Immigration Update!

Everyone asks Phil and I constantly how things are going with immigration and when I'll be up in Canada permanently....its an excellent question and believe me, we wish we had the answer! Immigration has been one major pain in the behind and seriously confusing. Most of the times people have asked we've had nothing to report because we've been sitting around waiting for this or that...its all very time consuming and sitting around doing nothing and having nothing to report was getting pretty frustrating. But today we actually DO have some things to report and its making me feel really positive that we're heading in the right direction and that the destination really is in sight!

First off...today I finally got the copy of our marriage certificate. This little piece of paper couldn't be requested until 10 weeks after our marriage and it is needed for immigration and for changing my name on all my documents so that when I apply for residency it will be in the correct name. Sooo glad that it is finally in my possession...now tomorrow I can go get my Driver's licence change and can start the process of getting my other documents switched as well. That and my medical exam are the last steps before we can submit our paperwork for permanent residency! (YAY!)

Also with my marriage certificate came some pictures that Chloe and Abrianna drew for me! So cute and gave me such big smiles! Thanks girls! XOXOXOX Love you!



(Its sort of hard to tell in the photo...they each drew me a picture from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets of Harry in the flying car!)

The second bit of immigration related news is really exciting! Last time I was in Canada we were recommended to try this nanny agency in Ontario. I gave them a call, not expecting too much since I had been VERY disappointed in what I'd found in the agencies I'd already spoken to months back. However, this agency sounded great and seemed very excited to work with me. Over the last couple weeks I've been getting information together for them and today they informed me that a family who lives very close to Phil's house is very interested in me! If I could get a job offer in Canada I'd be able to apply for a work visa which is significantly faster than applying for residency...I could be in Canada permanently in a matter of just a couple months rather than 6+ months! I haven't spoken with the family yet but I'm told they want to meet with me while I'm in Canada over Christmas....say some prayers and keep fingers crossed for us! We're really hoping it works out that I find a job and will be there very soon!

Other stuff going on with us these days...I'll be going up to Canada for Christmas from the 23rd through New Years! Can't wait! Only 9 days to go!

Phil is singing in a special Christmas choir at church next Sunday which I'm sure will be awesome. Bummed I won't be there but hopefully next year we'll be singing in it together!

For New Years we're planning to head to James and Martha's which will be a ton of fun!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Lots of love to you all!
XOXOXOX

Thanksgiving Weekend #2

Last weekend was US Thanksgiving and we got to spend it with my brother James and his family. Phil, Chloe and Abrianna drove down to James's house while I drove up (nice that they're literally right in the middle of the two of us!) The kids all got along great and had a blast and we had tons of fun cooking and relaxing and all being together.

Chloe helped me cut, core and peel the apples...





Martha taught Phil how to make deviled eggs...


This year I am so thankful for my wonderful husband!


After our Thanksgiving dinner we all drove back to Bowmanville where I got to spend the rest of the weekend. Friday while Phil was at work I spent time with Alishea going to a movie. Friday night Phil took us all to see Harry Potter (Finally! Yay!) which was wonderful. Saturday morning we slept in and enjoyed a family breakfast together then got ready and headed out into the snow to help deliever Santa Boxes!








That was so much fun! Saturday evening we had the sister missionaries over for dinner (Pot roast and apple pie...yum yum!) The evening ended with movies and I found myself sandwiched between my sweetheart and Chloe all cuddled up together....Life doesn't get much better! Sunday was church and the lameness of goodbye...can't wait to be back for Christmas!

A Visit To Santa

Tonight Phil took Chloe and Abrianna to visit Santa...They're so cute!

More of Awesome Alishea!

Alishea did another round this week for the KX96 Contest...she did awesome!

Busy Kids

The girls have had a lot of fun things to report this week. On Thursday Alishea participated in a singing competition and did a great job. I wish I could have been there to cheer her on but Phil made sure to record it so I wouldn't totally miss out:





On Sunday both our wards had the annual Primary programs. As a CTR teacher I participated in the program in my ward while up in Bowmanville Chloe and Abrianna were in the program in Phil's ward. I'm so glad they're enjoying going to to church and hope they had a lot of fun singing in the program.

It's been hard missing out on all this stuff. I really wish I'd been able to be there to see Alishea sing and during church as I watched the primary kids sing and do their speaking parts all I could think about was how I should be in Canada watching our kids instead. Its so hard being part of a family but not being there to really BE a part of it. But the good news is that there's only 9 days till we'll all be together at James and Martha's for Thanksgiving and then I'll get to spend a few days in Canada. Its been too long apart this time...but just 9 more days...

Update...

Well, there's not a whole lot happening in the land of MacDonald these days...unfortunately we're in a 5 week stretch of not being together and Mrs. MacDoanld is not liking it very much.

Only on week 3 now. Last week was pretty dark and depressing for me. I really hate being away from Phil. But I've been trying to do a few things to make the time apart better for myself.

