Last Day

Yesterday was my last day as a grade one teacher. It's been a lot of fun this year, but boy am I glad it's over! I'm already in summer mode and I can't wait to have nothing to do! Okay, maybe I won't have nothing to do because I always seem to make myself very busy, but I'm really looking forward to starting my summer reading and writing. I just discovered a nice little cafe that would be really great to write in,so I think I will start going there every morning to work on writing. I seem to get more done out of the house. I've hardly done any this year, which is ridiculous, as I was tocing so I should have had tons of time. Somehow, though, I haven't had a single day with nothing planned in months.

I've now gotten to know so many people in Dawson Creek (which isn't hard when you live in a tiny town and are a teacher) so that when I go out I always run into people I know. I remember being jealous last summer of all the people who knew each other and who I didn't know. I would walk past someone my age in the grocery aisle and think "will you be my friend?". It sounds dumb now, because everyone told me I would meet tons of new people, and I have, but I didn't know how to go about it when I wasn't in school. University makes friend-making quite easy. You sit together for at least a couple of hours a day, so you're always in touch.

I just recently am becoming friends with my neighbours now too. There's a lady across the street who goes to my church and she's invited me to come over sometime, and also to join her thursday night ladies group who meet at Mr. Mike's every week. I was excited to be invited because I'd heard about them in our church, and they are apparently all exhorters, like me.

We did this study in our small group called the 7 Redemptive gifts, and it talks about 7 types of personality. It's actually very interesting, and as I was sitting there trying to figure out what gifting I had, my whole group was like, uh, Sabrina, you're obviously an exhorter. Exhorters are the ones who are really into making friends, community, always being busy with activities, meeting new people, and who absolutely hate to be alone for too long. Yep, sounds like me. It's funny that I never realized it until now, but the study sure helped Mike and I to understand each other, as he is a Mercy. Mercies and Exhorters are opposites in some ways, as exhorters hate to be alone and mercies love and need their alone time. We both had a moment where we were like, "ooooh, I get it!". No wonder Mike loves to sit and play his games by himself and I'm always like "Please, entertain me, I'm bored!".

Anyways, if you're interested, go take the quiz and see if you can figure out what you are, and you're husband too, it's very helpful to marriages and friendships. If you think you know which you are, let me know, as I've been guessing my friend's giftings ever since.

Go to this site and read the DNA questions. It's very enlightening.

So, more on my last day. We had a pirate scavengar hunt, which was so much fun. I hid little treasure boxes around the class with prizes in them, and everyone had one with their name on it. Of coures, they made me hide them over and over again until the end of the day. We also made pirate ships and picture frames for our class photo. Three kids in the class brought me presents, one little girl made me a crown to wear all day, and another girl brought me red roses. They are such sweethearts. I felt so bad at the end of the day though, as one little girl left the school crying because I wouldn't be their teacher anymore. Later on, at soccer, I ran into the Dad of another little girl, and he told me "M was so lifeless when she got home today". He asked her what was wrong and she said it was the last day with "Mme L'Heureux". Broke my heart. I'll miss that next year when I'm teaching grade twelve. They're not so into giving you hugs and presents.

Well, I'm off to wake my hubby so we can go do something fun today!!

Gardening

I never got called in to work today, so I decided to spend it outside gardening while my husband slept away the day. (He's on nights) I realize that I've never posted pics of my yard and outside of my house as it was always covered in snow.

But, I had a successful day gardening, and Mike and I spent a ton of money on the weekend on the necessary yard equipment. We bought a weed wacker and lawnmower (our grass looks like a jungle) and pots and flowers and seeds to plant. I also found a set of amazing adirondack chairs, which I've been wanting forever, to put on our front deck, which faces south and has a view of the whole city and Bear mountain. Funny that I'm actually starting to think of it as a mountain. The chairs were made by a retired man who makes them as a hobby over the winter. He sells them at the farmer's market, which is my favourite place to shop on saturdays. They have beautiful things and I can't wait for later this summer and fall to buy their vegetables. I also bought some hand made spearmint and mulberry hemp soap that smell delicious.

Here is a peek at my yard so far. It still needs lots of work, especially the dandelions and the grass--but I've left that for Mike on his day off tomorrow!

Here is my faery garden:


My deck and front yard, with the pots I planted today:





My back yard and side of my house:



Oh, and one last thing. Not only did I get the job at the high school for next year, but they've decided to give me a continuing contract! This means that I'm guaranteed a job for every year I'm here--usually it takes two years before they will give you one, so it's great news for next year as I don't have to worry about having a job!