Same as Before, Just a Little More Bling!

Not for the Faint at Heart (BATS!!)

2006-12-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Not for the Faint at Heart

The following pictures may shock some people. Please consider yourselves warned.

James called me today from my parents' house in P-town that he had a new pet. When I asked him what he meant, he sent me this photo:

That, my friends, is a bat. Unlike a normal person who would capture the bat and release it - James and my brother wanted to experience the bat a little further. So they let it fly around our bathroom.

At one point they even turned the lights out, but unfortunately we don't have a camera with night-vision... but here is one last pic for your viewing pleasure.

SO glad I wasn't home for that! That house had better be cleaned out of bats when I get there on Wednesday.

My week with mom.

2006-12-11T12:23:00.000-05:00

My Week With Mom

This is an e-mail I sent to my good friend Corie, who is in Barcelona... and I thought I would post it on my blog, since it describes what I've been up to lately.

"Hey Corie,

Just wanted to e-mail you because I've been slack lately on keeping in touch.

This past week I was in Pickering. I had ONE more paper to write, which I had ZERO motivation to do and had to start studying for my real estate exam. I wrote the paper, but it took me five days... and I didn't study for the exam. I'm studying now. Or was studying. Until I started writing you this e-mail. ....

The week was pretty adventure filled. That's because I spent most of it with my mom. Who you know is pretty crazy! Here is a list of the things we did:

1. Shopping. We searched high and low for Christmas presents. She even got one for me. :) And we went to Bayview Village which is this very high end mall where everything costs $1 billion dollars. The santa there looked so bored. sort of sad too. Because no one brings their kids there. People go there just to be seen browsing at this place. What were we doing there? My mom had a coupon for Banana Republic.. 15% off! So she bought my dad a sweater that was already on sale. But we were seen there.

2. Visited my grandma at the nursing home. She was pretty excited to see me.

3. Went to my dad's office Christmas party. Took the train with James downtown and then my dad picked us all up. Then we were treated to a wonderful and yummy dinner and drank to our hearts content (well, my dad didn't. He was designated driver. And James didn't, because he was the other designated driver for when we had to pick up the car from the train station). So my mom and I drank to our hearts' content. For free. But it wasn't that exciting because neither of us had that much to drink. So really, no story here.

4. Visited the doctor's office. We even got to share that little bed with the paper on it. We just sat on it though. My mom was getting a flu shot. I had pink eye. Yeah... I know.... gross. She got a shot and I got drops. It was eventful and was a meaningful moment for us to share.

5. Made fruit cake. Normally this is made in the roasting pan that she has. But we couldn't find the roasting pan so she had to spread it between two bowls. It was very time consuming and looked like barf before it was baked. But when it was finally made, it created a wonderful aroma in the house. It created 10 1/2 pounds of cake. !! But I won't eat the stuff, disgusting.

6. Picked out the Christmas tree and drove it home. When we were about 1 minute down the road, we noticed that the tree was edging its way over to the passenger's side of the vehicle instead of staying right in the middle. We decided to turn around and get the guys to re-tie it (afterall we did give them a tip of $5 each, thinking they had done a good job). We were smart to make that decision because it was almost on the road by the time we got the tree back to the store. And our timing was great when we got it back to the house, because my brother, Matt, came home from his friend's house right at that moment. That meant we didn't have to try to get the 10 foot tree off of the roof and into the house.

7. Went to the Christmas party at my grandma's nursing home. We ate wine, cheese, mini-sausage rolls, chocolate covered marshmallows. Santa showed up and a Johnny Cash wannabe sang carols and other songs. It was just delightful. My grandma was so happy to see Santa that she teared up. Loved it! I think I'll go every year because honestly... hanging out with senior citizens and singing Christmas carols is what I call a GOOD afternoon. I'm serious. I'm not joking. No sarcasm. HONEST!

8. Watched Pirates of the Carribean 2 with James and my cat, Sammy. Yes, the cat watched. I have pictures. He's so weird.

So it was a good week. I did a whole lot of nothing with my mom. She did more stuff in between all of those adventures, while I sat and stared at my computer screen, trying to write my paper. It was a good week. I'm looking forward to another week with mom starting this Thursday, when I'm done all my exams.

Talk to you soon,

love Court"

10 Things I Love about Christmas

2006-12-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

10 Things I Love About Christmas

My Aunt Cath posted on her blog about 10 things she loves about Christmas and I thought I would do the same to try to get into the Christmas spirit before school takes over again.

1. No school and no homework. I love being able to just be in the moment without any of the other stresses from school to get in the way. This will be my last Christmas where it's like that. Next year, I'll be working leading up to Christmas, which will definitely be a different feeling.

2. Gumdrops. My mom makes gumdrop cake at Christmas time every year. I don't like gumpdrop cake. But I LOVE gumdrops. So does my mom, my sister, and my dad. So for as long as I can remember, my mom will buy bags of gumdrops for weeks before she actually hides one bag and uses it to make the cake. So yummy!

3. Christmas hymns at church - I love them. I think it is because we only really get to sing them once a year and it is wonderful. People sing them with such jubilance and it totally stirs my heart. Love it! Love it! Love it!

4. The Christmas Eve service at Good Shepherd Community Church. I went to this church when I was a little girl, but the distance was hard so we switched to Forestbrook. Ever since, though, we have gone to the Christmas Eve service to get our "dose" of Good Shepherd. The service is pretty much the same, every. single. year.

Rob somebody sings one of his adult contemporary songs.
Anthea sings O Holy Night in her opera voice.
The same old woman plays the organ and piano.
The words to the Christmas songs are on overheads using an overhead projector (not on slides using an LCD projector).
Jessie (who is the cutest, loveliest old Jamaican woman I have ever met) comes up to me and tells me she wants to borrow my clothes. I think she has done this since I was about 5 or 6. I used to be scared of her, but when I was old enough to realize that she wasn't actually going to take them, I loved her!
And then at the end of the service - they turn out all the lights and give us each a single candle. Paul Johansen then stands at the front with his candle lit and says "Jesus is the light of the world". And then, he passes the light on to people in the front rows saying this as he gives them light. Then the light is passed by people around the sanctuary with everyone whispering to each other, "Jesus is the light of the world". At the end, the sanctuary is all aglow with candlelight and we sing Silent Night together, acapella. It is absolutely the most beautiful thing, every single year.

5. Sending Christmas cards. For those who know me, I LOVE sending things in the mail. LOVE IT! I try not to miss birthdays (those that I can remember or know about)... I will at least send an e-card. I send cards for all occasions - thank yous, congrats, sickness, etc. I love buying cards and stationary and finding the perfect fit for the person it is being sent to. So - Christmas just exacerbates that! AND - I LOVE receiving cards. For my birthday this year I got about 20 cards and let me tell you... it honestly made it the best birthday ever. I was so thankful. So if you want a card, even just an e-card, let me know! I'll send you the perfect one!

6. Buying gifts for James. James is so easy to buy for. He would never dislike a single thing I buy him, except when I bought him the Shrek movie for an undiscounted price. He was angry because I didn't buy it "previously viewed" for like $6.99. WHATEVER! I love buying him clothes, dvds, cologne, whatever. He loves it all and is so genuinely thankful. Makes my day for sure to know that he loves what I'm going to give him.

7. My extended family. I see my extended family at least 3 times a year - Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. It is such a mesh of different people and it grows with the significant others of those members. And when my Nana comes, she brings baked goods, including her delicious ginger snaps!! Mmmmm! Same shapes every year and boy are they delicious!

8. Stuffing. I could give or take turkey - but I know that it comes with the famous Sillanpaa (or is it a Maenpaa recipe?) stuffing. Many have tried to duplicate this stuffing (like James' sister Jen, who is a marvellous cook, but her stuffing is not my mom's stuffing!) but let me tell you, it has been best made by my mother, Grandmother, cousin Susan and of course my Aunt Eila. It is fluffy and not pasty. There are just the right amount of onions. There is sage and other delicious spices. NO mushrooms or cranberries or other things that DO NOT BELONG IN STUFFING. Just white bread crumbs and a whole lot of love! I can't wait!

9. Our Christmas tree. My parents' house has a cathedral ceiling in the family room where the tree goes. That means we can get a HUGE tree. A real one with all the good smells that come with it. We usually have to tie it to the wall using a hook because it is SO big. This tree is FILLED with memories for me because of its ornaments. Every vacation, my parents buy ornaments to put on the tree. Every year, my mom would buy my brother, sister and I an ornament for the tree as well. When we were little we would make ornaments. And I have started giving my mom ornaments as well. Some ornaments, old ones, are retired, but most still live on. And I can almost remember where each one is from. Last year, for James and my first "married" Christmas together, my parents gave us their old fake tree. Along with it, was a shoebox. When I opened it up, it was filled with all the Christmas ornaments my mom had given to me over the years at Christmas time. This is why she had been doing it, so that none of us would ever have a bare Christmas tree. So now I have my own Christmas tree filled with memories.

10. JESUS! I was going to put him first or earlier... but this is the thing about Christmas that I wanted to leave any readers out there with. I love Jesus with all my heart. This last month in November would have been awful if I couldn't get down on my knees and cry out to him to work a miracle in whatever paper I was working on. Christmas is the day he was born. And with my new little niece in my mind, I can imagine him in the manger, surrounded by hay and animals and his exhausted and relieved parents... and really that song Silent Night is wrong, because I doubt it was silent at all! Without him, I would not have listed any of the above 9 things because there wouldn't be a holiday. (well - maybe Hallmark would have made something up) Some of them have nothing to do with him at all. But many of them do - in a metaphoric or symbolic way. I am so thankful for his birth and for his death because it was all for me. And for you. And for the world. And every year, I read and hear the story of his birth and am amazed that this one child could accomplish so much. But it was all because of his Father, my Lord. Thank you Lord for Jesus and that he truly is the light of the world.

Merry Christmas everyone! Feel free to post your favourite things about Christmas in the comments or on your blogs!

November

2006-12-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

This should make up for my lack of November posting....

So lately, I have been a bad, bad blogger. Here's an update!

I had three papers to complete for school for today. Because I am a procrastinator, I started writing those papers about three weeks ago. Not such a good idea. Also in there, was a class presentation on dangerous dog legislation in Ontario. So this is what I've been doing since my last post. Law school is my life.
I haven't seen my niece Emily since the weekend I last posted. That's how nuts life has been. I miss her and can't wait to see her in the little polar bear suit we bought her! I'll post a picture when I see her in it!
I went to an Imogen Heap concert on the 8th. If you don't know who Imogen Heap is, then you need to check her out... best concert I've been to in awhile. And the guy that opened for her, Kid Beyond was just unbelievable.
My birthday came and went. The party my friends threw for me was AWESOME! We ate great food, had some wine, talked, laughed and then we walked over to the bowling alley for some good times. Best birthday ever! Even my sis was there! AND - I was surprised because Nic (Marquis) and Missy came too! So fun!
Last weekend I went home to my parents because I desperately needed a change of scenery and a hug from mom! I also got to spend time with my little sis on the train there and back. It was just what I needed to get myself back on track with my papers.
I got an extension on one of my papers. The shortest one. My prof was super understanding and said, don't worry about! What a relief, because I'm pretty sure that I would have handed hers in late anyway! So I have until next week to do it.
My other two papers were LONG. The first on dangerous dog legislation (in particular the pit bull ban in Ontario) was 6500 words and my second, on whether genocide is occuring in Darfur, Sudan was 8500 words. I wrote the first paper in less than 2 days and the Darfur paper in about 3 days. That doesn't include researching. I have to admit, the Darfur paper was quite depressing and if you don't know what is going on there, then I suggest you find out. It's probably the world's biggest humanitarian crisis to date. Think Rwanda.
This past week I think I had an anxiety attack! But... my one of my bestest friends Corie, all the way from Barcelona, Spain, was able to help me put it all in perspective. Man I need that girl to COME HOME NOW! So get your butt on a plane and come home! She'll be back in February - thank goodness!
And what about James? Well if he isn't just the biggest breath of fresh air to me. I love that kid a bunch and couldn't have made it through this stressful month without him.
What's next? I still have my last paper to write, on restorative justice and youthful offenders and one exam, on real estate law, how fascinating. Please pray for these two last things that they don't drive me crazy with boredom.

Oh and it's December - Merry Christmas. I will officially start celebrating and looking forward to it on December 13th at about noon (because that's when my exam ends and I can start focusing on life, instead of the law).

Baby Emily

2006-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Baby Emily + Wedding = Weekend of FUN!

This past weekend was a whirlwind of excitement. With Emily coming into the world, much of it was spent with mom and baby, but we also went to a wedding for James' cousin Sarah and her new husband Kyle. It was so fun to be with the family because there was so much to celebrate! I've included some pictures below!

This is Jen with her new little one Emily! That girl has a full head of hair and the sweetest little blue eyes. Apparently, ALL of that might change over the next few weeks. She could lose the hair and the eyes could change - but I'm sure that no matter what happens she will still be a cutie!

Here is James with Emily. Doesn't he just look so great holding a baby? He was so frightened to hold her because he didn't want to break her (she's so tiny!)... but once he got ahold of her, he didn't want to share with anyone!

This is a picture of James and I at the wedding showing off our black finger nails. You can also see here that I dyed my blonde hair, DARK BROWN! I love it... so sick of blonde!

This is one of all the ladies - (from left to right - mom-in-law Pat, moi, Cat and Liz)

And... one of the boys - (from left to right - dad-in-law Don, Ethan, Graeme, James and Dave)

Welcome Emily Elizabeth Kirk!

2006-11-03T07:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome Emily Elizabeth Kirk!

This morning at 6:30am, after 27 hours of being in labour, Jen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! She was 6lbs and I can't remember how many ounces - I think I was just so excited that this little girl finally arrived!

What a blessing! I can't wait to see her little fingers and toes and hear the little coos that come out of her little body! She is going to bring such joy to her parents' lives - I can't wait to see her grow up! James and I are hopefully visiting tonight, if I can finish my midterm assignment...

Update on Little Kirk

2006-11-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

**Update on Little Kirk

Jen and Graeme went to the hospital at 10:00pm. Her contractions were 5 minutes apart... there should be a baby soon and then I'll be an Auntie! So excited!! Keep praying!

