2 Weeks To Go!!

2 weeks from tomorrow and we'll finally be leaving on our Uganda trip!! It's kinda crazy how fast the clock has been ticking down - it seems like it was just yesterday when I posted my 5 week update! It's really exciting though - I'm kind of like a little kid counting down to Christmas - it's like "how many sleeps left?"

I had this past week off of work, and holy moly - I can't believe I'm back to work on Monday! It was a pretty jam-packed week full of appointments and visiting and prep for the trip. We went to visit my parents for a day and met their new puppy Belle (soooo cute)! We also visited with Chris' dad, had dentist appointments, a doctor appointment, a vet appointment, and some shopping excursions. I never got around to doing some of the other things I wanted to do around the house (painting anyone?) but I'm glad we got all those appointments out of the way. Now I don't have anything big that needs to be done in the next two weeks, so that's a relief. I actually already started packing 'cause I know the next 14 days are going to be busy and I don't want to leave that to the last minute. (Plus, packing for a trip is just really fun)!

We got our new flight itinerary about a week ago and it's changed quite a bit from the original. I think on the first one, our stop-over in London was just too short, so it's now changed to a much longer one (better that than us missing our connecting flight). Here's our updated itinerary:

- Leave Toronto at 11:55pm on Sunday March 8th

- Arrive in London at 11:15 am on Monday March 9th (I think that's Toronto time, I'm not even going to try and figure out all the time differences)

- After an almost 9-hour stop-over in London, we board a plane for Kenya and leave at 8pm

- Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya at 6:30am on Tuesday March 10th

- After a 2-hour stop-over in Nairobi, we board a plane for Uganda and leave at 8:35am

- Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda at 9:40 am on Tuesday March 10th

- Drive for 3 hours from Entebbe to Jinja and spend the rest of the day Tuesday getting settled in the guest house and acclimating to our new surroundings.

Our journey there is definitely going to be quite a . . . journey, but as I've never travelled outside of North America, I find it really exciting rather than tiring. I'm kind of like "woo hoo - red eye flight to London = awesome, long stop-over in Heathrow airport = stellar! Travelling for almost two days = count me in!!"

We have a big Uganda meeting tomorrow after church - all the parents will be there, as will Ryan from GIVE. It's our final big prep meeting - after that we meet briefly on March 7th to go over some last-minute things, than it's actually happening!

I won't be able to post anything on here during the trip, but I plan on doing some more posts before we leave, and I'll definitely be posting a ton of pictures and debriefs after we return. It's kind of sad to think that before I know it, it'll all be over - but I really think this will actually be the start of something much bigger than a 2-week trip to Africa.

Let the final countdown begin!

Read more...

Get to know . . . Me!

I saw these great "get to know you" questions on the net, and thought I'd post them as I have no idea if only people I know read this blog, or perhaps I do have a reader or two who I don't actually know "in real life":

What do you do for a living? I work as the "Customer Experience Manager" in a large format bookstore, but that's just for the moula - I prefer to describe myself as a singer-songwriter.

Are you married? Do you have kids? I've been married for 2 1/2 years, but my hubby and I have been together for almost 8 years. No kids yet, but I'd like 4 - hubby wants 2 so maybe we'll compromise on 3.

Favorite food? I love lots of different kinds of food, but would probably say my favorite is anything my mom makes (especially her baking)!!

Most embarrassing moment? Probably many years ago when I was performing a ballet routine on stage in high school and my skirt fell off and everyone could see my bright purple underwear through my white body-suit. Horrible at the time, but as I get older I don't really ever get embarrassed now.

