Thankful : )

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

I had a great Thanksgiving Day today at Taylor's sister Haley's house. It was not my traditional turkey and Jigg's Dinner that us Newfies eat at every major holiday, but it was super delicious. :) I am more than thankful to have a second family away from my real one in Newfoundland.

I wish I had taken some pictures of this beautiful fall day. But lately, I've been trying less and less to live my life through the eyes of an IPhone camera and just experience everything for what it's worth. No amount of technology can ever produce the memories you have in your head. Not just what things looked like, but the feelings you felt that day, the conversations you had with people, the way things smelled, tasted, sounded. You can never capture those things on a camera.

That being said, I do love fall pictures, and plan on taking a few before I leave this little town. The gold and red leaves outside my window will surely be missed :(

I have so much to be thankful for this season.

1. A good paying, full-time permanent job - This is so hard to find for people in my age group, just fresh out of post-secondary education. Especially nurses, nowadays. Most nurses I know are working casual jobs for the first few years of their career, not knowing if they will be receiving a pay check from one week to the next.

2. Supportive friends and family - Making friends in Meadow Lake was hard, but I am more than grateful for the new ones I did make, as well as the ones I always have back in Newfoundland. And of course, I have all of Taylor's family here which I have now become a part of, as well as my own family, which I've had the pleasure of visiting a few times over the course of my time out here in the Prairies.

3. A very supportive boyfriend - I, for the first time in my life, feel like I am in a relationship that is completely unconditional. My boyfriend loves me for who I am and I don't ever feel I need to change any aspect of myself to make him happy. It's pretty freaking amazing. Did I mention he is 100% adorable??! I am blessed. :)

4. A working vehicle - After spending so many years without a car or license, I can really appreciate the value of having a car. Having to walk all over the place in minus 40 degree weather really made me appreciate my car when I did finally get one this past June.

5. Access to healthy food and clean water - This is a mere luxury in most of the world. I am more than fortunate to live in Canada where clean water is readily available and have a good paying job where i can afford to buy fresh produce and whole foods.

6. Good Health - After working for a nurse for year, I know that health is never something we should ever take for granted. You never know when illness or injury is at your door. Thank God everyday for your ability to live a healthy life!

7. A roof over my head in a safe place to live - I have no worries about my house being bombed or that I need to live in fear from persecution for my race, creed or economic status. God has more than blessed our country. :)

8. Freedom of speech and beliefs - It's so hard to belief that I could easily be killed for just being a Christian in some countries. Furthermore, the fact that I have an open blog on the internet, expressing my thoughts, feelings and opinions is warrant enough to have me persecuted as well. I thank God everyday for my ability to opening live out of my faith :)

I hope you all had a very safe and happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!  :)

XOXO
-E

New Beginnings

Hello Blogworld,

I have been awful with blogging, that is for sure, but it sure keeps my posts interesting when I have so much to talk about after not blogging for a long time.

So many great new changes in my life that I am more than grateful for.

The biggest news - I am moving!!!

This is probably the happiest news I have to give as I have not been myself for quite some time while living in Meadow Lake. I always knew from the start that I was only meant to be in this town for such a short period of time. I did meet a lot of amazing people who will be in my life forever and of course, the love of my life. But once a year was up of me living here, I knew that I would need to go somewhere else to be truly happy. A bigger place where I could get lost and feel completely surrounded by people.

My boyfriend and I both felt we needed to make this move together. He had been living in Meadow Lake his entire life and really needed a change. Once my contract was up for my job in August, I started the aggressive search for a new job in our favourite city - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After a month of job applications, resume editing, cover letter writing and calling up all potential employers, I finally received a call for a community health position in a town just outside of Saskatoon. It was full-time permanent, Monday-Friday with my weekends and holidays off and it would give me a little break from the hectic acute care life of a hospital nurse.

My emotional and physical health was really beginning to suffer as I was constantly stressed out and unhappy with my job, had difficulty sleeping and therefore I would get countless infections and illnesses every couple of months. I just needed to put my foot down and start taking care of myself again. I needed to be happy and healthy for myself first before I could ever begin to help improve the health of someone else.

As soon as I got the job, my boyfriend and I began looking for apartments in the city. I have always dreamed of living in an old Victorian-style, 1930's era house in the middle of Saskatoon, close to the Broadway Avenue area of the city. This is where the arts community is in Saskatoon with lots of quaint shops and local musical talent in various little pubs and bars.

I prayed and prayed that we would get an apartment in this area. Low and behold, an opportunity became available to rent a house in this area and as soon as we saw it, we fell completely in love.

