Living in the Butcher Shop

First off, I would like to send a HUGE happy birthday to my sister Courtney! She's seventeen today! I remember turning seventeen. I thought it was going to be the best year of my life because I was finally old enough to be driving and dating, but still young enough to not be responsible for taking care of myself. I've since found out there's better things in life than being seventeen.
To top the day off, my family moved out of our home today! I'm so sad thinking about it here, but I can't imagine being there to watch the house be emptied.
I had my interview with VON this morning in Kentville. I was super nervous because I hate hate hate interviews! Sergio drove me out there, and we stopped at Tim's for breakfast on the way home. I think it went pretty well though. I won't here until the end of the week or the beginning of next week.
The summer RAs got a BBQ for the Tully courtyard for the summer, so Sergio and I had a BBQ dinner over the weekend. I had chicken. He had steak. I had two bites of steak, but it was super rare. I think the steak made me sick though because I couldn't go into work the next day. We topped that night off with fresh cut mangos! Yum!

Lauren and Gordie came down on Sunday to drop off some stuff and made Sergio and I dinner. It was nice to have some dinner guests down! Just getting a little taste of the apartment come September!
My Spanish is coming along quickly. Sergio is very impressed with my progress. My friend Mili who works at Pete's is from Peru, and she helps me with my Spanish all day at work. I love going back and forth between her and Sergio and telling them what the other taught me.
I've also become an avid tea drinker. I didn't see that one coming at all. I'm sticking to caffine-free tea though. I don't want to become dependent on it in any way.

I worked today, so Sergio took the car and did the grocery shopping for both of us. The thing about Sergio is that he can be incredibly impulsive, especially when things are on sale. Usually I'm there to reason him out of things but not this time... So I got off work tonight, and Sergio had bought so much meat!!! Apparently there was a buy one get one free sale on meat, and he decided to stock up for the summer. I feel like I'm sitting in a butcher shop..

Tomorrow I get off work in the afternoon so we are heading to the Apple Blossom Festival in New Minas! So excited!!

Valley Sunshine

This week has been more of the same. I've been working when I get hours and spending quality time with Sergio when I don't. Fortunately, I've got full hours next week. But of course that happens once Sergio is finished classes! That's alright though. We get to spend time together every day regardless of our schedules.
We've booked off work for a few days in June to head to Truro for my high school's graduation ceremony and Abby's end of school service. We're planning on spending some time in my family's new house and catching some sun at the cottage.
I dyed my hair dark brown on Tuesday. I personally love it. If I wasn't so attached to my natural highlights and light brown/dark blonde hair, I would consider getting it done permanently. For now, I'll enjoy my six weeks with it.
I also got an interview set up for VON Annapolis Valley! Keep that in your prayers. I'm hoping so much that I will have the chance to put my studies to work.
The other night, Sergio and I had taco night! They were super good! I want to say they were super easy too, but I just cut up the peppers, tomatoes, and onions. That was easy at least!
I am loving the Valley sunshine! Gorgeous weather every single day!

Pronostico del Tiempo

This past week has been super busy with work that I haven't had much of a chance to blog or much to say for that matter.

Sergio and I went out to Canning for dinner at The Port the other night. We got a table overlooking the water, and it was beautiful. I had seafood chowder (typical), and Sergio had the Port burger. He claims it tasted like a hotel room service burger, so I don't think we'll be heading back there any time soon. 

After dinner, we walked to the little general store in Canning and got a slushie. We are all about the spur of the moment, random adventures. 

Last night, Adrianna and Lydia came down to stay at the apartment with me - my first overnight guests! We had a really good time - many memories made for sure. We went to church together this morning then went to the Library Pub for some Lib Pub burgers. Those are a definite must for anyone visiting Wolfville. It was 25 degrees today, so we sat outside on their sidewalk tables. It was absolutely gorgeous. 

The girls went home; Sergio got off work. We're both exhausted so tonight is simply a relaxing night in. That basically means that I'm blogging and he's watching Dexter. We're both pretty independent. 