Jen and Graeme Preggers

2006-11-02T08:23:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the World Little Kirk!!

My sister-in-law Jen and her husband Graeme Kirk are expecting their first baby in the next few hours! James' mom, Pat, called to tell us this morning that Jen's water broke at about 3:30am. Apparently the hospital SENT HER HOME because she wasn't dilated enough. The poor girl! That is the last place that I would want to be!

So little [insert name here] Kirk, hurry up and show your face! We've been anxious to see you! Please pray for Jen and Graeme today and I will update on this little miracle as soon as I have more info.

Below is a picture of Jen, preggers, with Graeme.

Speaking of Potlucks

2006-11-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Potlucks...

Apparently, I have the BEST friends ever! I just received an Evite to a birthday party, for me!! Marce, Una, Dani and Corie are planning a potluck birthday dinner on the 17th to celebrate my 25th (well... Corie is sort of more planning in "spirit" since she is living in Barcelona)!

I am VERY excited. I have been beaming since last night when I found out! They told me about the party because they didn't want me to go away for the weekend and... I might also have a history of reacting badly to surprises... long story!

So now I actually have plans for my birthday! I thought I was just going to spend it writing papers... which is what I will be doing the rest of that weekend, but now I have a break to look forward to... so fun!

The best thing about the Evite though, was my friend J-Dubya's reply. I lived with J-Dubya (Justin) during my first year of law school, and let me tell ya, he is quite the character. Justin is probably one of the most academically smart people I know, but when it comes to the "everyday things" that make up life... not so good. Unlike most men, Justin is completely unable to put up a set of blinds in his bedroom, program his vcr, or work an oven. But these are the things that make him "special". When I saw Justin's reply saying that he was "maybe" going to come, I was a little upset, because Justin and I are pretty close, and I thought he would want to be at my birthday. When I read his comment, however, it all made sense. Justin wrote that his attendance was conditional on someone telling him what the heck a "potluck" is. It is reminiscent of the time when Justin was invited to a co-ed wedding shower for a friend of ours and he said that he didn't want to go to a party where there were going to be male strippers (for the record, if there had been male strippers, I wouldn't have been there either!). Oh, Justin... forget law school dude! We need to teach you more about just regular social outings!

More to Give

2006-10-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

More to Give

Have any of you ever had a friendship/relationship with someone where you felt like you were the one trying so hard to make it work, but there was no reciprocation?

That's how I've been feeling with someone in my life lately. I try to give more and more of myself for even an ounce of consideration, and often, I come back empty. And it weighs on my heart and my mind, because this person is very special to me. I want to be met half way - heck! I'm even willing to go 2/3s of the way, 3/4s even... but I just long for the feeling of being met part of the way... you know what I mean? And every time I want to give up on this person, I feel God nudge me and say, "Just a little more. You've got more than that to give."

But it aches and it is a strain... but I'm still stretching myself out to meet her somewhere closer to her end, in the hopes that someday, she'll meet me right in the middle.

And isn't that how it is with God sometimes? I'm sure there have been so many times when He has wanted me to meet him a little closer to His side of things. Yet, I know that He often meets me much closer to my own side, 2/3s, 3/4s... when really I should be running to Him every time. In fact, I should never be leaving His side. And I wonder if His heart ached the way mine does now? I bet it did. And that realization tonight made me break down and cry. If I had only known what I feel now, during those times when I didn't give more of myself to Him. So maybe this is a little lessen I'm learning from Him, through this other relationship. And won't it feel amazing when she finally meets me in the middle? I am SO looking forward to that.

So in the meantime, I'll give a little more and even walk over and give her my hand in friendship. That's really all I want to do this very moment... is walk over to her and give her the biggest hug and not let go for a long time. But I think it would kill me right now if she pushed me away... so I'll wait a little longer... this month at school is not a month where I need any emotional heartache..

POTLUCK!

2006-10-24T18:53:00.000-04:00

Potluck!

That WAS going to be the title of today's post, since that is what I'm doing tonight. But unfortunately for little ol' me, somehow blogger managed to DELETE the entire post before I posted it. I am unimpressed. And now, I am not feeling nearly as witty as I was about 15 minutes ago when I started that post. So now you are all stuck with un-witty Courtney.

Tonight I feast at Lee-Ann's with the girls. That's right - Girl's Night IN! There will be food. There will be drinks. There will be much merriment. And... there will be complaining and gossip.

That's exactly what happens when 8 law school girls get together for an evening together. The conversation inevitably turns to the internal politics and inner workings of the school and what happens behind its brick walls. Sure, every law school holds itself out to be an institution of higher learning, but any truthful and honest law student will admit that law school is really just a repeat of high school. The same drama from high school persists in law school, but in a more clever way (since it IS law school).

My law school has about 480 students in total. Smaller than the majority of high schools. In first year, students are put into small groups and have all of their classes in that group of 20, and are also in larger groups mixed with other small groups. So, everyone pretty much knows everyone else. We even get lockers, and the "first years" have to share, just like the grade 9s, or freshman, as they call it in the States.

Within the first couple of weeks of school, students tend to set themselves up with the reputation they will have for the next three years. I'm not really sure what mine is.... blonde, married and hyper probably. Married is important, because that means I'm off limits to guys, not looking for a boyfriend, but also safe for guys to talk to (because I won't automatically think that they want to makeout with me and I won't want to makeout with them).

Coming to law school "single" or "taken" also carries importance. Remember, most of these people have already completed 4 years of an undergraduate degree, after their high school diplomas. Some people have worked for several years and then go on to law school. In the minds of many, the three years of law school may be the last chance at finding a "life-partner". Apparently, it is a lot harder to find a boyfriend/girlfriend out there in the "career world". So it is not uncommon to see hook-ups between law students. I, myself, feel quite fortunate to have come to school with a fiance, because in my humble opinion, law school has pretty slim pickings. Nice people, smart people, fun people, but finding a man that I would want to spend the rest of my life with at this place would NOT have been an easy task. But I'm talking about for myself... many people have found love at school, and it is so sweet and nice to watch the relationships bloom. Then the couple becomes what is known as a "law school power couple". Whatever that means.

So, as you can see, the study of law involves prima facie (latin for: on its face) many things: Reading. Studying. Researching. Writing. But behind that facade, there is an entirely different dimension.

And in closing. The title of the post was really quite deceiving, wasn't it - because this post wasn't really about the potluck at all. Was it?

2006-10-23T15:05:00.000-04:00

Jury Duty?!

I would like to start off this post with a gentle reminder to mother nature that winter does NOT begin for another month. So if she could kindly turn off the snow machine, that would be great!

Last week I received a notice in the mail that I have been randomly selected for jury duty. As a result, I was required to fill in an information form and mail it back within five days of receiving the intial letter. I am still waiting to hear a reply from them on how this is all going to work out. I was quite perturbed about this notice in the mail. First off, as a student, there is absolutely no way that I have time to sit in a jury box for even a couple of days. Time is precious folks, especially when you are paying over $10,000 a year for your courses. Secondly, what if I am selected for a trial that lasts for months and months or even years. I am pretty familiar with the criminal justice system, especially considering that I worked for the provincial prosecutor's office this past summer. If I am selected for something that is going to take a long time, I could miss the second half of my school year, or even worse, I could be living in Toronto and serving jury duty in London (2 1/2 hours away). Clearly not an ideal situation.

My parents and friends have assured me that the lawyers involved in selecting would be absolutely foolish to pick me, since I am not only attending law school, but am also going to be working for the Crown. In fact, it could be argued that it is a conflict on interest. So I am praying, that I am not stuck in that jury box for more than a day. However, it was brought to my attention that having such expertise could provide me with a little more power than the average folk in the box. Think about it. Every jury needs a foreman (or woman ... rather "person" for you feminists). With my special skillz and knowledge, I would be the perfect candidate. I've always loved being in control and that could be mighty fun. So if I do get on a jury, they had better watch out, because I intend to nominate myself foreman and I will run that show!

Turning 25...

2006-10-20T17:30:00.000-04:00

Turning 25...

Today is exactly one month to my 25th birthday.

I remember when I was 16 and wanted to be 25 so badly. I thought that if I was 25 things would be just perfect, and while, life is pretty great, I would love to tell my younger self to hold onto being young for just a little longer. Being 25 and also being married brings many responsibilities and obligations that I wish I could have put off a little longer. Two of these things include:

1) cooking - My mom did most of the cooking in our house when we were growing up. As a stay at home mom, she was always around for dinner, or would at least leave us money for pizza or Swiss Chalet. As a result, however, I never really learned how to cook. Most people know that I do not enjoy cooking. James is a MUCH better cook than I will ever be, or than I will ever aspire to be. I just have no motivation to do it. Why cook a fabulous dinner for this party of one, when I could make toast and a cup of tea in about 30 seconds? Seems like a bit of a waste of time to me.

2) paying bills - Actually, paying for anything just plain sucks... it was so much easier when I could just beg mom and dad for a new pair of jeans or shoes. Now I have to go through James, who has definitely inherited his father's frugalness.

On the bright side, I did learn today that being on the fringe of becoming 25 does have its perks. I was told to call my car insurance company a month before turning 25 because it means that my rate will go down. I have been waiting for James to get home from the city and remembered that I still needed to call. This wonderful man informed me that next month, our monthly car insurance rate will be lowered $50! I was thrilled and called James right away. He sounded excited, but couldn't figure out exactly what I was screaming about.

So... maybe I was a little over excited... but if you think about it, that is $600 a year! I couldn't be happier!

2006-10-20T01:02:00.000-04:00

Time for an Intervention?

Okay, I'll admit it... I was thrilled to see THREE comments on that post I left the other day! It made my day... however, it is almost 1am... so maybe it made my morning?! But then it got me thinking, does this mean I should start blogging more frequently? I do enjoy blogging, but I often question my motives behind it all - am I doing it for me or for others? I think it is a mix of the two.

James comes home tomorrow. I will be relieved to have him home. The apartment only feels like a home when he is in it with me. Otherwise, it is just a place where I sleep (restlessly), eat (poorly), study (with too many distractions) and watch television (ie: the distractions).

I have realized this year, that I have a TV addict. I think I might need an intervention. This realization came to me just other day. I don't know if it was the fact that my new PVR (like TiVo) had run out of space to record more shows or the fact that I currently follow about 14 shows. Yes, 14. Each an hour long. Now... because PVR allows me to fast-forward through the commercials, that means the shows are between about 40-45 minutes each. But that is still quite a lot of television. I may be ill.

And then thing is, EVERY night, I tell myself that I am going to just watch the shows on the weekend or save them up on PVR and record them onto VHS for later viewing. This would make sense because then I could view the shows when I actually have time - ie: a time when I don't have 2 midterms to study for and THREE papers to write.

But my addictive personality won't let me go 24 hours without catching up with that cute little Japanese guy from Heroes, or gazing dreamily at Wentworth Miller on Prison Break. And now that What About Brian? is back on, I need to know if the wedding is truly off and whether Brian will end up with Marjorie. And while I've heard good things about Entourage, I have a feeling that this is one show that I could end up ditching... I could never, however, miss the antics of Lorelai and Rory, or the cattiness of the girls on ANTM. And I'm always on the edge of my seat with Lost - what is going to happen to Kate, Sawyer and Jack with the others, and will Mr. Echo ever wake up? And just who is that sneaky black guy on Jericho?

As for Survivor, well... I don't really watch that, I just talk over it with the girls from school who come over on Thursday nights to "watch Survivor" (read: talk about school and ANTM). Then when they leave, I throw on Ugly Betty and Grey's.

Friday and Saturday nights I take a break and spend some time with my loving husband, home from the "big city". We do things that normal people do, like go out and socialize with other people. But deep down inside, I'm waiting for Sunday night, when we catch Studio 60 at 7pm from the East coast. James will actually watch this show with me, he's not a junkie AT ALL. Then, we may watch Amazing Race together until 9 and then James goes to bed (because he has to wake up Monday mornings at 4:30am to drive back to the "big city") and I stay up and tune into the girls on Wisteria Lane.

And then my rotation starts all over again.

I think I need an intervention.... maybe I should go on Oprah (which, by the way, I also watch once in awhile). :)

Who are Y'all?

2006-10-16T20:51:00.000-04:00

Who Are Y'all?

I think it is funny that I haven't updated my blog in a few months now, and yet, my visitor meter continues to rise. Who are all you people dropping in/checking in on me? I'd love to hear from you. I have to admit, that sometimes it does get a bit disheartening not to receive any comments, though during that Bible study I got more traffic through here. But we were encouraged to comment on one another's posts, so that is different!

Who am I anyway to deserve comments? It's not like I even blog very often!

I know for sure that my Aunt Cath drops in to check in and Mel does too, even though she has NEVER commented.

I'd love to know who is out there, if you care to share.

2006-10-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story!

Call me sappy - but I thought this video was one of those most inspiring and beautiful things I have seen in a long time. Definitely made my day.

Articling Job!

2006-08-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

My Articling Job!

I have great news! I received an articling position from Crown Law Office - Criminal (CLOC). I am very thankful and cannot wait to start there next August! Thanks for the encouragement on the interviews. I needed it!

Articling Interviews Tomorrow!

2006-08-13T15:41:00.000-04:00

Articling Interviews Tomorrow!

Please pray for my articling interviews that I have tomorrow. I have 6 interviews tomorrow that start at 9:30am and end around 8:00pm. It is going to be a looong day! I will be thankful when they are completed and I can report back that I have successfully attained a job for 2007-2008!

And on another note - no weird side effects to report from the drugs. Which is great, because I'm pretty sure that bulging eyes and increased hair growth may be a turn off for some of the law firms!

Captivating: Chapter 7, 8 and 9

2006-08-13T14:56:00.000-04:00

Catch up on Captivating: Chapters 7, 8 and 9

Romanced
I think it is true that all women desire romance to a certain extent. Just last week, James picked me up from the train station after a long day at work, surprising me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a card. When we got home, he made me an excellent dinner. It was a wonderful way to spend our evening together and I am so thankful that my husband has not forgotten the need to continually romance me.

I found it hard reading the chapter and how it refers to Jesus as my lover. I know that he is a "lover of my soul" (as the song goes..), but I think the word "lover" brings up too many sexual connotations for me.

