The teacher formally known as Ms. Martin's space!

I just got back from our trip to the maritimes.  It was a hectic time full of laughs, tears, and hard work!  

Peter and I landed in PEI after a LONG not a lot of sleep red eye.  He met my parents and we swept him off to downtown Charlottetown so we could all meet one of his sisters and her family.  We had a lovely visit, but had to rush off in order to get home and started!

 

That evening. it was hard but we had to eat lobsters!!! PEter had never eaten one whole so he was a trooper and he did very well.  He liked them!  Good thing!  Aaron didn't even get his tail! That night we bedded down early...jet lag!!!  (I slept in my parents room on a matress on the floor for the majority of the time!!!)  Oh well!

 

Thursday...we did some odd jobs around the house and....well I honestly can't remember!  That evening was the stagette! Good times had by all!  Nuff said!  Peter showed up with my father to my brothers stag party!  He kicked my brothers ass, when challenged to a wrestling match! Thats my honey!  He didn;t get on a plane after that so I knew he was  keeper!

 

Friday...rehearsal day.  We had to rake the beach and get it all ready. When we were doing that a huge stirm rolled in. One moment it was calm next WINDY and cold! See pics to follow! Pizza up at the house after.  We received a phone call from some old friends who couldnt make it. It was wonderful to hear their voices!  Dad sang a few songs gthat nite too! Good times

 

saturday. Peter and I got to do a lot of the running around in the village, putting up signs and stuff.  We also got to cledan the shit of the red bridge, we couldnt have the bride walking on a shit filled bridge!!!  Bless his heart! He did it with a smile!

Then came the wedding.  It began at 3, so everyone was there, but a huge thunderstorm rolled in at 2:30 so we put everyone in the tent for a pop or a beer, then had the wedding alittle later at 4 ish!  They had 45 minutes of sun before another storm! it was perfect! Thank God for the tent!!!

 

The dinner and reception was wonderful. Good times.  Lots of people.  All the Landrys and all the martins! WOW! PEter got to meet everyone in one fowl swoop.  He was a trooper yet again!  party lasted until 4 in the morning I guess! I was off duty at mindnite.  (OH that was after the fireworks and the bon fire on the beach!)

 

Sunday- vegging out!  That evening mom's sisters threw a dinner to honour us in our upcoming wedding. We had a lovely meal and then people did the speeches they would have done had they been able to come to the wedding.  It was incredible. We were very touched. All of moms siblings also put together a scrapbook that held 'marital advice' in it and pics of themselves. It was very touching. I cried while reading a lot of it!  We will have it at our wedding to represent my heritage!

 

Monday he got a tour of the town I grew up in then a visit with Grandma and Grandpa.  We went to see Andrew and Shirley that day too. It was incredible to spend all that time with them.  We went to West Point for dessert and a walk on the beach.  We just had a splendid time!

 

Tuesday we were able to get out on the boat, although the wind died as soon as we got out! Oh well, it was nice to be out on the water!

 

Wednesday...15 hours on a bus :(

 

Thursday in Quebec city - recouperating...seeing a waterfall, then dirivng thru the old city at nite to see the lights.

 

Friday....Walked through the old city. Incredible, and very European feel to it. I loved it. We ate at a revolving restaurant so we had wonderful views.

 

Saturday...drove around a beautiful island filled withincredible views, chocolate makers, and lots of vegetable stands. 

 

It was great to get to know a partofhis family better. I was glad for that chance.  It was nice to go home on Sunday!

 

Pics to follow!

 

On Friday I did the best thing I ever could have done for me and for Peter and me as a couple. I went camping with the girls!!!  The past three weeks have been a little crazy for Peter and I and we are realizing we need to find a better balance in our lives together and apart.  I was almost to the point of losing myself. So when the girls suggested the 4 of us go out for the nite to a very secluded spot on the Smokey River...I was in! we headed out of town at about 6.  We got there around 730 and began to set up camp.  We found a beautiful sand bar right beside the river that was dry and was just waiting for 2 tents and a campfire pit!!!  That evening we enjoyed the fire with smores and other goodies.  Amy and I slept in the same tent so we got to have bed time talk! There really isn't anything like bed time talk with your best friend! (Sigh...Jac I miss you!)  The next morning we ate a breakfast of champions...omletes, smokies, and smores! YUMMY! Then we vegged and baked ourselves in the sun.  The girls went for a dip in the mud...I mean water. I really wanted to go in swimming with them, so I did, it was very difficult wading through the mid thigh deep mud! DISGUSTING! But I did it! Well worth it! Nice to cool off. 

Anyway..It was an incredible time just to be away and refreshed a little.

Tomorrow we are heading home! Yippy!  Here's to new adventures!

 

 I was reading my friends blog and she puts on these cute little antcedotes all the time about things that she does or funny things that she sees. I was wishing that I had those.  I will have to keep my eyes open!

