Bad Poetry About Household Plants

I received a plant as a gift.
The remnants of the cyclamen
are now adrift.
The fortune of bamboo
slowly drains
until is also taboo.
Not even Christmas
cheer could save this one
it seems to say, "wreck us"
What is unkillable
than cacti?
Remember, Titanic was "unsinkable."
Except for one
nameless green organism
after two years has won
A fake plant was given to me
to avoid more deaths.
Plants worldwide breathe, "Finally."

Home Upgrades

Firstly, staining our 2 and a 1/2-month-old fence was our #1 priority before the autumn rains come. What you see on the panels right behind the tree is Natural Wood stain. The panel and a half on the right of the photo shows what the fence looked like before.

Secondly, after months of searching for a painting to fill the expanse of mushroom brown in the dining room, we finally settled on an oil painting of nine carp. For the longest time, D and I couldn't decide what to get, although we knew we wanted a Chinese-style painting. It got to the point where D and I wanted a group of pandas playing among lilies and bamboo, beside a lake filled with gold fish, with a backdrop of mountains and waterfalls in the background, and maybe a dragon flying in the sky.

Anyway, the carp represent healthy competition and ambition in business and academic realms. Although my father prefers the other meaning of carp, which is fertility, I'd like to think that D and I, although not interested in climbing any corporate ladders of any sort, strive for excellence in our lines of work.



Speaking of work, my career has been the main reason for my hiatus from blogging. September was the month of creating Annual Instructional Plan (AIP) for my 17 International students; October is the month of Individual Education Plan (IEP) for my four students with autism and two physically-dependent students. Next, in November, will be progress report-writing time. I love my job, but some days see me in up to three meetings and/or workshops. If I could sleep on the couch I have in my office in the evenings, I could get so much accomplished in more time, but that wouldn't be fair to D.

Two of my weekday evenings are also taken up by church responsibilities. Tuesday nights, D and I attend a care group for young couples. On Wednesdays, I help out in youth group. Because I had quit as a Sunday School (Bible Adventures at my church) teacher to free up my weekends, for in case my father's health took the turn for the worse and I could go visit him, I became a Senior Youth Counselor. I help lead an all-girls small group; the girls range in age from Grades 9-12. We are joined by a senior boys group at the beginning and end of the evening, as well as by a group of junior kids who are between Grades 5-8. I have enjoyed this so far, taking a break from the usual bunch of younger students I have been teaching in the past 5 years of my career.

I have come close to being burnt out, but I know my Lord will not give me anything I can't handle without Him. In fact, He has blessed me so much with the new opportunities He has opened up for me this year.

Added to the Garden

I've added to my garden:
In case you can't read the names, I've got all perennials: Armeria Maritima (2), Aubrieta, Heather (2), Balloon (2), Snow Lady Shasta Daisy, Dwarf Fleece, and Euonymus Fortunei (2). The Heathers and Euonymus Fortuneis bloom year-round, so even in winter, my house will be decorated with some foliage. Although it's still a very tiny garden, I've learned more about gardening since I started in late May; I have raised the flowers with more topsoil and I've been diligent in weeding around my flowers. I also have two annuals, but they were given to me by my mother-in-law and she doesn't know their names, but the red and pink flowers are starting to bloom!

Other things that are blooming in my life:
- I've been busy buying, decorating, promoting, and registering for VBS, which starts this Monday.


- I went for a job interview for the job I had held for the past ten months; I think the interview went well, but we'll see if I will get re-hired. When I first started this job, it was listed as a temporary position, which is why I've been laid off in the first place. Now, it's listed as a continuing contract, so if I get this job, I could stay in it permanently -- if I choose to.

- Summer school is going well. I was worried because other teachers have warned me about the kind of students I will be getting. Indeed I have one student designated as "Intense Behaviour," but by Thursday, he was actually one of the better-behaved students! I like my class of 21 students and I hope I make a positive impact on them by the end of the summer school program.

