Iowa, Mexico, Canada, Oh My!

Although I haven't posted in a month and a half, it is definitely not due to the fact that we haven't been busy!  Let's start with an overview!

Since my last post, Andee and I have...

• Finished up Clinical Rotations in Illinois and officially retired from "Student" status after a lifetime of schooling
• Said our goodbyes to all our wonderful friends in Illinois
• Moved from Lisle, Illinois to Waterloo, Iowa with the help of Andee's parents
• Drove from Iowa to Canada to start our Canadian vacation
• Flew to Mexico for an All-Inclusive vacation with my Family as a graduation gift from Cassie
• Officially Completed Medical School and Graduated with High Honors 

...Phew!  Quite an eventful few weeks!  After all of this we are now back in Canada and have a little time to relax with our families and friends before continuing the journey!  But that's not all!  Here is what is coming up in the next few weeks!

• Fly to New York City for Andee's Graduation and Andee's Family Trip
• Continue our Canadian Vacation and spend time at the Cottage
• Apply for a work visa for Andee's Residency
• Unpack and settle in Iowa
• Start Andee's Residency complete with an actual income and Doctor status

God is so good!!  Only He could have made all of this possible! Let's start now back at the beginning!

As we were preparing for our move from Illinois to Iowa, it was, of course, very bittersweet.  We are so excited for what God has planned for us in the future and for all that He has done so far in our lives, but it is always sad to leave somewhere you love and all the wonderful people and places that make it so special.  It was very difficult saying our goodbyes to all of the staff at Harvest, and we were so appreciative of all the love, support and prayers that were offered by everyone at this wonderful church!  I was treated to a delicious lunch with my former small group leader Lisa, a party with my current small group, and a lunch with the Admin girls at Harvest!  Andee and I were also surprised with a barbeque dinner at Joe and Amy's with some of the great people that we love!  We were so incredibly blessed with our nearly two years in Illinois, and we will treasure all the people and all the memories forever!

Our move to Iowa, although mildly stressful and quite physically and mentally demanding, actually went incredibly smoothly!  We had no issues with the U-Haul or either apartment, and successfully moved all our stuff up 2 huge flights of stairs and into our new apartment!  We really needed the help from Carol and Bill, who arrived the day before and helped us with the whole process!  We didn't quite get everything unpacked before we left a day later for Canada, but we got a lot accomplished and are now ready to settle in when we return!  Again, God is so good!

After almost 16 hours in a car, we finally arrived back home to Canada where our family was there to greet us!  There is no place like home!  But we didn't get to enjoy it for long, because 2 days later we packed up for MEXICO!!  My wonderful and generous sister Cassie actually treated Andee and I to the vacation as a graduation gift for Andee!  Talk about a great gift!!  We had such an amazing time spending time with family, and soaking up the...shade!?  Haha, we were a little too fair skinned to spend too much time in direct sunlight!  The resort had amazing snorkeling, and we were fortunate enough to see tons of different kinds of fish, baby sting rays, a giant sting ray, a barracuda, and multiple sea turtles!  The land wildlife was equally impressive, as we were able to see (and feed!) racoons, iguanas, monkeys, and kawatis!  It was amazing!  The food at the buffets were also amazing, especially the breakfasts, and the Japanese restaurant was so much fun and very tasty!  The beach and pool were so beautiful and warm, and the pina coladas were delish!  The service and rooms were also amazing, and apparently I could just go on and on!  We loved it!!  And of course, we participated in several photo shoots and ended up with the perfect picture to enlarge and mount on our wall in our apartment in Iowa!  It was so much fun!!  Enjoy the beautiful pictures!!

Andee's official Graduation date was June 1st, but the ceremony in New York City is coming up next week!  We are so excited to travel with Andee's family to the Big Apple and reunite with some of Andee's classmates under such great circumstances!  Coming to a blog near you!

Well, I suppose that is it!  We are enjoying spending time with family and friends while we are home, and are very excited for everything coming up!  Oh yeah, and God is still so good!!

Janis and Dave Take Illinois!

So, a lot has happened since my last post!  Since matching to the Residency that we were hoping and praying for, it has been a whirlwind of paperwork, apartment hunting, and making plans for our vacations to Canada, the Caribbean, and New York!  An interesting combination of excitement, stress, and a race against the clock to get everything accomplished!  As per usual, thank God for His hand in our lives!!

As a fun break from all we have to do, my parents came to visit us here in Illinois before the big move!  It was so much fun having them stay with us and doing lots of fun Chicagoland style activities we hadn't yet had a chance to do!  It sure is nice having some very familiar Canadian faces joining us in our little adventure!

The first full day of having my parents in Illinois, I took them to Harvest Bible Chapel to have them meet some of the amazing people that work there, as well as help out a little bit with bulletins and the usual Friday routine, including Lunch Club!  It was fun "working" with my parents and letting them see a little bit of what I have been doing here in Illinois!

We then joined Andee after he was finished with work by going to Ci Ci's pizza buffet!  We were starving, and it was a very delicious and reasonable place for lunch!  Nothing says America like a pizza buffet!  There was also a claw machine, in which Mom won the only animal!  Of course!

The next day was the highlight of our to-do list - a bus tour of Chicago with on-and-off stops, lots of photo ops, and free goodies!  It only took Andee and I a year and a half to finally visit all of the main tourist attractions in Chicago!  Highlights of the tour included a walk along the Pier, an indoor tropical paradise room, Chicago style hot dogs, free T-shirts, chocolate bars, and gelato, and a visit to the Bean!  We also learned a lot of interesting facts about Chicago on the tour, and had a lot of fun enjoying the sights with our family!  Enjoy the pictures!!

We took it a little easier the next couple of days, with some church in the morning, a walk along the beautiful apartment grounds with lake and ski-hill views, a beautiful walk in downtown Naperville, and a delicious dinner at Maggino's Italian Restaurant!  Speaking of delicious meals, we also had the privilege of eating lots of famous Chicagoland and American restaurants such as Calvers and Portillos!  We loved the burgers, fish, and Italian Beef, as well as Portillo's Chocolate Cake!!  Perfect!

The last day of my Parent's trip we visited the Brookfield Zoo!  The zoo is always one of my favourite activities, and we were not disappointed!  Leopards, tigers, lions, dolphins, bears, fish, penguins, and the most rare and beautiful, Canadian Geese!  Haha!  It was a cool but sunny day to enjoy so many of God's amazing creations!

The next day we had to say goodbye, but with the promise of reuniting in just over a month!  Andee and I are about 95% into a really nice apartment complex in Iowa, and we should be moving in late May to Waterloo!  We also have two family trips planned to look forward to, as well as a solid month in our beloved Canada!!  We are really excited for all these fun things coming up, and trusting God for all the new promises He has for us in this new location!  Praise the Lord!