Happy News!

Very early Saturday morning, a wee baby girl made her appearance, much to everyone's surprise. 

It's not that she wasn't expected; it's just that she wasn't expected for another 3 1/2 weeks. She definitely wasn't expected the weekend that her parents were moving into their new house!

Evelyn Louisa, weighing in a 5lbs, 2oz, is tiny, sweet, adorable, and completely wonderful. She is also my fourth granddaughter, and I already love her.

She reminded me, when I got the text Saturday morning, that I have been so very, very blessed. Despite not getting to be a mother, I somehow still get to be Grandma Dorothy.

Sometimes I think of the things I gave up by remaining single and I'm sad. Then God reminds me that He's taking care of me and I didn't really give up anything. I just came at it all from a different angle.

I have been given family. Not through marriage and motherhood, but through God's grace and love in putting me in families.

I am so very happy and so very blessed.

Christmas is Coming!

The Christmas tree is up and well lit with coloured lights. It doesn't have any ornaments on it, but there are 8 strings of lights on a 5 foot tree; ornaments are not necessary for beauty! I may add ornaments at some point, but I really like it this way.

The gingerbread men have been decorated (and eaten). Hmmm...I may need more cookies! There is a cookie exchange at church on Saturday, but I have a wedding to attend that day and it's about a 3 hour drive so the two events may not be compatible (although they may be; we will have to see).

The Christmas shopping is done and the Christmas parcel has been mailed home. A lot of the stuff I bought on line and had shipped directly to my sister. There are a couple things she and Mum will pick up for me as well.

I'm ready for Christmas....with three weeks yet to wait!

Various Things to be Thankful For....

Bringing ice cream and olives to Thanksgiving dinner and leaving with apple pie, enough leftovers for two meals, and extra ham.

Spending time being silly with one child, learning about lego kingdoms and reading books with another child, and laughing with the adults while we "played" the Worst Case Scenario game.

Knowing how to: survive a kidnapping, recognize when a ship is coming to rescue me (and not kidnap me), eat a frog or a lizard, and recognize a harvest ant bite.

Keeping bulletins in my bible cover so that I am able to hand them over, one by one, to a little imp sitting next to me in church to keep her busy drawing all over the back.

A certain little imp who sits with me in church and draws pictures of Miss Dorothy and Miss Dorothy's house (which looks nothing like my house, given that I live in an apartment).

Having an apartment of my own so that I can have books stacked wherever I want....which is most of everywhere.

That in Edmonton, Criminal Minds is on peasant vision, so I can indulge every Wednesday evening (which is what I'm doing right now).

Happy, Happy, Happy!

My church has been around for almost 5 years (to be exact, 4 years and 11 months). Yesterday morning we moved into another building.

Allow me to trace our movements: when we started, there was some talk about having to meet in someone's house (and we were small enough to do it; our first pot luck was in someone's house) but we found space at a hotel. I don't remember how long we were there (2 years, maybe? or 3?), but eventually we moved next door to....another hotel! Here we had a more rooms and a more enclosed space so we didn't have to worry about children running down the hall and getting lost. As we grew, we needed to rearrange rooms and change how things were set up and double up on Sunday School rooms.

Yesterday we moved again. We're leasing a school (well, not all of the school, but most of it) so it's actually our own space. And....for the first time....every Sunday School class is in its own room. So, for the first time since I became a teacher, I have my own classroom. We're using it for my Sunday School class and the Children's Church class, since they don't need it at the same time. For the most part I can decorate how I want (as opposed to how the kids want, which included throwing paint at the walls). It has a small whiteboard that I ignored and a large chalkboard that I wrote all over (I love chalkboards). I think the lady who helps with my class laughed at me for the entire hour!

It worked out well, too, in that I was teaching my class about how God provides for us, and we had our own class in a building we've been praying for as an example!

A Bit of Happiness

Today I went to Northern Reflections to buy black dress pants. I don't like having to go shopping, but it was time for new pants. I thought that as long as I was there I would at least look at long sleeved t-shirts of some type as well. I go to Northern Reflections because they have good stuff and usually I can walk in, find my size in the right colour and style, and leave.

Not today. Today there's a sale at Northern Reflections, which changed everything. There were no black dress pants in my size. There were larger and smaller sizes (seriously, half a size either way), but the only black ones my size had pink pinstripes. I liked them, but the stripes limit my options for tops.

