WEll this is my one hundred and fifty first post right now... I think the first one hundred went faster than the last fifty, but who's counting right?
I am at Head Hall which is the Engineering hub of UNB and Im in the Engineering library.... yep they have their own library, although I have never seen anyone take a book off these shelves. I think the shelves allow for there to be a divider between all the tables full of students studying for exams. Matt is studying for his final exam on Wednesday afternoon which happens coincidentally at the same time as I am going to be getting my eyebrows waxed. Good timing, this way I will remember to pray. I like to pray right at the beginging that his nerves will be calmed and that he will have the confidence and courage that he does know what he is doing and not be overwhemled with the black and white staring at him in the face.
Today was a great day. My phone began ringing at 6:33. I ran for my purse, finally dug my phone out in the darkness and said "hello" ... dial tone. SHOOT I missed it. Thanks to caller ID I knew it was Stacy so i called her right back. But lately MY reception has been horrible... any tips on what I should do about that? I havent been able to have one clear phone conversation in the last 3 weeks. It is terribly annoying. Anyway... I got sidetracked, back to the story. I called her back on Matt's phone since it actually works. She explained that the roads were horrible and that her husband wasnt going to let her leave the house and she was going to call our Boss. I turned on the radio and it was call after call of accidents. So it was finally decided to delay opening until 12. WOW a whole morning to myself. I could CLEAN!!!!! I got so much done. I finished laundry, amde Matt breakfast, cleaned the rest of the apt. Wrapped the last of the presents, dug out the suitcases for our trip which by the way begins on Friday when we head to PEI until dec. 28. I have that whole week off and we dont have to come back here so that I can work. I was SO happy and excited. I even called Dad and told him the good news.
Matt and I are going to exchange presents when we get to PEI. I cant wait for him to finally open it. I think the anticipation has almost killed him. hehe.
Anyway... I think that is all I feel like writing right now. I will talk to you all soon. Much love and caring.
AManda
PS MERRY CHRISTMAS... and HAPPY NEW YEAR
I probly wont be back til after then. :)

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

I thought I would share some pictures of my Christmas decorations... I thought you might enjoy them. We decided that we didn't have enough room for the tree, so we made a garland over the window and Ashley came over and we made the centerpiece together. We had some much fun gathering all the stuff and putting it all together.
Its hard to believe that it is only two weeks until Matt and I go home for the first part of Christmas... we're so excited to go home and see everyone and open presents he he.
Anyway.. we'll see you all soon..hope you like the pictures!
Love Amanda

Ahhh... Christmas

I have to cay that I am completely in the christmas mood. I am listening to the Josh Groban CD Dad and Sharon gace us last Christmas and I have a pumkin spice candle bravely trying to pretend it is a fireplace going and I am so realxed. This is not how my day was supposed to go. It was supposed to be a crazy hectic day... until I fainted at the table at Cora's Restaurant.... oops. There were some nurses at the next table that kindly cared for me and patted me with wet paper towels. haha... I got free orange juice and taost though.... Anyway. Matt was in the middle of trying to change the tires himslef which wasnt going to well either so he gave up and was on his was to our mechanic to get the tires changed. I told him to keep going..who knows when we'll have time to do that again. So I enjoyed the comapny and the breakfast at Cora's and I was feeling a lot better. Meanwhile Matt stopped off at Walmart to get some cash and he was in such a hurry that he forgot his cash.. thanksfully a nice Matt ran after him and caought up to Matt just as he was getting in the car and gave him his money. We just seem to run into the nicest people. I mean really. Anyway. Once Matt was done all of us girls had made it to Wilmont church where a 10,000 Viallages trade fair thingy was ahppening. We perused for awhile I couldnt find anything that really fit into the budget and I was getting tired.. thankfully Matt came in time. Then he took me home and I cleaned up a bit so I could actually relax. Matt cooked some lunch and then he went to Rudi's birthday party alone. I thought I should just stay home and relax. I am really enjoying it...it has been such a long time. I'm reading.. snacking... puttering a bit but enjoying myself immensely. Sometimes not feeling well is a great ooportunity to relax. :)
Anyway. Work has been going really well. I have been working a lot! Which is good because then I dont miss Matt so much. I think that this is his busyest semester yet and I think it is a tough one. He is working hard and doing his best so that is great! Other than having something to go to or do every night we are having a great time. I hope yyou are all enjoying your time preparing for Christmas I wish someone would just come here and surprise me by decorating my apartment for Christmas... I am all thumbs when it somes to that stuff. anyway... my candle is working for now and I think I might turn it into a centerpeice.. I just have to pick up some supplies and time :)
Have fun decorating and I love you all!
Amanda and Matt

