it's been a looooooong time!!

Hey out there, to whomever might read this blog ... (I know of a handful ;))

I haven't updated in forever, mostly because a LOT has been happening! And that's precisely why I should update.

3 weeks ago I left home to go on a little trip--well, a kind of big trip. I had planned on doing a TESOL course at my old school last May, and that fell through at the last minute. Thankfully, I was still able to continue with my job and wasn't floundering for those 4 weeks. It was a bit of a let-down though, since I had been excited for the change and break from work, to have to go back to it just like normal.

However, God worked things out for me to go to a school in Manitoba to do the same course in July/August, and that is where I find myself today. There have been a lot of twists and turns in the road to get here! After getting the whole application process done, I had to wait to find out if I was accepted. Then more waiting to see if my LOA for 5 weeks off work would be approved. Praise God everything was, so I booked my flights. I planned a week of vacation in Ontario first of all, to visit relatives I hadn't seen in 3 1/2 years. That was fun. I was in the Toronto area (college friend HT)

and Owen Sound, mostly. There's so many other people in Ontario that I would've loved to have seen (in Ottawa, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie...) but one week just isn't enough time. As it was, I got to see representatives of each family except for one aunt. I was really disappointed about that, but she was really sick and couldn't come see me. :( Actually, she's still kind of sick. You can pray for her. :)

my 2nd cousin Hayden!! :)

Hayden w/ his parents

me, Grandma, Aunt Dorie

F fam, minus Matt
little (as in 'short') cousin Kari at WOLBI camp

cousin Val & I on a hike

While I was in ON, a friend that was also going to take this course wrote me to say her car had broken down that week. She had been planning on driving out and we were going to house sit on an acreage near the college. So a car was slightly necessary for the 10-minute drive each way! All week I was praying and waiting and hoping, but nothing happened. We contacted people at the school to see if we could still get into the dorms, and indeed we could. So my friend's aunt & uncle drove us out here, and we had to bite the bullet and pay a whack-load of extra money for room and board that Monday. :( That was the whole reason I had looked for some other place to stay, because I didn't want to pay it! I'm still paying rent at home! And I was excited to live on an acreage for a month. :) It had worked out so perfectly, it seemed, until the car died. Besides the money aspect, it has been great. The dorm is more like a house and much nicer than Prairie's, and the dining hall food is really good. Plus it's nice to be close by for doing homework, getting to class quickly, etc. I don't mind that at all.

our dorm in the back - me, Tracey, & Steph in front (classmates). The joke is that it looks like a Jehovah's Witnesses' "Kingdom Hall" with the columns and all. :P

having fun on our 1st weekend of semi-freedom... I don't know that girl on the right though, hmmm.

Oh, and check this out... we paid up on Monday, because we figured we kind of had to and that nothing else would work out. On Tuesday, I get an email from the house sitee saying "oh, I just remembered we got a car before we left that's sitting in the garage at home, on a lease, and you girls could drive that back & forth if you want." OH MY WORD... the irony of it kills me. That was what I was hoping to hear the week before but didn't, and she thinks of it after I tell her that we've decided to stay in dorms.

Anyway, God has a plan for it somehow....

Now I've been in school for 2 weeks... I'm half done! Yay. :) It's been really good and really busy. I'm learning a lot and most of the time it's fun. A few days in class I've been so tired that I'd rather not be there, but they give us lots of variety and we do quite a few activities to keep moving and awake. :) The homework load has been bearable so far and I'm still ahead or on top of everything. I'm grateful for that. Tonight I just have to finish up a lesson plan and print it, and then my projects for Monday & Tuesday are both done, and Wednesday - almost! Woot.

our 2 lovely teachers, Amber & Cathy

Me & Steph practice our aspirate stop consonants with feathers. ;P

Yup that's right, studying hard... we got to go to the beach our 1st Sunday here!! Who knew MB had beaches?!

me, Kristie (friend from PBC), and 2 new friends - Felecia & Rhonda.

Thanks for your prayers!