- I went to a spa and got my first pedicure! D got me a spa package for Valentine's Day and since the gift certificate expires at the end of this month, I had to get it done this weekend because I have been busy almost every weekend until now and I'll be busy for the other weekends this month. I've had a massage done once before, but never a facial and a pedicure. The facial was the best part, although I went home and washed out the creamy gunk that was put on my face. I've never had a pedicure done before either and what a treat! I chose a nail colour and didn't realize until later that it was called Princess for a Day. I never thought of myself as a diva, but today the nail colour was quite fitting as I felt so pampered and spoiled at the spa today.
This isn't a very good picture, what with the ugly old blister on my right daddy toe and the tan lines, but I think the nail colour stands out -- sparkly pink.

In Two Weeks

Since my last post on June 8:

1. Two of my friends got baptized. One of them was even recommended by two of our pastors to follow the calling of full-time ministry. What an honour, even if that might not be the path of his choice.

2. A defamatory article in one local newspaper marred the image of my school and my administrators. The backlash of this article came in the form of overwhelming support for our administrators and a stronger, positive staff culture.

3. The person who gave information to the newspapers confessed to me. We talked about forgiveness and perspective.

4. My sister and I attended her first and my third Cirque du Soleil show -- Corteo. My favourite acts included a human trapeze act (He-Man would look puny standing next to the male performers) and the floating midget. I don't know if that's the PC term for it, but the female midget floated on four giant balloons into the audience. A ringleader encouraged audience members to help her stay afloat and the laughs ensued from her reaction to people pushing her in uncomfortable and sometimes scary ways.

5. During Father's Day, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant that took too many reservations. Many patrons, including all of us at our table, sat on folding chairs and extra tables, including ours, were set up where there should have been walking paths. The food was good, but I forget how busy Mother's Day and Father's Day can get at restaurants.

6. VBS is looming and I still haven't done a thing.

7. Report cards are finally done. Now on to transition papers, class lists, personal record cards, and inventory while still providing service to my ESL and autistic students. Lately, two of my high-needs kids have been throwing tantrums on a daily basis. The latest one occurred because the teacher wanted to show Shrek 2 in class and since my student already owns it, she didn't want to see it again "because I could watch it anytime I want and I want to watch a different movie!" Spoiled? Not if you're autistic.

8. I've been hired for a summer school position. I struggled with accepting the job, but I was given only one hour to decide. To accept meant increasing my seniority and having income during the summer that I otherwise wouldn't have, except through EI. But, I had applied last month and was rejected two weeks after my application. I changed my mindset to holidaying with my hubby, babysitting my neighbour's adorable son, spending time with my parents, hanging out with my sister before she leaves for China for one month, welcoming my godchild, tutoring, concentrating on VBS, and doing odds and ends around the house. Because this year is the first year that summer school is free, there are more applicants than there are programs, so extra teachers have to be hired and I was next on the list after a few other rejected applicants turned down the offer. It doesn't help that I found out I'll be teaching reading, writing, and math to Grade 6-7 students who have an inner-city mentality. I hate to say that I regret taking the job when I haven't even started it yet, but I regret even more that I'm not very good at saying no to people.

9. My garden grew! This my very first and humble garden. I plan to plant more soon, but I wanted to start small because I didn't quite know what I was doing.













Before (May 26):



















After (June 20):

First Snowfall, First Christmas

This is my first winter in my new house. We have a few candles, window cling decorations (snowflakes), and some Daiso-bought decorations that I'll bring home from my classroom after we're out for the holidays (Dec. 21!), I didn't realize how difficult it is to decorate the house for Christmas.


Here are our Christmas lights (those energy-saving bulbs sure are dim).


Here is our Christmas tree.












