Nothing to say and no time to say it in

So it’s been a little while since I’ve posted – probably mostly because now that I’ve posted about my new bed-  nothing else seems quite as exciting. 

Actually- it’s just been really busy.  Which is good.  I feel like I’m well into the swing of my new job at the church and I’m loving it. Each day as I inch my way to the office in traffic,  I just get really excited about what I get to do that day.  I know I’m in the proverbial “honeymoon” phase, and there will most definitely be days that suck and will make me want to work elsewhere, (and I may or may not blog about those days), but I’m choosing to put that fact aside for now and just soak in all that I’m learning and doing.

Although I’m loving it – it’s definitely not your standard 9-5 job.  No ministry job really is.  And that my friends, is my excuse for not blogging.  I had a meeting Monday night, Youth on Wednesday night and a community bbq to help out with on Thursday night. (so when you come and check the blog and it’s looking the same as it was yesterday, don’t mutter mean things under your breath at me- just think “that Karmyn, she must be working for Jesus again”)

When you throw in the Ultimate frisbee game on Tuesday night. you’ve got the week pretty much booked up. (Speaking of ultimate frisbee – it’s going well – our team is 3-0! Me? Ummm, well I’m having fun.  And until I become an Ultimate superstar, and score the game-winning point by leaping 5 feet in the air over my defender to catch the frisbee and then execute a perfect landing, I’ll probably just keep telling you that I’m having fun)

Well there you go – my week in a nutshell.  This weekend we’re heading to Whitby for a wedding, then back to Oakville for church, and then I’m driving up to Muskoka Woods with Dustin and my mom to drop him off for the summer. 

Let’s go back to that part about driving back to Oakville for church – as much as I love it here – there is one thing I will miss: Gone are the days of sleeping in until 9:42 and then rolling out of bed and into the car to make it to church for 10.  Also gone, are the days of having an entire weekend away. Mourn those with me for a moment will you?                  Thanks – I knew you’d understand.  Now if you really loved me you’d come to church with me at 8 am and help me set up the sunday school rooms.

Ok, so that’s all I really got. 

Maybe I’ll be back Monday with some updates.  maybe.

 

 

Reason #283 Why I Have the Best Husband

Because of this:

Ben made this headboard for us (me).  As a surprise.  And  I love it.  He has been working on it for months now, and I although by the end I knew it was coming, he spent months in secret, heading off to a friends house to work on it.  He did it all on his own, designed and created it and really wanted it to be a surprise.

At some point along the way Ben had to tell me he was working on a surprise for me – mostly because there were random amounts of money leaving our bank account at various times, and there were phone calls and emails that I wasn’t allowed to read/hear.  But that poses a problem for me.  You see -the minute I know there’s SOMETHING in the works – I can’t sit still.  I ask questions ALL.THE.TIME about what it could be, is it this? or that? is it big? small? will I like it?  And then because I don’t ACTUALLY want to ruin my own surprise, I tell Ben that he’d better delete all his emails because if he doesn’t, I’ll probably snoop, even if I don’t want to. It’s just SO hard knowing there would be information about my surprise and not go looking for it.

• Like the time we were dating and he was working in Nevada for the summer and because I snooped in his email I knew that he’d worked it out with my mom to make sure there were a dozen red roses delivered to me at work.  I had to pretend I had no idea -even though every time someone came through the front door at work I practically just held out my hand, without even looking up, expecting a dozen roses to be put into it.  (don’t worry, I confessed that I had snooped -although a few months later)

Anyway – enough about that.  Here’s what I now refer to as “my new bed”.  I know, I know, the bed is the same – but it’s just so much more fun to sleep in now. 

Also? The stain glass? Ben designed that and had a friend make it for us.  (That part I didn’t know about and was a great surprise) 

Well clearly this post is pretty much a brag fest about my handy husband.  But he really does deserve lots of credit.  He’s amazing at creating and making things – and I’m pretty lucky that I get to be his inspiration.

PS – If you’re wondering: Yes I did make the bed just for the pictures, and yes, those are deep, profound “how to be a better Christian” books on Ben’s side of the bed, and Archie comics on mine.

Quick Update

I don’t have a ton of time – but since I left all of you hanging on how my first week at work went, I thought I should say something about how it’s going.

All in all – a typical first week.  I still don’t have an office, computer, or any sweet clue what I’m doing – but that’s ok.  Ask me again in a month, and I’m sure it’ll be so steeped in our next event and planning the upcoming school year that I’ll wish I had a free week to my name. 

I’m still really excited to be where I’m at and am even more excited that every day at work is jeans day. 

 

The First Day

Well tomorrow is my first day of my new job at The Sanctuary.

I have a lot of thoughts about wrapping up at Redeemer on Friday, and the events of this weekend (which were great), and maybe later on this week I’ll get to them, but tonight all I can think about is tomorrow morning. 