The chapter, was a great reminder of the necessity of being open and intimate with Jesus, but it also made me aware that perhaps Jesus is romancing my heart at this very moment. So when I feel myself filled with desire to learn more about him and grow in our relationship, those feelings come from Jesus stirring or even, romancing something within me. That is pretty special if you think about it.

I don't want to buy into those stereotypical lies that women in the church today must be "busy" to be spiritual. I know I don't fit into the traditional mold of a "church woman" and this chapter demonstrated further that I don't need to.

Beauty to Unveil
I really liked this chapter. It stirred up some more things that I think I had been trying to hide from myself and God.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the following verse quoted in the chapter:

"Your beauty shoudl not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. (1 Peter 3:3-4).

Oh great! So I have to turn off my love for designer jeans and new shoes and I also have to strive to be "gentle and quiet". I had pretty much given up hope on ever meeting this standard, just as the author, Stasi had.

The book, however, says that it is still okay to be loud and to voice an opinion. For years I had been praying that the Lord would change my personality and make me less loud, vocal, assertive, bold, etc. And trying to not have those traits in certain settings has been absolutely exhausting. It has weared on my mind and my heart. I am still trying to come to grips with the fact that God made me the person who I am, but that I can also change (not too much!) to become more of the person who he wants me to be. Who he sees in me. I am definitely more open to this than constantly striving to be a woman described as gentle and quiet.

Speaking of striving, how do I stop striving? How do I attain this "heart at rest" that the authors speak of so highly? I feel like I have a heart that is restless because of this constant striving to be at rest! It feels so circular. This is the main thing that this chapter exposed to me - I am not at rest. I do not feel restful and I do not feel peaceful. This isn't something that is a huge surprise to me. I have known this for some time - felt it for some time. And this is exactly the part of me that needs to be mended, fixed, cultivated - the idea of rest. The idea of not striving to always "be" something. This is the area where I most need answers for my relationship with God right now.

There was other stuff that came up in that chapter, in particular, that I don't think my "Question" is "Am I Lovely?" But rather, the "men's" question of "Do I have what it takes?" resonated with me a bit more... but I don't want to get into that, so I won't.

Arousing Adam

Oh arousal! How fun! This chapter was great fun and an easy read. Not to say that I have attained complete perfection in the art of loving my husband, but I do feel that our level of intimacy is where it should be (and I'm not just talking about sexual intimacy). Sure, there are definitely times when I need to be better at assuring him that he is a wonderful "manly" man and at times I would like to hear more often that I am a wonderful "lovely" woman. But I don't get the sense that either of us are not getting what we need from our marriage and relationship.

I know that James cannot provide me with the same validation that God can provide me with. James knows that I cannot provide him with that validation either. We are both aware that our core and primary validation comes from God alone, but I know that God often uses James as a tool for affirmation and making me feel giddy and good!

So those are my thoughts on the chapter.

One final thought though... what is with all the movie references?! I mean, geez!!

Learning to Breathe

2006-08-11T14:08:00.000-04:00

Learning to Breathe

So I haven't posted on this for quite awhile... I guess the busyness of life (read: work) just took hold.

This week I have been so sick. I came down with a headcold over the weekend at James' cottage.

***

Sidenote: Despite being sick the long weekend at the inlaws' cottage was super! We drove up Friday with funny-guy Nic and met Justin (Dubya) and Anna on the mainland. Little did we know, but there had been a crazy huge storm on the Wednesday and there was no power in the entire area. Fortunately for us, we were on the island cottage which is all set up with propane. That's right folks - propane lights, stove, oven and fridge. We even had a pump for water! The only amenity missing was a working toilet. We used the outhouse ALL weekend, which would have been fine except that the seats are cracked and every time I would sit down I worried that my butt cheeks would get pinched!

Dubya and Anna totally surprised me with their outdoors skillz. No complaints about the lack of power, water, or washroom facilities. They both tried wakeboarding and they were very helpful around the cottage. James and I would have them up any time.

As for Nic - he's just a funny guy and we love having that kid around.

On Saturday night - Garth and Irena drove up (Dubya and Anna had to leave early Sunday morning). We stayed up until the early morning hours listening to Garth. That man can TALK! I loved hearing about their recent trip to visit Irena's family in Germany and Croatia. Love them both to bits.

Enough with my tangent.

***

So I was sick with a head cold - that turned into a chest cold - that turned into Courtney not being able to breathe for about 48 hours straight. And let me tell you, no one realizes how great it is to have working lungs, until they quit on you. I was born with asthma, so chest colds are usually a little more serious for me... but when a girl just wants to go across the street to buy a Green Tea and a sandwich and feels like her lungs are going to implode it's, you know, not cool.

I went to the walk-in clinic and the doctor prescribed Prednisone.

Side effects include:

- thin, frail skin (read: no tanning)

- extreme changes in mood (read: now I have an excuse for being bi-polar)

- changes in the way fat spreads around the body (yes, this is actually a side effect)

- bulging eyes (aka: Boston Terrier Eyes)

- increased hair growth (so should I stock up on razors?)

- inappropriate happiness (good thing I am not scheduled to attend a funeral)

- increased sweating (that's just like... ewww)

So... while my breathing is back to almost normal, I may come out of this experience a completely different Courtney. I will keep you all updated on which side effects I obtain.

ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT!

2006-08-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Congrats to my dear friend Nick on his engagement to his wonderful girlfriend Beth!

Nick graciously asked James to be in his wedding party and we are excited to support and encourage them in any way possible! I wish you many months of happy planning in preparation for your joyous day in May!

Captivating: Chapter 6 - Healing the Wound

2006-07-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

Captivating: Chapter 6 - Healing the Wound

I posted yesterday in regards to a wound that I have kept buried deep within my heart and that needs to be healed. I finished the rest of chapter six and I rather enjoyed it. I think I've been through all of the steps suggested by the authors. I couldn't dwell too long on the "We Find Our Tears" section, as I was on the train and weeping in front of strangers didn't interest me. Fortunately (or should it say unfortunately?), I have shed many tears over this in the past. And even yesterday on the train home, it felt good to allow myself to feel those hurt feelings and to remind myself that "it mattered".

So what is the next step? Where do I go from here? Do I continue to present this wound to the Lord, to Jesus, my Saviour and Healer to fix it? The obvious answer would be yes.

What do I do about the relationship? Can it be healed? I want it to be healed. This is not a person who I can easily remove from my life or try to avoid. Instead, I come in contact with this person quite often and is someone who in many ways I admire. This is a person who belongs to the Lord and who I feel myself longing to learn from and grow and share with. But I will definitely have to be the one who takes the first step in that direction towards a friendship. But what does that first step look like?

2006-07-24T14:23:00.000-04:00

Hidden Wounds

Finally a chapter that spoke directly to me. While I haven't completed chapter six yet (about half way through), I've read some of the posts on the chapter from other members of the study. Initially when I started this chapter, I believed that I didn't have any unhealed wounds. Through the posts I read, however, God revealed to me a wound that has yet to be healed that I have been hiding from Him and myself for awhile.

I don't want to get too personal on this or too specific (because I am not entirely sure who reads this blog), but years ago I was deeply hurt by someone who was close to me. Words were said to me that could never be taken back and I felt my heart harden towards this person. Apologies were made to me and though I believed I had forgiven this person, it has been evident over the years that I have not.

We are nice to one another. I do care about this person and I hope this person cares for me as well, but there is this wall that remains between us. I still remember those words that were spoken and some of the other hurtful actions that followed. I wanted to forgive, but I continued to hold on to the hurt and pain that had been caused to me.

I don't know how to let it go. Or at least, may I didn't until now. Chapter six seems to go into how we can heal those wounds (I'll post more about the chapter and how I think it will affect this relationship and my feelings). I want to forgive. I want to forget. I want to soften my heart and tear down that wall so that I can develop a relationship with this person in the way that the Lord desires. Oh, how I wish for God to heal this wound. To bind it up so that it no longer aches and bleeds; and to remove any scars, so there is no trace of its occurrence.

I am so thankful for the uncovering of this wound and I pray that it will heal properly, now that it has been brought to the surface.

I Love My Job...

2006-07-18T14:28:00.000-04:00

I Love My Job and a Prayer Request

So I love my job. I don't think that everyone can say that, but I really do. Sure I have days where I come in and all I want to do is be at home or at the cottage, but ultimately, I really like this office.

The work that I get to participate in is fascinating. I am asked to do research for Crown counsel on appeals and then they argue the research that I have done before a panel of judges who may even RELY on the cases that I have found. This is pretty intense and awesome. I think that one of the reasons I love my job is because I know that what I do here matters. It not only affects the lawyers in this office; it may also affect the entire justice system and Canadian society. I feel useful, I have a purpose and meaning and I feel appreciated and affirmed. It is a great environment to work in and I'm so thankful for it.

Which is why I have a BIG prayer request to all of those prayer warriors out there. Last Friday I had to apply for articling positions. Obviously, with such a great summer experience, I want to come back to this Crown's Office. We receive phone calls on July 28 about which firms we will have interviews with and then we interview August 14-16. On the 16th, we sit by the phone and wait and wait and wait. And pray that the phone rings with a job offer that we actually want.

If I haven't been entirely clear, let me say this one more time. I love my job here at Crown Law Office - Criminal. I want to work here for my articling year. I would greatly appreciate receiving tons of prayer that I will in fact get a call from this office for articling. Pray for the interview, which is unlike most interviews. Instead, it is more like an oral exam on substantive criminal law issues - they are exhausting! Pray that if I don't get an offer from this office, that I am accepting of that, and understanding that it was not the Lord's will. Pray that I continue to make a difference here for the rest of the summer. Thanks!

Captivating: Chapter Five

2006-07-16T19:35:00.000-04:00

Captivating: Chapter Five - A Special Hatred

Even though I haven't posted on the blog Bible study, Captivating in a little while, I didn't drop out of the group. Chapter three was posted through e-mail, because it seemed a little too personal and I couldn't find any words to describe my thoughts on Chapter four. Some other bloggers wrote on Chapter four, and you can find their posts on the sidebar.

Many of us have been struggling with this book and the principles and concepts that it promotes. There seem to be a lot of blanket generalizations, yet at the same time, hidden among the generalizations, are some pearls of wisdom.

In Chapter Five, John and Stasi Eldredge identify Satan as the reason why many women are persecuted, feel alone or fear being abandoned. Lucifer, himself, was "gorgeous" and "breathtaking" and it was his ruin. He craved the worship that was being given to God for himself. They write that the enemy bears a "special hatred" for Eve (or women) because of her beauty, her captivating beauty. He also hates Eve because she gives life.

I have to admit - I had never thought of Satan as having a special hatred for Eve, for women or even for me due to the fact that I am a woman. But when I started thinking about all of the examples that the authors provided: unwanted baby girls in China, the rapes of women during civil wars that occur, such as those that happened to the women of Sudan, sexual assaults that occur right in our own neighbourhoods, wife abuse, etc. - this "special hatred" became more visible.

I know all too well that women are very often the target of some pretty horrible things since I work for the Crown Attorney's office which prosecutes the people (most often men) who do these things. That is not to say that men are not the subject of abuse as well, but as I thought more about it, there is a very clear picture of the persecution and degradation of women throughout history that continues to this day. My heart aches and cries out for women who have been through abuse, especially sexual abuse. I cannot imagine any other sort of torture that would compare to the violation of a women's personal integrity. It is disgusting and I believe that women and men need to bind together in opposition to such treatment. Many people, however, try to shy away from discussing this intimate topic - but it exists and is a very real and active issue.

I was so thankful that the chapter was finished off with this:

"You won't really understand your life as a woman until you understand this:

You are passionately loved by the God of the universe.
You are passionately hated by his Enemy.

And so, dear heart, it is time for your restoration. For there is One greater than your Enemy. One who has sought you out from the beginning of time. He has come to heal your broken hear and restore your feminine soul.Let us turn to him now."

Praise Jesus that he is more powerful than Satan. Praise Jesus that he can heal our hearts and restore our souls. Praise Jesus that HE seeks US out, and has done so since the beginning of time. Praise Jesus that I can cast all my fears, all my worries, all my sin on him. Amen.

Case of the Fridays

2006-07-14T14:37:00.000-04:00

Case of the Fridays

Today I have a case of the Fridays. Which means that the day feels like it is dragging on forever. I have lots of work to do and have been making decent progress on it, but not today. All I want to do is go home and relax!!

And I'm looking forward to hanging out with MT again (we saw one another for coffee on Wednesday night... but I just can't get enough of her. She's a ball of laughter!)! James is at the cottage working for his dad and MT's boyfriend, WS is working this evening - so it will be just the two of us. I'm going to go over with a bottle of wine and a movie and we're going to just chill! We might go over to the bar where WS is working for a drink - but I think we'll play it by ear.

I really don't like being unproductive, but I have seriously been thinking of any way to procrastinate such as going to Boomama's blog . She's one funny Southern gal and always tells good stories.

If anyone has either any good ways to stay focused on Fridays or good ways to "discretely" procrastinate I am all ears!

My ABCs

2006-07-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

Now I've Said My ABCs

I saw this on Mandy's blog and loved it. It was a fun idea so I thought I would give it a try! I tag EVERYONE to do the same!

*Accent: Canadian I guess! Do people from Ontario have a specific accent. People always tell me that I'm sooo Toronto, so maybe I have a Toronto accent. Who knows?!

* Bible Book That I Like: Uhm... probably Psalms, but I've been reading through Isaiah, and it is excellent!

* Chore I Don't Care For: Laundry. I used to love doing laundry for whatever reason, but since moving into an apartment where the laundry room is on the second floor, I find it such a pain. You will be surprised to learn, however, that James and I only did laundry ONCE in our apartment. Since he lived with his parents and then mine, I would send the laundry home with him and he did it!! What a sweetie!

* Dog or Cat: Cats, but I'm allergic. So I've resigned myself to fall in love with dogs. James promised to buy me a puppy 5 years from our wedding date and I am anxiously waiting! I want a scruffy little dog I think...something non-allergenic and he/she will be named "Gary" (but it will be spelled Gehry - after the architect).

* Essential Electronic: My laptop. If that thing ever died I would probably fail the rest of law school.

* Favorite Movie: Life as a House

* Gold or Silver: White gold. Love it, love it, love it!