Next year:
- lights on our tree
- garland on our stairway, on top of the kitchen cabinets, and wrapped around the tree stand
- stockings on our mantle

The Animals of the Fraser Valley

I was just getting into bed around midnight when I heard a thump in the house, loud enough to wake D. We went to explore our house, but didn't see anything unusual. I peeked through our dining room window to look out in our yard when I saw a large shadow of a shape just under the window. I was quite startled and quickly pulled up the blinds to see who was trying to break into our house. This is what I saw:

Growing up as a city girl, I was shocked to see a bear cub that was not behind a glass or barred cage. I called the non-emergency number and they gave me the number to the conservation department, but nothing was really done. The advice given to me was to let the bear be, although the guy on the phone did mention something about him looking for a foghorn. The bear eventually left and disappeared into the night as silently as it had come.
Poor bear! Separated from its mother and having to scavenge for food in time for the hibernation season. As humans, we did infringe on their territory, so we're not surprised that there were bear sightings. When I told the conservation officer my address, he said that there was a recent bear sighting in my area. When D and I first started looking at this house seriously, the real estate agent said that a few other residents had encounters with bears.
But, poor D! He didn't sleep very well after all the excitement partly because he was worried about me. I was staining our back porch that day, but I still have to do the front. Even though it was unlikely for a bear to roam our neck of the woods in the daytime, D was scared for my safety. Well, I say better a bear than a Sasquatch. Wait a second -- better nothing at all! Sigh...I miss my little hamster.
On a side note, I was disappointed that my Rubbermaid garbage can with locking handles did not deter the bear, but when we looked at the can more closely in the morning, the bear had dented the rim, so maybe that's how the lid came off. Of all the garbage cans within our vicinity, our can was chosen. D said it must be all the scraps from the good food we've been cooking! ;)

The bear was the least of my worries this morning, though. At 5:30am, I got a call to work at a high school. Today was my first of three days subbing for two Gr.9 classes and one Gr.12 class. I was very nervous not only because it'll be my first day at work since June, but because I haven't taught in a secondary school for over 5 years. During my practicum, I had the opportunity to teach Gr. 8, 10, 11, and 12 and I had a lot of fun teaching them, but I did not get to teach the Gr.9's and I've heard that they are the hardest to teach. Today, I saw a bit of why. Most of them were fairly cooperative, but of course there's always the few that kind of gets to me. Those kids were the ones who chat sneakily behind their books and when asked to refocus, they give attitude. The loud ones were actually easier to deal with than these so-called "quiet" kids who try to blend in the back. One girl gave me lip service that I ended up having to ignore (otherwise we wouldn't be able to get through the lesson); her growling tone reminded me of the silent bear and I found myself comparing the two. However some of the other kids were actually trying to goad her into cooperating with me, which was very nice and signified to me that they were used to this girl's distracting behaviour.
To deal with some of the issues, I usually use humour to thwart the problem or distract the students with a personal story before tying it back to the lesson. As an inexperienced TOC, I had difficulty trying to assert my authority in somebody else's classroom.
Two more days of this and I'll just have to grin and bear it! We'll see what character-building attributes God sends my way.

Settling In

D and I moved into our house this past BC Day weekend. It's still not official because we're not married yet, but we managed to snag my friend's one-ton Purolator truck this weekend to move all the heavy items in. Here are a few pictures of what changed between March 2007 and today.

A Whole Mess of Things

Since the computer doesn't exist yet in my new house, I have been virtually (ha ha) out of touch with the world for the last five days. Now that I'm back in Vancouver for the weekend, I can finally update on things that have been happening in my life during this past week.

One:
Three Saturdays ago, D and I purchased a dining table with six chairs. They didn't have it in stock at the time, but the saleslady assured me that it would arrive in their warehouse in two weeks and since I didn't want to pay $75 delivery charge (which I couldn't bargain off) I told her that I would pick up the furniture myself instead. Two weeks came and went without any notification from the furniture store, so I called on Monday to see what the status was. Neither the saleslady nor the warehouse guys were working that day, but the guy I spoke to on the phone checked the computer to let me know that my dining set had come in the Friday before. He told me to call on Tuesday, which I did and again my inquiry turned up negative. I was given a cell phone number to the warehouse guy and I called him twice. He never called me back. On Wednesday morning I asked to speak with the manager. It wasn't that I was impatient to get my dining room set (which I kind of was), but I was more upset with the lack of communication between the store and me and between the store and their warehouse. The manager told me that I could finally come to pick up the dining set. When I got home that night, we discovered that the warehouse gave us the wrong chairs. Needless to say I was more than a little upset. Before I called the manager again the next morning, however, I prayed and was able to be civil on the phone with him. Now I have six chairs sitting in my garage waiting for me to throw them back to the furniture store on Sunday and hopefully pick up the right ones this time. The only snag now? I just looked at the dining set company's website and it looks like I got screwed on the table as well! Right now, I'm shaking my head; I think I will just keep the table they've given me. Well, apparently, the dining set I currently have is slightly more expensive than the one we've ordered. What do you think? Should I return the table as well? This is getting a little stupid.