Name a few things that you can’t stand whatsoever: Mean, rude and inconsiderate people, drama - (it really bothers me when people are super melodramtic and can't just be happy and live their lives), insincerity, cold weather, vaccuming, reality tv shows that serve no purpose whatsoever

Name a few things that you really love: My husband, family, my core group of girlfriends that I've known forever, my dog, having days free to do whatever I want, singing in the shower, Kit Kat bars (the perfect mix of chocolate and crunch!), watching a great movie that makes me think about life, connecting with a perfect stranger, dreaming about what my husband and I are going to do next in life and then actually seeing it happen, making my hubby laugh with my silliness, going for drives in the country

Hobbies? Singing, songwriting, blogging, reading, watersports, anything involving being outdoors in the summertime

What kind of car do you drive? What color is it? 2006 Black Pontiac Pursuit

Worst time you got into trouble when you were a kid? I wasn't really a big trouble maker, but it was probably when I decided to quit my job as a newspaper deliverer - I'd had enough one day and just quit on the spot - my mom was maaaaddddd when she found out and took away the stereo I had gotten for my birthday and didn't give it back to me for a really long time. Most of the time I got in trouble for swearing at my brother and sister - I did get my mouth washed out with soap a lot for that :)

Have you ever been on TV? No, but I've been in a lot of movies and commercials - I used to do extra work in a lot of big movies and even had some major roles in a couple of other short indie movies and such. Actually, TV-wise - I do play the "store clerk" in the anti-smoking video that all Mac's Milk employees watch when they're hired.

What kind of music do you like to listen to? Everything except super heavy-metal and any music that's demeaning to females. I currently really like David Crowder, The Wreckers, and Serena Ryder.

What CD would your friends be surprised that you own? Well I sadly have the "Mortal Combat" and "Baywatch" soundtracks courtesy of my husband - is that bad enough?

Shoes or sandals? Sandals - flip flops and hiking sandals all the way! (But sadly I live somewhere where it's cold for at least half the year so most of the time I'm wearing shoes or winter boots) :(

Where do you buy most of your clothes? I hate, hate, hate clothes shopping - but when I finally break down and go to buy clothes I try to buy everything at the same store. Old Navy has nice things for super cheap - I used to like Winners but now find it a little overwhelming having to sort through all that stuff. Gap is okay, and SmartSet has good work pants.

Have you ever met any famous people? If so, who? Yup - one cool thing about being an extra is all the famous people you get to meet - I've met Selma Hayek, Ryan Phillipe, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Love Hewitt (I got to go to her movie premiere!), Mike Myers, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, some of the SNL cast, ummm - I know there's more but I can't remember. I've also met some famous people and authors through work - Margaret Atwood, Jann Arden, Don Cherry, and some famous sports players

What are your favorite TV shows? I don't really watch a lot of tv, but right now seem to have CNN on quite a bit - I definitely am more of a movie kind of 'gal

What are you most afraid of? Being afraid of something, reaching the end of my life and having regrets

What are your biggest dreams / aspirations for your life? I want to write songs for people, and also want to use music in a way that inspires young people to use their talents to change the world. I want to live in Africa, and also travel around the world doing the above. I want to be a positive role model not just for my kids, but to people in general, by using my life to impact the world in a positive way. I want to leave the world in better shape than it was when I arrived.

What is your favorite time of year? SUMMERTIME!!!!

What is your favorite time of day? Either really, really early in the morning, or around 6 o'clock at night

Who are your role models? My parents ('cause they've worked really hard in life for what they wanted), any strong female that is living with a purpose, my friends 'cause they're all really good, genuine, sincere people

Are you sad or excited about getting older? 6 months to a year ago I would have said sad, but I recently discovered my "purpose" in life, so now I'm definitely really, really excited about getting older and making it happen!

Read more...

Ouch!! Get that thing outta my arm!!

Yesterday afternoon Chris and I went to see Dr.Lingley at RoundTrip Travel Health Clinic in Markham as we needed to get our shots for Uganda. Chris already had a couple of his as he went to El Salvador a couple of years ago, but I needed the works. I got my Hep A, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid shots, and also got medication called Ducoral that I have to take two weeks before we leave (that's supposed to minimize the risk of getting Traveller's Diarrrhea) and also got a prescription for Malaria pills (that we start 2 days before we leave and continue for a week after we get back). Total cost = almost $300.00 . . . Yowza!! The good news is that many of the vaccinations last for a really long time so once you have them you're pretty much set and don't have to spend the money again.

