!  We still had our kitty with us, and unfortunately, he wasn't too thrilled at a barking and lunging dog.  After several failed attempts to introduce them, we decided to keep them separate during our visit, but once they were separate, we had a nice visit!  

We then headed over to my parent's house, where my Mom was waiting to greet us!  Unfortunately, my Dad was in Mexico with a friend, so we didn't get a chance to see him at all during our trip - the only "bad timing" thing about our visit home.  Cassie and Trevor arrived shortly after from working, and we had a great time catching up and hanging out!  We also tried to introduce Aloe with Mr. Purr, my parents cat, which was quite interesting.  I suppose Aloe had a horrible day, so we'll let this one slide, but when he saw Mr. Purr he was scared and started hissing!  Bad cat!  We didn't even know he was capable of making that noise!  So, we decided to try again later and kept the cats separate during the night.  Who knew cats were so much work?  Hahaha!!  Good thing he's cute!

The next day Andee and I woke up a little late, since we were pretty exhausted from the night before!  Shortly after waking up, Andee headed to his parents house for a visit, and Cassie, my Mom and I met up with Nicky for a fun afternoon!  We started with a necessary Dollarama trip, followed by lunch at Wendys where we had poutine!!  Yay Canada!!  We then headed back to the house, where an unseasonably warm sunny day led to an impromptu photo shoot outside!  Please notice the lack of coats and mittens, as well as the big smiles on our faces depicting the start of warmer weather, and Spring on the way!!   A wonderful afternoon with family!! 

Afterwards, we had a delicious lasagna dinner with the fam, and got to spend some time together!  I love Canada, and I love family!  After dinner, we headed to Toronto to watch our amazing and talented friends Dave and Arielle perform with their band!  A few of our friends also came to watch, so we were able to both see friends, and enjoy them perform!  It was a great show, and we were so glad that we were able to attend!  With our original road trip plans, we wouldn't have been able to see this amazing performance!!  So fun!!  I love friends, and I love Canada!!

The next day was a sleep in again after a late night in Toronto, and so in the early afternoon we headed to my Aunt's house for visit with my Aunts and grandparents!  I had no idea they were coming down, and was not anticipating this visit, and was so happy to see everyone!!  We enjoyed some lunch and treats, and had some great conversation involving tons of laughter and smiles!  Great visit!

We then headed back to my parents house where Dave and Arielle were waiting for us with Hot n' Ready pizza!  YAY!!  We were glad to be able to see them again - twice in one weekend!  Amazing!!

We also tried to reintroduce the cats, and after a little more hissing and having them get closer and closer to each other, it appeared that they were slowly becoming friends!!  So cute!!  I captured this super cute picture of them starting to like each other!  Yay!!  I actually think Aloe might miss his large friend!  We also thought it would be fun to dress Aloe up in a little Blue Jays Jersey and take pictures.... #crazycatfamily.  So cute!  Another great day!!

The next day was also quite unseasonably warm, making its way up to 50 degrees and sunny!  Sitting in the sun with just a light sweater and a delicious Timmy's white hot chocolate was just the best!!  Can't wait for summer!! 

In the late afternoon, we headed over to Andee's parents house where the whole family was there.  We were treated to a delicious turkey dinner, and great company!  There was also ice cream cake and cupcakes for dessert - Yum!  So glad to see the whole gang!  

After dinner, Cassie and I, as well as some friends of ours, headed to a concert put on by our Canada church!  It was so fun - their worship team is just amazing, and their guest Pastor for this event was hilarious and fun!  I wasn't sure I was going to be able to attend this event based on previous plans, and was so happy to find out that I could!  It was amazing, and I am looking forward to attending another one next time we head back to Canada!!

The next morning was our last day home (sad), and so we went out for breakfast to end off the weekend on a high note!  In addition to all the fun activities and visits, we managed to fit in a dental appointment and two specialist Doctor appointments we had carefully scheduled to line up with our little trip home!  We also purchased a bed (my parent's treat, yay!) deconstructed it and took it home, and went "shopping" in our closets to find all of our long lost summer clothes!  We also renewed our American visas with very little problems, which is a huge praise!!  How the heck did we manage to fit all of this into 5 days, with 20 hours of driving?  No one knows.  But I am so glad that we did!! 

We ended up leaving at around 3pm, and began our long treck back to Illinois!  Aloe was much happier this time, although was still relaxing with caution, and never falling asleep, which led to one sleepy kitty the next day!  We arrived back to our apartment just after midnight, and headed straight to bed, since Andee had to work in the morning!  I thankfully had the day off to unpack and take care of all the housework that had been neglected during our trip!  And a wonderful and packed trip it was!!

Overall, our trip back was just amazing!  Everything that could have easily gone wrong seemed to work out perfectly the entire time!  God is good!!  God turned our need to renew our visas and attend some Doctor appointments into a wonderful trip back home to see our family and friends!  This trip was such a blessing to us, and since Andee has very little time off, it was such a treat to be able to head home!  Amazing!!  PTL!!  Hooray!!!!!!!!  I hope to see lots of those same faces in Illinois for visits throughout the year!!  We love you all!!  And we love Canada!!

So, back to reality!  We really do love Illinois also, and we were glad to settle back into our apartment and routine!  Harvest Bible Chapel is celebrating their 13th anniversary this week, and before we left we celebrated with a Staff Bowling outing!  Bowling, games, cake, and lots of wonderful people made for a great day!  We are also celebrating with the entire church this weekend with a mountain of cupcakes for everyone! So fun!  Enjoy the pictures haha!

We are also making preparations for Easter, where I will be joining the choir!  Also, spring is well on its way, and the warmer weather and sunshine is much needed after a long winter!  I am very excited for Illinois in the Spring and Summer, and getting to enjoy all the activities our apartment provides us with, such as fishing, golf, boating, tennis, volleyball, swimming, and beautiful walking trails!  Hope you enjoyed the blog!

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!!