Hi all,
Just a quick Christmas greeting to any and all that come by our blog! We pray that all of you would be blessed during this celebration of Christ's birth!
Al and Jenn
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
'Bout time, eh?
I know....it's been so long, nobody probably even checks this blog anymore, but hopefully there's still a few of you out there.
It's 3 day till Christmas and it sure does look like it in the little town of Barrie. People are out ice fishing and we have a good layer of snow on the ground, with more to come tonight, according to the weather network. I'll be working day tomorrow and Friday, so I have Christmas Eve evening off and Christmas day until 7pm, which is as good as it could be while working. Somehow I managed to get holidays over New Year's so Jenn and I will be heading to Woodstock to celebrate Christmas with our families. It will actually be the first New Years Jenn and I get to spend together.
We have both settled into life here wonderfully! Jenn is currently working at the pier 1 in Richmond Hill, hopefully only for a few months. After that she will hopefully be working closer to home. She is working diligently to finish her BA through correspondence and we hope to travel to Alberta in June for her graduation.
Through the summer we were busy but managed to get away for a few days at Killbear, pulling into a deserted park, right after the Labour Day crowds left. Despite nearly getting blown off of our campsite the first night, it was a wonderfully relaxing getaway. We didn't really get in any motorcycle time this year, as I wasn't able to bring it home from London until the end of October (after some emergency repairs), but we're looking forward to cruising along the Lakeshore next summer!
This fall was also busy. I was working a lot of overtime and Jenn began working part-time at the Christian bookstore here in Barrie, and it's sister store in Newmarket, doing some visual merchandising. All that on top of her full-time work at Pier 1 and her studies! My beautiful wife never ceases to amaze me!
Anyhow, we hope and pray that all of our family and friends, near and far, are blessed this Christmas and into the new year! And I promise to try and post a little more often! 8)
Al (&Jenn, Quito and Griffen)
It's 3 day till Christmas and it sure does look like it in the little town of Barrie. People are out ice fishing and we have a good layer of snow on the ground, with more to come tonight, according to the weather network. I'll be working day tomorrow and Friday, so I have Christmas Eve evening off and Christmas day until 7pm, which is as good as it could be while working. Somehow I managed to get holidays over New Year's so Jenn and I will be heading to Woodstock to celebrate Christmas with our families. It will actually be the first New Years Jenn and I get to spend together.
We have both settled into life here wonderfully! Jenn is currently working at the pier 1 in Richmond Hill, hopefully only for a few months. After that she will hopefully be working closer to home. She is working diligently to finish her BA through correspondence and we hope to travel to Alberta in June for her graduation.
Through the summer we were busy but managed to get away for a few days at Killbear, pulling into a deserted park, right after the Labour Day crowds left. Despite nearly getting blown off of our campsite the first night, it was a wonderfully relaxing getaway. We didn't really get in any motorcycle time this year, as I wasn't able to bring it home from London until the end of October (after some emergency repairs), but we're looking forward to cruising along the Lakeshore next summer!
This fall was also busy. I was working a lot of overtime and Jenn began working part-time at the Christian bookstore here in Barrie, and it's sister store in Newmarket, doing some visual merchandising. All that on top of her full-time work at Pier 1 and her studies! My beautiful wife never ceases to amaze me!
Anyhow, we hope and pray that all of our family and friends, near and far, are blessed this Christmas and into the new year! And I promise to try and post a little more often! 8)
Al (&Jenn, Quito and Griffen)
Sunday, July 04, 2004
I'm Finally Home
Al suggested the other day, that maybe it was time for me to sit and write on the blog. I can't believe I actually have time to sit! It has been so good to finally be home, London never felt like that, but only being here for a week, I feel like I am home.