Two:
I was supposed to get an air conditioner installed in my house last Tuesday. It would've been perfect for the hot weather that showed up on Wednesday, but it turned out that one of the coils on a part of the air conditioner did not fit with our furnace. Because the salesman made the incorrect calculations when he came to take measurements in our crawl space and of the furnace, he wasted my time and the installation guys' time, so D had to complain. Installing the air conditioner was an 8-11 hour job, so I had to rearrange our schedule just so I could be there for them to explain how to operate the A/C controls. Plus, the installation guys drove the large A/C unit all the way from Richmond on a trailer at the back of their truck only to have to return it back to Richmond after spending less than 1/2 hour here. Now they have to come back next Tuesday and I have to go out to Mission again. I was hoping to stay in Vancouver to prepare for my move next week, but that's not going to happen.

Three:
The mattress D and I purchased turned out to be too soft, so we took up on Sleep Country's 60-Day Comfort Guarantee to trade for a firmer bed. We went from Spring Air to Serta and took advantage of the Serta sale they have this month. After all the other furniture nightmares we've had lately, I hope our trade goes smoothly next Wednesday when the new bed arrives.

Four:
I can't find ribbon for my wedding flowers and favour boxes! Michael's, the godsend crafts store to all my creative friends, did not carry anything remotely to what I was hoping for! I guess it's kind of like the ribbon in the picture on the right, but in greenish blue, bluish green, or silver. I need them to be a certain length and width. I also need ribbon made of organza-type material. Argh! See what I mean?

Five:
This one is a biggie and one of those things God puts in my life to remind me that there are so many other more important things in my life besides ribbon and chairs. My father was admitted into VGH Emergency Monday night at 11pm. My mom and sister stayed with him until 4am, Tuesday morning. Apparently he called for help at home and my sister drove my parents to the hospital. I'm so proud of her! Thankfully, she wasn't out late that night as she usually is. My father arrived at the hospital with a heart rate of 40 (normal is 60) and his blood glucose reading at the same number (target for diabetic patients like my father is less than 7%). The hospital staff were amazed that my father hadn't keeled over already with readings like that. VGH staff was incredible; I guess because my father was put on critical status in the Cardiac Care Unit the doctors and nurses worked around the clock to ensure that my father stays alive. On Tuesday, he got a bit better, but they couldn't regulate his heart beat. They gave him medication to raise his heart rate, but that increased his blood pressure. They gave him medication to lower his blood pressure, but that slowed his heart rate. My father's health issue was quite an enigma. I was totally unaware that my father was in the hospital. All I knew was that he had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so that night I called home to see how his appointment went. That's when my sister gave me the bad news and when I asked her why no one called me, she said that they didn't want to worry me. Worry me?!? I was worried about stupid furniture problems while my father lay dying in the hospital. Since my dad was getting better I felt that I could wait until Wednesday to see him. After all, he always lands himself in the hospital from time to time due to diabetes and then he leaves after a few days.

Wednesday morning I arrive at the hospital to learn that my father's heart had stopped twice that morning. His health had deteriorated overnight. My mother went to see him in the early hours and she left to bring him water because he complained about thirst. She was gone only a few short minutes, but when she went back to his room, several nurses and doctors were crowded in the room trying to save my father's life. A resident had to explain to my mom what had happened. They even had the defibrillators on hand to rescue him, but both times my father's heart resumed beating on its own before they could use the paddles. When I saw my dad, he was more frail than I have ever seen him before. My father's been sick many times before, but this has been the most critical condition he's experienced. (I'm crying as I type this.) My mom, dad, and I cried with each other around his bed, first when my mom recounted what happened that morning and a second time when my father asked D to take care of me and me to take care of my mom once he was gone. Dramatic, yes, but who can blame us? I'm sure friends I have who have already lost their dads to illness can sympathize with me and I draw strength from their stories and courage.

