97 /98~ 2nd and last year at bible college. Met the man of my dreams, started dating.Worked as a summer student for a natural gas company for the summer. Did the long distance thing with Mike, broke up in the summer, got back together in the fall. Continued Ed Degree at the University. Got an apt. with a friend from home in the best of the worst area of the city. Worked at a dollar store to keep food on the table. It was a blast, ahh the simple worries of college days. Mike bought a house, I helped him with renos (new siding), ahhh young love, you'll do anything to spend time together.
98/99~Worked as Summer Program Coordinator for my home town (basically played with kids all summer) Best job ever! My dream man proposed, I said yes. We set the date for the following summer. Moved back to the city and in with my best friend for one last year of single girl shenanagans; we lived down town and saw many strange and interesting things pass by each day, continued B.Ed studies, continued working at the dollar store.
99/2000~Worked for my parents for the summer (they owned a grocery store back then). Acquired a stray toy poodle days before the wedding (Mike found her and fell in love! Kept her, called her Buzz) Got married on Aug 5th, lived happily ever after...
Ha ha!
2000/2001~continued last year of Ed Degree. the practicum was soul killing, I hated it, I quit! Enjoyed playing house with Mike, most of the time (except the cooking and cleaning part), got a job working at a group home for people with developmental delays. Mike quit at car audio store, painted pipe around my home town for the summer (yes we did the long distance thing again) and then got a job with the local cable company. Got another dog to keep Buzz company. An American Eskimo this time, named Sebastian, enjoyed being D.I.N.Ks.(double income no kids)
2001/2002~Decided to sell house, pay off credit cards, buy a vw golf desiel and a 15' Boler trailer and go on a road trip. Spent 1 month fishing on Vancouver Island, ambled up to NWT for a few misquito swatting days, headed to AB & SK for some R&R with friends and family. Returned to home in the fall for our good friends M & B's wedding. No idea what to do with ourselves upon return. Moved to my home town, lived in a shop. Mike was going to flip vehicles (fix up good deals & sell them), I waitressed then completed my Ed Degree by doing my practicum at my old Jr. High with my former teacher. It was great, I didn't hate it and I didn't quit this time. After I finished my practicum we decided to move back to the city, but I worked for my parents for the summer(long distance AGAIN!) no grocery store, this time I worked their campground concession. Mike moved back to the city to work for a car audio store again, this time in sales. Once summer was over I joined Mike in the city and waitressed at a pizza joint(it sucked) then a pasta place (it didn't suck quite as much, but still sucked).
2002/2003~ I graduated with B.Ed Degree, continued to waitress, Mike was doing great in car audio he was consistently top in sales, but he also hated working for a boss and dreamed of owning his own business, I got a job at an insurance company doing data entry and claims adjustments. I grew up doing retail, so I LOVED having an office job (something different), I LOVED working downtown, I didn't even mind taking the bus (except on crappy cold days). Went bear hunting that spring, talk about crazy! I'll never do that again, ask me about it next time you want to hear another long story.
2003/2004~ continued to enjoy being DINKS. Our favorite activities included: shopping at Ikea (me), wake boarding (both), going to movies (both), Lattes at Chapters (me), hunting (Mike), camping (both), drop in Volleyball with friends (both), being general all around city slickers (me).
2004/2005~decided to quit our jobs, move in with my parents back in my home town to pursue the dream of starting our own business, a Mobile Ice cream concession, only to find out once we were homeless and jobless that we were expecting baby #1!!!!!!!!!!!!! Recovered from shock, I began subbing at the local School Div, found a place to rent, built an ice cream concession out of an old moving truck, went on the road as carnies! Whoo Hooo! After working our final spot of the summer, and while hanging around visiting Mike's sister & family, and trying to decide if we should sell ice cream at the up coming home show, our son Dade was born. That was the best day of my life!
2005/2006~took the fall off to enjoy being parents and to celebrate the success of our concession that summer. Returned to Subbing after Christmas (agony to leave baby boy at first). Decided to go ice cream pedaling again, found out we were expecting again! Another summer on the road and prego!
2006/2007~Took the fall off once again. After the hectic summers we need the down time. We start working again after Christmas. Jan 2007 we just got home from Christmas with Mike's family and 4 days later our daughter, Matia was born. That was the next best day of my life! I love being a Mom more than anything else in the world. In spite of how hectic and messy and sticky and poopy it can be, it is also full of smiles and kisses and hugs and giggles and I wouldn't change it for the world!
2007/2008~ Enjoyed a mat leave this time, started subbing again in Feb. We're gearing up for another summer on the road. In addition we have just purchased property near the city. We will be moving there between mid may and end of June. We will need to develop the property (utilities, road, well) and also renovate an old 1979 mobile home we acquired this year. We will subdivide our property and sell the mobile & one parcel and move on to either build or acquire another mobile for the other part of the subdivision and live in that till we can sell it too. It is going to be a CRAZY summer, crazier than all the other summers combined! But it will be great too.
We are living very blessed and unusual lives. We look forward to new adventures each year and hold onto each other tight and try to enjoy the ride. We hope to have more kids in the future, but we're take a little break for now. God has great things in store for us, we just have to be willing to step out in faith.
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