* Handbag I Carry Most Often: The Coach bag my mom bought me in New York City on Canal Street!

* Insomnia: Nope.

* Job Title: Summer Law Student for Crown Law Office - Criminal of the Ministry of the Attorney General. What a mouthful!

* Kids: None - but I still feel like a kid half the time...

* Living Arrangements: Oh dear... this is a long story. Right now, I live with my husband in my parents house!! Not ideal, I know, but we didn't want to pay rent here and in my school town (London). In September, I will be living in London (for school) with a roommate, Una (Una’s fiance now lives in BC, where they will both end up when she is done this next 8 months of law school). James, who teaches closer to Toronto, will remain with my parents. After the 8 months is up, James and I will look for our own place and will FINALLY live in the same city in our own space, for the first time since being married. So crazy!

* Most Memorable Moment: July 9, 2005 - my wedding day. It was just perfect.

* Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Being grumpy after an afternoon nap - I was a bear when I woke up from naps and was often sent back to my room. I still do not enjoy napping because when I wake up, I feel miserable.

* Overnight Hospital Stays: None.

* Phobias: Spiders and moths.

* Quotes: Anything by Maya Angelou. Here are two:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

"While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation." - Maya Angelou

* Religion: Christian

* Siblings: Younger brother and younger sister. My extended family through marriage, however, now includes three sisters (two older, one younger) and two brothers-in-law (one older, one younger). I love a big family!

* Time I Wake Up: 6:00am... argh.

* Unusual Talent: When I walk into any retail clothing store, I can tell you immediately what the most expensive item is and then I want it. James would argue that it is a curse more than a talent.

* Vegetables I Refuse to Eat: Olives, Mushrooms (I'm working on this one because they smell so good!), Zucchini and Eggplant. Blech!

* Worst Habit: Checking my e-mail one hundred times a day.

* X-Rays: All on my mouth. I knocked out my front tooth in grade 6 and had two root canals and an implant (titanium screw implanted into my upper jaw). Good times...

* Yummy Stuff I Cook: HAHA! Okay, I can cook some stuff - chili, stirfry, canneloni... but James is the real cook.

* Zoo Animals I Like Most: No question about it, the polar bears.

2006-07-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was out for lunch with some co-workers from the Ministry of the Attorney General. All of us are aspiring young criminal lawyers and we were out celebrating a birthday at an Indian restaurant (this was good because I had been craving butter chicken and nan!).

Near the end of the meal, somehow the topic of religion came up, specifically Scientology and Tom Cruise. This led to discussions on all religions in general and of course, Christianity entered the mix. Somehow dinosaurs came up and a comment was made that Christians could not explain dinosaurs because they were not mentioned in the Bible. I piped in and said "sure they are!" I didn't have exact verses at my fingertips, but offered to look it up.

But other than speaking up that one time, I was pretty silent and later on in the day, I was so ashamed that I didn't say more to defend my faith and defend my God. That's not to say that my friends were attacking Christianity, because they were not, but I felt as though I should have offered my opinion, input, insights, ANYTHING!

Last night as I was settling down to go to bed, I decided to open my Bible, which regrettably, is something that does not happen very often for me. In fact, outside of caselaw, articles and legal texts, I find I don’t have time to read much else (or at least that's my excuse). I opened it to Romans 1 and began to read. I felt sick when I got to verse 16 "am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes . . ." was I ashamed at lunch today?

I prayed that God would provide me with more knowledge so that I would feel comfortable sharing in the future. I also prayed that He would make me bold and fearless in my Christian walk, the way that I am in other areas of my life. What is it about discussing my faith and my God that sends butterflies all through my stomach and gives me waves of nausea?
Do I fear being judged? The real judgment I should fear is that of the Lord. I just feel discouraged that I didn't do more… that I didn’t use the opportunity to discuss what I believe.

Fun times in D.C.

2006-07-07T11:14:00.000-04:00

Fun Times in D.C.!

We are back from Washington and I loved it! The 9 hour drive was perfect. On the way home, we got all the way from Washington to almost Buffalo on just over 3/4 of a tank of gas. I love our little Toyota Corolla... she made the ride very enjoyable! James and I had never driven through the U.S. before and we were both struck by how similar it is to Canada (or at least New York State and Pennsylvania). I thought the whole place would be built up like crazy, with lots of commercialism, but it wasn't that way at all. There were times where we would drive for a couple hours without seeing any restaurants right on the highway. In fact, the highway took us right through the Appalachian mountains, so the scenary was beautiful. I guess my previous view of the States as being totally built up and commercialized goes hand in hand with the view of many Americans that in Canada it is always cold and it is a vast wilderness! Too many stereotypes.

James and I were going to hit Washington really early, so we went to this weird restaurant in Hagerstown called "C&J's". James ordered a coke and it was the biggest glass of coke I have ever seen! It was slightly bigger than his head - we were just dying with laughter. And then, when he was half way done, the server asked if he would like another! He politely declined the offer.

We left Canada around 4:30am because we thought the traffic would be horrendous. Since it wasn't, we ended up getting to D.C. at about 2:30, so we went to Arlington Memorial, since our friend Corie (who we were staying with) was still at work. By the way, Corie is a close friend from law school and she was granted an internship at the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights (smarty-pants!). Below is a picture of her and I in the sculpture gallery... I missed the girl so much!!

After Arlington, we managed to find our way to Georgetown to meet Corie at her house. I loved the neighbourhood! It has a great "village" feel to it, and AMAZING shopping! I'll admit, I picked up a few pairs of shoes!

For the rest of the trip we just went to all the sites. Corie was a brilliant guide! She took us to all the memorials (Lincoln, Washington, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam War Veterans (EXCELLENT!), WWII Veterans, etc.). We also managed to fit in some museums - Natural History, Air and Space, and of course, the Holocaust Museum.

The Holocaust Museum nearly brought me to tears. Everywhere I looked, I was reading or viewing pictures of the atrocities the Jews faced at the hand of Hilter. One thing that struck me in particular was in a video of a male survivor who had been in one of the prison camps and he said, "I kept crying out to God. Why are you letting this happen? Aren't we supposed to be the Chosen people?" What they were facing reminded me of the sort of torture that Job faced and that the Jews faced during their time in slavery to the Egyptians. My heart silently wept for the Jews and their continued persecution and even now, I can feel that ball of emotion rising in my chest. And yet, in this video, the man said that when the war was over, he thanked the Lord for sparing his life... despite all of the persecution, despite losing most of his family and friends, despite the fact that his life had been entirely overturned - he THANKED the Lord. What an awesome testimony of faith.

As one can imagine, we also attended many art galleries. James was in an artist's heaven! The National Gallery (east and west building) and Hirshorn Gallery were excellent. Especially the Hirshorn Gallery with its great number of indoor sculptures. There were two outdoor sculpture gardens as well which had some of my and James' favourite sculptors. What a treat!

We also attended several great restaurants. One, was a Spanish restaurant where we ordered tapas and paella. Unfortunately, after a few bites of paella (a rice dish), James said that his tongue was feeling very weird. He went to the washroom and said that it was bleeding. I know from a friend of mine who is allergic to cantalope and melon that her tongue bleeds when she eats those foods and as a result, I was pretty sure James was having an allergic reaction to something. He said that he felt like he was having a bit of trouble breathing, but after drinking some water, he recovered. So now James has to go for an allergy test. The only thing that he had eaten that night that he had never really had before, was the saffron in the paella. So we think it was that - but it was a bit scary!

Below is a picture from our first night in Washington. Corie and her friends took us to a latin salsa club to go out dancing. (Left to right: Owen, Corie, Amy, moi, and James).

Washington

2006-06-26T13:48:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C.

This weekend James and I will be attending the American capital, Washington, D.C. We are very excited! Friday we drive down and it should take us about 9-10 hours if all goes well and we don't get lost! We leave on July 4, so hopefully the traffic won't be too bad!

My question for all those who read my blog is: if you have been to Washington, what MUST we see? What was the best thing you saw and why? Neither James nor I are American, so some of the memorials may not speak to us as strongly as those of you who are.

James is most excited about see the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial by Maya Lin. It should be fascinating. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is possibly the most poignant sight in Washington: two long, black-granite walls in the shape of a V, each inscribed with the names of the men and women who gave their lives, or remain missing, in the longest war in American history. Yale senior Maya Lin's design was chosen in a national competition open to all citizens over 18 years of age. The two walls are angled at 125 degrees to point to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The wall's mirror-like surface reflects surrounding trees, lawns, and monuments. The names are inscribed in chronological order, documenting an epoch in American history as a series of individual sacrifices from the date of the first casualty in 1959. The National Park Service continues to add names over the years, of those Vietnam veterans who die eventually of injuries sustained during the war.

Warrior

2006-06-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

I was asked to post a picture of a steel warrior that James made for his former high school. James welded this together over the course of about 6-8 hours (in the middle of the night). It is a life-sized sculpture. I'd love to hear your comments about it (and I'm sure he would too!)

Captivating: Chapter Two

2006-06-25T15:10:00.001-04:00

Captivating: Chapter Two
What Eve Alone Can Tell

Again, I'm finding it hard to put in words what I felt about this chapter. I guess I should just say that I have my reservations about some of what was said, but really enjoyed others. I'll start with my critique and end with my praise.

Firstly, I disagreed with the authors that God needs us. I agree that the Lord longs us to desire Him (and I'll get to that later), but the idea of the Lord being needy is a bit of a stretch. I've been more of the belief that the God can accomplish all His plans and goals with or without me. He doesn't need me, rather I need Him. And for the same reason, I've had a hard time with another key concept throughout the book that came out of the first chapter, in that woman are to play an irreplaceable role in an adventure. Perhaps in my husband's life, or my family and friends' lives, I play some sort of irreplaceable role... but am I irreplaceable to God?

This sounds a bit like I have feelings of low self-worth... however, I've always believed and I think taught as well, that God can choose to use me in a big plan in a big way. If I rely on Him, then He may use me, but if I do not follow His way or do as He desires - He can and will accomplish His goals without me. God may desire me to be the one to carry out His will, but if I don't, He will find another way. So I am a little confused about this irreplaceable role thing...

Secondly, I'm not sure what the authors are trying to say through their comments on how Eve is always depicted at rest. Does this mean that women are supposed to be passive and idle? They link this restfulness to the idea that Eve speaks something different than Adam to the world: through her beauty. I realize that beauty does carry some power with it, as the Eldridges discuss... but I find it hard to believe that it is as powerful as they would have the reader believe.

They state that beauty speaks - and it says "all is well". Really? Can't there be beauty and chaos in the same moment or at the same time? When I look at a thunder storm I find it beautiful, but it doesn't say to me that all is well. It says, watch out! here comes a storm!

And I fully agree that beauty also, invites, nourishes, comforts, inspires and is transcendant, but to me, I just still don't get what the real point or "golden nugget" is that the authors want me to pull out of this. That I should just pursue beauty (inside and out) and live a restful life and "all will be well". Maybe I missed something in this part of the chapter, but I just did not understand the real point they were trying to make.

Time for some praise. There were two great things that I gathered out of this chapter - pursuing God more fervently and that the chatter of woman is not a negative thing, but points to relationships.

I have no doubt in my mind that God wants to be sought after. He wants the desires of my heart to reflect the desire of His own. He doesn't need it to be this way, but He does want it. He is a jealous God, who wants me to be "fiercely devoted" to Him, and I long to be more devoted to Him and to pursue His desires more diligently and fervently.

I also liked the discussion of women and how women care so much about relationships. At first when I read this section on p. 27 where John Eldridge speaks of how his wife Stasi always knows who is dating who and whose feelings have been hurt, I thought - what a poor image of women. We sound like big gossips. And... many of us are. Yet, some good can come out of the fact that we share so much so openly with one another and that is, that meaningful relationships are formed between women, and between women and men.

These relationships are powerful and also empowering. I care so much about maintaining these relationships. If I cared as much about my relationship with God, I would likely be more on my way to making His desires my own. Building and growing relationships is a trait of women that is special and should be encouraged and fostered. I am so thankful for this part of my character and I pray that it will continue to be used for good.

I'm still not convinced that I love this study - but I do love what I am learning from the other women in it. I'm looking forward to hearing all the comments... and remember that I love your honesty when you post comments and will not take offense to any arguments and disagreements you may have.

2006-06-23T10:37:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, we were asked by Angus Glen (the golf club where we were married) if they could use our wedding pictures in their upcoming marketing campaign and we said YES! Soo... here is one of the ads. It is still in draft mode, so the images are not at a very high resolution. That's us in the middle and the black and white one in the bottom left is also ours! So fun!

Christ's Advocate

2006-06-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

Christ's Advocate

I spent the day today in the Ontario Court of Appeal. I have been researching and helping the lawyers prepare for this day for two weeks and it finally came. Today was a special day in court, because it was the day where accused people who were convicted could appeal their sentence or convictions. The spin on the appeals was that the accused (appellants) were unrepresented by defence counsel... meaning that they had to do the appeals themselves or rely on duty counsel.

(Duty counsel = a lawyer who is not retained/hired by the accused/appellant, but will still speak on their behalf; usually with very little preparation or knowledge into the case).

I was amazed to hear some of the arguments put forward. "My sentence is too harsh" from one man who had been previously convicted 12 times, of driving with a disqualified license. What a menace to other drivers on the road! At the same time, there was a part of me who couldn't help feeling badly for some of these men (I can say men because today all of the appellants were men... not a single woman, except for the prosecutors!). I have to wonder about their upbringing. I doubt many were given the same opportunities that I was given.

And I found myself judging them and I was so ashamed of myself. In my role as a student at the prosecutors' office, it is my job to assist the lawyers in seeking justice. As a Crown attorney, we do not seek convictions, but rather ensure that all accused are given access to a fair trial and the justice system. It is clearly not in the interests of the public to secure a conviction where the accused is innocent, and so, where there is not enough evidence, an accused should be acquitted.

Unfortunately for most of the men in court today, they were all guilty and then sentences they were serving, were appropriate and fit, given their circumstances. But again, I was disappointed in myself for judging them for the wrongs they had committed. It is not my place to point fingers at them. Our justice system is punishing them, and ultimately, they may meet an even harsher punishment. So in the afternoon, instead of judging the inmates that were brought in to argue their cases, I prayed for them - one by one. I prayed for reformation, rehabilitation and renewal.

