New found love...

Quinoa, yep... That's right. This lovely super food has grabbed my heart and made me fall in love with it's lovely nutty, fluffy self. It's SO good, and so versatile, for example my dinner tonight



Quinoa with zucchini, acorn squash, onion and garden fresh tomatoes. In a tortilla shell, yummy in my tummy

N.

killer stomach

I've been needing to desperately change the way that I eat and how I view food for a while now. Since getting married back in December 2008, I've gained a fair bit of weight. It's no secret (as much as i want it to be). If you knew me three years ago and saw me now, you'd know that I got bigger. At first I was mortified once I realized how much I gained (far too much) but then after a while I stopped getting mad at myself and instead asked myself why I allowed this to happen while not entirely realizing that it was.

Lately however, I have gotten far less worried about the number on the scale and far more worried about my health. It is evident from my lack of energy, abundance of stomach pain, brain fog and other symptoms that change is in order if I want to live happily.

Tonight I started a change and my body immediately reacted with vengeance. I haven't had stomach pain like this since early this year... Lucky me. Should go away by Tuesday night, I hope.

In other news, my hubby cut me some flowers from the garden he's such a sweet heart!



Blessings, N.

Happiness

There was one delightful morning when I woke up and saw this...




Seeing it every morning brings a big smile to my face. Life is good, my life is so damn good.

Blessings, N.

Sadie

So in an earlier post I communicated my frustrations regarding our big, boat like, long and green 1998 Chrysler Concorde. She was named Bernadette or Bernie for short and she was hell to drive and a money pit of unsafe horror. I'm honestly not exaggerating. My husbands parents got it for him when we were only a few months into our relationship and now nearly six years later... SHE IS GONE! We almost threw a party we were so incredibly happy.

So it was obvious that we needed a set of wheels... And after a long search and many tears...

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family.

Meet... Sadie




She is a 2006 Hyundai Tuscan, low mileage, incredibly clean and well loved and cared for. We love her!!

Can you see the joy in our faces? Well, hubby is pretending to take a bite out of her (I dunno why, my husbands humor sometimes confuses me too!). We immediately took her out for a drive around the beach and tomorrow we are hoping to get to a lake and continue to enjoy her company, so we can all get to know one another better!

Her name came from a girls name that I absolutely LOVED but got vetoed by Cam as a contender for a future daughter so he let me use it for the car (not even an option for a future dog). And yes, we are weird like that, naming our cars and referring to them by their names it just makes it more fun!

So yes, welcome to the family Sadie you will be loved and cared for. I promise :)

N.

New hair cut :)

So yesterday I got a cut and color done, and I LOVE it. I went darker, more to my natural hair color and cut off a whole bunch of length, so now I have whats considered as a "bob". So its shorter in the back and longer in the front. I'm really excited for this change, it's going to be nice to maintain and keep looking good :)

In other news, I've been feeling so much lately like everyone I know around me is having babies. My sister (in law) is pregnant, and Im SO happy and excited to have another niece or nephew (Im thinking nephew) to spoil and love and cuddle. My other good friend Alissa is pregnant, which Im also super excited about too! (Im also thinking she will have a boy). And then there is my college roomie Traci who is preggo with a girl, and another college friend Carlene who is preggo... the list goes on...

Ive been wanting a baby for a LONG time, and I felt for so long that my time may never come because my body may never allow it. It wasn't until an appointment earlier this year with the gynecologist who did my surgery when I finally got some relief and some answers. She did an internal ultra sound and examination and behold, no more Endo!!!!!!!!!!!! which means, that my body should be able to conceive a child. It was just amazing because on the ultrasound screen she showed me my uterus and my eggs!!!! It was one of the most amazing experiences :)

I know that my day will come eventually and it's not a case of "she has one so I want one" it's more the feeling of knowing that I'm ready and that it will be the most incredible time of my life. Soon... I know that to be true. But the maternal heart strings are tugging and I can't wait much longer :)

Blessings, N.

Car frustrations

I've always had a love-hate relationship with the car I drive. It was my husbands when we got married so we just continued to use it, and I guess I should be thankful that I even have a vehicle to drive. But in this case, I'm not! She has left me stranded in some frustrating spots around the lower mainland, her tire went flat while I was driving, and she stalled just moments before us entering the busiest intersections in Langley, BC. Now, after an extensive overview by the mechanics who gave her an a-ok, she once again refuses to start and we've had enough!!! So we are on the search for something new (to us) and the search hasn't been easy. I came home crying yesterday just completely overwhelmed. We want to make the best decision and not end up car poor, or just poor in general. But at least we've narrowed it down to SUV for sure!! Maybe this week we will find something? I sure hope so.

In other news, staff training was so much fun! I'm VERY nervous to start and teach, but I'm learning and I'm brand new to the field of early childhood educators so I shouldn't put too much pressure on myself. As long as I'm doing my very best, that's what counts.

Blessings, N.

Pirate Paks!