This week I put up my littls Christmas tree. Its still early, sure, but it makes me smile to see it there on my windowsill. I'll need to take a picture and post it up. Last weekend I started in on Christmas shopping as well and I've found it a lot of fun shopping to make my husbands Christmas special :) I'm quite excited for our first REAL Christmas together!

Lately I've been reading a lot and getting through a lot of books. That is something I've always enjoyed. I need to get inspired to get back to my own writing...someday I may even finish a book I've started writing!

Recently though, the writing I've done has been in my personal blog. Since I started this one for our family, my old Nannny Poppins blog has gone back to being just for me. Last week I must say my entries were probably nothing but depressing, but I've found it very theraputic to just throw my negative emotions out into the blog and somehow it lets me leave part of them behind and move on happier. Hopefully there'll be some more positive things there...I'll work on that.

I guess its the fall weather, but I've also really felt the need to get cooking again. This weekend I made beef stroganoff, garlic potatoes and parmesan asperagus...so yummy! I can't wait to be in Canada with Phil all the time so I can cook for more than just me. I really enjoy it but I enjoy it most when I can share the results with those I love.

Phil is doing well and working hard. This weekend I've been so impressed by how much more he's gotten done with getting the house in order. I can't wait to see it in a few more weeks.

One thing I'm really excited about is the Santa boxes this year! At Christmastime Phil's family helps deliver Santa boxes to families in need. I was so touched by this last year and this year I'll be lucky enough to be in Canada for one of the weekends they'll be participating in this! I can't wait to get to join in with them and make Christmas special for others!

Hopefully there will be more exciting things to report on soon...for now, lots of love to all our family and friends! XOXOXOX

Happy Birthday Chloe and Happy Halloween!

Two weekends ago I drove up to Canada and spent 4 days with my sweet husband. While I was there we celebrated Chloe's 5th birthday! I'm usually completely camera happy but for some reason I didn't take a single picture all weekend (what is wrong with me!?!?!) But Chloe's mom got some pics so hopefully I can snag some from her to post soon...

I made Chloe a rainbow colored birthday cake and we had a nice family dinner all together. We also stopped in for Chloe's friend party where she got a very special visit from Princess Cinderella! Good times for all little princesses in attendance!

The rest of the weekend we spent enjoying our time together, spending time with the girls and doing a few things with the ward. We went to a test run of the wards emergency preparedness plan and attended church on Sunday. On Saturday Phil took Alishea and I out to visit an alpaca farm...we may have our own alpaca's someday (although according to Alishea, as soon as she's married we must leave the whole alpaca farm to her and move away haha)

Had a great weekend together, but broke my heart to leave. We've been spoiled since the wedding and have been able to see each other every other weekend...not so anymore. Now we must wait a month to see each other again when I go up for Thanksgiving. *sigh* I'm really getting tired of this not together stuff. The immigration process is so slow. We haven't even been able to apply yet because just getting all the documentation and stuff we need takes months on its own. I wish there was an easier way, being apart is so hard. I keep reminding myself that our situation now is so much better than it was a year ago before we could be together at all. That helps...its definitely better now. I just wish so much we could have a normal life and be a normal newlywed couple instead of being stuck 500 miles away from each other. I know someday it will all be over and we'll look back on this from a much happier place and all will be well...but for now, its just hard.

Halloween is usually one of my favorite times of the year. I love it! I get all into watching scary movies, I go costume shopping really early, I drag friends to haunted houses and carve pumpkins and make great fall food...the whole thing.

This year, I didn't do any of it. I don't even know why exactly. I think its a combination of things. First, Halloween started right after the wedding which naturally exhausted me. Plus adjusting to being married but still being apart hasn't been fun and has me feeling pretty depressed a lot of the time. But even more than that...its like I didn't have the desire to get all into the holiday by myself. I wanted to do all the fun things I usually do, but I didn't want to do them without Phil. Hopefully next year we'll be together and it will be a lot more fun. I did end up getting a costume very last minute for the Halloween party my employers hosted (and I worked my tail off for)



But I also ended up catching strep throat from one of my nanny kids which made the working a big party thing not at all exciting. I spent Sunday in bed all day trying to recover...oh well, still not as bad as the year I had a kidney stone for Halloween! Hopefully next Halloween I'll be with my family and we'll have all sorts of fun together...until then, I'll just have to deal with the lonliness I guess.

One Month Down...An Eternity To Go!

One month ago today I married the most wonderful man in the whole world...my very best friend and now my eternal companion.



Yesterday was Stake Conference and the topic was temples. As I listened to speaker after speaker talk about and bear testimony of the wonderful blessings of temple worship and particularly of temple marriage, my mind kept drifting back a month ago to when Phil and I were in the temple kneeling across the alter from one another. There have been many spiritually significant moments in my life...baptism, confirmation, my endowment day, being with Phil for his endowment...all rank very high on my list of most special days and moments. But nothing, absolutely nothing could compare to the way I felt at that moment when Phil and I became sealed as husband and wife for time and all eternity. Looking in his eyes, seeing our forever together and knowing that nothing can take us away from each other so long as we live righteously was such an incredible moment and I will treasure it forever just as I'll always treasure my sweet husband.