More and more I believe that the Lord has not only given me the gift of advocacy and being opinionative and assertive for my future career, but maybe he has given me this gift to fight for injustice in other places. Currently, my church is having a series on living for Christ 24/7. Members of the church have been asked by the speaker, Bryan Karney, to talk about what that means to them in their daily life and even in their careers. My dad was asked to speak at the first service on this topic. My father is a criminal defence lawyer and many find it difficult to understand how he manages to defend people who have committed some pretty horrible crimes.

To this, my father compared his role as a defence lawyer to Jesus' role as an advocate for the weak and poor, to the unwanted and unloved and to those who were social outcasts. Jesus did not judge these people... he prayed with and for them. In my job, I know I will encounter some pretty awful people who have done some pretty awful things, but I pray that I will be able to approach them as Jesus did, with compassion and a prayerful heart. And, what's more, someday, maybe the Lord will see fit to use my as His own advocate - proclaiming and arguing the truth of His Word and His Message.

Captivating: Chapter One

2006-06-18T20:11:00.000-04:00

Captivating: Chapter One

As probably one of the last to post, I've enjoyed reading the comments of the other women in the Bible study. We are all at such different places and being only 24 I feel like I have so much to learn still about myself, about who God wants me to be...

I have to admit - this post has taken me a long time to write. I have written out my thoughts and then erased them several times now... and I'm not really sure why that is. Was I not thinking about the chapter enough when I read it? Should I have taken better notes. It just seems that every time I write something about the book, it just isn't what I really want to say.

So... I'm just going to simply write - instead of thinking first. This could go horribly wrong and I apologize in advance if I step on toes or am not as articulate as I should be.

I really related to the posts of BooMama and Becky. I've felt for a long time like I don't fit the mold of the "proper" church woman. I would not describe myself as gracious, quiet, gentle or polite (though I do have those qualities, they are definitely not at the forefront of my character). I don't cook, I do not "manage a well-run household" and I don't plan on being a stay at home mom. Instead, I have been told for most of my life that I am too opinionative, too loud, too giggly, too argumentative, or too assertive. When I tell people that I want to be a criminal lawyer, they look at me like I am crazy because dealing with issues like murder, assault, fraud and rape are not something that good church women deal with.

Over the years, I am realizing more and more, that God did not create me to be quiet and passive. He made me bold and fearless. This has not always made me the most popular person in different circles, as I am quick to voice disagreement... but I am also quick to praise and encourage. So I really related to the part in the book where the authors wrote that there "is something fierce in the heart of a woman". I feel that!

And yet, even though I have come to accept that God made me this beautifully fierce and bold woman, there is this shame that hangs over my head when I tell people that I want a career and that when I have children, I'm not going to stay at home. Now, it is important to note, that kids for James and I are not "planned" to happen for a little while yet... we aren't in a rush to have kids... and since we are both in our mid-20s... we have lots of time. And also, it is more likely that James will stay home after my year of maternity leave with our children since he does want to get his Masters, and even as a teacher, will have a more flexible schedule than I will.

My mom was a stay at home mom. I loved having my mom at home - it was awesome to come home to a house with my mother there to make lunch, give a quick hug, or hear all about the stories of the day at school. I am so thankful, that my mom was always home for dinner and if I became ill at school, I knew she was only a phone call away and that she would come and pick me up. My mother, a lawyer herself, gave up her own legal career for her children. What is greater than that?

And so, I am overcome with shame when I say to people, "no, I plan to continue working once I have children." Why is that? Is it the role of the woman to work or stay at home? The Proverbs 31 woman worked, so why am I so ashamed that I want to do the same? Is it shameful to not sacrifice my career for my children? Is it possible that the Lord actually would want me to work and James to stay at home? I think that the role of a stay at home parent, is more difficult and more sacrificial than any other job/career/vocation... and probably more rewarding as well. But then what am I doing right now with these 7 years of education (and possibly more), if I am just going to throw it away?

I guess this first chapter just stirred some questions in me that I thought I had answered; that I thought God had answered. Now I feel more uncertain than ever...

Still a Christian?

2006-06-15T10:24:00.000-04:00

Still a Christian?

My dad recently gave me the newest Rebecca St. James album. I have been listening to her since I was in high school and have always enjoyed her music. James, surprisingly, doesn't mind listening to her as well. So, this morning, on the way to the subway station, I suggested we put it on. While I've only heard the first few songs, I would definitely recommend it!

As we were listening, James asked, "So is she (Rebecca St. James) still a Christian?" Now I don't know Rebecca St. James personally, but her faith can be heard loud and clear through the lyrics of her songs. I said yes, but his question stopped me for a moment. I realized that I find myself asking that same question about people all the time. I'm sure that some people have even asked that question about me.

My heart ached as I silently went through a list of people who I had once known as such strong and faithful Christians, who now either ignore their inheritance of the heavenly kingdom or denounce it entirely. I wanted to cry out: "Why Lord? Why do You let us stray? When will Your children come home?"

As I indicated in an earlier entry, I have recently come through a time of disbelief. I know that God used this time to teach me so much about myself and teach me to be obedient to Him and Him only. During my "disbelief", I always felt God was still near. He consoled me in my brokenness and my loneliness without James and He smiled and celebrated with me in my successes. I also knew that when I denied Him, He felt betrayed and I was filled with guilt and shame, but pushed those feelings aside. But now, as I really think to those time when I was walking alone, the Lord was always there softly nudging me, whispering in my ear, and gently pulling on my arm to walk in His steps again.

I wonder now, if He is doing the same with some of my friends who have drifted away. I pray that He is.

sooo scurred.

2006-06-14T23:25:00.000-04:00

So Scurred..

Today I was in court all day for work observing provincial prosecutions. Provincial prosecutions generally include highway traffic offences (ie: speeding, careless driving, driving without insurance, not stopping at a red light, etc.).

Apparently, after observing this court two times, I am now ready to do my own prosecutions in a week. That's right - I will be entering people into guilty pleas, making submissions, handing out fines and likely even doing small trials.

This leads me to the title of today's entry. I am a little uneasy about this as I do not feel prepared at all! I know that at the end of the day, I can handle myself and it will be a great learning experience; however, that doesn't mean that my knees will not go weak! I hope that God will have an open ear on the 22nd, because I am going to be praying all day long!

Cranky Courtney

2006-06-13T13:07:00.000-04:00

Let the re-blogging begin.

It is amazing how God works. You always hear people say that His timing is perfect and I couldn't agree more. This morning, on the subway ride into work I was praying. Praying on the subway is great because it is generally quiet and people don't look at you strangely if your eyes are closed with your head bowed. This morning, my prayers consisted of asking that James arrive safely at work; confessing my impatience and crankiness this morning towards James as he drove me to the subway and promising God that I will apologize to James and not let my pride get in the way; asking that the Lord provide me with opportunities to talk about Him with my co-workers; and a long prayer about finding a group of Christian women to discuss the Bible with and other issues of faith.

My faith has been a struggle this year for me. I was in denial about this struggle for a long time. When I finally got out of denial, I was completely empty and broken. I knew that something wasn't right when every area of my life was going just fine, but I was so dissatisfied with what I saw.

This morning when I arrived at work, I checked Cathy's blog to see if she had updated it. She had, but I noticed something new... a link to something called "Captivating". Well - I was captivated alright! After clicking on the link, I was connected to Heather's blog, which spoke of doing an online bible study. Silently, I cried out, "thank you Lord."

I've joined the group and I pray that it will be a source of encouragement, growth and renewal for all who are involved.

On another note, it is hard to believe that I have been married for close to a year. July 9 is quickly approaching! I am so blessed to have such a loving, selfless, and patient husband!!

Sidenote: if anyone talks to James today... please direct him to my blog... once seeing my remarkable compliments he will overlook "cranky Courtney" who he had to spend 20 minutes in the car with this morning. Cheers!

My new Job!

2005-11-10T09:06:00.000-05:00

I suppose I should let those who read my blog know what happened with the interviews....

I got a job!! It was an intense process... basically the interviewers examined me on the law (constitutional and criminal law).

In the end two offices called me at 5:00pm to offer me positions. I had 24 hours to inform them of my decision... it was between the North York Crown's Office (mainly trial advocacy) and Crown Law Office - Criminal (which mainly does appeals - higher level of court).

So I chose Crown Law Office - Criminal! It should be a challenging but interesting summer and I can't wait! Also, they hireback their summer students for articling and usually after articling as a career too! So James and I are set!! :) I love that one phone call basically determined my career and the rest of our lives - though I could always change offices down the road...

2005-11-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

I found this on another blog...

Go to google, and type in your name, and the word NEEDS in quotes . ("courtney needs") and grab some phrases from the findings.....

1. Courtney needs to gain a perspective outside
2. Courtney needs to get back on drugs quickly (oh dear!)
3. Courtney needs a mistress to show off
4. Courtney needs me to change my life
5. Courtney needs to learn to be less touchy
6. Courtney needs more coke (I hope this in reference to the drink and not to number 2)
7. Courtney needs to be in an all adult home because she can be snappy around children....Courtney has been spayed but will need her rabies vaccination.
8. Courtney needs someone with strong parenting skills

Isn't that hilarious? Post your "needs"!

Oh Call Day....

2005-10-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

Law School Lesson #2:

There is a well-known phenomenon entitled "Call Day" that law students dread across Canada and it was today for anyone applying to jobs for Toronto law firms.

Students apply to law firms for summer positions and are then told that the firms will be calling after 8:00am on October 28 IF (and only if) an interview is being offered. And so, Toronto hopeful law students wake up early on this day and begin the wait. They pace, they check for a dial tone, they remind housemates not to use the phone... and hopefully the calls will begin shortly after 8:00am.

My first call came in at 8:01am. Nervously, I answered the phone...It was from a principal in Ancaster asking if James had a job for this morning. I hurried him off of the phone as quickly as I could.

So the wait continued.... almost as soon as I hung up the phone with the principal, the phone rang again. North York Crown's Office! This call was not much of a surprise, because this office had sent me a letter explaining that they "intended" to offer me an interview. This letter was a relief when I received it last week because at least I knew that someone wanted me. The interview was schedule for November 7 at 9:00am, my first interview during interview week. (Sidenote: Interviews are held from November 7 to November 9).

But when I got off the phone with North York, a horrible feeling came over me. What if North York was the ONLY office that wanted to interview. My chances would be pretty slim at getting a job... sure I've worked at a highly respected defence firm and the Scarborough Crown Attorney's Office, but in the eyes of a government office position, that means nothing.

I continued my wait....

At 8:04am, Jean called me from the downtown Crown's office. Thank goodness, they want an interview! I schedule them in for 3:00pm on November 7 because that was the time they offered me and I was available. Who was I to suggest that an earlier time might be better for me?

I get off the phone and there is a message waiting on my voice mail. I quickly check my voice mail, thinking "please don't let anyone else call while I'm checking"! It is Lenora, from the Scarborough and Etobicoke Crown's Offices... they are interviewing together. She wants me to call her back. I hang up and dial immediately.

Voice mail. I leave a message.

Then I sit and wait. Aside from Scarborough and Etobicoke, I'm still waiting for two more phone calls.

8:08am - still waiting.

8:10am - phone Lenora again. Still voice mail. No message left.

8:13am - still waiting. Another phone call to Lenora.. more voice mail.

8:18am - more waiting. At this point I have called Lenora about 10 times and got voice mail each time. Now I'm starting to think that Scarborough and Etobicoke have changed their mind. They DON'T want an interview anymore. And as for the other two places I've applied... I just don't have a chance.

8:20am - I call Lenora AGAIN and AGAIN I receive her voice mail.

When I hang up the phone, there is a voice mail message FOR ME! Oh no! I'm way to eager! I quickly check my voice mail. It is Amanda! From the Crown Law Office - Criminal. They do appellate work for the Ministry of the Attorney General. I'm ecstatic.

First I dial Lenora, one last time. (Ya right, we all know that I would keep dialing that number until I got through to SOMEONE!). Fortunately she picks up the phone. The interview is scheduled for November 7 at noon. I now have three interviews on November 7: 9, 12 and 3. There is no way I can schedule another one.

I call Amanda, she picks up right away. She wants to offer me an interview (no kidding!)! I tell her that November 7th is booked, but I can do November 8th. The interview is scheduled for 9am (I'm a morning person!).

At this point it is 8:25am - the world of Call Day is very fast paced.

I'm still waiting to hear from the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General. As some of you may know, Constitutional Law became my love last year. Sure, it may have been because of the little crush I had on the professor (not that I thought he was cute - but his lecturing voice was pretty easy to listen to). My love for this area of law was a surprise to me and everyone who knew me, because I've always had a plan to go into Criminal law. When I applied last year to this office, they did not offer me an interview, even with my stellar grade in the course. I figured at this point, when it was 8:25am, they had passed over me again.

I begin to regain my composure after the exciting morning... my heart rate must have been at least 80%, which is a work-out level! No need to go to the gym today!!

But what is this? It is 8:28am and the phone is ringing.
-Hello?
-Hi, can I speak to Courtney West please?
- This is she.
- Hi Courtney, it's Mary from the CONSTITUTIONAL LAW BRANCH.
- Oh hi. (I'm trying to sound like I completely expected the phone call...)
- Courtney, we'd like to offer you an interview with our office.
- Okay.
- The only date we have available is November 9, are you available?
- (Am I available!! YES! YES!!) Let me just check and see. Yes I have some availability. What time were you thinking? (so smooth...)
- We have noon available on the 9th...
- Sure that looks fine to me.

And so, I had six applications out, and I have six interviews. What a morning and all of that before 8:30am!

2005-10-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

I thought I would post some pics from our honeymoon in Italy... This is a picture of us at one of the many night time cafes we ate at while we were there. The food was so good! Always incredibly fresh and I even found myself liking tomatoes and other foods I normally detest. This was our very last night in Rome before flying back to Toronto.

This is James in Florence. You can see Ponte Vecchio in the background, a famous medieval bridge. What a beautiful view! We're just outside of the Uffizzi Gallery. The line up to get into the gallery was going to take us about 3 hours. However, my bright husband had to the idea to check and see if we could reserve tickets for later in the week. We ended up returning the following day and bypassed the entire line!

