Oilers WIN!!!!

Tonight Jason and I went to the Oilers. We had great seats and the Oilers won. Who could ask for a better night!

We got to see where the players come out of the dressing room.

Sorry about the dark photo.

Boredom=Craft Project

Jason is reffing tonight so I decided to do a little sewing. After starting about three different sewing projects, I settled on this doll. I have had the pattern for a long time, but this was the first time I attempted it. I think it turned out pretty well fir my first attempt.

November. Already?!?!

It's hard to believe that November is already halfway over! Soon we will be heading to Great Falls to spend Christmas with Jason's parents and then on to Nebraska to celebrate with my family. Here are a few photos to show you what we have been up to.

Much of my day is spent hanging out with Izzy. It is amazing what good company she is. She has been an excellent model these past couple of weeks too.

Last night I made cupcakes just for fun....red velvet with buttercream frosting. I made Jason take some to work so they wouldn't be here at the house tempting me. Jason and I also played a couple of games of cribbage....I won!!!!!

Izzy...probably waiting for me to throw her a toy.

This is how Izzy and I spend much of our day. We did a lot of lounging on the couch this past week as I was not feeling well.

A couple of weeks ago we had the Embury's over for supper. I definitely miss having a larger kitchen and dining room for entertaining. We made it work though.

We have a lot planned in the next couple of weeks....Jason's Birthday, Oilers games, the start of the Buzzell Games Tournament. Check back for updates!

The Talented VandeBossche Men!

This is just a glimpse of the fun we had this past July at the Wagner Golf Open in the Black Hills.

Yes, I am a crazy dog person!

Ignore the mess of toys and fuzz she created on the floor.

Project Complete

Here is a photo of my latest project in its final resting place. It didn't turn out exactly how I had hoped, but I am still happy with the outcome.

My Latest Project

Random Photos

A glimpse at a project I have been working on (keep checking for an update when it is finished)...

A photo I took this summer of a canola field...

Izzy lounging after a tough day...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last night I made a double batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup. We had some for supper tonight and I froze the rest in single serving containers so Jason can take them to work for lunch. It was so yummy I thoguht I would share the recipe with you. Here you go....

*4 or 5 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you could even use 3-4 as I used about 5-6 for a double batch).

*3 cans (14 fluid ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth

*2 cans (10 fluid ounces each) mild red or green chili enchilada sauce

*1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

*1/2 onion chopped

*2 cups matchstick or shredded carrots

*1 cup uncooked long or medium grain rice

*1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

*2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

Cook over medium heat until rice, simmer and garnish with tortilla chips, sliced green onions and sour cream.

I'm a Stay-at-Home Wife, so BITE me!

It donned on me this evening - I'm a stay-at-home wife. So what! Should I feel guilty? I mean, sure I haven't 'worked' in 14 months, but what's the big deal. Let me explain....

• Rewind to July 2008. I was working for a daily newspaper selling advertising. I didn't hate my job, and I have to admit I made some good money, but I didn't love it either. So, I decided to leave my current 'career' behind and go back to school full time. I had been working on my Masters degree part time for a few years, but quitting my full time job meant I could concentrate on school and actually finish my degree. And that is just what I did, thanks to my very supportive and budget-nazi husband. In August 2008 I enrolled full time as a student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and began 'working' as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, teaching two public speaking courses each semester. I use the term 'working' lightly in this case, as I loved teaching and I barely consider teaching in the classroom six hours week and working in the Speech Center four hours a week work. I also picked up a few hours a week babysitting in order to make a little extra cash. So begins my journey to becoming a stay-at-home wife.


• Fast forward to March 2009....My husband took a job for a company in his native Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He moved to Edmonton in March while I finished out my school year and prepared for a move to a different country. We immediately began my permanent residency process. Originally we thought that as soon as we 'passed' the first phase of the residency process, I would be able to apply for a work permit...WRONG!


