I'm So Proud

Yesterday was Brian's first home game with his new team, Delta United. I'm so proud of him because he scored the game winning goal to defeat West Vancouver 2-1! (This was shortly before he got whacked in the face and went down for a minute.) West Vancouver is the top team in the league--last year they won everything, league cup, Proventials, and Nationals. (He also had an assist earlier in the game for the first goal. Just thought I'd throw that in there.)

It was a gorgeous day, cool but sunny. There were plenty of fans watching, way more than would come out for his games last year with North Van. And there were actually other wives/girlfriends! I'm normally the only wife in the stands. We also had other friends from church with us. It was quite enjoyable having friends to sit with. One of our friends, Dave, is a Scotsman and a true football fan. No matter where Brian's games are across the Greater Vancouver area, there is usually at least one European man in attendance who can't hide his passion for the game. And yesterday it was Dave. Ah, I just had a good chuckle remembering Dave yelling at our forward to "get his wee self back on side."

*Side note: Never able to understand offsides in soccer? Check out this article. I'm proud to say that after three and a half years of marriage and a life filled with soccer, I have come to understand this and can effectively explain it. :o) I'm quite proud of myself.

Anyway, just thought I'd share a bit of joy with you today. Go Brian!

almost!

We are almost Canadians! Today we went to the border to complete the year long process of receiving our permanent residency! Basically that means we have a green card. We can travel into Canada more easily (hopefully) and can work or take classes or pretty much do anything but vote. It has been quite the lengthy and pricey process but I think it was worth it. Next: getting a Nexus pass.



All of our free time lately has been spent either watching Lost (which I have to pay attention to) or doing soccer-related things (which I should pay attention to), so I apologize for the lack of blogging.

Water For Life

One of the many ministries under our parent organization is a ministry called GAiN. That stands for Global Aid Network. This summer I got to hear a bit more about the work they are doing, especially in Africa. I've written before about our fellow co-worker and friend, Albert Martens, who did the Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara. He partnered with GAiN again this year at the Marathon Des Sables, but did not finish. You can read his story here.

I was moved to tears after watching this video clip from GAiN. I just thought I'd share it with you today.

09.09.09!

Happy 09.09.09!!!

We should have a party.

2nd blog

I decided to create another blog where I can showcase my recent/favorite photos that I've been taking. As much as I love Flickr for its photosharing abilities, it is not very user-friendly for browsing and, let's be honest, it doesn't look too pretty either. So you can check out my new blog here:

http://carolinaphotography.wordpress.com/

Hope you enjoy it!

2/11 days

I have accomplished so much! I am quite proud of myself (and Brian) as I look around our place. So neat and tidy. I'd say it's been a very productive long weekend. And I still have tomorrow to relax. In addition to tidying and purging our place, I acquired a new lens for my camera. :oD It is the Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8, which I purchased from a friend. So excited to play with it! I've loved my fixed 50mm f/1.8, it takes great pictures, but I'm tired of running backwards because I can't fit the whole subject in the frame. I'm also excited about taking pictures for my friends' wedding in October! I love shooting people. (With a camera.) And my bunny. Any sort of portraits and candids really.

Now I'm off to watch some more Lost. :o) Jill, we must meet up soon so I can borrow season 2. And perhaps we could get bbt! It's been a long time since I had some... probably May.

Now I'll leave you with a relaxing image from our wonderful vacation so you can kick back and relax too. Bo)

Oh, if you're wondering what the title is about, 2 days until I can own The Office Season 5 on DVD and 11 days until The Office season premier!

LOST

I'm officially a fan of Lost. I know what you're thinking, how could I stomach a tv show that is about a plane crash when I'm on a plane every month. Well, during the first episode or two I did cringe and look away a little, but I got hooked! I started watching season 1 when we were at home and only made it half way through. I need to know what happened! Claire just came wandering back into the cave and I don't know what happened to her or her baby! If any of you have season 1 and wouldn't mind letting me borrow it, let me know! ...but in the mean time, don't spoil anything for me please :o)

And thanks Jill for lending me the next few seasons... I'm hoping to catch up before the last season starts in 2010.

So much to figure out...

We've been home for just under 24 hours. Piles of things have moved all over the house, shrinking and growing as we unpack, de-clutter, and clean up our stuff. I've restocked our kitchen, made enough spaghetti sauce for at least 10 more meals (thanks Debbie!), and purged our closets of unused/unwanted clothing. I'd say I've about as much work as I would have done had I actually lived here this summer! Ha!

But enough thinking about the stress this year has brought; it's over and done. I'm looking forward to fall and winter so much! I love the cold weather, change of seasons, change of wardrobes... just a great time of year. I'm also looking forward to NOT seeing my suitcase again for a few months. Seriously.

I also have lots of mini projects in mind for the next little bit... we'll see how they span out. There are lots of seashells to be bleached, pictures to be organized and printed, new recipes to be tried. I'm also going to try to be more consistent in my blogging. I have been MIA in the electronic world for a while. Kind of nice.

Well it's time to wind down and warm up my sheets. :o)