Sitting in church yesterday I was overcome with joy and happiness knowing that I married the right man, in the right place, and by the right authority. It was a long and difficult journey to get there, but I am so grateful that we made it. I'm so grateful that I fell in love with a man who was worthy to take me to the temple. Our Stake President spoke about how he's attended some very fancy upscale and expensive weddings in NYC and how no matter how much money was spent or how grand it all was, none of them have ever even come close to being as special and wonderful as a temple sealing. I know this is absolutely true because no amount of money could have bought what I felt and what Phil and I received that day in blessings from our loving Heavenly Father. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world!



Phil, you are the love I never thought I'd find, you are my everything and I will love you for all eternity. Thank you for loving me, for marrying me in the temple and for being the most wonderful husband. I love you baby! Happy Anniversary! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Thanksgiving #1

Being an ignorant American, I never knew that Canada celebrates Thanksgiving or that the Thanksgiving they celebrate takes place in October rather than November! I was very surprised to learn this when I met Phil. He really wanted me to be there for Thanksgiving weekend, but as it was only a couple weeks after the wedding I knew my employers wouldn't be keen on me taking another travel weekend. However, we got a big and happy surprise when my employers had guests in from out of town and suggested that I take a trip up to Canada so the house wouldn't be too crowded...Don't need to ask me twice!!! So off I went to Canada for my first Canadian Thanksgiving with my new family! Phil picked me up at the bus station Saturday morning and it was off to get the girls and drive up to Grandma's trailer in Kingston where they have a Thanksgiving dinner. On our way there we past The Big Apple...everytime we drive past it I say to Phil "someday we need to stop there cause I want a picture with that giant apple!" So this time we decided it was picture day!





After the Big Apple pit stop it was back to the road and off to Kingston...with candy apples, of course!



But when we arrived we found out that the Thanksgiving dinner had been changed from Saturday to Sunday...bummer :( My bus had to leave Sunday night so we weren't able to stay for it. But we did stay the night and had fun camping and hanging out! The girls loved jumping in the leaves and I got to finally meet Phil's step-dad, Rob!



Leaf Jumping!


Kung Fu Alishea!


One of my favorite moments of the weekend was Sunday morning when Phil and I went down to the dock where we got engaged and sat together looking at the beautiful fall morning, sipping hot chocolate and had our morning prayer together. That spot already has so many wonderful memories for me and I know that there will probably be years more to come!



Sunday afternoon Phil and I made our way back home. We watched a movie and had Sunday dinner together before it was time to pack me up and head back to the bus station *sniff sniff* It was a super short visit, but I'm grateful for it all the same! I'll be heading back up for another visit next week and I can't wait!

Honeymoon Week!

Its been almost 2 weeks since Phil had to bring me back to CT after our wedding week together. Being apart from him is so hard. In a way, it feels like the wedding wasn't real because it feels exactly the same as before we were married with him in Canada and me here and nothing but Skype to keep us together...but we are really married. Obviously, our honeymoon week was filled with a lot of private memories but we also did a lot of fun things I'd love to share :) For the first few days we stayed at a beautiful hotel that my friend Kate found for us! I wanted our first few days to be very romantic but on a budget we were having a hard time finding something suitable in our price range...Kate the Great to the rescue! We ended up staying in a suite at Hampton Inn & Suites and it was perfect! Such a great way to start our married life together!



After the hotel stay, it was off to wash the truck! Hahaha



During the time I was in Canada, the creek by Phil's house was full of salmon swimming upstream. Phil wanted to take a nice long nature walk to see them and to practice some survival skills. We spent hours hiking around and it was a lot of fun to be out enjoying God's beautiful creations.





We spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing in the house as well. We got a lot of stuff done in the kitchen and got the girls old room ready for a new tenant to move in. Since I've been gone Phil has been working hard to get the basement organized and functioning for us...I'm so proud of him! Its really starting to come together and looking great! Can't wait to see it in person!

We also got to spend time with the girls which was awesome! Had a great time doing karaoke...thanks Alishea! Hope we can sing again soon! Also was so happy to have family home evening with Abrianna, Chloe and Phil...such a happy moment that I've waited so long for :) The last few days of our week together we spent up at Phil's mom's trailer. This was extra special because its where Phil proposed to me! It was fun being back there almost 7 weeks later in the same spot, now married!






We also took another nature walk where we found cattails (apparently the Walmart of plants according to an article we read online) and a cool looking cave area under a bridge...back at the trailer we also found a cool looking caterpillar haha





After a few days at the trailer it was time to start heading back to CT (BOO!) We made a quick stop for dinner at James and Martha's new house. That was so fun! I've always been sort of the 3rd wheel when I'm with them and it was so fun to finally have my own sweetie there with me! I'm so glad they have moved so close to us!

A long drive, a quick sleep and a very long and tearful goodbye....and then he drove away :(

The last 2 weeks without him have been so hard, I hate not being together. I hope and pray all this immigration stuff gets worked out quickly so I can be back in Canada with my husband where I belong. But I'm grateful for the time we had and for the visits we have coming up!