Questions....

While we were out for a walk yesterday we came across this sticker on the side of a postal box. It occurred to me that I don't really know any of the answers. How many could you answer on the spot?

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom who has taught me many things over the years:

#1- I can't pull off the sailor look, no matter how cute I am!

Family Photo circa 1990??

#2- That life is more fun when you kick up your feet and laugh!

Maui 2002

#3- That it's surprisingly hard to get a photo of our family with all our eyes open!

Movie night 2004

#4- That we are good at posing for photos

Karen & Paul's wedding, 2005

#5- That, at one time or another, we all need a bib

Easter 2010

#6- That if you work hard enough for long enough you get to buy pretty dresses!

My graduation from University, 2010

#7- That sometimes it is acceptable to require 10 people's help to get ready in the morning...

My wedding day, 2010

#8- That you are always there for me (if you agree with my choices or not!)

An etsy find

I love you!

Gifts??

My Mom & Jonathan's Mom at our wedding rehersal

I always forget what it is like working retail close to major gift giving occasions. Mother's Day is on Sunday and work has been insanely busy leading up to it. I am trying hard to be excited about the day, but I am wishing that I could be closer to both Moms for the holiday. It also doesn't help that our budget is tight and I get to help people pick out all these wonderful gifts while we send cards back to Edmonton.  But one of the most wonderful things about these two beautiful women is that they don't care about the gifts or the cards. They just want to know that we are happy and healthy. So, while all the other mothers are unwrapping the gifts that I have wrapped for them, I will be on the phone letting mine know that I'm all right.

The Time

 Love it!

Groceries

We had heard from many sources that one of the only downfalls of island living is the cost of groceries. That kinda scared me a bit because our grocery bill is always high. I am celiac, which makes breads and pasta hard to find and 2 or 3 times more expensive than the wheat varieties. That added in with our desire to shop local and direct from suppliers pushed our Edmonton monthly groceries to about $500 (for the 2 of us...)
We made it through April in Victoria at $350, which includes staples for the pantry (condiments and spices) and about 90% locally sourced food.
I think that my penchant for shopping local is actually an advantage here- there are so many locals wanting to sell because they don't have to pay shipping! The growing season is also way longer so there is better access to fresh fruits and veggies (and better pricing because they aren't hard to find!) I am looking forward to a trip to the country with my cousin in June when the farmer's bring the crops to the end of their driveways and you walk from house to house to pick what you want!! Yum!

Question #10

Day 10. What is Jesus teaching you as a woman (sister, daughter, wife, mom or friend)?

To have faith and to know that if it's meant to be it will happen. This sounds right in line with the Easter spirit and weekend, but that's not why I'm focused on faith. I also don't think it has a ton to do with me being female (maybe i'm missing the point of this question....) But this is what has happened to cause me to have faith and believe even more. 

When I started university I said that when I graduated I would move to BC, but then life got crazy. Boyfriends didn't want to move to a new city and the job I had at my family's store seemed to plant me there. The dream was just not feasible. I constantly revisited the dream, thinking that I would go the next year. Every visit made me want it more and more. The smell of the ocean, the rain and the lush plant life called out to me more than the snow, dry air and big skies of Alberta. Don't get me wrong, I do love the city I grew up in and will miss it, but I love BC too. 

But suddenly the stars seemed to align. My dream was going to come true after all the wishes. I re-met and married Jonathan, who is used to living away from family and knows that it can be done while maintaining strong relationships. We moved in with his parents to save up money and decided that when we moved out of their place it would be to come to BC. We gave my work 3 months notice and hired and trained my replacement. One of my (distant) cousins lives in Victoria and helped us house hunt virtually. We flew down, looked at places, did job interviews and fell in love with the feel of the city. We found a beautiful condo that has everything we were looking for. We went back to Edmonton, packed everything up and drove a UHaul back 2 weeks later. We didn't stress, didn't panic, didn't worry. We just trusted in God and each other. Roadblocks popped up and were dealt with and passed by. We knew that it would work out in the end, and when all the voices around us started to break down the faith I read these:

Romans 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

Ephesians 2: 1-9

And you hath quickened. who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. (by grace you are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves is the gift of God.

Matthew 9:22

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

And so we believe. I believe that no matter what happens, things will work out, life will go on and we will be standing strong. Each day is a blessing, enjoy them, live fully and know that if you believe in something strongly enough it will happen.

A gloomy Easter

Laying in bed last night I was thinking. This was the first holiday that Jon & I were on our own. No juggling both families to see who we could have dinner with. No scheduling egg hunts into our packed weekend. Just the two of us. I fell asleep thinking that the holiday would be fun, we would go to church, go for a nice walk and make our own Easter feast. We would start to make our own traditions.  I woke up even more homesick. Church was lovely but just not the same. It was rainy outside so we didn't go for a walk. Dinner was really good but I didn't make all of the things that make Easter dinner special. I was already a bit homesick, but today I am really missing everyone.

I hope you all had a great holiday and hope that you didn't get the gloomies like me. I miss you & I love you!