My father had complained of chest and shoulder pain, but an angiogram showed that his vessels are clear. They hooked him up to an external pacemaker to see if that would solve his problems. Before I left the hospital on Wednesday, my dad's doctor said that they will continue to monitor his body's response to the pacemaker for the next two days and if it's all good, they will put a pacemaker in his body next week. Well, yesterday they did that procedure! Today, my dad's looking much better and is ready to be discharged, hopefully by tomorrow (or today since it's 12:38am right now).

What's frustrating about all this is that I have been driving back and forth between Mission and Vancouver to be with my dad. I wish I could live closer, but D and I have had many good reasons to be out there; I will have to live with the drawback of being far away from my parents. At least, it's not a province, country, or continent away.

Now that the main scare has passed, I'll go back to less serious matters. While visiting at the hospital, we've noticed that the residents are all very good-looking and well-dressed. It was like watching a fashion show outside my dad's room; I attribute this phenomenon to shows like Grey's Anatomy in encouraging more of such youthful and fascinating hopefuls to become medical professionals. I would know -- my future sister-in-law is one of them, only she's already made it as a doctor! She watches Grey's Anatomy, too. ;)

Tomorrow (today) I'm concentrating on packing and making wedding programs. By the end of next Friday, I hope to have confirmed cake details, picked up the right dining room chairs, created table setting signs, A/C installed, emailed wedding day itinerary to all helpers, met with our photographer for final details, finished putting together wedding programs, bought ribbons, bought a b-day present for my cousin, and started teeth whitening regiment.

I will not forget that in between all of that I will love my parents, hug my sister lots, cherish D, hold real conversations (not just on Facebook or by email) with friends, pray and sing to God, eat, breathe, sleep, and enjoy life.

House Furnishings

(To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell" -- my apologies to the Composers' Club, my songwriting does not have the same calibre.)

We bought a nice dinette.
We bought a nice dinette.
Six chairs
And one table
We bought a nice dinette.

We didn't have to pay,
We didn't have to pay,
GST
Or PST
We didn't have to pay.

We bought a sofa, too.
We bought a sofa, too.
It reclines
To our delight
With a loveseat to boot.

Screens come on Tuesday.
Screens come on Tuesday.
No more
Mosquito bites
Well, maybe one or two.

So, we got a mosquito swatter,
We got a mosquito swatter,
One that
Electrifies,
We got a mosquito swatter.

Now we need a vacuum
Now we need a vacuum
Central Vac
Is what I want
Then we've got a vacuum.

I Need 48 Hours in a Day

How does one get so busy with an empty house?!?

On Friday, I had my interview at the Mission School District for a TOC position. I think it went well until the part where I get to ask my questions to the interviewer. One of my questions, "Can you tell me more about the demographics of the student population in Mission besides the numbers that are on the website?" really stumped him. I think he was quite flustered with a couple of other questions I had. I thought that by asking questions, I'd show my interest in the job, but maybe I went overboard. Anyway, I hope they'll hire me. He said I was in an advantageous position because I'm already an experienced teacher whereas the others on the TOC list are fresh out of school.

That same day, D and I picked up the keys to our house. We're really excited, but I think we need to learn how to enjoy what God has given us. We prayed more than a few times that day (D also had an interview that day; yes, he's trying to break out of jail), just thanking God and asking for His presence to be wherever we were that day.

On Saturday, D and I went shopping for cleaning agents. Our Stupidstore bill came up to $180! We were trying to cheap out, too. It was like shopping at Price is Right. I swear there were voices shouting at me to pick a particular best-deal brand.

We also called up some blinds people (we didn't want to invite voyeurism). D won't be moving in until he feels less exposed. A couple of the window coverings people came to give estimates and get measurements; they were both so nice. I had no idea how fun it was to choose blinds. So many different types and colours! Ok, Tree, calm down. Housewife bug is biting!