• NAFTA to the rescue! After about a million emails and a couple of meeting, I was offered a very part time job teaching online courses at a university in Edmonton. Thanks to NAFTA, I was able to get a temporary work permit and begin 'working'. (That was after three versions of what turned out to be a two-page offer letter, a one night stay in an Econo Lodge, crossing the border only to cross back over it again. Well, that's a story for another time.) Again I use the term 'working' lightly as I love teaching and meet with my students two hours a week. Sure there is some preparation and grading involved, but nothing close to 40 hours a week.

So that brings you up-to-date. Yes, I slept in until 11 a.m. today. Yes, I did a little laundry but nothing else when it comes to housework. Yes, I ventured out for the first time in two days to get some milk, garbage bags and a new shovel. Yes, I went out for drinks tonight with my husband and his friends and no, I didn't worry that we didn't go out until 10:30 p.m. Yes, it is 1 a.m. and I have no plans of going to bed anytime soon. Who cares?

Sure I worry about what this looks like to future employers when I do finally get my permanent residency and can begin working full time. Sometimes I feel guilty that my husband has to go to work every day and I get to sleep in. Yeah money is tighter than we are used to, but we are getting by. Yes I get lonely staying at home all day by myself. I could probably keep the house a little cleaner and cook more elaborate meals for my husband, but I am enjoying playing with the dog, working out occassionally at the gym when hardly anyone is there and taking the time to discover new hobbies and revisit old hobbies. When we first moved and I would meet people who would ask what I did, I jokingly said I was a stay-at-home dog mom before explaining the whole work permit issue. You know what, I don't care anymore. I'll admit....I am a stay-at-home wife and I LOVE it!!!!

Back in September.....

My parents came to visit. They went on a road trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. While they were her we went to an Edmonton Capitols baseball game. The plan was for me to ride back to Nebraska with them so I could fly out of Omaha to go to Houston.

Their trip was cut a bit short because I was offered a position teaching part time for a university here in Edmonton (I will do a separate post about this later). In order to start teaching I had to go down to the border, get a work permit and then back up to a city about 2 hours over the border to get my social insurance number. So, while Jason and I went down to the border to take care of my work permit 'stuff', my parents headed to Glacier National Park. Jason and I met them there a day later so I could ride back with them.Izzy even got to go.I spent about a week in Nebraska and then I headed to Houston to see my cousin/friend/former roommate. Emily and Rich are getting married in April in Denison, Iowa. We had such a great time catching up, shopping and more shopping. I miss her terribly!!!!

I also went to Galveston while I was there, just to go to the beach.

After a week in Houston, I headed to Vegas to meet Jennifer, my other cousin/friend/former roommate. We also had a fabulous time. We went to a Cher concert and to Mystere.
Now I am back in Edmonton and wondering where September went. I'm also preparing myself for the long winter ahead. Until next time....

October is here

Jason here.

Well, with our late spring we got lucky and had a magnificent September with temps in the 20s and 30s most of the month - high 60s to low 80s even for you Americans. But October is now here, and the cooler weather has arrived. Snow is forecasted for tonight.

And with the arrival of cooler weather comes the arrival of hockey and curling! Amanda took her first try at curling on Sunday and threw lead while I threw second. After a rough start, she seemed to pick up on it quickly and did a decent job. We won 11-1 but the competition will get stiffer. It'll be a fun way to spend our Sunday evenings. We play with another couple in an eight-team league at the GARC in Sherwood Park.

Hockey is also here, which means reffing is back in the swing. I had my first game (Jr. B in Leduc) last Friday. This is the same league I used to play in and some of the games can get kind of wild so it stays fairly interesting for us linesmen. I am also of course following the hometown Oilers closely and helping a friend do colour commentary for him on Internet Radio when they come to Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove or St. Albert for a Junior A team out of Lloydminster, the Lloydminster Bobcats.

Besides that, work is going well. Amanda has picked up a couple part-time teaching online classes, but we are still waiting on her permanent residency stuff to get through so she can start to apply for some full-time work.

Hopefully we can keep updating you and get some pictures of curling. Our next curling isn't until Oct. 18 because Thanksgiving is here on Monday. Take care, and GO ESKS and GO OILERS!

Back in the swing of things...