So why the happiness? Well, I found a lovely pair of grey pants which will do very nicely (although someday I need to go back for the black pants). Further, the pants were regularly $69.99 and I got them for $9.99. I also bought a couple tops for $5.99 each. According to the sales lady, I saved $102.00 today. That seems to be a reason for happiness. (Although it isn't quite accurate since I wouldn't have bought the shirts if I'd had to pay full price for everything).

So....I have a white top, a pink top, and grey pants, and all for under $25.00. It was a good shopping trip and I'm happy.

What's Making Me Happy Today

1. Getting off work early today (actually I got off at 5, but I've been working so many evenings that 5 feels early).
2. Finally finding that I'm understanding the apologetics text books. The more I read the more it makes sense.
3. Finding the "Stuff Christians Like" blog. If you head over that way, be sure to check out the comments as well as the posts; sometimes the comments are funnier.
4. E-mails from the kids. They make me smile.
5. Reading comics instead of apologetics for a while.

Library Cards

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that today I acquired my 4th library card. Understand, that's the 4th currently valid library card, not 4th ever (I've had more than 4 at various times in the past but not 4 at once).

I know that some of you don't think there's anything great about that. The rest of you, though, understand the joy of having access to that many books!

The list:
1. Edmonton Public Library card...of course! I had that one on the 3rd day after moving here!
2. The Master's College library card....acquired early in July, and mostly useless when I'm not down there (although they will send me books if I really need them).
3. The Alberta Library (TAL) card....it allows me access to most libraries in Alberta, including the University of Alberta, which is the only place I've used it so far.
4. Taylor University College and Seminary library card....which does not accept any TAL card and requires external borrowers to pay ($15.00/6 months or $25.00/year) and is my most recently acquired card.

Life is good.

Things that Make Me Happy (part 2)

1. There's this little guy at work. When he first started he was close to impossible: he was rude and wouldn't work and thought he was stupid. I've been teaching him the most because I can deal with him and I don't mind dealing with him (his mom especially lets him get away with stuff and is easily manipulated so it was mostly a case of being firm and waiting him out). We've been working on words and on short vowel sounds and I've been watching him become less frustrated and more able and willing to decode (and we make sure all the words are easily decoded; for any others he comes upon we just give him the word). One day last week he picked up the book we'd been working on, pushed my hand aside, and read the story. All by himself. Sounding out all the words. Refusing all help. I don't know which of us was happier. My boy can read.
2. I have a little Children's Church class, a group of 3-6 year olds (although on Sunday it wasn't so little; there were 13 of them and where they all came from is anyone's guess). There are other teachers but since I run it I tend to be teaching more than the others and I love it. I love all the babies (I've laid claim to all the children at church of course!) and I love teaching so it works well. It is how I can serve. Sometimes, though, I wonder if they're listening and if I'm getting through and if there's any purpose to it all. These times are usually right after I've spent 45 minutes trying to get them to sit still and sit up and stop poking and knocking on the table and yelling out "who's there" and.....well, you understand. Anyway....a couple weeks ago we had a baptism service and some of my kids (who are older now and how did that happen by the way) were being baptized. The pastor asked one of them a question about her testimony and she started with, "Well, I was in Children's Church and Miss Dorothy said..." And suddenly it's all worthwhile. And I was happy (and I cried too of course).

Okay, there you go: things that really make me happy.

ps Patty? You make me happy too! And I'm so proud of you for dealing with all the stuff over the past few months. But remember: you're still my baby sister!

Happy, Happy, Happy

Yay, internet access!!!!! I am so happy!!

Okay, I have to go play now. I'll write properly another time

Things That Make Me Happy

1. Babies
2. Books
3. Libraries (and especially since they have internet access and interlibrary loans)
4. Bookstores
5. Goldfish crackers
6. Internet access (2 more days)
7. Happy students
8. Air conditioned buildings that don't have the air blasting
9. Letters (the type people write, not the type you need to make words, although I like those ones too)
10. Freshly mowed grass
11. My apartment
12. Apple juice
13. Really cold milk
14. Dark chocolate
15. Flowers
16. Being a student again
17. Teaching
18. Puzzles (and finishing them)
19. Sunshine
20. Thunderstorms that break the heatwave
21. Ice cream
22. My denim skirt

Okay, that's it for now. Nothing too deep, I know; stay tuned for part 2 whenever I get to it.