I just finished Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock, and I seriously recommend it! I don't want to say too much about it because I want people to read it, and I don't want to give any hints. But it will throw you at the end. I had suspicions the whole time, but I was still shocked! It's told from a child's perspective so it's extremely easy to understand, but it's a great read. If you can get your hands on it, read it! I just got it from the Wolfville library. 

Before that, I read Wither from the Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren Desteffano. I couldn't put it down, but it's extremely futuristic and weird. It's basically a futuristic polygamist story - very interesting for sure. If you want to read something different, give that one a try. I'm on the hunt for the other two books so I can know what happens.
Also, I've been working on my Spanish a lot lately. One of the girls I work with a lot is from Peru, and she loves teaching me new words. My favourite is mesa de noche or pronostico del tiempo because I can always remember those. That means bedside table and weather forecast. I have no idea when I will ever need to know that, but better safe than sorry. Sergio and I are trying to text in Spanish now so that I will pick it up a little faster. Mostly this just means our conversations are shorter and consist of the same subject content. But I'm getting there. 

That's about all I have to say for now. I'm working a bit this week, however, not nearly as enough as I would like to be. Keep the summer job scenario in your prayers!

Puzzles, Crepes, and Library Cards

Finally, a day off work to relax and catch up on some cleaning and blogging!
I picked up a puzzle at a yardsale on Saturday morning and finished it today. I'm a huge puzzle person and spend hours at a time on them. It's too bad I can't drag out a puzzle for longer.
I also got my Wolfville library card today so that I can get more books for free from the library for the summer. I'm super excited about that, and I will keep you updated on what I'm reading.
Sergio reprogrammed my television connection and was able to get me three channels! I don't even know what to do with myself anymore!
Sergio and I had a much needed date night on Sunday. We tried out the new Naked Crepe Bistro on Main Street. It was so nice to go out together since our lives have become so intertwined, and we don't get many opportunities to go on dates anymore. The Bistro was amazing! I started with a apple crumble crepe, and he started with a Mexican crepe (I was scared I wouldn't have room for dessert so I started with it). Both were so good that we each ordered another. I then had my real dinner - a turkey swiss crepe, and Sergio had dessert - a banana nutella crepe. I definitely recommend checking out. The prices are extremely good too!
Work has been good lately. I've got more hours this week, but I'm still hoping I'll be able to land an internship. I refuse to worry about it though because I know it's in God's hands.
Today was grocery day since Sobey's gives students 10% off all their groceries on Tuesdays. We also went to Pete's afterwards to pick up some tea and granola bars they had on sale. Sergio got the ingredients to make sushi as well. We got home and made a delicious chicken dinner with traditional Guatemalan food. I'm trying my best to pick up some cooking techniques from Sergio, but I'm totally okay with letting him take over in the kitchen.
I think that's about it for now. My really good friends, Adrianna and Lydia, are coming to stay with me this weekend, and I am looking forward to having my first overnight guests!

I'm Not Lucky; I'm Blessed

When I moved into my apartment, I was super excited for sleeping in without the fear of my parents coming home and telling me to get up and get some work done. Unfortunately, I have woken up at 7am every morning since I got here – not on purpose. I don’t know what it is. I usually manage to fall back to sleep until about 8:30 or so. It’s nice getting up early and having tons of time to get stuff done, but I sure do miss sleeping late.

I started work at Pete’s on Wednesday. The store actually looks really nice. It has that old warehouse/country home feel to it – very Wolfville. I have yet to buy anything, but I tried some tea and LOVED it. And that’s huge for me because I don’t like tea. I might have to buy some of Pete’s fancy British imported tea. What’s really neat is that they have a tea bar – same idea as the juice bar except with as many types of tea that you could possibly imagine.

I managed to scrap up 34 hours this week compared to the 10 I had a couple days ago. My manager apologized for the mixup and told me they are going to cross train me on deli/cash so that I can take those shifts as well - anything to get me some more money.