So it is very soon that I get to go home. First time since Sept last year.  Lots has happened since then.  I went to Africa, and got engaged would be two huge ones!!!  Ah..the question always remains...how will I fit back in again to that person they once knew.  It is hard to go back home in some ways because people dont look for change, it is hard to see it when you only see a person for a few days.  I am sure that people at home change too, but all is hard to see.  But sometimes the girl they once knew shows up, but then it is hard for me, but if the new girl shows up then...where does she fit?  Ah boxes. Hard boxes! Now this new girl brings the love of her life!Just to add to the maddness!

here goes nothing!

 

Ok So I left some pics on here for you. They are very self centred!  They are just me and my honey with 2 of my friend who took them!  We were trying to get some shots that we could put in our wedding invitation.  We did get a couple, but here are a few of the fun ones!

This whole wedding planning stuff is a lot of work for one day!  I like what my Aunt Sheila said... dont forget to plan for the day after, and the life that begins after that. 

We are heading to meet my family next week. I am looking forward to it. It is about time my family meets peter!  hehe.

Anyway... thats all for now. Enjoy the show! 

that it has been nearly a month since I have blogged. I apologize to my faithful readers. It has been quite a month... here are a few exerpts...

The Engagement:

 

We had decided to individually pray and ask God for a wedding date sometime in April.  We had said that it could be any time between then and August 2008.  I had prayed and then God gave me a dream about it about a week and a half after we had decided to pray.  I woke up and I knew that it was supposed to be on November 11. That morning my client came out of her room and wanted to wear a poppy.  I was so surprised, but I knew that God was speaking through her to me to confirm that was what he was telling me.  That evening I was working at the church cleaning and I was in a Pastor’s office and there was a poppy on his desk. I have never seen it since, or before!  (did I mention this was in April that this happened!)

 

So May 7^th (our 2^nd month anniversary) we shared with each other what we had felt like the date was.  I was nervous, because…if we said it out loud then it would be real, and if we said it out loud and it wasn’t the same what were we going to do!  But he ahd the same date as well! Wow that was cool! Now what!

SO on Mother’s Day…my poor mother…we told my parents.  They have a busy year coming up and I wanted to let them know to make sure they could come.  They were a little shocked by the swiftness of it all, but would support us none the less.  My brother was a different story. He still isn’t sure if he can get here for it due to visa regulations in the USA and stuff…but I am believing in the impossible…that he will be able to come. 

When we had discussed the date we had also discussed rings.  Peter didn’t have a lot of money to spend on rings and I wasn’t going to buy my own!  So we ended up saying that we would pray for some instead.  I believe that my God is big enough and he can provide little thing like that for us!

So we were privately engaged, but in my heart I still wasn’t ready to fully commit myself to saying yes to marriage publicly because there were some issues I needed to work out with in myself. I had felt like everything was going pretty quickly!

One day I was talking to my mother on the phone and my roommate heard me.  When I got off the phone she beaconed me to come to her room. She held out a wedding and engagement ring and said that she wanted to give to us.  Wow! God had provided richly!

 

I gave them to Peter.  He was amazed and was very glad to have them. 

 

Nothing more was said about it between the two of us. We knew it would come when the timing was right.  Then came the day when I finally was able to give my heart to him.  It took me a while, but was it ever worth it!  (this too is a long story, you will have to buy the book when it comes out!) So when that hurdle was done we were both ready.

 

That being said we had the day of June 9^th booked for one another (although I had to work at 4pm).  He came to pick me up at noon with daisies and roses for me!  I love daisies and he had never given them to me before…so this was very special for me!

 

He whisked me away to Saskatoon Mountain, about ½ hour out of town.  He had all the fixings for a campfire and meal later on in the afternoon.  He had phoned my beat friend to find out what kind of sushi I liked best and even had some of that for us! He also had a bottle of wine!

 

We had sat on the picnic blanket for a bit chatting, then decided to go for a walk.  We got to a place where the trees parted and we could see the beauty of an Alberta scene, with plains, fields, and mountains. It was gorgeous.  He looked at me with that look.  The look that most of the time sends me running because I can’t fathom or imagine that he could love me as much as the depths of his eyes says he does.  But this time I looked back.  He got down on his knee and took out the ring and said “Jess this is a symbol of my love for you, will you marry me?”  To which I replied a very excited yes!  There were hugs and kisses of joy.  The afternoon was spent basking in the beauty of the moment.  It was a good moment!

 

I ended up being 1 ½ hours late for work that evening, but I had a good excuse!  It was hard coming from that to cleaning urinals, but I did it! And I was still on cloud nine!  It has been a fun week since.  I have enjoyed telling people and showing off the ring!

 

It is funny, because some people consider marriage to be ‘getting hitched…ball and chain…etc etc” but for me this knowing, this feeling, this choice, this love is the most freeing things I have ever experienced in my life. 

 

Anyway that is the story and the picture of the ring is attached!

 

 

 

I have studied many times

The marble which was chiseled for me -

A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbour.

In truth it pictures not my destination

But my life.

For love was offered me, and I shrank from its disillusionment;

Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid

Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.

Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life

And now I know that we must lift the sail

And catch the winds of destiny

Wherever they drive the boat.

To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,

But life without meaning is the torture

Of restlessness and vague desire -

It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

 

Edgar Lee Masters