Introducing a Prezi

This was for a class project and it's a new way to give presentations...basically power-point on steroids!

Enjoy!

About Ms. Peters

First day of school to the rest of my life

The timing feels completely right for where I am. Each day feels like a whirl-wind! It has only been 4 days of classes and it feels like I've been here for 4 weeks! And the crazy part is...I've never been so involved in my own education before! I'm at school for 5-7.5 hours each day and I come home and get right to the readings and can easily be still sitting at my desk until after 10pm...and I love it! I'm even talking in class! Ha...something I've honestly never felt comfortable doing before. So, I'm in the right spot at the right time, for sure!

Three days a week, I'm out of the house by 7:15am to walk 9 blocks for the bus and I don't get home until either 4:30 or 5. I'm in a cohort of 38 people and the more I look around the room, I'm reminded how fortunate and blessed to have been accepted into this program. I already know that it's going to be awesome and I can't wait to get to school each morning! Don't worry, I'm just as surprised as you are! ;)

New beginnings...

I'm not even going to bother explaining why I haven't written on here lately...I just haven't. It's not as if nothing note-worthy has happened in the last 3 months but I hereby declare that I will write more often!

I have just moved into my new (little) suite in Vancouver. It's a bachelor suite (which doesn't mean that bachelors are lining up at the door to take me out on the town...I should've read the fine print!) and it has everything I need. It comes furnished with a bed and a big desk and the landlords upstairs are a dream! They are so welcoming and lovely! My Grandma met me at the house to help me move in and before I even went downstairs to look at the place, we were invited to tea and had a great visit in the back yard (beside the hot tub!!). Not only that, they were going to invite me for supper on my first night if I wasn't going to G&P's so instead, they gave me some bread, a new jar of peanut butter and 2L of milk for the morning! I'd post pictures but I forgot my camera at home (I know, I know...) -- I'm getting it this weekend so I'll be able to share the love.

The other day, my cousin took me on a transit tour. She grew up taking the bus and since I'll be commuting by bus and leaving Gladys to rest, I thought it best I learn how to get around the city. We started at my place to figure how to get to school...a cool 14 minute walk to the bus stop and a 9 minute ride and we're there! Easy as that. I've discovered that I'll be walking a lot (and there are more hills than I've ever paid any attention to in the past) and that's a good thing because who knows if I'll have time for exercise between my tasks of colouring between the lines! ;)

Well, this is just the beginning and I'm getting ready for the ride!

Happy Canada Day!

Once upon a time

Once upon a time, I wrote on this blog more often than every 2.5 months. After a friendly reminder (with a splash of ridicule) from my friend Robyn I've decided on another update. I had to read my last post just to make sure I knew where to start...but here we go.

-- I'm an Auntie again..........times 2!! My sister-in-law had a baby girl (Zaylee) on St. Patrick's Day and my sister had a baby girl (Adleigh) in early April! It's awesome! I'm in Edmonton right now, in fact, getting my cuddles in with Zaylee and I love it!

-- I'm no longer working with the chiropractor -- it was good while it lasted but he needed someone long-term and it just wasn't me. I went back to the farm market full time and it's good. Low stress, happy customers and I can have some fun. I also learned to ref basketball this winter -- wearing the stripes, baby! It was fun and I was able to make some extra money which was awesome.

-- I got into UBC! School starts July 4 for my 12 month B.Ed in Elementary teaching! I'm pretty excited! I'll be able to enjoy about 2 months being debt free before having to fork over some tuition...but it's all good (I'm taking donations, should anyone feel encouraged to support!). I'm looking forward to living in Vancouver for a stint in my life -- riding transit and having weekends off...simple pleasures, I tell you. Not to mention the possibility of living on my own again and leaving the roost.

Hmm. That seems to be the extent of it. Life is coming together... but there must be a shortage of white stallions because I'm still waiting for my Prince Charming. ;)

Happy New Year!

...40 days ago!

You could say I've been a bit busy of late. On January 3rd, I met with a local chiropractor in town who needed an assistant and I started with him a mere two days later...while still holding my job at the grocery store and trying to ref as many basketball games as my new schedule would allow. I've settled in nicely, I'd say, though it took a few weeks. It can be pretty high paced at times and I'm really enjoying interacting with the clients. Not to mention, I'm enjoying the chiropractic care myself! :)

Two weeks ago, I joined Dr. Cary in Calgary for a conference. It was pretty awesome because I had asked him if I could head up to Edmonton after the one day conference to visit Donny and Tamara for a few days and he said it was ok! So, all the money I've been saving for a trip to visit them was supplied by my new employer! Yay! It was a great conference too! It's called Warrior Chiropractic and it's a group of Christian chiropractors who live their faith pretty loud and throughout their practice. Oh, and they like to run. We met at 4am for a 'push yourself hard' run OUTSIDE on the frozen tundra around the Calgary airport. Super dark, super cold and frankly, super awesome! I don't remember running so hard for 50 minutes ever before! Yep...got that blood in my lungs feeling that only comes from a good old fashioned run. Then, I just had to stay awake for 10 hours of the conference, not to mention a nice 3 hour drive in a prairie snow storm to Edmonton that evening.

Edmonton was super great too! Tamara is doing a really good job at growing a baby, but when you live in Edmonton and it 'warms up' to -22, you typically stay inside which is like a perma-incubator!