I returned to work on Friday, my manager kindly gave me last week off so I could settle in here at the house. I was able to do some painting, and organizing around the house. We also managed to have our first "flood" in the basement, and I also managed to break the handle on the toilet. Sorry Al! But those little things just remind us what a blessing this is to finally have our own little place to call home. Returning to Pier 1 in Barrie has been great, I had kept in touch with the store while I was in London for two years so it was pretty easy to walk back in, and there are only a few new faces there. The staff welcomed me with open arms litterly. Its probably not common to receive so many hugs on your first day of work! Now that I am only working one job, I will need to hit the books. I am almost near the end of my degree, and I am looking forward to flying to Alberta next June to graduate! Well now I am just on my way to church, returning to places I haven't been in awhile, kind of leaves me with that nervous yet excited feeling like the first day of school. -jenn-
I returned to work on Friday, my manager kindly gave me last week off so I could settle in here at the house. I was able to do some painting, and organizing around the house. We also managed to have our first "flood" in the basement, and I also managed to break the handle on the toilet. Sorry Al! But those little things just remind us what a blessing this is to finally have our own little place to call home. Returning to Pier 1 in Barrie has been great, I had kept in touch with the store while I was in London for two years so it was pretty easy to walk back in, and there are only a few new faces there. The staff welcomed me with open arms litterly. Its probably not common to receive so many hugs on your first day of work! Now that I am only working one job, I will need to hit the books. I am almost near the end of my degree, and I am looking forward to flying to Alberta next June to graduate! Well now I am just on my way to church, returning to places I haven't been in awhile, kind of leaves me with that nervous yet excited feeling like the first day of school. -jenn-
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Home sweet home
Well, the move went very smoothly on Saturday, thanks to the much needed help of our family! Mom and Dad Claus, Mom and Dad Holmes, and Trish and Shawn came to help us empty the house and load up the moving van. Mom and Dad Holmes and Trish and Shawn then came with us up to Barrie to do the unload. We made really good time, loading the van in just over 2 hours. I think we're still a little shocked that we got everything in one load, except for the motorbike. Once in Barrie, I think we had the van and 3 cars unloaded by about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Dad Holmes and Shawn then helped by wiring an electrical outlet in the basement. Most things have found a place in our house, now, so it is starting to feel like home. The key ingredient missing right now, sadly, is Jenn, but she will be up for good this coming weekend. She has to finish a few more days of work in London and Woodstock. I was in Pier 1 here in Barrie yesterday and they seem pretty excited to be getting Jenn back! She starts there on Monday.
Yesterday I got to cut my own grass for the first time....that was more fun than I thought it would be....it's pretty cool to want to take pride in your own property. The neighbour's house is sold and I think the tenants there have just decided not to cut the grass, since they have to move...it looks pretty nasty, but it does make my lawn look like a fairway at Glen Abbey.
Now, we're just waiting anxiously for Treen and Jax to become parents...checking their blog every few hours! We pray everything will go very smoothly for them!
Feel free to leave a message in our message book! We'd love to hear how everyone is doing!
Yesterday I got to cut my own grass for the first time....that was more fun than I thought it would be....it's pretty cool to want to take pride in your own property. The neighbour's house is sold and I think the tenants there have just decided not to cut the grass, since they have to move...it looks pretty nasty, but it does make my lawn look like a fairway at Glen Abbey.
Now, we're just waiting anxiously for Treen and Jax to become parents...checking their blog every few hours! We pray everything will go very smoothly for them!
Feel free to leave a message in our message book! We'd love to hear how everyone is doing!
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Nearly there...
Well, it's Thursday...we'll be doing the big move on Saturday with the help of our family. We seem to like stacking really stressful situations on ourselves. Two years ago it was planning our wedding, both starting new jobs and both moving, all in a matter of a couple of months. Now it's the move and both new jobs....maybe we're just gluttons for punishment. 8) We both know that this a going to be a great move for us both, though, so it's more than worth all the hard work and tough time spent apart!
Last night I spent about 7 hours at an accident scene. A young guy on a motorcycle was stopped at a light when a moron in a trans am hit him from behind at over 80km/hr. He flew about 50 feet through the air...I was helping EMS with him...he was conscious but that poor guy was hurting...both legs mangled. Last I heard his condition had worsened and they air lifted him to Sunnybrook....that's a guy who could use some prayers! On that note, the guy who hit him probably needs some too...he at least was taking full responsibility for it. After they took the victim away and I took a couple statements, I sat at a traffic point all night. We have specialists come in to measure the entire scene, like where all the debris lands (and there was a lot of debris...like a bomb went off!). It's funny and terribly aggravating at the same time...we can set up 200 flares and 83 pylons across 40 feet of pavement and there will still be the boneheads who try to drive around them while we are sitting there blocking the road with our cruisers, all emergency lights on. Sometimes you just want to feed someone a burning road flare...oops...did I type that out loud?
So, anyways, we got a few busy days ahead...I managed to take tonight and next Tuesday off to give us a little extra time on both ends of the move...still seems like lots of packing around here though! I think Quito is getting more and more confused....Boxes are piling up and I seem to come and go every few days...the old boy is going to have his own backyard soon, though, so things will be looking up for him! Better get cracking on the packing! Later!
Last night I spent about 7 hours at an accident scene. A young guy on a motorcycle was stopped at a light when a moron in a trans am hit him from behind at over 80km/hr. He flew about 50 feet through the air...I was helping EMS with him...he was conscious but that poor guy was hurting...both legs mangled. Last I heard his condition had worsened and they air lifted him to Sunnybrook....that's a guy who could use some prayers! On that note, the guy who hit him probably needs some too...he at least was taking full responsibility for it. After they took the victim away and I took a couple statements, I sat at a traffic point all night. We have specialists come in to measure the entire scene, like where all the debris lands (and there was a lot of debris...like a bomb went off!). It's funny and terribly aggravating at the same time...we can set up 200 flares and 83 pylons across 40 feet of pavement and there will still be the boneheads who try to drive around them while we are sitting there blocking the road with our cruisers, all emergency lights on. Sometimes you just want to feed someone a burning road flare...oops...did I type that out loud?
