Mr Bean

So I start my new job on Tuesday. I am pretty excited. I don't really like the whole learning curve thing, but I am sure I will get into it pretty fast.
You are probably wondering why I titled this Mr. Bean. Well, at my new job I have to wear tan and black everyday. I have visions of opening my closet to one side being all identical tan shirts and the other side identical black pants!!! Just like Mr. Bean and his closet full of matching outfits. It was funny in my mind.
Anyway, other than the whole uniform thing I imagine the job will be fun. I will be supervising about 15 staff who are event staff. I am in charge of all the events and booking at the center. They have a swimming pool ( with a wave pool and lazy river thing), two arenas and a leisure ice, two indoor soccer fields, a gym, a child play place, a preschool , a bunch of meeting rooms and a track. Needless to say there is a lot going on there all the time. As well, we are hosting the Western Canada Summer Games this summer.
On another note, Ashley starts a sort of new job in May as well. He is going full time at the counselling clinic he currently works at. He is going to be a youth mentor until he starts his masters in OCtober and then he will be a full blown counsellor. He is working to develop some new programs there including an adventure therapy program that takes kids on backcountry camping trips to teach them social skills and build their self-esteem. I am supposed to be going on the trip with them this summer but I might not be anymore now that I have a new job and probably won't get the time off.
Also.....today is Ashley's last day of classes. He is graduating on April 28th!! We are having a big BBQ at my parents house with like 30-40 friends and family!! It should be really fun. If anyone wants to come, just let me know and we will but another burger on the grill!! We are probably going to have a big game of ultimate frisbee at the park after or maybe soccer as most people play soccer that will be there!!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings......

WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a new job!!! I am now the events and booking specialist for a major recreation complex in a suburb of Edmonton. I start my new job on April 24th and I am super excited. I am excited to be starting something new and learning new things, and the extra money isn't bad either!
So, things are starting to get a little better at the moment...hopefully the good times are starting for us now!

Brenda

It Never Stops

So the learning and the frustrations never end. Sometimes I just want a break from God "teaching" me things. It has been a really hard few months as we seem to face trial after trial. I was driving the other day after hearing some bad news and I felt frustrated. I kept saying to God "What the heck is going on? Why do we never get a break?" Then this song came on! It was so comforting to hear. God is the only one that can fully understand our feelings. He wants us just to come to him, to climb up in his lap and he will comfort us. He is the ultimate comforter! I can't imagine ever wanting to leave the presence of God! He is so faithful, even through hard times where there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel!

Keep Singing ( Mercy Me )

Another rainy day

I can't recall having sunshine on my face

All I feel is pain

All I wanna do is walk out of this place

But when I am stuck and I can't move

When I don't know what I should do

When I wonder if I'll ever make it through

I gotta keep singing

I gotta keep praising Your name

Your the one that's keeping my heart beating

I gotta keep singing

gotta keep praising Your name

That's the only way that I'll find healing

Can I climb up in Your lap

I don't wanna leave

Jesus sing over me

I gotta keep singing

Can I climb up in Your lap

I don't wanna leave

Jesus sing over me

I gotta keep singing

Oh You're everything I need

And I gotta keep singing

Okay so here is my attempt at posting some pictures:

Ash fishing at Allstones Lake on our back country camping trip. They didn't catch any fish that day, but they did the next day. It was like a 3 hour hike in and 2 hours out. (We had visions of the Banff hotsprings on our way down so we went faster!) It was a pretty fun trip.








Beth and I on the hike in, don't we look excited...you should see the pictures on the way back down. (I won't post those!!)










Ash and Jon with the spit they made to cook our roast on. The roast had been marinating in Jon's pack the whole way up. It was really good and we were really hungry.
















Here is the view across the lake in the morning!! It is such a nice place. On a random note, they have backcountry toilets which were little green toilets in the middle of nowhere. There were no walls or anything around them just out in the bush. The guys thought we were wusses for using them but ah well.





Okay and here are some pictures from Dinosaur park two summers ago. My sister worked there so we went with Jon and Beth to visit and check out the camping:



Ash and I putting up our tent. I think Jon was talking to Ash as he was taking the picture. There is a little creek that went past our campsite. It helps to have connections ( my sister saved us a good site).










Yummy Yummy marshmallows!!! That is the best part about camping!!












Here are Ash and I on our hike!! It is a pretty cool place. We saw a lot of interesting animals and real dinosaur bones/fossils. It was about a 4 hour hike but it was pretty fun.










This is what I felt like on the way home!! Beth and I slept while Jon and Ash entertained themselves by taking pictures and laughing at Beth and I. Those two are bad news together- they were roomies at Bible School (need I say more?)









So, those are all the pictures I have for now. We haven't taken too many lately but we are determined to get better! Once I have some more I will post them.
If anyone wants to come and visit us here in Alberta there are lots of fun things to do as you can see and we will take you out to all the cool places.
Ash just started at a counseling center and he is developing an adventure therapy program for teenage boys and they are going on their first trip this summer. It should be an adventure for everyone! We will have to go camping to the site first to check it out so Ash knows the terrain and exactly where to go, etc. We might go with another couple from his work.
Anyway, come visit this summer! We will take you on an adventure!!

Brenda

Valentine's Day

So today is the day after Valentine's Day! We didn't celebrate it as we never really do. There has always been so much around Valentine's day that we don't celebrate it. Sometimes I just think it is a commercial holiday intended for spending more and more money! Anyways, what does everyone think? Good holiday or pointless holiday?

PS. Thanks everyone for the comments, I just figured out how to find the comments and publish them! Ha! I am slowly figuring this blogging thing out.

Brenda

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

As I reflect back on this past year and all that God has been teaching me, the only thing that comes to mind is the song:

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say Lord,
Blessed be your name

God chooses to give and take away, and nowhere does he say it will be an equal share of give and take. Some people get all take and some people get all give. The past year for me has felt like all take and no give. But, as the song says we still need to CHOOSE to say "Blessed be your name". It is really easy to say blessed be your name when all is well, but I can't say that it has been easy when life has been hard. But, over the past month as God has been working in my heart and breaking me down I have been realizing the comfort and the peace that comes from choosing to say "Blessed be your name". The last few days when I have wanted to give up, God has reminded me to look for the blessings in every day and to turn to him through it all!

I encourage everyone to search out that peace that can be found from choosing to praise God through it all. He is the best friend anyone could have and he will never let you down. In those moments when you don't think you can go on I encourage you to say "Blessed be the Name of the Lord!"

Okay so maybe not!!

Okay so maybe I kind of limped into this blogging thing! Ha...but it is a new year and I have big plans for this year!

Anyways, Ash is back in school and working and I for some crazy reason decided to take my masters. So, now we are both in school and working! I am not sure what is wrong with us!

In April Ash will be done school and it will be his turn to work full-time! This summer however, neither of us will be in school so hopefully we can do some fun camping and such. Maybe even a canoe trip!! That would be exciting!

Well, I should get back to work but I thought I should let you all know about my plans to turn over a new leaf this year, so expect some big changes in the Hanson Family this year!!!