Kelsey came to Wolfville on Tuesday night and dropped off my living room couch and loveseat. Sergio and I have enjoyed them immensely. I’m so sorry about not having pictures up of the apartment yet! It’s still a work in progress and I desperately want everyone to see the finished product. I’ll give you a little peek at how it’s coming though. I’m still waiting on my coffee and end tables and my white leather couch for my bedroom.

I’ve taken to watching Ellen on weekdays when I’m not working in the mornings. Yesterday, Sophia Grace and Rosie were on. If you haven’t seen their videos on Ellen, look them up. I think they are extremely adorable, but I believe the fame has gotten to their heads a bit. They aren’t nearly as spontaneous as they were when they first went on the show.

Sergio had his last physiotherapy appointment yesterday. He was told to start biking a little and to go swimming for exercise. He is also driving again now – even on the standard. Our summer together has gotten off to a slow start because of his injury, but we are constantly praying for healing. Keep him in all your prayers as well.

Another job might be on the horizon for me. I’m waiting to hear back from CAPRE in Canning to see if they will interview me for their summer internship. CAPRE is a charity organization that works with disabled people to assist them in become entrepreneurs and run their own small businesses (i.e. mail delivery, used clothing store, dog walking, etc.). It would be ideal, but maybe God wants me to be right where I am. I am trusting that He’s got the plan, and I don’t need to worry too much about it. I also got word of another summer internship with VON in the valley organizing and implementing recreational activities for elderly people. I will more than likely send in a resume for that one. Pray that things will work out the way they are supposed to and that I will have the faith to accept whatever happens. 

Sergio and I are currently looking into taking on a sponsor child. My mother has six sponsor children and loves each of them dearly. Nothing has been done about it yet, but we’re hoping we will be able to sponsor a child in Guatemala so that we will have a greater chance of being able to meet them someday.  God has blessed us so much, and we are called to take our blessings to bless someone else.
I've started doing a bit of walking around Wolfville, and I have been enjoying it a lot. I got super cute work out shorts from Aerie when I was in Halifax, so that's a great incentive. I also discovered I have a fascination of graveyards. As a child, I understandably found graveyards creepy and scary, but now I find them full of mystery and things we'll never know. How many secrets are buried in a single graveyard? I'm not about to go walking through graveyards at night or anything, but when I'm on my walks, I find myself going through the graveyards reading the names of people who lived before me and wondering who they were. 

I finished The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. It was a pretty good story. It left you wanting to know what was going to happen since it was a bit of a mystery, but not enough to keep me up super late. I also finished Danielle Steele’s No Greater Love this week. It was a fictional story about a family of Titanic survivors. I love the Titanic stories, so that was fascinating for me, but the book itself was mildly depressing (six of the main characters died). I’m lost for what I’m going to  read next, but I’m sure I’ll pick up something.

 Best part of my day yesterday: Sergio bought me a massive chocolate bar from Pete's and surprised me with it when I got home from work :) 

Sweet Nothing

I wish I could blog more often than I do, but when I don't have 24/7 access to internet, it can be difficult. But I'm hanging out at Sergio's tonight, so I've got a bit of time to update.
The outings this week have mostly been Sergio and I going back and forth to various grocery stores on the hunt for deals. It's not as bad as it sounds, but he gets very tired because of his leg. However, he has continued to heal amazingly (God is good)! He goes back to physiotherapy tomorrow.
On Saturday, Lauren and Gordie came down to Wolfville and dropped off some more furniture. I am loving having a kitchen table and chairs and especially the TV. I only get CTV without buying cable, but that's enough for me. The signal comes in crystal clear, and, even if I'm not watching it very often, I really do like having the voices going while I'm alone.
The cooking situation has been great. I'm being so spoiled. Sergio has a passion for experimenting in the kitchen, and I could care less about spices and all the rest. Yesterday, when we got home from church, he made some sort of alfredo seafood mix from scratch. It was actually amazing! No one has to worry about me not getting a balanced diet. I made a cake while he was making lunch. Not from scratch - who do you think I am!?
I went to Pete's today to help stock the groceries. The grand opening is on Wednesday! There seems to have been a mix up in my hours because I was hired as a full time employee, but I am on the schedule for ten hours this week! That's just not going to cut it if I plan on paying rent this month..
After dinner tonight, Sergio and I took a spur of the moment drive to the lookoff. He had never been, and I hadn't been in ages. It was such a nice drive with the radio off, just taking the time to really talk to each other. Sometimes, we get so busy that we miss those moments. It was gorgeous up there.