When I started typing the title of this post I was going to write 'Back in the Saddle Again', but wasn't sure if that was really what I was going for. Plus it just made me think of horseback riding which I want to do desperately. Anyway...Throughout this post I've included some photos from the summer. Enjoy!

For a few days after my brother and his friends left I was in a it of a funk. We had so much fun while they were here. Between a little bout of homesickness, mental exhaustion from finally completing my project and physical exhaustion from trying to party like a 21-year-old again, I needed a couple of days of laziness which involved lounging on the counch pretty much all day. After Jason and I's trip to Jasper, I was able to get my motor running (head out on the highway-sorry.Last Friday I officially graduated from graduate school. I am now a proud graduate with a Masters in Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Training. After about 5 years of being in grad school it actually feels weird to be done. I keep thinking about Monday which is when UNO starts school. It's been so long since I haven't been in school.

On Monday I started participating in a running clinic here in Sherwood Park. My goal is that after 10 weeks of the clinic I will be able to run in a 5k. After that I will reassess and see if I want to move up to the 10k level for the next 10 weeks. I have done very well this week as far as running.

Tuesday night I golfed. Let's just say that I was thrilled that I only lost one ball this round considering last time we played the same course I lost SEVEN!!!

The rest of the week I have kept busy volunteering for the local Festival of Trees. I jumped on board as the Volunteer Coordinator and I am looking forward to getting more involved in the community.

This week I also booked flights for a trip I am taking in September. My parents will be coming up the first week in September and then I will ride back to Nebraska with them. From there I will fly to Houston and stay with my cousin Emily for five days. From Houston I am heading to Vegas where I will meet my cousin Jennifer for a couple days of 'Living La Vida Loco'. From Vegas I will fly back to Edmonton in hopes that my work permit will soon follow.

Jasper

Jason and I arrived in Jasper today, it is about 3 hours from Edmonton. We spent the afternoon enjoying the Canadian Rockies and Maligne Canon. This place is absolutely beautiful. Tomorrow we are going to Maligne Lake to do some kyaking and then another lake to do a little swimming. Here are some photos from our hike today.

Thoughts.......

Jason and I went to see the movie Julie and Julia last night. Loved it!!!! It's about a married woman, Julie, in her late twenties who hates her job and doesn't know where her life is headed. She decides that she needs something to do to add direction and purpose to her life. (Something I have been thinking about a lot lately.) Julie has an obsession with Julia Child. (I do a mean Julia Child impression, ask Grandma Laura.) Julie decides to cook her way through the next year by cooking all the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and blogging about it.

This got me thinking....what the heck am I doing with my life. This is probably not a great thing to contemplate at the moment considering the current circumstances that surround my life....living in Canada away from my family and friends, recently having finished my Masters degree in which I can't do a thing with because I am not legally allowed to work in Canada. That being said, I still need something to give me direction. Something to blog about that will be of interest to people, or something that will give me a release. I can't keep doing what I have been doing.....sitting around our townhome surfing the web and sleeping. I could do what Julie from the movie did and cook my way through a cookbook, but groceries are so damn expensive here I would be in debt after the first week.

So, I'm looking for ideas. What do you do that gives direction to your life? Please comment with your ideas. I know there are more of you that read this blog than I thought! Comment pleeeeease!!!!

Photos of the Tree Removal

T-I-M-B-E-R!!!!!

Although I have been back to Edmonton from Nebraska for about two weeks, I have a lot of blogging to do in order to catch everyone up on what we have been up to. I have been terrible at updating this blog, but have BIG plans for making it better. And, I will have plenty of time to do that for reasons I will touch on in upcoming posts.

You may be wondering why the title of this post is T-I-M-B-E-R!!!!! While I was back in Nebraska visiting my family, I received a call from our renters in Omaha. There had been a thunderstorm and one of the large (I use that term lightly) trees in the backyard had dropped one of its branches on the neighbors house. Not only that, but a few hours after the branch fell, a tree across the street on the other side of the house was struck by lightening and threw bark at our house damaging the siding and breaking one of the windows. So, I spent a few days dealing with insurance companies and contractors. Here are some photos of the damage.