So, anyways, we got a few busy days ahead...I managed to take tonight and next Tuesday off to give us a little extra time on both ends of the move...still seems like lots of packing around here though! I think Quito is getting more and more confused....Boxes are piling up and I seem to come and go every few days...the old boy is going to have his own backyard soon, though, so things will be looking up for him! Better get cracking on the packing! Later!
Friday, June 11, 2004
Changes
Well, we've been reading all about Treen and Jax's adventures in Taiwan andI thought this whole blog thing seems like a really easy way to keep in touch with everyone. So, especially for those of you that we haven't talked to in a long time, here's what's happening with us:
Summer 2002 - Al attended Police College in Aylmer after being hired by the London Police Service. Jenn spends half the summer in Barrie working for Pier 1 before moving to London. On August 31, 2002, Al and Jenn are married in Woodstock and enjoy a 48-hr honeymoon before returning to London to start work. Jenn is contracted to the London Future Shops doing visual merchandising. They settle into their new home in southeast London. It's a modest 3-bedroom townhouse where Al must accustom himself to washing dishes by hand again.
Fall 2002 - Jenn begins working for a hi-end home furnishings/design store in downtown London, while Al works through 3 months of training on the road with a coach officer. It slowly becomes apparent that Jenn is working for a lunatic who doesn't pay her bills, but she takes solace in the fact that she has made a wonderful friend in Beth,who works there with her, and that they can endure their misery together.
Spring 2003 - The job hunt continues for Jenn until she takes a position for a married couple who represent several home furnishing lines around southwestern Ontario. Jenn spends her days working mostly independently, travelling to different stores as a rep. Al has now been on his own since December and catching on to the job. Everyday is a battle not to sink deeper into cynicism, but it has it's fun moments, too. There's been several car and foot chases and he's making some good friends at work.
Summer 2003 - Al and Jenn contemplate buying a home, possibly in the Dorchester area. They have been attending North Park Community church but haven't found it to be quite what they're looking for. By the end of the summer they start attending Stoney Creek Baptist Church and find it more up their alley. Jenn's job is going well and Al is gaining a bit of a reputation as a "traffic guy", doing his part to keep his platoon's ticket stats up. After a year, though, living in London has become something neither Al or Jenn can see lasting long.
Fall 2003 - For Thanksgiving, Al and Jenn, along with Jenn's family, travel to Orillia for the weekend, renting a cottage there. During the trip, Al and Jenn visit her old co-workers at Pier 1. Al gets an idea to call the Barrie Police Service to find out if they are hiring. He calls and, before he even has a chance to run the idea past Jenn, he's scheduled for an interview. Jenn is surprised, but excited about the idea of moving back there. The interview goes well, but it will be several months before they hear anything concrete back from Barrie.
Winter 2003/04 - As London seems to take a good pounding from winter, Jenn has to deal with ongoing issues with her employers. The man, in particular, can be very demanding and neither he or his wife seem to be aware that labour laws exist regarding hours of work or that something called "holidays" exist. Jenn is advised that she will take her holidays over Christmas, as retailers aren't interested in seeing reps during that busy time. That's fine with Jenn, until they start calling and emailing her from Florida to run errands for them. Jenn politely advises that she is on holidays and is too busy to run the errands. They do have a lady who works in their office, however, she doesn't speak English very well so she is not allowed to answer phones and she refuses to touch the computer, so they couldn't possibly ask her. Following their trip to Florida, the husband promptly fires Jenn for not taking time out of her holidays to run his errands. A Ministry of Labour investigation ensues and they are found at fault and are required to make restitution to Jenn. It was a trying situation, however, Jenn is happy that she was able to stand up for her rights. Jenn now works part time at both her mom's Christian bookstore in Woodstock and at Pier 1 in London. Al and Jenn continue to wait for work from Barrie. Finally in early March Barrie calls to say they are going to start Al's background check, indicating that the odds are very good that they will be hiring. Al lets his supervisors at work know of his intentions and finds everyone very supportive. They provide a very supportive reference to Barrie.
Spring 2004 - At the end of April, Al gets the word from Barrie and begins work there on May 10. Al and Jenn have been looking at real estate listings online for a while now and have a few that they are interested in but one in particular really catches their eye. Al stays at his grandparents in Barrie, while Jenn remains in London to continue working. On a visit up, Al and Jenn go to view the home that they are keen on and the decision is immediately made to make an offer. The offer is reasonably countered by the vendors and the sale is made. On June 4, Al and Jenn take possession of their first house. Praise God...everything worked out so well! Jenn will be hired back by Pier 1 and starts at the beginning of July in a management position.