I have tomorrow off, but I haven't really decided what I'm going to do. Sergio has class all afternoon, so I might just steal his bike and go for a little bike around Wolfville. We'll have to see if I'm feeling up to it or not. I've started reading for pleasure again too. I just love curling into bed early and reading late into the night. Right now I am working on a book called The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. It's got a lot of women's suffrage history incorporated into it, but I do find it extremely interesting. When I finish, I'll let you know if you should read it or not.
So far so good though. I'm loving the valley. Wolfville is so different with so many of the students gone, but it's still got that small town feel that we all hold close to our hearts.

Transitions

Bittersweet. That's my word to describe these last few days.

I spent two nights at home, but most of them time was spent packing up my room. It was a difficult couple of days for me. I always find it hard to go home, because I forget that life at home goes on without me. The dynamic at home is completely different now from when I was there. And I suppose that makes sense. The most difficult part about being home was accepting that it was my last stay in my childhood home. My parents sold our big farmhouse, and they are moving into a new house which will be finished this month. The new house looks absolutely beautiful, and it's much more reasonably sized for my parents and two younger sisters. But, of course, I'm a little attached to the farm and our hundred year old farmhouse that I've been in for twenty years.
That house holds so many memories - Christmases, birthdays, sleepovers, just the day-to-day things. As I grew, that house changed - walls were painted, windows were added, decks were reconstructed. I will always smile thinking about the old French doors, the leaves my grandmother painted in the hallway, and the disgusting pink carpets my mother never bothered replacing in the upstairs bedrooms.
I will remember watering the saplings my father planted in the backyard that we were so mad about because it obstructed our sledding path. I will remember the spot the fence posts crossed were we buried Molly, our family dog. I will remember the big tree at the end of the driveway that for years marked the boundary for how far we could ride our bikes. I will remember knowing who came in the house based on the sound of their footsteps or even how much pressure they used to close the door. But with each chapter that ends, a new one begins. 

After I said goodbye to my home, I came to Wolfville and moved into my apartment. It's been a busy two days for sure. I've had to run to get lots of little things. Unfortunately, the real estate company is supposed to send in their "professional cleaning team" to clean the apartment before I move in, but I feel like they either are the worst cleaners in the whole world or they don't exist. I cleaned this afternoon, and my cloth was black after doing two windows! The shower and sink were disgusting as well. I was not impressed. I used antibacterial wipes in the fridge and through the rest of the kitchen. Sergio wants me to formally complain, and I might. I took a shower after supper, and the drain doesn't work either... 

Sergio is doing alright. He's limping now without a crutch, and his physiotherapist switched him to a cane. But she is very impressed with his progress. He's moved into Tully now, but his room is disastrous. He gets very tired unpacking and has to stop for breaks frequently. I told him he has to have everything organized by next week. He starts classes on Monday, and I start work on Monday (I think) so the timing is wonderful. 

We had our first dinner together tonight. I put on my apron, all ready to help, and Sergio wouldn't let me help! He just loves to cook. It was too bad that I don't have any spices yet because he really wanted to play around with those. We had a chicken stirfry with rice. I thought it was delicious. He wasn't as satisfied. We'll try to get some spices tomorrow. I set up a make-shift dinner table for us until the table arrives on the weekend. It was pretty cute. 

While I was home, I met up with my best friend from high school. We went out for some cheesecake at Jungle Jim's - not recommended. But we did have a good time together. It was nice to get to spend some time with her because our lives have led us down different paths, and we don't see each other very often anymore. 

That's about it, I think. I'll be sure to post pictures of the apartment as soon as it's set up!