Planets and Hieroglyphs

It's hard to believe nearly two months have passed since I last wrote here. I know some people who update their blogs every week, or more amazing still, every day. *Gasp.* Life has passed with a bit of a blur since I came back to Canada in August. When I'm not working, I'm studying...that is pretty much it! It has been rather stressful but I'm somehow still sane. The last paper was finished a few days ago, and now there is two weeks to prepare for two exams. I'm looking forward to "Summer" break until February.

Sadly, I'm not going back to New Zealand for Christmas this year so I'll experience my first ever white Christmas. I hope it's actually white. Last year it didn't snow for Christmas, but snowed for Easter! It was all wrong! The weather has been nice and warm until just recently and each day feels a little bit colder. Not that I really notice much, since I'm at my desk a lot of the time! What other news...oh, I got a new laptop which is very exciting! It enables me to be much more productive since it's really fast with lots of handy features. I'm looking forward to exploring it more when studies are over. I really want to learn some of the Adobe programs so I'm going to keep my eye out for a workshop course or something. Failing that, I might just have to get a manual and attempt the self-teach thing, but it looks so complicated. I still do cartooning from time to time (http://www.aemestoons.blogspot.com) and it would be fun to learn how to add different effects to them etc.

In the next couple of months I'll be starting my third year Bible College practicum with Grace Evangelical Missionary Church, the church I've been attending for the last two years. The focus of my practicum will be Spiritual Formation; I'm really looking forward to starting, it is going to be challenging and stretching and I'm counting on learning a lot! Jeff, the pastor, will be supervising me. I think he'll be great, and I'm glad I can be under his leadership.

Next weekend I'm going to Singing Waters in Orangeville to minister at a Healing Encounter. It's been months since I was last able to get up there so it will be nice to see everyone again.
Well, back to exam prep. Below are a few photos from the last little while....




Last night I had the opportunity to go with the Graingers to the school conservatory. We were shown around, and got to use the huge, fancy, telescope. We saw a rare comet in the eastern sky (can't remember what it is called, sorry). Conditions have to be perfect to see it, so we were apparently really lucky. I looked like a blurred ball; that was apparently the gas. Most exciting of all, we got to see Jupiter! I held my camera up to the eye piece of the telescope and got pictures, couldn't believe they turned out. Here it is here.

In this picture you can see Jupiter and its four moons, although they are little blurred, unfortunately. I didn't have a tripod and it was hard to keep my hands steady while standing on a wobbly ladder!

Pauline, the kids' grandmother, made me this beautiful quilt and gave it to me recently. She did every stitch by hand, it is so beautiful, I love it! It amazes me that people can have that kind of patience, put in sooo many hours, and then give their work of art away. It is something I will have for the rest of my life, and it will always remind me of her. She is such a lovely lady.

Here's Spencer, Matthew and I reading bedtime stories. They are both dressed up in their New Toronto Maple Leaf pyjamas, hats, and mittens that their other grandmother, Rose-Marie, had just given them. I should be wearing blue, we would all match Matthew's room! Rose-Marie has spent the last two weeks with us. She came for Monica's birthday and then helped me with the kids last week while Monica and Stuart were away. It was really nice to see her again, she is lovely. She came all the way from Vancouver, and just left this morning. I know you read my blog, so sorry I didn't get to say goodbye this morning, Rose-Marie - I was so sure you were leaving this afternoon! I will see you in the Christmas holidays, no doubt. :-)

A couple of weeks ago it was Jasmine's 9th birthday and she had a party with an Egyptian theme. I had lots of fun decorating the house and making pyramid pinatas out of papier mache. Monica and I constructed the pyramid out of long sticks (which Spencer dragged in from outside!), the kids tent-playhouse, and lots of white sheets. The hieroglyphs painted in the door way say "Happy Birthday" - fun times! Between having to write exegetical essays using original Biblical languages, and decoding Egyptian, I might end up multi-lingual yet!