Ever since I was young, The local and only British Columbian restaurant White Spot has been my favorite. Why you may ask? Because it's just the best. And it makes me sad when I get a craving outside BC and there is no Spot in sight. As a child my parents would take me after my dentist appointment for lunch, or for my birthday or just because and every time I would get the pirate pak and it was SO COOL! so when I heard that there was pirate pak day at White Spot today for adults with proceeds going to sick children I HAD to go! And so we did and I got a chicken burger and for a moment I was 5 again and it was was delightful. I was sad when my pirate ship was taken away. But I got my chocolate coin so I got over it.

Teacher Nicole?!

Years ago, when I was in highschool I had the opportunity to go to Mexico three seperate times for mission work. I got to help run a daily vacation bible school for children and hang out with a bunch of incredible kids. It was the highlight of my highschool career, and out of it I decided that I would be a missionary. Then came graduation and going onto choose where I would go to school and what I would do. So... I went to CBC, started doing a Intercultural Degree and then ended up meeting Cameron (my love!) and realising that marrying him was my dream and my future. So I changed my major to psychology and LOVED every moment of it.

To make a very long testimony short... I NEVER thought I'd EVER become a preschool teacher. If you could go back and talk to Nicole Stehr even just one year ago, Im sure she'd laugh, or shake her head, or maybe even brush off what you were saying if you'd tell her that a year from that moment she would be a preschool teacher working for W&T.

Back in my college years each roommate I ever had outside the dorms was an Early Childhood Educator, and there were songs, and they were silly, and they had weird homework and everything was over expressive. And I thought to myself, by golly! why in the world would anyone EVER go into that career field?! Little did I know that I was destined to follow in their footsteps, because now... I LOVE every single moment of the sillyness, the joy, the laughter, the songs, the FUN! Cause it truly is incredibly fun and if you love children as much as I do and if you love watching children grow and develop and learn as much as I do, then you can only LOVE love love this career.

When I took child psychology and finished reading that text book from cover to cover, I was just overwhelmed with how a child develops, learns, grows and becomes the person they will be as an adult. I have the honor of being able to teach and love children at the most vital time in their development and that is incredibly special to me. I have lots to learn and lots to master in terms of how to do the guiding and the teaching right. But I have an incredible amout of love to offer those three and four year olds that will walk into my preschool classroom and I am eager to get started!

Teacher Nicole? Yah... I can handle that title. I will wear that badge proudly :)

so its been a while...

Ive been thinking about all the many things I could update you on, cause it has been over six months since Ive taken a glance at this blog. So lets continue where we left off, huh?

In March, my parents had Cam and I over for dinner... this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. My mother liked to have us over as much as she could to feed us and therefore, help us out with our grocery bill by not having to worry about some of our meals. It also helped me out BIG time cause I was in full time school and not wanting to worry about dinner. But at this particular dinner gathering they brought up the question, "what if we bought a house with an incredible basement suite in it and you guys move in?". SHOCK was one of the initial reactions since they had been throwing an idea like that around for years, pretty well the moment they knew Cam and I would be married there was talk. But this time, they were actually serious!!! We left that night with something serious to talk about, so we talked. And then came back to them with, "YES!, as long as the basement suite isn't crap!" (trust me, its not!). So, here we are, August and we've been in this space for 5 or so weeks now and LOVE it. Our space is twice the size for less rent then we were paying at our old place and we get the luxury of saving for our 1st home years down the road, what is not to love about that? Now, we're just contemplating paint colours!

In April, I GOT A JOB! with the best preschool company around! I am SO excited to start staff training tomorrow and then begin the school year September 1st. The way this happened can only be described as an incredible blessing from God. Because in December 2010 I ran into someone who I haven't seen in YEARS! and she just casually asked what I was doing, I told her I was going back to school for my ECE and then she mentioned that she knew the director of W&T and that she would be happy to be a reference for me if I decided to apply to W&T. So, at the end of January I applied and then the first week of April I got a call. I went into the interview with absolutely no expectations other than excitment for a great opportunity. It was five minutes after meeting me that the director of W&T offered me a job and asked me to accept full time!!! I was beyond excited, I left the coffee shop shaking and praising God for I knew it was only Him that made it happen.

Unfortunately though a few weeks after this excitment my college was closed by the Langley school board and I was forced to find a different educational institution. Thankfully, I found where to go and will be returning to school starting the end of September for two night classes a week. I should be graduated December 2012, with my certificate and then another year or so after that be done with my diploma.

In July, Cam and I went to VEGAS!!!!! with my family, it was to celebrate my parents anniversary and just have a great time in a place that doesn't sleep. It was so much fun, lots of late nights, lots of walking, lots of things to see. We saw Blue Man Group, and The Vegas Show (a must see!) we ate at Mario Batalli's resturant (such a highlight for me!) and went to Serendipitys resturant for their frozen hot chocolate (very yummy!). We had such a great time, but I seriously missed having a beach :( so Cam and I are hoping to plan our own incredible vacation for next year, with a beach! and just the two of us!

Im sure that there is more to share, but Im going to stop there... until next time!

Blessings, N.