So, here we are...still packing up in London and looking forward to it all being over. I know our life isn't quite as interesting as Jax and Treen's is now, especially with the little Jax almost here, but we hope some of you can keep in touch with us this way and we pray that you are all doing well!
Summer 2002 - Al attended Police College in Aylmer after being hired by the London Police Service. Jenn spends half the summer in Barrie working for Pier 1 before moving to London. On August 31, 2002, Al and Jenn are married in Woodstock and enjoy a 48-hr honeymoon before returning to London to start work. Jenn is contracted to the London Future Shops doing visual merchandising. They settle into their new home in southeast London. It's a modest 3-bedroom townhouse where Al must accustom himself to washing dishes by hand again.
Fall 2002 - Jenn begins working for a hi-end home furnishings/design store in downtown London, while Al works through 3 months of training on the road with a coach officer. It slowly becomes apparent that Jenn is working for a lunatic who doesn't pay her bills, but she takes solace in the fact that she has made a wonderful friend in Beth,who works there with her, and that they can endure their misery together.
Spring 2003 - The job hunt continues for Jenn until she takes a position for a married couple who represent several home furnishing lines around southwestern Ontario. Jenn spends her days working mostly independently, travelling to different stores as a rep. Al has now been on his own since December and catching on to the job. Everyday is a battle not to sink deeper into cynicism, but it has it's fun moments, too. There's been several car and foot chases and he's making some good friends at work.
Summer 2003 - Al and Jenn contemplate buying a home, possibly in the Dorchester area. They have been attending North Park Community church but haven't found it to be quite what they're looking for. By the end of the summer they start attending Stoney Creek Baptist Church and find it more up their alley. Jenn's job is going well and Al is gaining a bit of a reputation as a "traffic guy", doing his part to keep his platoon's ticket stats up. After a year, though, living in London has become something neither Al or Jenn can see lasting long.
Fall 2003 - For Thanksgiving, Al and Jenn, along with Jenn's family, travel to Orillia for the weekend, renting a cottage there. During the trip, Al and Jenn visit her old co-workers at Pier 1. Al gets an idea to call the Barrie Police Service to find out if they are hiring. He calls and, before he even has a chance to run the idea past Jenn, he's scheduled for an interview. Jenn is surprised, but excited about the idea of moving back there. The interview goes well, but it will be several months before they hear anything concrete back from Barrie.
Winter 2003/04 - As London seems to take a good pounding from winter, Jenn has to deal with ongoing issues with her employers. The man, in particular, can be very demanding and neither he or his wife seem to be aware that labour laws exist regarding hours of work or that something called "holidays" exist. Jenn is advised that she will take her holidays over Christmas, as retailers aren't interested in seeing reps during that busy time. That's fine with Jenn, until they start calling and emailing her from Florida to run errands for them. Jenn politely advises that she is on holidays and is too busy to run the errands. They do have a lady who works in their office, however, she doesn't speak English very well so she is not allowed to answer phones and she refuses to touch the computer, so they couldn't possibly ask her. Following their trip to Florida, the husband promptly fires Jenn for not taking time out of her holidays to run his errands. A Ministry of Labour investigation ensues and they are found at fault and are required to make restitution to Jenn. It was a trying situation, however, Jenn is happy that she was able to stand up for her rights. Jenn now works part time at both her mom's Christian bookstore in Woodstock and at Pier 1 in London. Al and Jenn continue to wait for work from Barrie. Finally in early March Barrie calls to say they are going to start Al's background check, indicating that the odds are very good that they will be hiring. Al lets his supervisors at work know of his intentions and finds everyone very supportive. They provide a very supportive reference to Barrie.
Spring 2004 - At the end of April, Al gets the word from Barrie and begins work there on May 10. Al and Jenn have been looking at real estate listings online for a while now and have a few that they are interested in but one in particular really catches their eye. Al stays at his grandparents in Barrie, while Jenn remains in London to continue working. On a visit up, Al and Jenn go to view the home that they are keen on and the decision is immediately made to make an offer. The offer is reasonably countered by the vendors and the sale is made. On June 4, Al and Jenn take possession of their first house. Praise God...everything worked out so well! Jenn will be hired back by Pier 1 and starts at the beginning of July in a management position.
So, here we are...still packing up in London and looking forward to it all being over. I know our life isn't quite as interesting as Jax and Treen's is now, especially with the little Jax almost here, but we hope some of you can keep in touch with us this way and we pray that you are all doing well!
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