Now the majority of me is super pumped about starting. I’ve been waiting for a loooong time to jump into youth ministry full time, and there’s nothing like doing it at the place you know God’s called you – but as for tomorrow? I’m not so much excited.  Why? you ask?  Because the First Day is so dang awkward.

For example, let’s think back starting the first day of school each year - I was usually all decked out in my “first day of school” outfit, which, until I was about 11, usually meant either a pleated skirt, or some sort of tapered, corduroy, teal pants.  The outfit, along with being extremely stylish, was also extremely geared for cool, crisp fall weather, which was never usually the case on Sept 3rd or 4th. So not only did I look “amazing”, I also was way too hot.  Combine all of that with the realization that over the summer everyone else except for me seemed to get the memo that having bangs and tapered corduroys was SO last year, and it makes for one awkward first day.

Let’s fast forward to my first day of my job at Redeemer.  Now this one was exceptionally awkward.  Mostly because only 3 months earlier, I’d graduated as a student.  And Redeemer has this thing, where on your first day as a new employee, they parade you around to every.single.department. in the school and introduce you to everyone.  Awesome.

Ok, I get that – I see what they’re going for there – a sense of community and friendliness.  The problem here was that I pretty much knew everyone they introduced me to, whether through my interactions as a student, or as Senate President.  But I had to pretend like I didn’t know who they were, just in case they didn’t remember/recognize me.  It made for a lot of awkward, small talk conversations.

 I have higher hopes for tomorrow.  Granted, I still won’t know what I’m doing, or who people are.  I won’t know how their photocopier works, or what the office culture is.  I won’t know what the normal lunch break routine is, or even if I should pack a lunch, or if the “cool kids” go out. I don’t know any of my youth, or their parents, or even what I should work on first.

 At least I can be pretty confident that my outfit will somewhat resemble 2008, and I won’t have to make awkward small talk with people who’ve forgotten who I am.

A week of Lasts

So it’s my last week of working at Redeemer.  And I’m taking the week off.  Except for yesterday, when we had a Visit Day, so I went in to help. And tomorrow, since they’re throwing me a party.  I figure I should probably show up for that one. (Plus I get free lunch…and cake.)

There’s been a few Lasts this week as I gear up for my new job, new church, new place to live, etc, but the one in particular that really gets me, was Ben and my last night at youth on Tuesday.  It was awesome.  I have been working with those youth for 6 years now and seen some of them go from being 12 to being 18. 

We had a great night of celebrating, reminiscing, eating Smartfood, and crying.  (Ok, so I did all the crying).  And trust me, it wasn’t even the pretty, dignified cry, where you manage to hold it together  to get your words out while a few solitary tears roll down you cheeks.  No, no, it was the type of crying where your face contorts and you have to pause through what you’re saying to get it together, but that just makes you cry harder, and then eventually, you’ve been straining your face for so long trying to look normal that it pushes the snot out of your nose, so even after you do gain composure, you look like a 4 year old with a continual snot stream.

Anyway, (clearly I digressed there…), the point is to say that although we know (and are excited) that we’re moving in the direction God’s leading us it still makes us a little bit sad that it takes us away from here. 

 

Peace

Happy Anniversary to these two…

Two years ago today you got married! (In case you needed the reminder *cough phil cough*)

Things I remember from the day:

• Meeting you at your house Sheena before the ceremony and squealing (as girls often do) over how great you looked and how excited we all were
• Getting to stand up for you
• The look on Phil’s face when he first saw you walk down the aisle
• How I tried my hardest not cough my lungs out during your vows because I had a cold -I think I succeeded
• How I tried my hardest not to cry when you walked in – I think I failed
• That despite the rain you got some amazing pictures
• The night of worship the Thursday before your wedding and how meaningful that was for everyone there
• Dani’s ribbon dancing
• MC-ing
• The chocolate fountain
• How after you guys had left and we were cleaning up, how I made sure I was responsible for cleaning up the remanants of the chocolate fountain

There’s so much more but really- I think this picture just about sums it up:

Have a great anniversary!

 

Happy Mothers Day (A letter to our moms…but the rest of you can listen in if you feel so inclined)

To these two…

Although your job with us these days isn’t so much about: molding us to be great grown ups, guiding us to make wise choices, disciplining us to be home on time or to keep our elbows off the table, or cleaning up after us - whether it be the socks and sweatshirt we’ve left draped over the arm of the couch after coming in from playing outside, or our puke when we were too young to realize we probably should run to the bathroom when we feel sick.

Although it’s not so much about that anymore, you still have the huge job of: figuring out how to care for us even though we live farther away, modeling what a godly marriage looks like, gently advising us during phone conversations as we figure our way through our own lives and marriage - not wanting to come on too strong (you know, since we’re all grown up now) –  but still knowing what’s best for us, and learning how to love and care for a kid-in-law like they are your own.

Ben and I both love our friendships with you Mom, they’ve grown and evolved as we have and we have come to appreciate you both as you continue to guide, shape and care for us as your children. We lucked out in the mom department, and although we may not have shared that same sentiment 12 years ago - we claim temporary insanity, as puberty took over our bodies. But you can trust and believe it now, now that our hormones have leveled off.