I've never had a problem with needles, I actually usually think getting them is kinda' cool, but I let Chris go first as I wanted to see his reaction to them before it was my turn. After he said "oh yay - this one hurts. Yup - this one hurts a lot" to the second one, suddenly I wasn't looking forward to it as much. Sure enough the first one was fine, but the second one (the one for Yellow Fever) hurt quite a bit. We then spent the rest of the evening being total wimps and taking turns saying "my arm hurts - look babe - look at how swollen my arm is". Total wimps, but it is cool to know that my body is now busy making antibodies to all these crazy diseases.

So that's one more thing crossed off of our list of things to do before our trip. I still feel like I have a gazillion things to do, but I know they'll get done. I'm actually taking a week off of work soon as I just need some time off to do some stuff and to just relax. I want to go see my family on the farm (and meet their new puppy), learn some more Swahili, clean the house, and maybe (just maybe) finally finish painting our master bedroom. We still have two white walls in there and it's kind of become the big elephant in the house. We both know it needs to get done, but neither of us likes painting and so we just sort of pretend we don't see it. I want to get it done though as we may have someone staying at our house while we're away to take care of Franklin. (We really don't want to put him in a kennel for two weeks, and it's also really expensive so hopefully that pans out). Anyhoo, it would be nice to have that room totally finished in case we do have a guest.

I also (finally) think I've gotten myself on the path to becoming a healthier, fitter me! I had a moment of clarity several days ago (I might blog about it later) and I saw everything in a new perspective. Since then, I've been eating healthy and exercising, and overall starting to feel a lot better. I want to be fit and feeling good for our trip, so this is a start. Thankfully (and hopefully this is still the case) I've always been able to get fit fairly easily and quickly (once I really focus on it) so four weeks from now I'm gonna' be as strong and toned as possible. Okay, it's actually four weeks from Sunday, but whose counting?? ;)

Read more...

5 Weeks To Go!!

Well only about 5 weeks to go until Uganda! We had our big Banquet Dinner and Fundraiser this past weekend and it was a great success!! We raised quite a bit of money for our trip and although it was a long day, it was a really fun day for everyone involved!
I started making a final To Do list the other day for the trip, and it's definitely pretty long. Chris and I get to pick up our passports today though, so that's one major thing off the list. The next big one is to get our vaccinations done (as we can't actually enter Uganda without having certain vaccinations) so we need to make our appointments for that relatively soon.
I'm taking some time off in two weeks as I still have a ton to do and don't want to be completely stressed out one or two days before we leave, trying to get everything done. I also have a ton of performance reviews to write for work, and need to get all those wrapped up before the end of February. I know that time is going to fly and before I know it it'll be March 8th. Yay - it's almost here!

Read more...

What turns it all around

So originally this was going to be a venting post. I had a horrible day at work today and came home just beat. I was tired, cranky, had a splitting headache and was fully emersed in sorry-for-myself attitude.
I had a Uganda meeting tonight at the church though, so even though I was not really in the mood (and really wanted to just stay home, have a long bath and hit the sack early), I found myself trudging across the parking lot for our 6pm meeting.
It's now 9pm, and my bad mood has completely been lifted. Yes I still had a horrible day at work, and yes I still have a splitting headache, but I am sooo glad Chris made me get my act together and get my butt over to the church. In the span of about an hour and a half, I received so many hugs, and so much love from the youth in our Uganda team and the rest of the kids from the senior high youth group that it absolutely made my day. They probably don't realize it, but I will definitely be going to bed with a smile on my face tonight because of them.
I don't even know a lot of them that well, but it just goes to show how big the hearts of today's young people can be - that they can really care about, and really be that excited to see someone who (in all honesty) hasn't really given 100% since she stepped into the "youth pastor's wife" role.
I don't know if any of them read my blog, but if they do I would like them to know this:

