project finally complete! (sort of)

Well, this has been one long project from start to finish! I got this little cabinet last winter, and this winter I finally took it to my in-laws and stained it and varnished it. I did it there so I could do it inside a heated shop, rather than freeze or wait until summer. Anyway, this is now where the phone and other miscellaneous items that used to live on the counter on the other side of this wall will no live. Yay for a clean counter, and more space when I'm baking! The thing is, nothing has really been organized inside. Michael took the liberty of shoving all our games behind those two doors and the phone books and pens and such are inside the flip down part. I still plan to actually make it functional (eliminate a few games that we don't use) and put some little baskets in so things don't get lost in the back.

Doesn't it look pretty? The flowers are from Valentine's, left over from the tables at the coffeehouse where we spent the evening. That photo, which we think looks pretty awesome is one we took in San Diego when we were stuck there for a couple of days with the truck.

short trip in the truck!

Ok, so Michael had the chance to drive his boss's truck on a couple of short weekend trips. We decided it would be fun to go together and relive our first year of marriage (wait, maybe not everything about the first year, afterall those were some crazy times!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun and if I'm honest, I was reminded about some of the things about that phase of life that weren't always so enjoyable, like the crazy sleep patterns and washing up for bedtime in a public restroom. If you are wondering what I'm pointing at in a rather Vanna White fashion, it's the Wal-Mart sign. This was the place we stopped at least once on every trip. Needless to say, I really don't shop at Walmart that often anymore, I got so bored of Wal-Mart, they really are the same all across the country!

And, since we were in the States (which is not quite as close by here as it is back home in Abbotsford, well it's close, but there's nothing on the other side unless you drive quite a ways), we had to stop for the best ice cream ever. At Coldstone's! If you ever have the chance to go, do. My favorite thing to order is the Cheesecake Supreme (actually quite remember the name, but it's cheese cake flavored ice cream with graham cracker crumbs, strawberries & blueberries).

AFTER happily ever after

Michael and I had a date night, together with another couple. It was really great to get out and feel like we have a social life. The After Happily Ever After tour is put on by Focus on the Family, and is coming across the country (I think it's in Abbotsford in May sometime). We had a great time, laughing and learning. It gave us both a few things to think about. We recommend it, if you can make it!

Easter!

This year I made paska again, on Thursday before Bad Friday, it sort of hadn't occurred to me until last minute, because I was so busy with school. Anyway, I called Oma this time, to avoid any further mishaps like last year, and got some instructions and double checked my recipe. Turns out, it is supposed to be a soft, sticky dough (not like bread). It turned out much better!

We didn't have an Easter dinner at our place this year, but we had a big family gathering at Michael's parents place. It was really great. There was extra people compared to the usual 7. Grandma & Grandpa Peters were in from Ontario, Unlce Isaac was there as well as great-aunt Lisa. We had a big Easter hunt, which was a lot of fun, and reminded me of the Loewen hunts we used to have.

{I've been waiting to post this until I got some pictures from the rest of the clan, because of course we didn't take any of our own, but it seems no one had their camera out for the actual hunt, but here's some standard hanging out pics and a "tischbild" }

This is Cate, and the only evidence I have that we had an Easter Hunt.

The "tisch bild" (this means table picture directly translated, and it is something that my Oma Friesen almost always asks for at a family gathering, it's become a bit of a legend.)

new job...

The family tradition of book keeper lives on! Our friend Samuel who also runs a trucking/brokering business approached me to come and work for him as a book keeper/organizer. I thought about it a long time and talked with Michael about it (which was interesting and helped us have another communication breakthrough). I was a little nervous, knowing how in some ways Michael and this friend have very similar personalities and remembering how intense (read: many arguments) Michael and I had when I had to take over doing his trucking books for him. I decided to do it, but only 4 hours a week until school is over, and after that potentially more, as necessary, and until I find my education related employement. So far it has been fun, although the learning curve on a new accounting software is big (I find it way too easy to compare and complain). So, it is going well, I even got to shop for office supplies (I am a total dork: this is something I find incredibly enjoyable). I'm enjoying the challenge of understanding his business and helping him set up an effective filing system and way to handle all. the. paper. So far he seems to be ok with my bluntness on challenging the way he does things (but then again, Michael warned him, and he is paying me to help him be more efficient, a totally different situation than when I started doing the books for Michael!) So, unofficially this is my first gig as an organizer too, which is something I hope to pursue on the side. I have two other organizing gigs that I need to schedule in too, so it might take off sooner than I thought!