Furthermore, we have been busily applying drawer lining in our kitchen drawers and cupboards. I have never done that to my drawers and don't mind if they're a little scuffed. After all, the scuff marks are covered up by the things that scuff them right? But, D takes care of those things and, like the crown moldings, he got really excited and very proud of the drawer linings that we put in. (Do me a favour when you come and visit: ignore the air pockets in the drawer linings! Those are my fault and I don't want D to get too upset. You should've seen the look on his face when the first air-pocketed lining was put down. Hee hee)

Other things that we have to get done:
- his parents' vacuum cleaner broke down when I tried to suck up all that lint off the new carpet
- our washer and dryer didn't show up when they were supposed to on Sunday
- we don't have a mail box registered to us yet and I already have mail going to that address (it's funny, Canada Post kept the letter instead of returning it to sender)
- find a good configuration in the living room. We decided to put a TV in the centre to match our desired couch configuration, so we're contemplating covering up our fireplace. We like our fireplace, but it's electric (we might as well just turn on the stove for the same effect) with red cellophane to produce a fiery effect. It's just aesthetic, so we figured it's no big loss to block it with a TV.
- install A/C (we SO needed it this past weekend)

We talked and envisioned at length on how we were going to arrange the furniture in our house. We don't even have any furniture yet!

One more thing before I sign off: report cards, like Pho noodles in a Large Size, seem to never disappear no matter how much I work on them.

Oh, last thing, I promise: marking sucks on nice days like this past weekend. This is why I stay at work for 12 hours, to get the marking out of the way, so I can enjoy my time away from work. Obviously, working 12 hours is not enough. And guess what? I'm still not caught up on my marking. Yay! :)

WELCOME IN!

One More Day!

Two More Days!

Three More Days!

Four More Days!

Counting Down

Five more days!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

...seems like a mantra to some and perhaps one I should adopt.

The pastor at my Mission church quoted, "Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair -- it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere."

I'm a worrywart. No surprise to those who know me, although I don't think I've let my students know that. They know I'm concerned about them, but every time a student fretted about a mark, a project, or something that happened at home, I always let them know that they are never alone and things will always work out and then we try to find solutions together. I never seem to follow my own advice; is this how others work or am I the only one?

My daddy's been hospitalized again, but he's doing slightly better than the last time he went in. He was short of breath and his stomach swelled, so that's why we admitted him last Friday. He's doing ok and hopefully he can come home tomorrow.

Bridesmaid dresses came in, but I have to go pick them up and then find a good seamstress to do alterations for prices under $70 (that price was quoted at the bridal salon and I'm pretty sure we can do alterations for cheaper). Now we have to find shoes that match and seafoam green is kinda hard to match. Oops, I mean mint...

I'm ready to send out invitations, but the envelope seemed a little small to fit all the pieces in there.
There's a slight bulge at the top when I try to seal the envelope; the tassel knot the size of Jupiter doesn't help either even when I tried to move it to the side. A suggestion that my sister made was to slip the invitation upside down so that the bulge is on the bottom. The envelope closes better, but is it bad luck (according to Chinese superstitions) to put in the invitation that way?

Applying for a new job is tedious. There is no standard of application for the school boards; each district has its own way of doing things. For one district, I have to fill out a timed survey online (45 minutes to complete, apparently) before they'll consider me. For another district, I have been playing phone tag just to see if there are any developments on my application.

My students are absolutely wonderful; I look forward to every weekday because of them. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to the end of the school year because I'll have to say goodbye to them. However, I have one student who is facing personal issues that affect his schoolwork negatively. It's gotten so bad that he is now being home-schooled. I really sympathize with the parents; they are really great people and they have done all they could to help their son. They are in my prayers constantly. Work relationships are still hurt between people who want a union and people who oppose it. It's official, by the way -- we have been unionized.

Finally, possession date of my house is looming. This stress item is actually an exciting one. Look, they put in kitchen cabinets and painted the house! See those boxes on the floor? Laminate flooring is next!
The funny part is that the builder of this new development will be living in one of the houses on the block, almost the same size as ours. I guess that shows he stands behind the workmanship of the houses, which is a comforting thought. It's also risky because he's open for people either wanting to complain or ask for more building favours. D's met him and thinks he's a really nice guy, so I hope I get to meet him and meet some of our other new neighbours, as well.