I'm standing in front of the Arch of Constantine and to its right you can just see the Coloseum! All the streets in Rome were cobblestone, which was a pain for stilettos! Needless to say, I didn't wear stilettos... I wore flip flops!

The Coloseum was probably my favourite place to visit in Rome. It was so incredible to think that thousands of years ago there were gladiators that would fight each other and animals for the viewing pleasure of others. We learned that they even used to flood the Coloseum and re-enact naval battles!

Walking

2005-10-19T14:39:00.000-04:00

We have really come so far since that day, though it still feels like yesterday.

I thought since I was a newlywed, I should have a least one picture of the wedding day on my blog, and this one is by far my favourite. I think that it really demonstrates what our wedding was, the beginning of a walk down a long road.

I've always been a fan of walking. I think my mom has instilled that in me, as she is a walker herself. Whether with the dog, for exercise or "just because", my mom really enjoys walking. And I've enjoyed going on walks with her, either at the cottage or around our neighbourhood. It is a good opportunity to catch up.

James and I enjoy our walks too. For us it is a good time to slow our lives down a bit. There is always so much to do and walking has allowed us to spend time with one another away from the noise of the television, the distractions of school or the long list of "things to do" around our apartment. In London there are many great places to go for walks, as the Thames River flows through almost the entire city and the downtown is filled with lots of great shops and cafes. And so, I'm fairly certain that James and I will continue to have many long walks over the next two years that we spend here.

And though I enjoy walking with others, I do value my time walking alone as well. Our apartment is about a 40-45 minute walk from the law building and on occasion, when I need some time of contemplation, or rather "a breath of fresh air", I walk. Most people who live in the area think I'm nuts, but I'm fine with that! Last year I normally walked to school. The walk was much shorter, probably about half the time. I especially enjoyed my walks to exams or home from them. For me, those were times to put aside thoughts of all of the legal terms, principles, ratios and judgments I needed to know. Often I used that time as a way to build on my relationship with the Lord. Exams are such a crazy time, there is little time to eat or sleep, let alone pray. Usually I'd just be praying to keep my sanity! Those short walks during exam times and conversations with God allowed me to keep my sanity. I miss those walks.

I have a midterm this afternoon.... I think I'll walk to school.

Going To Halifax!

2005-10-13T09:33:00.000-04:00

I have exciting news!!

I'm going to HALIFAX in February!

The greatest part is that I don't have to pay a single cent and I'm going with Marcia! Let me explain... in mid-September I was in a "mooting competition".

LAW SCHOOL LESSON:
Definition of "Mooting Competition" - Mooting is the exercise of arguing questions of law. In my case, we argued a hypothetical case, involving forest fires, before a fake court consisting of 5 judges (other students, lawyers, professors).

I was on the respondent side with Marcia. There were also the appellants who were basically appealing the decision of the lower court judges. As the respondent, I was required to argue against the appellants. So in essence, a mooting competition, is a fake appeal, before a fake panel of judges.

The long and the short of it is that Marcia and I did pretty good in the preliminary round. We ranked high enough to gain access to an external moot. External moots are moots in which you compete against other schools, rather than an internal moot, where you compete against your fellow students.

So in the end we both chose to do the Laskin Moot, which is being held in Halifax from February 17-19! Everything is paid for by the school and our sponsors! I love free trips!! I think James is a little jealous because unfortunately, they do not include spouses... but it is only over one weekend, so I think he'll be okay!

First Married Blog!

2005-10-05T10:10:00.000-04:00

My first blog as a married woman! The wedding was great! I will definitely post some pictures at a later date. You will most likely notice some changes to my blog in the next few weeks! Since I'm not planning a wedding anymore, I'll try to make the "look" of the blog a little bit more relevant to my newly married status!

Married life has been so great! James is so awesome and our apartment is working out wonderfully. Except that, unbeknownst to me, I'm actually a big slob. I always thought I was just a slob in my bedroom, but apparently, I'm just messy everywhere! I'm working on it and James is a very patient husband!

James has been doing much supply teaching which has been awesome. It seems that the schools in Hamilton cannot get enough of him, which isn't surprising to me! James has been getting a lot of teaching jobs and so it seems that our uncertainty in the area of finances is put to rest for at least the time being. This is a huge answer to prayer. For James' sake, we are now praying for a supply job that is more of a long-term contract (e.g. teacher on sick leave, or pregnancy, etc.). This would allow him to work with the same students every day and really develop his teaching skills and abilities.

In any event, we are doing really well here in London. School is pretty busy for me already, not only with my courses, but also with applying to jobs, competing in mooting competitions and participating in other extra-curriculars. I am definitely looking forward to some relaxing in Pickering this weekend for Thanksgiving!

So I promise to be more regular with updates... (easier said than done) and I hope that you all will be regular visiters and leave comments!

Meeting with Paul and Prayer Requests

2005-06-23T15:38:00.000-04:00

Last night was our second last pre-marital counselling session with Paul Johansen. Many people have asked James and I if we dread going, but we don't. Our experience is that it is something to look forward to. It has opened the dialogue between James and I on a level that is a bit deeper than we went before. It revealed to us some of our weaknesses, but also, many of our strengths that we didn't know existed. In the end, I think that these sessions made us love one another even more while also showing us that the issues we face with one another aren't so unique, but are actually pretty normal.

So I'm feeling refreshed and confident as I move into my marriage with James. It's funny how many people expect me to be completely stressed or panicked, but that's not my reality at all. I feel calm and maybe a little impatient too, because the day is still too far away!

I do have some prayer requests... firstly, is for Dave Moon, James' brother-in-law. He has developped carpal tunnel syndrome in his wrists and may find it difficult to play the piano on the day of the wedding. Since we are connected with many pianists, this doesn't pose too much of a problem in terms of the wedding, however, it is pretty uncomfortable for Dave.

Secondly, as many of you know, James is currently looking for a teaching position anywhere in Southern Ontario (since London isn't really hiring). Please pray that doors are opened and that we don't get discouraged as we play the waiting game.

Hope all is well for those reading!

It is so early

2005-06-22T07:37:00.000-04:00

Today I arrived at work at 7:30am. Normally, I arrive at 9:00am, but my dad had a breakfast meeting, so I said that I would start early. The good news is that I will be able to leave the office at 3:30pm, instead of 5:00pm. The bad news is that I'm exhausted and just want to curl up and go to sleep under my desk!

As promised, I'm going to attempt to be a more consistent blogger and really provide a glimpse into what it is like to be a bride two weeks before her wedding. After serving up and cooking side dishes for the roast chicken my mom had left for us yesterday, I spent the evening being pampered. First I went for a pedicure... which I should have had a LONG time ago. Not that my feet get really gross with callouses or bunions or anything like that, they really just needed a boost in the looks department.

After spending over an hour at the nail salon, I went to the tanning salon. I KNOW, I KNOW... tanning is so bad for your skin... but when the groom is outside in this crazy heat and sun every day doing landscaping, and I'm stuck inside at a computer, I don't want to look like a ghost next to James in the wedding pictures. So I've been going about once a week to attain a healthy glow. Except that last night, the owner of the salon told me that I could go in for 15 minutes. I was skeptical, since I haven't been tanning in about 10 days, so my base colour isn't as dark... but he insisted. And sure enough, I got a on my face! The rest of me is fine though.. but I'm still frusterated. Next time, I'm just going to tell that guy how long I want to go in and I'm not going to let him convince me otherwise.

When I got home, James was working on the slideshow and cover page for the program! It's nice that James is such an involved groom. He has given his input all the way through, and as a result, I think our wedding will reflect OUR taste and not solely my taste.

Trying to be better at posting

2005-06-21T08:47:00.000-04:00

Over the next two weeks or so, I'd like to blog on a more regular basis, so as to sort of document my feelings and the busyness as we get closer to the date. That way I will be able to look back and laugh at myself or even say that I handled things well! As James and I get closer to the date, we appreciate all of your kind and encouraging words! Many of you are really looking forward to July 9th, and I can tell you... James and I are SOOOO excited that the anticipation is almost overwhelming!

I'd like to say that most things are completed, and in the grand scheme of things, I guess they are! But... there still remains many projects... ie: slideshow, programs, music for the set breaks of the band, name tags for the favours.... I'm sure there are other things I am forgetting...

James and I stayed up late last night talking about the wedding. We got so giggly! - what a manly word to describe him, I'm sure James would love to hear himself described as giggly! But that's really the best way to describe our feelings. Everything feels so surreal. Neither of us can believe that we have only 17 days left! It feels like yesterday that we had over a year to go... and now the big day is so close.

Anyway... this blog is only supposed to be a preliminary blog explaining where I'm trying to go over the next couple weeks with this whole site. I'd LOVE your feedback and words of encouragement, especially during this super crazy time! So post a comment!!

Also... if there is ANY music you would like played at the wedding either by the band or for the music between their sets (during their breaks we'll play hip hop, dance and other Top 40 stuff)... post it in the comments here and I'll see what I can do. But there will be no requests for action songs (ie: Macarena, Chicken Dance or Bunny Hop) and also no Celine Dion. Everything else is pretty much a go. So send your requests or suggestions!!

One month...

2005-06-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

WHOA! Tomorrow is exactly one month to the day until the wedding! Everyone keeps asking me if I'm excited... OF COURSE I'm excited! This is going to be one of the biggest days of my life and it is going to have serious effects on my future! I'm not only excited... I'm impatient and eager and thrilled that it is so soon!

Everything is coming together. Last weekend we met with the florist and finalized all of the details for the flowers... although I may change some things!! :) What can I say? I'm a bit of a perfectionist!

My dad is recording the song he wrote for the wedding tonight so that he can provide copies to the band that he is organizing! Liz is practicing the songs she will be singing at the ceremony and reception and Dave, James' brother-in-law who is a superstar on the piano is picking up the songs with ease I'm sure! I can't wait to hear it! Last night we met with Mike Baggley, the MC for the reception and provided him with some details that he will need for the night. I told him not to worry, since I will have prepared an itinerary of the day!! (again... perfectionist!) The Wedding Banns will be read in church for the next three Sundays. The ceremony details will be completed tomorrow and the ring bearer, Ryan, has been fitted for his tuxedo! So cute!

So it's clear that there is so much going on! But it is SOOO much fun! This weekend is the last of the individual parties for me. Saturday is my bachelorette party, which I am completely stoked about and anxiously awaiting! We are going out for dinner and then the girls are going dancing in Toronto! So fun! Sunday is the last of the showers, thrown by James' sisters. It is a family shower from James' side of the family, and it will be really nice to see everyone again! But I have to admit, I am looking forward to a weekend at the cottage! I think we are going up on the 17th with Mel and Will and my parents. I can't wait to just relax!

So that's it... so many details... only one month left. Lots left to do too! But I'm not stressed or frantic... just trying to enjoy all these moments leading up to the BEST moment yet!

Shower Time!

2005-05-31T08:13:00.000-04:00

Some Shower Pics!!

Pat, my mom (Lynn) and me as the toilet paper brides!

Eating yummy chocolate covered strawberries!!

This weekend was sooo much fun! I had such a blast! Mel (with the help of my bridesmaids) threw a fabulous bridal shower for me on Sunday! I have only heard good feedback since!

It was so great to have 25 of the most influential, inspiring and encouraging women from my life all in one place! We shared many laughs, good food and some very silly games! The picture of Pat, my mom and I dressed in toilet paper demonstrates the crazy things Mel had us do. In that game the girls had to create couture toilet paper gowns!! My team won! I even had a toilet paper engagement ring... so hot!

Aside from the games, it was so good to see people who I had not seen for quite some time! The law girls, Forestbrook crew (some who were in Europe for the past month), and of course, those who I had not seen for the longest time, my McMaster girls! I also had a great time with some of my mom's friends, family, my mentors from Church and of course, James' mom. I'm so blessed to have all of these amazing people who drove (some 4-5 hours in total) to see me and support me and shower me with love and gifts!

Oh the gifts! I am so spoiled! I received such nice things! Some that should have been wedding presents! And of course, lingerie...! I don't think I am the only one who will benefit from the gifts of this shower! :)

I look back now and just feel so thankful for all that has been provided to me. Good friends, a wonderful family and a fiance who loves me so patiently. Sunday made me even more excited for the wedding, because there will be even more people who I care about there who were unable to make it to the shower, not just women, but all the men (who weren't invited!!).

Thanks goes out again to the fabulous Melanie for organizing the entire shower... to Lisa, Marlene and Marissa for helping Mel with the plans and food... and to my wonderful and beautiful mom who opened up her house! Love you guys!

See the below link for more shower pictures (more to be posted later this week!): http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/uwowest/album?.dir=/28b6&.src=ph&.tok=phasvEDBFtaYOo2Y

One of those days

2005-05-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

I'm having one of those days. The kind where you just can't seem to start off on the right footing. And yet, today started off as a good day in disguise.

I woke up at 6:30am and was ready to leave for work by 7:00am as I promised my dad. The sun is shining, I didn't have to prepare a lunch because I have leftover pad thai, I'm wearing pink... what could go wrong? Well first off, we didn't end up leaving right at 7:00 as my dad had insisted we do last night. We left at 7:15... but no big deal... I just patiently waited at the front door until he was ready to go. Next, while driving I realized that my pad thai was sitting on the counter, with the rest of my lunch... at this point I'm feeling a little frusterated, but again, I can handle it. I'm a big girl. No sense getting upset. I can buy my lunch today. Then, as we drove to work, my dad asked continual questions about wedding details that I didn't have answers to and for whatever reason, I started to feel rather annoyed with him. This was entirely my fault, but finally I told him that I wasn't a morning person and I didn't want to chat anymore. Of course, he was offended by this and the rest of the drive was completed in silence.

So my good shiny day has become less like my vibrant pink shirt and more like my grey skirt (but with not as much style or flare).

And I'm angry with myself for being cranky, because I know I'm just being cranky and I don't want to be cranky. Sometimes I wish I could just snap myself out of a mood. But it's not always that easy. I'm trying to remind myself today that really, everything that has happened this morning is so insignificant. It's funny how small things can seem so big at the time. I want to remind myself today that I actually have so much to be thankful for and that I've been incredibly blessed. I should really be on my knees, praising God for all that He's given to me. And if I pray to Him he will change and transform my mood into one that is glorifying to Him and reflective of the grace He has provided and the joy I feel.

