Santa!

Today I met with my friend Becky, her husband Mike, and their 8 month old son Everett at Canadale's Nursery to see Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the reindeer. It's a big Open House event at Canadale's and the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Auxiliary (my mom volunteers for it) sells food and drinks there. My mom went to set up and I went to see Santa! After waiting in line, and running into my cousin's wife Tammy, and her 2 boys, Jeff and Josh, Everett finally got to see Santa. Becky was a little worried because Everett is starting to play strange but he did a great job at staying calm (and checking if Santa's beard was real - it was!). I also saw my Dad's brother Jim (he works at Canadale's) and he was doing decorating demonstrations. I remember when I worked at Canadale's for a summer and Jim is definitely a super-star at the Nursery. He is very knowledgeable about everything in the garden centre and many customers ask for him by name. It was nice to see so many family and friends today on this beautiful sunny Saturday.

Cutie Everett

Jeff and Josh meet Santa

Lest We Forget

 

Remembrance Day has always been one of my favourite days of the year. I think it's an important day that should be observed respectively and reflectively. Here are a few pictures from a cemetary in St. Thomas where soldiers are honoured with flags and poppies. 

Drivin'

I drove my mom to work today (since I needed the car in the afternoon and Nathan has our car in Brampton this week). On the way home I decided to take a detour out to a farm in Fingal that my Dad rents. Across the street is a horse farm. I'm not a huge horse fan, but it was such a beautiful day today that I thought it would be relaxing to go and take a few pictures. Of course, as soon as I pulled over and got out of the truck, the owner pulled up and looked at me like I was going to go activist on him and throw open the gates. I explained that I was John Stinson's daughter and then he relaxed, talked a bit, then drove away. I feel like my Dad is my connection in the surrounding farm communities. I toss his name out whenever I'm confronted or meet someone in a pick-up truck. Then they usually launch into a message I'm supposed to give my Dad. I stayed at the horse farm for about 1/2 hour (until it became to cold for bare hands and ears) and the horses even came right up to the fence (any other time they've stayed about 100m away from me) but they let me pet them and they were quite friendly.

 

 

USMLE

Today Nathan had his USMLE Step 1 exam. Besides the fact that his computer crashed during his exam, he thought it went well. He said that the time went by really fast. He was the only one there writing his Step 1, but there were other students there writing other exams. He was home by 430pm, but then he had to call all his friends and family to say that he had finished (he was so happy and relaxed!) and when he was finished a few hours later, we went into Port Stanley to the Buccaneer for dinner (fresh fish and chips). It was nice to have a dinner just the two of us without the pressure of the exam looming. Nathan already seems like a different person, so relaxed and carefree. I, on the other hand, and not so relaxed, seeing that Nathan made me sleep on a camping mattress in the office last night so that he could have the bed to himself to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Stinson Family Fact We celebrate EVERYTHING with a DQ cake. This one is all chocolate - Nathan's favourite.

Sad News

Today at 3am, our favourite Saban and prayer warrior, Brother Carlton Riley died after suffering a stroke last week. He was such an amazing person and presence in the school church and I know that when his family goes into his home and sees the walls covered in pictures of past students they'll be reminded of how special he was and how amazing his love and kindness to the students and their families truly was.

Often when we'd call Brother Riley we'd ask him what he was doing and his answer would often be "Just sitting here with Jesus." He was a man of strong faith who was such and inspiration. I remember him standing in front of our small congregation one Sunday, speaking of his life, and then singing The Old Rugged Cross, and it's a powerful memory. He will be missed.

Happy Halloween!

Although we didn't get ANY trick or treaters tonight... we did have one special visitor! Scarlett came by in her strawberry costume and looked adorable!

Candy Apples

Tonight my mom and I made candy apples to sell for her social committee at the hospital. I've never made candy apples before and I was really nervous that I'd burn myself, but slow and steady, I was able to make 40 apples without burning myself. It was alot of fun. We both couldn't believe how fast the coating hardened - we barely had time to get the decorations on!

Tests of the Young and Old

This is a sweater that I crocheted for Scarlett

Scarlett in her Halloween outfit (a gift from my Mom)

 

Today was my Scarlett day. She has become a real hand-full in the last few weeks. I have to be constantly watching her because she gets into everything, and at 7 months is already pulling herself up on furniture and trying to climb everything that's taller than her. She's usually good with playing on her own but today she would scream murder if I left a room without her. So we spent ALOT of together time today, but it was nice because she kept lifting her arms to make me pick her up then she'd put her head on my shoulder and cuddle me, so even though she's more needy now, it's so nice to have a baby to hug! Although it's nice one day a week, I can't imagine giving into her like I do everyday, I'd never get anything done, but it's worth it once a week to let the house stay messy and hold onto someone. 

Nathan did a full length practice test today (7 hour test) and he was really tired when he came home. He debated for a long time whether he wanted to do a practice test (usually when Nathan thinks about something for longer than 5 minutes you KNOW he's going to do it, so it's just a matter of pushing him towards the finish line a little faster). He said that it went well but he's even more nervous for next week now. 

Nathan received an email today from Joel, a Saba student who is involved in the church and he wrote that Brother Riley (a local who faithfully came to church, prayed for the students, and still calls us on Sunday nights) had a stroke and that it doesn't look good. He's staying on Saba and is stable but not well. Nathan and I were both really sad about this news as we both admire Carlton Riley very much.