Hey Guys,
Thought I would spare some time to write a little bit about how things are going. Things at work have been going really well despite my working a lot of hours. We had quite a windstorm last night and it blew our gazebo over (it was a piece of junk ie: thin metal, canvas and a really windy location) It also blew our play structure apart. Which is one of those heavy plastic little tykes type things. SO our playground went from pretty fun to really boring. Outside time is no longer my favourite. But apparently someone is going to build us a gazebo. I am totally pumped for that.
This morning I was walking into the daycare and I usually give the door an extra tug since it is heavy. So i turned the knob and pulled and almost fell over and found the doorknob in my hand. I tried to fit it in but it wouldn't work so i knocked until someone opened the door. haha. Then I saw my picture on the wall (a very bad one i need to add) That I am employee of the month. haha. I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean but it felt good to have my overtime hours and doing the laundry every weekend appreciated.
Matt finally finished his mid-terms and I am so happy. I think they went OK. He had a few late nights and he is still really busy with school stuff!
Wednesday was his birthday and Annelie asked what we were doing.
I said "Nothing!"
"Nothing???" Annelie exclaimed
"Nope, he said that he has to study and he doesn't have time to do anything" I sadly explained.
"WELL, you have to do SOMETHING" she replied
"He said no, and plus I already told someone I could babysit"
"Well I talked to Harry and we said that since you dont have any family here we should have you over for dinner or something."
"OK" I said, always willing to eat her food for free
"AND we should do it on his birthday. I understand that he has to study, but ONE hour!"
"I think I can manage that" I said
"Oh, and you should invite all his friends.
"REALLY???" I said, because inwardly I dreamed and schemed how I could pull something like that off and every time my apartment was just too small!
"It should be a surprise!" she said just as excited as I was
"What an awesome idea" I told her "I will email everyone right now"
So the plan was set Wednesday at 6:30 I would be there
Two Days Later...
we had had a nice day. I woke up early and made Matt some breakfast and dropped him off at school. He had a lot of studying to do and I had told him that we had to go to Annelie's for supper. He doesn't really like going there when Harry is not home because he says there is too much talking. But I was supposed to go there for supper on Monday and because of matt studyng i couldn't. So I told him she would be really upset if we didn't come
I picked him up at 5:30 and told him that I wanted to change first. I really went as slow as possible, but it just doesn't take me very long to get ready. I was ready by 5:45. He said, Alright lets go! I said... umm I need to use the bathroom soon. Just wait a bit longer. At 6:00 he wanted to leave again. SO I went to the bathroom and locked myself in there, filed my nails, did my hair, my make-up, did my hair again. FINALLY it was time to go. Matt found his fast walking feet, RUSHED to the car and he drove quite quickly to annelies, pulled right up to the door (usually he parks father away so the kids dont get near the car. walked really fast to the house and then we heard a lot of noise. Annelie could barely contain herself she was laughing so hard (because they had just gotten everyone in the basement in time, and she threw all the coats and stuff in the bathroom and I think she managed to get one in the toilet) Then she kept cooking supper and the boys asked Matt if he wanted to play air hockey. So they went downstairs and when he got there everyone shouted SURPRISE!!!!! IT was such a nice evening. It was SOOO fun. She made nasi with really yummy sweet n sour meatballs and peanut sauce. She bought him an ice cream cake too. Everything his favourite and a real nice change to get a break from studying. IT was SOO nice of her and so fun!
Anyway... I have a chapter and I could write more yet too. Making 150 pies on the weekend with GEMS, Having a party for MAtt and I with RUdi and Amy at the chalet and hot tubbing there along with relaxing by the wood stove. Singing in church and totally feeling an overwhemling sense of God's presence, relaxing with Matt on Sunday and cooking a thrown together meal. Good Times. Anyway... love you all oodles!
Love Amanda

DEar Friends, Family and any Readers I may have left...
It is hard to think that this time last yeat I was writing a blog everyday letting you know how I was doing and telling you about every day. Now you are lucky if you get a five minute update. I dont know how I became so busy...it kinda creeped up on me. So far this week I am gone every evening! Matt has mid-terms this week so we wont be seeing a whole lot of each other either.
On MOnday I have a worship Commitee meeting. These meetings are quite interesting because you really get to know people in your church family, their thoughts and views and you have to decide some pretty important things together. I am on the commmitee with Annelie too. She usually cooks supper for me and drives me there and back. It is good time to spend with her since I dont get to see her nearly as much..and I get to eat some yummy food.
Tuesday II have trining for work. In New Brunswick they have a new mandatory curriculum so all the ECE's in New Brunswick have to learn how to implement this values based curriculum. It is very disorganized and I dread every meeting. We are already doing everything that this curriculum requires so the 36 hours training it really boring plus it suts into my already busy life. I have one meeting this morning and then I have to leave early to go to Jeff and Andrea's wedding. I am not supposed to leave early so I am going for an extended bathroom break, but I already ok'd it with my boss.
On wednesday I have to babysit at 8:15, so I will have time to go home after work and cook supper and either bring some to MAtt or he will come home with me. It is also Matt's birthday that day. I already got him a bike and I made a binder with dreams. Someday we are going to build a house and when MAtt thinks of something he likes we put it in the binder. It turned out really well. He already saw it because our apartment is not very large and I had to know what he wanted. hehe. I still have a movie and some Lindor chocolates for him.
Thursday I have GEMS and I am getting my eyebrows done too!
Fruday night I have to babysit and then saturday we are at church all day making apple pies for GEMS. I was asked to babysit that night too.... but i said NO! :) Instead we are going to have a big party with all our friends for both of our birthdays. Now we just have to find a place that is big enough.
SO that is my week at a glance and somehow every week ends up just like it. Matt and I still find time to sit on the courch and cuddle and enjoy each other. He cooks for himself a little more often now but he is becoming very profficient in making fried potatoes. Anyway i have to get ready to go. Registration is from 8-9 and I still have to do my hair and get Matt up to bring me. I am also hoping to convince him that a tim hortons breakfast sandwich is a good idea.
I hope you all have an awesome time until i manage to write again...just dont forget i love you..and so does matt

technology!?!?!?!

I just have a few minutes to let you all know that i am still alive. I would write down everything that is happening here but I just dont have time. OUr internet is COMPLETELY down at home and I cant use the computer at work as often because the computer I use is in the same room as the college classes. Things are going REALLY well. So dont worry. But I miss the link to reading your blogs and catching up with things that are going on with you. I love you all and i will try to write more when I have an internet or computer. Love you all!
Amanda

my NEW haircut.

Matt and I have had a terrible time with our internet connection and I dont want to go on and on for fear of losing it. Things here are going well. I had a pamper day on Friday and I got my eyebrows done and my hair cut. What do you think????
Love ya!