So hopefully I can approach this day with a better perspective. There were a few bumps at the beginning, but I think it's gonna be a better day.

After the long blog

2005-05-19T12:02:00.000-04:00

I was just reviewing that last blog... and that was the longest blog in the history of blogs. Sorry to those who suffered through all the wedding talk...

Last night James and I went over to our friends' house, Lisa and Michael Emmons, for dinner. Lisa and Mike were married in February of 2004, so it is neat to see how they have combined their busy lives into one! Marriage was a big topic of conversation last night. It was nice to hear what they love about being married and I think the general consensus between the two of them was the fact that they get to see one another so much (among other things). Lisa is a dancer, and she has a crazy schedule of performing herself, and also teaching students how to perform. Mike works at a company that does sound and lighting for concerts and other events. This weekend they are preparing to do a HUGE concert at Canada's Wonderland for Delirious, Audio Adrenaline and Newsboys! You can just imagine how busy Mike has been.

Lisa and Mike have been through a lot in their marriage already. Mike found out a couple of months after their wedding, that he had Crohn's disease. As a result, just a couple months into their marriage, Lisa and Mike's lives were filled with medical appointments, nights in the hospital, new medications, and uncertainty about Mike's career and ability to work. It has been so amazing to me, how they have really pulled together to make it through those difficult times. They are a team, battling his sickness together. It has also been inspiring to see how much they have relied on God and prayer to pull them through.

Fortunately, Mike's last long stay in the hospital was in January. Since then, Mike has been relatively healthy and we only have God to thank for that. James and I are so fortunate to have Lisa and Mike as friends. They are able to give us advice and have given us so much support and encouragement on our journey towards marriage. Last night was a night of catching up with old friends and I'm so thankful for them!

Surviving the Weekend of Wedding!

2005-05-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

I called this past weekend, the "Weekend of Wedding". This is because we had two weddings to attend this weekend, Chris Fortin's and James' sister's. Chris' was in Waterloo on Saturday, and Jen's was in Hamilton on Sunday (for which James was a groomsman). Fortunately James and I both survived the weekend! And if we can survive that, I am confident that we can definitely survive our own wedding!

The weekend started off with James and I driving to Hamilton in our new little blue car, whom we have dubbed "the Kid" (since it is our first child together). This term has become fairly humerous, especially when you say things like, "this weekend I'm going to wash and wax the kid", "i hope the kid doesn't get in an accident", or "if the kid gets keyed, I will be furious!". Upon arrival, James quickly drove me to Catherine's house (his sister) for Jen's bachelorette party. It was a relaxed evening of good food!

Saturday morning we had the rehearsal for Jen and Graeme's wedding. With 12 in the wedding party, the stage at Bethany Gospel Chapel was full! Fortunately everything went smoothly and we could tell the ceremony was going to be beautiful. We then drove to the Barry's for the rehearsal lunch. James and I wolfed down some appetizers and even took some food "to go" because we had to drive to Waterloo and arrive before 3:00pm.

First of all, I have to mention this: I hate Waterloo. If I ever have to go back to Waterloo again, it will be too soon! Not only is it an awful city to drive in, but the directions to Chris and Bec's wedding were not very good. This made for a bit of drama in "the Kid" between James and I. I was driving. I think we drove all the way through Waterloo and then down this long long country road. We even stopped at a Home Hardware because we were sure that we had driven too far. Fortunately, we hadn't. We were just being impatient, since the church was just past the next intersection. Chris and Bec's wedding was great! The ceremony was nice, with all the Mikes from Forestbrook lending their musical talent! Bec looked stunning in her dress... but Chris looked a little high strung or frantic on the stage. It was visible that he was nervous. Fortunately there was no bolting from him or the bride!

After the ceremony we went out for drinks with some of the Forestbrook crew, but upon leaving for the reception, James and I got stuck at a red light... and no one waited! I had directions to the reception, so I thought we were fine. We weren't. We were looking for a North Campus Drive off of Columbia Avenue. There is absolutely NO SUCH THING as North Campus Drive... so as a result we drove way too far down Columbia and had to turn around. I'm glad that James had the good sense to turn into the University of Waterloo (where the reception was located) and found a map of the campus to bring us to our destination. The rest of the evening went as planned. The site for the reception was awesome and the company was even better! Once the country tunes came on, James and I were out of there, and with a new set of glasses! Thanks Bec and Chris for a great night!

Sunday was Jen and Graeme's wedding. James felt a little frantic that morning as he left in a rush to drive to Graeme's. He hadn't been informed about the groomsmen pictures that were happening early that morning. Fortunately, James is a master at getting ready in 5 minutes! He made it there just in time! After he left, I started to get ready with the house quiet. BUT that didn't last long, because the 6 bridesmaids, the bride and mother of the bride came home to get dressed and do their makeup. I never realized how crazy a house can be with 9 women trying to get ready!

Jen arrived at the church in an old school convertible. It was the coolest thing ever! And she looked radiant and so happy. Everything during the ceremony was picture perfect... except that it was fairly hot. Due to the heat, Graeme's younger brother, who is about 11 or 12, fainted right off the stage! It definitely created some drama, but in the end he was alright and the ceremony was okay to continue. Afterwards, we all headed over to Liuna Station for the reception. Liuna Station is a great building. It used to be the old train station in Hamilton and they've restored it, but also kept its historical integrity. It was a beautiful venue.

So at the end of the weekend, I think James and I were a little worn out from all the wedding talk. James said he didn't want to hear the "W" word for a long time. Somehow I think he's going to be hearing it fairly frequently for the next couple of months!

Buying our first car!

2005-05-09T16:23:00.000-04:00

So my life with James is really coming together.

This past weekend we took the next big step in our relationship.... we bought a car! Or rather, we leased a car! It's a blue 2005 Toyota Corolla LE and we are in love! You don't realize what a big ordeal buying a car is until you have gone through it. I honestly thought I knew a lot more about buying a car, but then James and my dad were talking about all this car stuff I hd never heard of. And when it came to insurance, I had to know about deductibles, among other things. So what I've realized as a result of this is how naive and sheltered I am! Even James was a bit at a loss on some areas. Fortunately my dad was there to help us through it! He even managed to "dicker" the sales manager to come down to the price we were willing to pay.

So we left very happy!What a weird feeling though... to hold ownership (haha property law --haha law geek!) in something that expensive.. I feel like a grown-up! Oh wait, I am grown-up! I'm even getting married, that's how "grown-up" I am!

Interview #1

2005-05-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

This morning I had an interview with the Crown Attorney's office in Newmarket. I was pretty nervous because these types of interviews are so important. Even if I am not offered a position this year as a summer student, I will be applying again next year, so I want to leave a good impression with them. But now that it's over, I wonder what the big deal was! I actually feel pretty good about how it went. They don't normally hire first year students, so my chances of getting a position are slim, but as Corie said, "you're pretty, so you'll get hired"! Thanks for the encouragement Cor!

But now I'm antsy... now I'm just waiting in nervous anticipation to find out if I will get the job... enough! I must relax.

Jenn and I tried out a new sushi place for lunch. The location used to be a shoe repair store, but now it is a sushi place. Fortunately the food didn't taste like smelly feet! That is one of the great things about coming back to my dad's office in the summers. The people are so familiar and friendly and we pick up right where we left off. Jenn is an old friend so we don't waste time on small talk. We are both candid about our lives with one another and it is so nice to have someone to laugh with, get advice from, or vent with! And I love Elizabeth's sarcasm, and Leslie's stories about her dog or new baby... there's always a bit of chaos in the office. So it would be sort of sad to move on, but exciting too...

Happy Birthday Lisa!

2005-05-03T07:13:00.000-04:00

Today is Lisa Emmons' birthday! She is 24!! We've been friends since grade 3 and she is so incredible. She's a tiny dancer (as the Elton John song goes)... I love watching her perform... she does ballet, modern... but basically if it is a dance, she can do it! She is a wonderful and supportive friend who provides big laughs, big hugs and gentle and realistic advice. I've depended on her for so many things and she has never failed to be there for me when I need her. She is wife to Mike Emmons, who is also artistically talented. They are a wonderful couple and it is sooo exciting to see them grow together in their marriage. I hope she has the most fabulous and special day today for her 24th!

Craziest Weekend

2005-05-02T16:38:00.000-04:00

Things have been in a whirlwind for the last few days...

Friday I wrote my last exam of first year law school. It was such a great feel to be done and it felt like we had accomplished so much. It was great to go out and celebrate the year with all of my new friends from law and then to cry with them about leaving for the summer at the end of the night! It is bittersweet, because while I'm leaving all my best friends from London, I came home to my best friends in Toronto and Pickering. I really cannot complain, but it was still a difficult moment!

Saturday was moving day. Since I was going on only 3 hours of sleep from the night before, it was not exactly my favourite day. James' parents, sister Jen, and my parents drove to London to help with the move. It actually went very smoothly and fortunately the rain held off for the most part. It was a busy day of driving and we greatly appreciated all of their help. Saturday night I got to see my maid-of-honour, Melanie! She's so fabulous and it so wonderful to catch up with her and see her boyfriend Will again.

Sunday was the first of our showers and it was held by my church, Forestbrook. It was very overwhelming. I could not get over how many people gave gifts! Some people even sent gifts who were unable to make the shower. This shower demonstrated to James and I, just how much support we have from the Forestbrook family. We felt so humbled and undeserving... but also so fortunate to have this many people backing us up, and encouraging us in our future together! It was a really great day!

Sunday night James was offered a job for the summer with a landscaping company! It was such and answer to prayer, because they wanted him to start right away and it is located just down the street from my house! That means he won't have to spend money on driving to and from work! What a relief!

So James started work today and I hope it is going well. It was hailing earlier today... so I hope he dressed warmly. This morning my mom and I drove to Angus Glen to finalize some details with Christy for the wedding. It all seems to be coming together so smoothly, I cannot wait for the final result! So that is my news!! All is well in Pickering. Tomorrow I start at my dad's to work for the summer... should be great, as always!

The Last One

2005-04-29T07:12:00.000-04:00

So today is my last exam... phew! I'm exhausted. Please pray for me and the entire of Group C (my crew) about this exam but also for safe summers. The exam is at 9:00am and ends at noon. And then... it is hard to believe, we will be done first year law school! It feels like a great accomplishment!

My Greatest Support

2005-04-27T10:17:00.000-04:00

I loved going to Banff with James... that was seriously one of the best trips ever. We went to Calgary to visit James' best friend Nic, with my roommate Marissa and then we all drove up to Banff.

Speaking of which... I need a vacation. I'm exhausted. I have two exams in the next 48 hours. One starts at 1:00pm today and the next is Friday at 9:00am. All you prayer warriors out there... I need you! I cannot WAIT to be finished!

I must say though, that I have an excellent support group. James is my sanity... the 3 girls in my study group are encouraging and uplifting in the craziest of times... even friends not in London are awesome at sending little notes to motivate me to continue! My family, especially those parents of mine, are so great! I love my chats with my mom 2 hours before the exam and miss them when I can't get in touch (like right now and that's why I'm blogging!).

I've been blessed with a fabulous support group... of course the best support comes from God... and I know many of you don't believe in that sort of thing. But I've got to say, in my most dark of times when anxiety seems to overcome all of my reasonable thoughts, and none of those other supportive people are around, God is. And I can't thank Him enough.

2005-04-25T21:37:00.000-04:00

So my aunt told me how to post pictures... so I thought I would include one from Law Ball of James and I! Soooo cute!!

Exam went well today! It was my favourite subject: Constitutional Law. Sometimes when I think about practicing law, that's all I actually want to do, but I think it is hard to just practice in that one area. But if I could choose one area of law right now, I think that would be it... YES... even over criminal law.. Anyway it is hard to believe that I only have two more exams this week and then I'm done! Then we can get down to business with this wedding!! YAY!

Okay that's all I've got for ya right now.... have to study contract law...

Property Exam at 1:00pm

2005-04-22T09:38:00.000-04:00

Please send prayers my way! I have a property law exam at 1:00pm that goes until 3:10pm. It's a little tricky at times and will be needing it! And don't forget the girls in my study group! It will definitely be a relief when this one is finished!

Calm before the storm?

2005-04-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

I think I may be experiencing a calm before the storm...

Today I'm having a great day! I feel good... I made it through my property law summary and feel like I've got a pretty good grasp of all these concepts for grants and trusts. But I know that this material isn't exactly simple, so I'm not sure why I feel so calm. I'm hoping that this is a good thing and that later today I won't be biting my fingers nails apart in a panic!

I'm very excited because James and I are going to be looking at a couple of apartments on Friday for next year. Our search has 4 major criteria. We want something that is close to the University, on the bus route, will have enough space for two, and is affordable. And I suppose there was a 5th criteria as well... the apartment should, where possible, be close to Corie's apartment, if not in the same building! So the two that we look at tomorrow definitely satisfy the "Corie Criteria" considering that we are looking in her building and just down the road!

I am very much looking forward to living with James... just the two of us. As many of you know, we ended up in a different sort of situation that most couples, especially Christian couples! Living in the same house, in two different rooms with 3 other people with very different personalities has brought many challenges this year. But for James and I, I think it has really pulled us together. We have come to rely on one another this year more than any other, not only in the emotional sense, but also in a practical way as well.

James is so amazing when I'm studying for school. He'll cook dinner without complaining, clean up and always pops his head in to see if I need a break. I think that James has really appreciated that I do his laundry, including folding, among other things. Living in the same house has allowed us to see where we are different, but also where we are the same... we both despise messy kitchens and bathrooms! So while it has been wonderful being in the same house... I hope that it hasn't taken away the excitement and "newness" of living with one another for the first time. Regardless, this has definitely reaffirmed over and over that I love him so much and I am so blessed to have him in my life.

It was a fisher

2005-04-18T22:58:00.000-04:00

So it was a fisher. Fishers are carnivores and generally live in dense forests, usually close to a source of water (when I read that on the internet I thought it was a pretty dumb comment, because OF COURSE they would live near some sort of water, because they need water to survive). Apparently they are fairly good at catching fish. In the U.S. fishers are a protected species that may make it into the endangered species list. But how can they be endangered in one country and not another. In Canada they are actually quite common, but don't like people and that is why, when James and I saw him, he ran into a hole. And for the feminists out there... yes HE could have been a SHE, but from the angle we saw the fisher at, it looked like a he.