Have a great mother’s day,

Love

Ben and Karmyn

A post about Kleenex

Ben is currently suffering from a cold, plus a mix of allergies.  He’s doing alright, but feeling a little under the weather and I’ll be honest, hoarking up a lot of great stuff.  Not that I’ve seen it, but let’s just say he’s not the quietest hoarker in the world.   Especially at 7:45 in the morning, when he gets up, and I like to sleep for another 30 minutes or so.  (ok, ok, more like 45 minutes) That’s when I get whiny-grumpy.  You know, where you too tired to actually form coherent words, but you know that you’re testy enough to want to make it known that your grouchy?  That’s when the grumpy whine comes out.

Anyway-  this post isn’t meant to be about me, but rather, kleenex.  You see, the other day Ben asked me to get him some kleenex as he laid in bed, ready to blow the 8 hours worth of snot that had collected in his nostrils while we slept – and I immediately went to the bathroom and rolled a loooong strip of toilet paper off of the roll to bring to him. 

it struck me that in the 2 years we’ve been married we’ve never bought kleenex.  Yes, we’re that classy.  There have been many times that we’ve commented on it, and every time I get a cold and my nose becomes chapped, raw and red from the 1-ply no-name toilet paper that we use, I VOW that I am going to go out the next chance I get and buy the softest, most expensive, filled with lotion type kleenex I can find.   But then I never do.

You’d think that when I’m at work, and have a cold and have to slink into a co-workers office to steal some of their kleenex because the toilet paper at work doesn’t even qualify as 1-ply, that I would be motivated enough to go make the purchase.

Or perhaps the embarassment I feel when we have people over and they casually ask for a kleenex and with my head hung in shame I point them to the bathroom roll, would be what pushes me to go get some.

But that has yet to happen. Even though there’s a grocery store AND pharmacy literally across the road.   I’m not quite sure why.  Maybe I just keep forgetting.  Maybe I’m just not willing to let up on my vice grip of the $2.98 it’ll cost me to get some.  I don’t know.  But what I do know is that if you come over and have a slight sniffle…you might want to bring your own kleenex.

Ultimate Anyone?

So this past weekend I made a big decision to haul my rear-end off of the couch and join Ben on his Ultimate Frisbee team. 

Now, I’d like to think that I’m not a complete nathlete (that’s my fancy pairing of the words “non” and “athlete”), and that I have some skill to my name – but I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve done anything remotely competitive…..or active for that matter. 

So, to join this team actually was a big deal – I debated it a lot, listing the pros and cons of joining:

Pro – I get to hang out with Ben more 

Con – I’m probably the most out of shape I’ve ever been

Pro – I could get into shape

Con – I run the risk of losing the shape of my butt on the couch that I’ve so successfully carved out watching intelligent shows like “America’s Next Top Model” and “The Bachelor”.

Pro – I could learn a game I haven’t really played much before and become an Ultimate superstar

Con – The other people on my team might catch on to the fact that I’ve never really played much before and then proceed to hate me for ruining their perfect season, at which point they will shun me and throw their waterbottles at me after my feeble attempt at a wobbly frisbee toss. (ok, so that might be a bit extreme…they’ll probably only throw soft things)

Well after what you can see was quite the debate, I decided regardless of my fears of being the worst one out there, or ruining our chances of winning it all, I decided that it was more important to stay active and do something with my husband that he really enjoys.

 

So, all that to say – I went to my first practice Sunday night.  But before this – I grilled Ben to make sure that i wouldn’t totally stick out.  (you see, I have this thing where I don’t like to do things, unless I know I’m already going to be good at them…I know, not the best attitude…)

Ben assured me that I was on par with most of my skills and I am probably even better than some of the other girls on the team (which if you’re a girl is important (or maybe it’s just me) I’m ok with being the worst player if there’s guys out there….but really? to be the suckiest girl? not a fun spot to be in).

 

So we get out there – and in total there’s only 7 of us, 4 guys, three girls.  Awesome.  Just what I wanted.  The least amount of people possible so that every.single.move. I.do is out there in the open for all to see and ridicule.

The best part?  One of the girls was injured and sat out for our scrimmage – and the other girl? oh she’s alright I guess.  She’s only going to a tournament with her University team that is for the top 16 teams in NORTH AMERICA. 

Anyway -all in all, things were fine.  I did ok, people were gracious when I didn’t, and for the most part, I had fun.  Except for the time during our scrimmage when I was actually convinced that my heart was going to explode out of my ribcage and I was going to keel over and die.  Good times.

And my heart swelled

Just a quick post to say how proud I am of this guy:

It’s been an interesting, rough year for him and he’s persevered probably a lot better than I would have.  He’s taught me lots about character, strength and reliance on God.  And he recently got a sweet summer job at Muskoka Woods and acceptance to school in the fall.  I’m proud of you brother.  You done good.