I really have to thank God for his grace and blessings despite all my worries. Paul writes, "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He didn't say give thanks when God gives me the right circumstances that fulfill what I hope for, but "IN all circumstances." Paul should know; he wrote this while in jail (I think. Umm...is this blasphemous?). I may have a lot of complaints, but every day I experience joy in the people that God grants me to know and love.

My daddy's still alive to love and be loved.
I'm fortunate to have three best friends to be my bridesmaids.
I have family and friends to whom I can send invitations.
I have a career.
My students love me.
I can afford a house. Well, I can't, but thank goodness for parents and the bank. Ok, not so much the bank. But, I can get a house.

When I look at that list, I really have no reason to worry. God's bigger than anything I can imagine. Now I pray that He'll open up my eyes for opportunities to bless others in the same way He has blessed me so richly.

Out of the Closet

Totally not what my title suggests, but befitting of the first updated photo of my new house:
All the closet doors were taken out to be painted. They have also finally painted the walls, but I guess they'll have to repaint it because they painted the crown moldings after.

D is really happy about the crown moldings, especially the ones above our front door:
He just really, really likes the looks of it. I like it, too. I can't wait to move in.


The blossoms are blooming! A sign of a new beginning...:

We take possession in less than one month! D will move in first, then I will move in after our wedding in August.

I'm so excited, but nervous at the same time. However, D and I are not alone in this step toward this kind of independence. A number of my friends are also in the process of obtaining their first home together (or first house). I should start a "New Homeowners Group" in Facebook.

Just kidding! Still not addicted to it (or still denying that I am). Tee hee!

Happy About Drywall

"Congratulations!" our Realtor exclaimed as he shook our hands and only then did it hit me that D and I are now owners of our first house together! (Plus, we're going to be proud owners of Debt, as well.) We officially get the keys in a little more than two months.

D and I went to visit our house this past weekend after sealing the deal and were happy to see that instead of the wooden frames, the walls have been plastered already.

Welcome in!

In this picture, D was standing from the middle of our living room facing our stairs, the doorway to the crawl space, and our kitchen.

Our pantry.

Here's my new soaker tub!

As you can see, our fireplace is not in place yet, so D and I decided to create a bonfire in the middle of our living room to keep warm. Marshmallows anyone?

A couple of weeks before D and I removed all our subjects for our house contract, we found listings on this new development that were within our price range, but when we went to check out the listings again they weren't there! How could several houses be sold in a matter of weeks? We're talking about houses in the boonies, boonier than Mission! So on Sunday, D, his dad, and I went to see if we were missing out. We drove almost half an hour east of Mission and found these houses behind the Sandpiper Golf Course. The funny thing was not even the house that was reserved for open house was completed! People were standing by the second-storey "window" looking out at the view. All I can say is those realtors and builders better be insured if anyone falls out! However, the view is spectacular, even in this dreary rain. You can see the majestic mountains and in some areas, Lake Errock. By the looks of the winding cul-de-sacs, old-fashioned lampposts (similar to the one shown in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and the large eagle sculpture at the entrance, this new development was going to be geared for the exclusive community (the rich and retired). Some houses were even in gated areas. As beautiful as these houses are and as breathtaking the view, I can't imagine living there until they have at least established a Superstore and a Starbucks within 10 minutes of the community. I remember passing a few family-owned convenience stores, but where else will these families buy groceries, savour Pho in their mouths, or shop for my pet hamster? I'm not even sure where I would teach unless schoolhouses were disguised as barns because those were all I saw coming up the mountain. BC Hydro doesn't even reach this place as every house was equipped with their own propane tanks and air conditioning units. To top it off, a penitentiary is located just yonder the hills. Not too uncommon even in Mission where preschools are built next to jails, but...still.

We were close to Harrison Hot Springs, so the three of us decided to take a walk there seeing as the rain had stopped for a while. Harrison Hot Springs was nearly deserted, but the hotel was busy, probably because of Spring Break. Too bad the weather wasn't nicer for those tourists.
There's D's dad on the left, D on the right, and "Tree" in the middle.