Crazy Skies

 This is today's sunrise and sunset - the sky has been so pink, it's been eerie.We've been having really warm weather (18-20 degrees each day) and I'm thankful I haven't had to put on my winter coat yet!

Sunset

Sunrise

Where does Dracula like to vacation?
Lake Erie.

Practice Drive

Today we had some more time with my favourite goober Scarlett. She's definitely getting attitude but she still wonderful to have around. Today I had to watch her like a hawk because we have a step into our living room and she knows how to climb now, so she gets up, then tries to get right back down, WIPEOUT!

Nathan and I went to church today and Amy joined us. She was coming down for our "Girls Afternoon" anyway and decided to come early. It worked out perfectly because then I could leave (after church) with Amy and we could visit, and Nathan could go check out the testing centre. He said that he was glad that he went because even driving into the parking lot his pulse started to quicken. He said that he went and stood outside the building where he'll be writing next week and just took a minute to relax and focus. He seemed more focused when I saw him tonight because now he knows where he's going. He's been saying that his studying has reached a plateau. His marks aren't increasing but he is feeling increasingly confident in the material and I know he's itching to write. 12 more days!

How To Date A Med Student

I saw this on a friend's facebook page today (a wife still on Saba) and thought it was hilarious.

How To Date A Medical School Student

Dating a med student? Check out these tips for a "healthy" relationship.

1. Don't expect to see them. Ever.

2. Accept the fact they will have many affairs. With their books.

3. Learn to hide your “ew, gross” reactions when they tell you all the stuff you never wanted to know about your bodily functions.

4. Support them when they come home after each test, upset because they failed—and gently remind them after they get their well above passing grade how unnecessary the “I’m going to fail out of medical school and never become an MD” dramatics are.

5. Each week they will have a new illness. Some will be extremely rare, others will be more mundane. Doesn’t matter. They will be certain they have it (no second opinions necessary.) Med school can, and will, turn even the sanest into a hypochondriac. Date them for long enough, and you’ll become one too.

6. There will be weeks you'll forget you even have a boyfriend—friends will ask how he is and you'll say, “What? Who? Oh....right. He's well...I think.”

7. They'll make you hyper-aware that germs are everywhere and on everything. Even though you used to walk into your home with your shoes on, and sit on your bed in the same clothes you just wore while riding the subway, or sat on a public bench in, you'll become far too disgusted to ever do it again. Believe me, it's going to get bad...you'll watch yourself transform into the anal retentive person you swore you'd never become. And when you witness others perform these same acts that, before you began dating your med student, you spent your entire life doing too, you'll wince and wonder, “Ew! How can they do that? Don't they know how many germs and bacteria they're spreading??!”

8. Romantic date = Chinese take-out in front of the TV on their 10 minute study break.

9. A vacation together consists of a trip down the street to Walgreens for new highlighters and printer paper.

10. Their study habits will make you feel like a complete slacker. For them, hitting the books 8-to-10 hours a day is not uncommon, nor difficult. You'll wonder how you ever managed to pass school on your meager one hour of studying per night.

11. They're expected to know everything. Everything! The name of the 8 billion-lettered, German sounding cell that lives in the depths of your inner ear, the technical term for the “no one's ever heard of this disease” disease that exists only on one foot of the Southern tip of the African continent. But ask them if your knee is swollen, or what you should do to tame your mucous-filled cough, or why the heck your head feels like someone's been drilling through it for oil for two weeks straight, and they won't have a clue.

12. “My brain's filled with so much information, I can't be expected to remember THAT!" will be the standard excuse for forgetting anniversaries, birthdays, and, if you get this far, probably the birth of your first-born.

13. You'll need friends with unending patience who pretend never to get sick of listening to your endless venting and complaints. Or, you'll need to pay a therapist who will pretend never to get sick of listening to your endless venting and complaints.

.

Where Have We Been?

I got an email from Martin a few days ago asking if I was ok since I haven’t blogged in over a week! Well, yes, we’re alright, we’ve just been really busy. My Dad has been plugging away in the fields and just finished harvesting beans yesterday and started on corn today (which is good because we’ve been using the corn stove a lot lately – it’s starting to get chilly!). My mom and I have been spending lots of time with Scarlett, and since Shelley has gone back to work on Wednesdays, I watch Scarlett all day. She’s such an easy baby to take care of even if she is becoming a handful. She’s only 6 months but is already sitting up, crawling and able to climb steps. It’s wonderful to be able to have the time with Scarlett – we play, sing, and nap (a joy I only discovered this past week). I’ve also worked a few days with my Mom at the hospital, and had the first girls meeting at the Youth for Christ Centre. I’m so grateful to have these opportunities to feel useful and needed.

Nathan is still studying all day and night and he’s seeing a steady (but slow) increase in his practice test grades (he takes a new test every few weeks to see his progress). As long as Nathan sees the improvements, it keeps him working hard.

We also went to Heather and Ian’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Calvin grows so much in a matter of weeks! We had an amazing meal and it was a great reminder of how blessed we are for these 4 months to live close to our families. We got an email from Heather about the Sanderse Family gift exchange (draw names) but I told Nathan we should all just spoil Calvin (which we plan to do either way!)

Along with the harvest are all the things I love about fall that I missed last year – the changing of the leaves, wearing a sweater, jeans, and boots, the smell of burning leaves (hey- this is the country) and the rush everyone feels to take advantage of the decent weather because you KNOW the snow is coming any week. 

 

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