Summer is here........well sort of

Well Spring has sprung and on to Summer.....or so they say. Lamont experienced one of our coldest winters yet and now he is getting to experienced the chilliest Spring in a long time. I've given up on the positive upbeat talk and have turned in to one of many Winnipegers groaning about the weather. Apparently this week summer weather will be here.......like i said so they say.

Other than the weather life has been truly great for us. We are keeping very busy and having a great time. About a month ago Lamont got a job working for The Duffresne company as a truck driver. He is really enjoying this job and loves being back behind the wheel!! I am still working at the daycare with my little boy. Many changes have happened and are happening regarding that situation but to make a long story short my job is becoming more permanent and i love the people i work with! This is a picture of the gang at our Early Childhood Educator Appreciation week.

I am also happy to say that I got Lamont to do another first, horseback riding!! Yes he got on a horse and did very well. We went up to Birdshill Park for the day and went for a nice trail ride. He was very nervous to say the least but he confronted his fear and did it. It was quite a sight to see but I am very proud of him. Next first.......camping!! (so stay tuned!!)

My Birthday just passed as i am not a quarter of a century but it was nice to be in my home country with my family for a change and yes Lamont treated me very well and gave me a Build a Bear!! I didn't even think i'd get anything as we purchased a Wii a while back claiming that was my gift so I was quite happy!

No vacations for us this summer as we are both pretty new at our jobs so are unable to get a good amount of time off. Next summer we plan to do a road trip through the states to NY and back through Canada so we'll see if that works. Lamont is going to NY for a few day getaway in a week. My parents gave us some airmiles so we are glad that he gets to go even if it's for a very short time!! Needless to say I am quite jelous but I will live.

Life.......

Well it has been a few months since we have updated our blog and i guess quite a lot has happened!! I am happy to say that the cold Winnipeg Winter is finally coming to a close. Lamont was not a fan of this Manitoba winter and of course he came on the coldest one that we have had in 30 years!! But he survived and even found a new love in it all.....Snowmobiling!!

In February we moved into our new place which we are thoroughly enjoying. It's larger than we are used to and is a great location especially for bus routes which has been great for me!

Lamont is still currently working at the dealership and is still looking for a local truck driving job. With the economy right now jobs have been less than usual so we are just greatfull right now that we both have jobs and all our needs have been taken care of! He does have a couple interviews lined up which he is excited for!!

2 weeks ago I started a new job as an integration worker with a 4 year old autistic boy at another daycare. It was hard leaving some of my kids but I was ready for a new challenge. So far this job has been just that...a challenge! But a good one. I am learning so much especially on patience!! The government has also payed for me to take some classes through Manitoba Childcare which I start this week. So my free evenings are getting less but a lot of new opportunities are coming my way!

Christmas!!

This was the first Christmas that I got to spend with my family in Canada in over three years which was a huge treat. We had lots of fun and were blessed with great gifts. Here are a few pictures of the day!

Update

Just a little update that Lamont has officially become a permanent resident of Canada! Wohoo!!We got it around a month ago and made a trip down to Grand Forks to make it official. While we were there we also got to visit our american stores and resteraunts that we miss!!
Now that's done we are finally on the apartment hunt hoping for a February move in date. Lamont also has a temporary job at a car dealership while he tries to become a city bus driver (which is a long process).
So life is slowely becoming normal and we are excited to get our own apartment. I am also hoping to go back to school in the near future but that may not happen till next year. We have a few other things we need to accomplish before that!!

Life is good!

Ok i'm realizing i'm not too good at keeping this thing updated. I'm doing my best!

The biggest news really that has happened for us is that Lamont got accepted to be a permanent immigrant here in Canada! This is great news as it means he can start working soon! For now we are just waiting to receive his passport back in the mail and then we go to the border to make it official!!

The "transitioning" time has been a little longer than we had originally planned but it seems as that always happens with life. We are still living in my parents basement which at times can have its frustrations but overall has been good. We can't officially rent an apartment until Lamont's status is official (weird canadian rule) but now with the good news we have started looking at places and hope to be moving around Christmas!

I'm still loving my job working in the daycare and Lamont has been able to do a few jobs on the side and just spends time helping my dad out around home. This move has given us a chance to see each other in a different light and our marriage has gotten so much stronger because of it. We know we are where God wants us.

We have gotten involved in a great church and have made lots of new friends along the way. Life here has become more normal and doesn't feel so much like a vacation as it did in the beginning. The snow has just started falling and it's funny watching Lamont adjust to a "Canadian" winter. He's a bit cold to say the very least!

All in all as i'm sure you can tell life is good! We are excited for what lyes ahead of us in the next few months!

Getting our feet on the ground...

Well we've been in Canada for over a month already and time flies. We have really been enjoying our time seeing family and old friends.

I have gotten a job working as a Childcare Assistant with a daycare in Lindenwoods. I was able to get the job quick and started days after my interview. I've now completed one full week and I have only one word to describe it all EXHAUSTION. I enjoy the job but am not used to being on my feet chasing around kids all day. It's a challenge but completely different from what I was doing and I like it. The great thing with the job is that they will pay for me to go to school to get my Childhood Educator degree with lots of future possibilities. The staff is great and it's nice to have evening and weekends free!

Lamont is enjoying Canda a lot. He has been enjoying his "extended" vacation. He has been able to get some side jobs to make a little extra cash and has been enjoying hanging out with my dad a lot. We are still waiting for his papers but that is expected. Hopefully in the next two months but we will see!! Here are a few more pics of our Canadian adventure.

We Made It!

Well after months of preparing for this move it is finally behind us! Lamont made it into Canada with no problems!!

The first thing Lamont noticed about Winnipeg was the peace and quiet. It is quite different from Brooklyn! We noticed how tired our bodies are and have spent a lot of time catching up on sleep! It has also been nice to catch up with family and friends.

Already I have been able to get my health insurance and license back and have already started the dreadful job search. We have been able to house sit for a friend but next week will be moving back with my parents. As soon as I get a job we will be looking for an apartment of our own.

Lamont's papers have been going great and hopefully in a few months he will be able to start working. Please continue to pray for that process and also that I will find a job myself!