Today was my first exam. It was a pleasure to write and I am so glad I don't ever really have to think about torts again.... knock on wood. But I don't want to talk about my exams because they are boring.

Instead I have a question... and for those of you who have yet to LEAVE A COMMENT... you can answer this one too (just click on comments and it will open a window to let you leave a comment). James and I defrosted some chicken tonight and when I started to cut it, it smelled so bad. It didn't seem like a normal smell, but I know for sure that the chicken was not rotten before we froze it. The date on the package said March 18, but we usually freeze the chicken right away, so it shouldn't have gone bad... right? I guess my questions are... how do you know if chicken has gone bad? and... how long can you leave chicken in the freezer until it is no good to eat?

So instead of eating chicken, we walked to Sebastian's and had sandwiches. Then James walked me to school because I had to work. So sweet! Aww young love... enough cheese... property law is calling my name.

Early Morning Walks...

2005-04-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up at 8:00am to start studying for my exam tomorrow, (I know! sooo studious!) which is at 1:00pm, not 2:00pm as I stated in my last post. I was completely aware of this fact when I last posted, but I have received some concerned msn messages... don't worry I'll be on time!

As I was sitting at my desk in my room, all I could hear were the sounds of the world waking up. Especially, these incredibly loud geese and ducks. It sounded as if they were having a huge party. And since I LOVE to procrastinate, I ran down to the basement and told James that we were going for a walk. He was not impressed. James is definitely not a morning person.

This will add an interesting dynamic to our marriage considering I love the early morning hours of the day (between 6:30am and 9:00am) because that is when I get the most done. James, I suppose also loves the early morning hours of the day, but that is because he prefers to stay up ALL night and then go to sleep at 5:00am. Those are HIS productive hours.

Anyway, I managed to convince him that it was a good idea and we made our way down to the Thames River. Unfortunately, I think we saw like 3 Canadian geese and that was it. All the squawking had ended. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, but it was a nice way to start the day. The last time James and I went for a walk by the Thames, we saw a marmot. Or what I originally thought to be a marmot, but now I'm not sure. Because when I looked up marmot on the internet, they are actually just groundhogs. Funny enough, I am pretty sure that there is one that lives underneath my next-door neighbours garage and he hangs out in our backyard. So that still doesn't explain the animal we saw by the river.

Any ideas? I know it wasn't a mink, because it wasn't long and sleek like a mink. He was big and fat like a marmot/groundhog. Enough procrastination... I'm going back to studying.

83 days...

2005-04-16T10:28:00.000-04:00

83 days until the big day.

It is so unreal to me that it is so close. We were engaged in 2003 and now it is 2005 and it's almost here. I'm getting anxious and more excited as each day passes.

The only thing standing in the way of me and the wedding are my April final exams at school. While I don't dread these exams as some of my classmates do, I'm still not looking forward to them. 6 exams in a span of less than two weeks. It would give even the best student heart palpitations!

But unlike many other students, I have something big waiting for me just past those two weeks of living like a hermit. It is a nice distraction, I must admit. If I ever need a break, I can always send out an e-mail with more questions to Angus Glen or continue to try to get in touch with the band (oh Kenny Munshaw... where art thou?). Or I can call my mom and find out who the latest people were to RSVP.

Actually, while we're on the topic of my mom, I've got to say that she is incredible. James and I could not plan or organize this wedding without her. My mom pulls together all the little details that are hard to control from London, such as picking up invitations, stuffing them and mailing them out. And she never complains or reminds me how lucky I am to have her. She just does it selflessly. I'm so thankful for my mom's help. I so thankful for both of my parents. Without them, law school and the wedding would not be possible.

(I think I have found my newest distraction from studying for exams.... blogging!) Pray for me... my first exam is Monday, April 18 @ 2:00pm.

The Day After

2004-07-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

I love waking up the day after a fabulous party.

I woke up this morning feeling more appreciated, supported and loved than I have felt in a long time. Last night, to my surprise, my caring and wonderful friends threw James and I an engagement party. I was in complete shock! James had told me that we were going out for dinner at an undisclosed location and that he had to stop off to pick up a cd from Mike Emmons. I was a little on the cranky side because I had been trying to get it out of James as to where we were going for dinner, and I had had no luck. His lips were sealed. As many know, I don't deal well with not knowing plans... I panic: "what should I wear? what is the dress code? how long will we be out? who will be there? should i bring a change of clothes?" etc. James, however, in a show of tremendous courage, stood up to me and would not acquiesce and tell me where we were going.

So when we arrived at the Emmons/Farrington household, I remained in the car while James retrieved "the cd", which was not according to the plans. So instead, they brought the party out to me! Suddenly there were all these people I recognized from university and church surrounding the car. I had been completely duped! And it felt great. Obviously my sour mood changed, as I thanked James for not slipping up.

It was the coolest thing to have so many of my favourite people all in one place for just a few hours! A colliding of my worlds and I loved it! I'm still in shock that everyone managed to hide it from me, since I have always considered myself to be very intuitive when people are hiding things from me. Apparently, I'm not as instinctive as I thought!

If this is any indication of how much our friends care about us, James and I consider ourselves very lucky. Not only did they throw a big party, but about two-thirds of the people travelled over an hour to come celebrate! I can't wait to see the pictures! Right now I am the happiest bride-to-be! I am so stoked for the wedding!

James' Cottage

2004-07-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

I am so bored today and then I realized that I have not blogged in awhile, so hopefully this will take up some time. The weekend is almost here and thank goodness, because I am restless at work. Last weekend was awesome! I went to James' cottage in Muskoka with Nick, Garth, Irena and Mel. We stayed at the cottage on their sixteen acre island. It has no electricity or running water.... and the attic is infested with bats! So it is always an adventure spending even one night there, let alone the entire weekend! Mel had an encounter with a bat on the first night. While she was outside with Nick, one swooped into her hair and got stuck! Her screaming probably woke up everyone on the lake! I think she almost died of scaryness! On the second night there was a brown bat in the kitchen flying around, which Garth managed to catch with a towel. Personally, I'm not so scared of bats. I wouldn't be too happy if one was in my hair, but I don't mind them flying around.

Aside from our chaos with the bats, we went swimming, woke up at 11am, drove the boat around, went to an art show in Bracebridge (where James' sister, Catherine, was displaying her prints), roasted marshmallows in the fireplace, and basically just lounged around, laughing and getting to know each other better. It was a great weekend.

This weekend is so up in the air. I want to go to the cottage, but apparently, James has to work. Thus, I must stay in Pickering. Apparently James is planning a special date for Saturday night, but what about the rest of the weekend?! Non-cottage weekends are no good, especially when the weather is gorgeous, like it is right now! I'm sure it will end up better than I expect.

Speaking of expectations, you can expect to see much blogging out of me today. Today is one of those Friday's that feels like a Saturday. Yesterday felt like Friday. And to quote my wise friend Mel, "It's not Friday, it's Saturday. Boo to working on a Saturday!"

Lunch with Dad

2004-07-14T13:10:00.000-04:00

Today my dad took me out for lunch. It was the first time that he has taken me out, since I started working at his office in May! I don't blame him though, he's been extremely busy with various cases and is often not in the office at all. Anyway, father/daughter lunches are awesome. I like catching up with him and telling him what's going on in my life. It was a good noon hour!

I feel rather boring today. I can't think of much to say. But, as most of us know, I'm sure I won't have any problem finding something to ramble on about, even if I have to ramble on about rambling! I'm not even sure who reads this. I know my Aunt Cathy reads it faithfully by her comments. I know, however, that there must be more people than just her, since the number of visitors to the page goes up every day. So who are you people?!

Does anyone watch the Amazing Race? That show is awesome. I love it! james can't stand reality television, and I think that it annoys him that I love it so much! I couldn't be bothered with those shows about finding someone to marry their dad, the casino, or the comic one, but Amazing Race and Big Brother... they are awesome. And it's not like I put my life on hold to watch television anyway. Last night I went to the dentist (yes again! Just for a check up) and the gym. I know where the record button is and I know how to program on my VCR. If I have other plans, I'll watch the shows the following day or whenever, but I have to watch them at some point. Poor james, I hope he knows what he's signed up for in asking me to marry him!

2004-07-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

I was just really challenged by Romans 12. What a fantastic chapter of the Bible! I receive daily verses from Air1.com, and over the weekend, I received Romans 12:2 NLT. It read:

"Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. THen you will know what GOd wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will is."

I decided to pray over that verse and that led me to the entire chapter. I feel like I am completely the opposite of what that chapter is requiring me to be. How did I allow myself to become so far from who God wants me to be? I definitely repay evil with my own evil and I am rarely patient in trouble. I know that I even sometimes I pretend to love others... like who does that?! I am going to pray over this chapter for the rest of the summer, until my heart is transformed. I would appreciate your prayer.

Crazy week...

2004-07-12T09:52:00.000-04:00

I have been severely lacking in the blogging department lately. This is due to the fact that I have been incredibly busy, but I will try to write at least weekly blogs from here on out.

Last week I finally concluded my tooth saga. Yay! I now have beautiful teeth that are permanent (that means NOT removable!). I spent 6 1/2 hours in a dentist's chair on Wednesday, but it was definitely worth the neck strain and the swollen upper lip!

James' birthday was on Thursday, so a bunch of us met at a local pub (including my parents!) to celebrate. We had a great time and so did James! I bought him clothes to wear this year for his teacher's college placements... the boy didn't even own a nice pair of black pants! So it was Courtney to the rescue, and now he will look more than presentable while working this year!

On the weekend I went to Mel's cottage with two of her friends, Gaby and Kristen. We had a fabulous time, swimming at two o'clock in the morning and causing a ruckus, getting flipped off of the banana boat, driving around in Gaby's Jeep, and suntanning to our hearts' content, since the weather was perfect!

So that was my week and weekend! This week will hopefully not be as chaotic, but you never know! This weekend I'm heading up to James' cottage for more summer fun with Mel, Garth, Irena and Nick. I'm sure some good stories will emerge from time spent with that group! Don't forget to leave comments!

A Perfect Weekend

2004-07-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like spending the weekend at the cottage. It seems to make any worries that a person has seem insignificant. James said that when he goes up to the cottage he feels at peace and I couldn't agree more. We drove up together on Friday night after work. I love driving with James. As silly as it sounds, some of our best moments have been spent together driving up to the cottage or traveling between Pickering and Hamilton. Anyway, there were absolutely no cars on the road, because most people had taken the Friday off, since Thursday was Canada Day.

Saturday we had beautiful weather. We spent the entire afternoon down by the water. James swam across the lake, while I kayaked beside him and then we lounged on the floating dock with my sister for the remainder of the day. Yesterday, the weather was overcast, but still warm. James painted the outside of the cottage (the areas that were above 8 feet because my dad's knees couldn't handle the height!), I pressured washed the deck (sounds like more work than it really is), and we managed to get in some reading too.

On the way home last night we stopped in at Clevelands House Resort, or rather, we took a detour there! We met up with Kenny Munshaw, who will be providing the music for the wedding. So everything is set in terms of the band now, which is great. We were also able to see Liz (James' youngest sister), and Catherine and Dave (James' oldest sister and her husband). Kenny played at Catherine and Dave's wedding this past December and he was awesome, so we can't wait for him to play at ours! So if there are any requests for music, let me know!

Also, in case people aren't aware, you are able to leave comments on this site by clicking on the "comments" icon below. I would love your feedback!

The Life and Death of My Front Left Tooth

2004-06-30T14:50:00.000-04:00

I'm still not sure how I feel about having my personal life broadcasted across the internet for all to read. Isn't this just a little bit strange? It will definitely take some getting used to. And for those of you that are using the blog to find out details on the wedding, don't think that I'm going to just give everything away! I don't want you to know everything!

Apparently my dentist appointment yesterday was not just for molds. Actually, I got temporary veneers put on and everything, including the implant will be finished by next Friday! I am so relieved. I feel like I've been dealing with this tooth business for years... it's true, I have! For those that don't know... I knocked out my front tooth in grade 6 skiing. They tried to replant my tooth, and it lasted until about grade 11. Then I was given a fake tooth, which I have had up until this point. Last summer, I started the process of a dental implant, in which they graft a titanium screw into the bone of my mouth. Sound painful? Actually, it wasn't really. Being put under and using Tylenol 3 helped quite a bit! So now, almost a year later, I'm in the final stage of the implant; putting the porcelain tooth on. However, when I saw the porcelain tooth in my mouth, I didn't like how it looked (long story), so now I'm getting veneers on the two surrouding teeth so that everything will look even. It's been a long (and expensive - thanks mom and dad) process, but it's almost done!

Other than that... nothing too exciting to blog about... haha blog. Whoever thought of the term "blog" anyway? Anyone know?

Just the Beginning...

2004-06-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

My first time blogging... is that even right? Is it called blogging?! Clearly, I'm new at this.

Today I didn't have to go into work because I have about two and a half hours of dental appointments, smack in the middle of the day (I swear, I've been to the dentist so much, I could pretty much be one). We're still trying to finish up the dental implant I had last summer and now it looks like I'm getting veneers too. I am a little nervous about the veneers. My mom put the idea into my head that I could wind up with teeth that look like rabbit teeth, and of course, I cannot get that vision out of my head. Those would be fabulous wedding pictures. Fortunately, this visit is only to take the molds for the veneers. I'm sure Greg (my dentist) will put my fears to rest.

This morning I went to the gym and met with my personal trainer, Jacki. It's called getting in better shape for the wedding and "living a healthier lifestyle". Meeting with a trainer definitely makes me feel more motivated. Anyway, the last time I met with Jacki, we were talking about nutrition and she asked me if I liked cottage cheese. To be honest, I had never tried it. I'd seen it, but never tried it. So this week, I bought some and this morning, after my gym date, I tried to suck some back by mixing it with fruit. I think cottage cheese has got to be the grossest food on the shelf. Why would I want to eat watery and gooey cheese curds? Absolutely disgusting. Never again will I put myself through that torture.

I would write more, but it's time to go the dentist.