You are all incredibly important to both my husband and myself. I may not always show it - I know I'm not at the church as often as I (or you) would like, and many Sundays and Wednesdays can go by without me stopping in - but I always have you all in my thoughts. I feel like I know many of you quite well, because my husband knows you so well and because so many of you are so open with what you're going through in your lives and how you're feeling. I was also a teenager myself (and not too long ago - I'm not that old!) so believe it or not, but I can relate with pretty much everything you're experiencing as you navigate the really tricky and often really painful years of highschool. You are all full of light and love. You may not see it in yourselves sometimes, but I (and I know my husband) see it in you. You are all loved and cared about, and you made the heart of a tired (and cranky) twenty-something fill with love and gratitude tonight, and you helped turn it all around.

Read more...

In a Perfect World . . .

In a Perfect World . . .

* when people say "Hi, how are you?" they would really be interested to know the answer and not simply ask it 'cause it's polite

* the colour of your skin would never matter

* everyone would worship together, regardless of faith or creed

* people would make a living doing what they actually loved to do

* all children would be raised with love, and never violence

* we would view the problems around the world as "our problems" instead of "their problems"

* no one would go to bed hungry

* elders would be respected instead of forgotten

* we would talk to each other, instead of ignore those in front of you while you talk to someone else on your cell phone

* tv shows would be encouraging and uplifting, instead of demeaning and full of bad role models

* people could always afford heating and groceries, instead of one or the other

* we would all put away the masks we tend to wear when we're in public

* we would look at each other and see brothers and sisters, not people who don't matter to us because we don't know them

* we would listen to each other

* we would help each other

* the barriers would come down

* we would live . . . together

* we would love . . . more

Read more...

Moments of Clarity

I had a moment yesterday. It was one of those moments that makes you stop in your tracks and seems to make life stand completely still for a second.

I was at work, trying to make my way through a 20 page report of inaccurate inventory numbers. I was scanning through our wall of journals in our gift section (admitedly in a bit of a daze) when something on the bottom shelf caught my eye. It was a nice, medium-sized journal, but it was the fact that it was ring-bound that got my attention. I've been looking for a ring-bound journal for awhile now, to take with me to Uganda to record my thoughts and observations while I'm there. I crouched down to have a closer look and to see how much it was, and it was then that I saw the quote written in gold lettering across the cover.

"In the midst of our lives, we must find the magic that makes our souls soar."

I must have stared at it, reading the inscription over and over again, for only about 30 seconds - but to me seemed more like 5 minutes. It felt like someone had somehow gotten into my head, figured out exactly what I've been thinking / feeling / questioning for the last year or so, and in one sentence, in 16 words, not only summed up my biggest question, but answered it as well.

What is my biggest question? To put it very simply, it's probably the question that plagues most people either at some point in their lives or possibly every single day of their life . . . What is my Purpose? And once I find my Purpose, how do I go about living it?

The answer? Find what makes your "soul soar" and Do it. Stop making excuses, Stop being afraid, Stop giving up before you've even tried. Find what you love, find what brings you joy. If it makes time stand still for you, if it brings you true happiness, then it just may be your Purpose. And your Purpose reflects back onto others, for if it's real then it involves giving back to others and passing it on.

What makes your soul soar? What are you here for? Deep down, at the core of our being, we all know. It may take awhile to find, for many of us have spent years and years covering it up and burying it under so much fear and so many assumptions that it might take some work to dig up . . . but it's there. You'll know it when you find it. And when you do find it, take action. Do it, make it happen, make your soul soar. One of the greatest tragedies is to know what you're meant to be doing with your life and not take action.

Find the magic, make it happen.

Read more...