I honestly didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted. Oh, I even forgot to mention that I turned the big thirty-two! I'm excited for the coming year and what God has planned. I can just feel that it's going to be big and spectacular! Yay!

Big Girl Panties

Maybe I should've added this tid-bit of news to my year in review, but I figured it needed it's own post. I'll give you the whole history of it and keep you waiting...and reading.

I've spent the last half of this year trying to figure out what to do with my life and to see where God wanted me and what he wanted me to do. Not many people know but when I left Maui, I was offered an opportunity to return in May of 2010 in a paid position as the Volunteer Coordinator. All along, that was my plan. I was going to work in Whistler until March, have 2 months at home visiting and packing and then move to Maui for 3 years. When I was in Kansas in April, something just wasn't feeling right about this move. So, after much prayer, I decided to pull out of this opportunity. Now what? I had no idea.

I went home in May a bit confused -- trying to stay the course, but what course was it, exactly? My plan from November was that I would be in Maui by May but that wasn't going to happen. I had such an amazing time in Kansas that I thought maybe this is where I'm supposed to be. Not know exactly in what capacity but I just had to get back there. I went back to Kansas in June open to what might be there and enjoyed the hospitality of the King family. Near the end of my stay, it was brought to my attention that my friend Mark's dad, who is the pastor in a Mennonite church down there, were looking for a Youth Pastor. I had a meeting with the elders in the church and was offered the position! Woo -- so, I clearly thought that THIS is what I was supposed to do. All I needed was a Visa. The application for the Visa started right away and we guessed that maybe by August of 2010 it would be at such a stage that I could start my move down there. But it took too long and I was back to the drawing board. All of the options seemed like such a great and unique fit but it wasn't a go.

That brought me to the decision to just stay in Penticton and find a job and make it work. I couldn't really start looking for work until mid-August when we realized that the Visa just wouldn't happen and I certainly didn't expect it to take two months to find a job...any job! That brought me to mid-October when I finally landed a job at the Old Town Farm Market selling fruit and vegetables at a whopping $9/hour. Humbling accepting any income. But let me tell you, it is quite difficult living for free at Mom and Dad's at this level. I am very thankful!

Perhaps the combination of a limited income and the fact that I was still looking for that 'perfect job' as a manager or something but not getting anywhere plus the desire that I was starting to come back to the idea of working with my strengths again with youth and in coaching (and the bball reffing has helped too) that I was hit with the idea like a brick in the face. I was sitting with Mom at Sarah and Ben's school Christmas concert and I thought to myself, 'hey, I could totally do this teaching thing'. And there it was. A perfect storm. All things coming together and I've FINALLY decided, under my own intensions and desire to become an elementary teacher! Yep, I for real have found my big girl panties and have made a real decision to become educated and find a real job! No more shluffing along waiting for something to land on my lap. I'm going to earn it and I'm going to do it!

UBC Vancouver has a 12 month program for elementary teaching with a July 2011 intake and I'll be completing my application for that once their offices open on January 4. That's all I know. I don't know where I'm going to live or any details but I have a goal. I'll be working to save money for tuition etc. and I'm very excited! This for sure is where I should be. I'm happy that it has taken me this long to figure it out. I'm happy that I figured it out on my own. I'm happy that I have a huge level of world experience in traveling and different jobs that I can use for the rest of my life. I'm ready to go to school and settle into a good job.

Woo! That's my news!

2011 is going to blow my mind and be a blast!

A great year in review

The other day, I sat down and wrote my own year in review in my journal. It was quite an epic year if I do say so myself. If there is a better year out there, it'll have to 2011!

Here are a few highlights I'll share:

JANUARY:

- lived in Whistler and worked at the Olympics as a housekeeping supervisor in Athletes Village

- went on the Olympic skeleton track (head first!)

- seasons pass to Whistler mountain!

FEBRUARY:

- Vancouver 2010 Olympics!

- attended the rehearsal to the Opening Ceremonies

- riding the bus with my ski gear to hit the hill for the day (especially on my birthday!)

MARCH:

- Paralympic Games -- amazing athletes

APRIL:

- went to Kansas! Farm life: strawberries, milking, birthing a calf (!), chicks, Cashew

MAY:

- hung out in Penticton

JUNE:

- returned to Kansas!

- hiked my first 14er in Colorado: Mt. Shevano

- road trip with the King family from Kansas to Michigan, stopped in St. Louis

JULY:

- celebrated Omi's life

AUGUST:

- Girls Weekend turning into a family reunion celebrating Omi's life

- looked for work

SEPTEMBER:

- started Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey

- Kiera Harkness born...a little (lot) early but just perfect

OCTOBER:

- got a job (!) at Old Town Farm Market

- made my first few Lambie Loves

- visited Kiera in the Kelowna hospital a few times

NOVEMBER:

- started reffing basketball

- sold my car and bought Gladys

- paid off my student loans!

DECEMBER:

- graduated from Financial Peace University!

- Festival on Ice in Pencticton -- with Kurt Browning, Joannie Rochette, Sale and Peltier

- Carrie Underwood in Penticton! Amazing seats and good company with Carmen!

God is good and has provided all things!

Happy New Year!

-