I CANNOT WAIT to decorate this place for Halloween and Christmas!!! :)

Not two weeks after getting our house, Taylor also got a position for a good job in the city. We officially start moving stuff this week. Everything has been working out so well for us!

And better news, my family will be visiting for Christmas !! I can hardly wait :)

We have been more than blessed and I thank God every day for all the good things we've been receiving. The best part of it is that we get to share our new blessings with each other and we're well on our way to making both our lives into one. :)

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone :) Remember to count your blessings as we have SO MUCH to be thankful for!

XOXO
-E

Now what?

I know, guys. I'm absolutely horrible at updating my life on this. But I'm going to try to make a good effort in doing so.

It's hard to believe only one short year ago, I had no idea where my life was going after I just graduated from my nursing degree. I had no idea where I would end up, the people I'd meet, etc.. So much has changed and I've learned a TON of lessons along the way.

Rule #1. Make an effort to keep the good people in your life and ignore the ones who aren't kind. Life is too short to spend time with people who are just going to bring you down.

Rule #2. Always stay positive. Even when times are grim, the sun will always come out tomorrow!

Rule #3. Do things that make you happy. (Same goes for being around people that make you happy)

Rule #4. Do what YOU want to do, even if to others, it makes no sense.

Rule #5. Take risks (within reason). You won't know until you try.

Rule #6. Always, always, always follow God!

I have accomplished lots of things and have learned so much. One big recent thing off my bucket list:

I FINALLY HAVE MY DRIVER'S LICENSE!!!!

Not to mention, a spankin' NEW CAR! ;) Yes friends, I am now the proud owner of a 2013 Kia Soul.

Now that I have that goal achieved, I have made myself a couple lists of short and long-term goals:

Short-term Goals:
1. Have $10-15,000 saved up by the end of this year
2. Start a serious youtube channel
3. Buy a good recording camera
4. Buy a decent guitar
5. Buy a decent keyboard
6. Grow out my hair pass my shoulders by Christmas
7. Get a job closer to a big city
8. Get a job in an area of nursing that I'm content in
9. Make new friends
10. Take some music theory courses

Long-term Goals:
1. Get married
2. Own a small farmhouse in an acreage on the outskirts of a city
3. Have my own fruit and vegetable garden
4. Go on a missions trip somewhere
5. Visit Israel / rest of Europe
6. Take a vacation to Disneyworld
7. Have kids
8. Do my Master's in Music Therapy
9. Pay off my student loans

Hope you all have a great weekend :)

XOXO
-E

Back to my roots..

Yes, friends. I am home sweet home. Not for good. But for a nice, three-week vacation. A getaway from the 'Scary Praries'.

I have never been so happy to call this place home. I have completely fallen in love with the people, place and scenery all over again. A HUGE part of me does not want to go back..

I have been enjoying life to the fullest and spending time with people that matter the most to be. I never will take for granted my family and friends that I have here in Newfoundland ever again.

I also will have the privilege of spending my 25th birthday here in my hometown (only TWO days away!). My friend Kandace (who's birthday is on May 10th) and I will be celebrating our birthdays together with a big 90's themed party. Super, duper excited for that!

I am so blessed to have these amazing people :)

It's been awhile..

Yes, I am back.

I've disappeared from blogworld for about 6 months (whoa.) but I figured it's due time to come back. I've made several attempts to try and come back, updating everyone as to what exactly has gone on in my life for me to disappear from blogging, but after 4 failed attempts of trying to get back on this, I decided that updating with everything that has gone on in my life would take far too long. It would be like sitting down for coffee with an old friend for two hours to tell them everything that has gone on and even still, you almost always forget to insert important details. So I said, whatever. Ill just blog.

The last 6 months has been a big whirlwind and a blur for me. In a nutshell, I can say that I have completely severed ties with an old and destructive relationship, started a complete new and beautiful relationship with someone else, been outrageously depressed in this small town, visited England to bury my Grandmother, did a 30-hour road trip to a conference in Kansas City and back while visiting Mount Rushmore on the way, rekindled my relationship with God at this said conference, made new friends, realized who my real friends were and who weren't, discovered what real sadness and what real happiness is, and rediscovered how blessed I really am .

I am still in a rut, trying to decide and figure out who I am and what I want to do.

I am going back to my hometown in 6 days and could not be more excited. I'll be there for three weeks. I am beyond happy to spend time and reconnect with old friends.

I've been using a new verse/ Chapter/ book of the bible to get me through each week. Last week was Romans. This week it's Joshua.

What shall next week bring? :)