Sad day.....But great friends...

The day came too soon when Ian and I had to pack up and leave Calgary. It was a good year and a half for me living in this crazy city. There were some things I loved and some things I hated. We were very sad to leave our friends, our ward and the beautiful mountains (I actually realized as I was moving our snowboards that we didn't go once while we lived there... tragic). We were also saddened to leave our family there and hope that they may occasionally make the trek to Lloydminster to see us, as we hope to visit Calgary when we can.

Things I won't miss about Calgary... wait, let me start a list

1. The traffic
2. The traffic
3. How everyone feels a need to mock Edmontonians on morning radio
4. The Flames
5. The Stampeders (that is what they are called right? Football is so not my sport)
6. The traffic

I am sitting down to write this after a 2 hour nap from an exhausting weekend. Moving in one city is difficult enough but to move to almost another province, is quite another. We had a whole bunch of great friends come out to help us load the truck in Calgary. A huge thank you goes out to Regan, Bruce, Phil, Alan and his boys as well as the Seidel's. We couldn't have done it without you, especially so quickly.





This is how we felt after packing and loading up in Calgary... it was so much worse after doing it all again in Lloyd. Ian was so great and worked so hard, he is my hero! The Seidel's also stuck it out to the very end helping us clean and say goodbye to our first home together. It was sad but there was no time to ponder on the loss. I wish I had a moment to reflect back with Ian before we left the building. Perhaps it was a good thing however, as it saved me some tears.



These are our wonderful friends Allison an DJ. We had so much fun with these guys playing games and hanging out together. We really, really, really, really wished we could have had more time with our bosom buddies before we moved on. Ian and I will really miss them as we meshed together so easily right from the moment we met. Their laugh is contagious, they are so crazy and we had so much in common. I am still trying to convince them to move to Lloyd...Life won't be the same without them. This picture totally portrays their personality, I love how DJ totally pretends to be disgusted with his wife (he is such a faker and we were so cool taking pictures and hanging out in Dairy Queen).



Single tear.....



Ian and DJ have a 'special' relationship!



I love this face, Allison totally makes it all the time! And yes, we did have fun taking pictures with our U-Haul. It was a great truck and our faith in U-Haul started to be rebuilt with this new model that was gutsy and very reliable.



This was the FUNNIEST thing ever... I didn't catch the picture when it was most perfect but...

On our 6 hour trip to Lloyd we drove through back country as a shortcut. When we were almost to Lloydminster Ian flagged me down to pull over as he thought I was falling asleep (apparently I was a little swervy on the road). We used this opportunity to get out of our vehicles and move around as I was going crazy driving and just couldn't handle it anymore. Ian used the opportunity to go to the bathroom (right out in the open) beside this cow pasture. As he was doing his business, no joke, the cows all lined up in a PERFECT ROW facing Ian as he went to the bathroom. It was the STRANGEST things ever. Dirty Peeping Tom cows!



We are so happy to be done the most difficult part and I now face the joys of unpacking it all and trying to find a space to put everything. I can't wait till we move into something larger (hopefully not too soon though). We made it here safe with no casualties (except something glass that is sounding broken in a box that is yet to be unpacked). Thank you, thank you, thank you again to everyone who helped us get here safely. We love you all and wish you the best. Please keep in touch, we would love to talk to you.

Duhh, dun dun dunnn duhhh duhhhhh...

CONGRATULATIONS IAN!

I am the proudest wife in the whole entire world! Ian worked so hard for his degree and it was so exciting to cheer with his Mom as "our" boy (not quite sure I am willing to share him) walked across the stage.

6.5 Days to go....

This is the group of lucky children that I have dedicated the last 10 months of my life to. Awww, they all look so happy (silent tear)! I can't believe there are only 6 and a half days left of school. Remember that list of things I still had to teach?!? Well I managed to finish it all! We still have to write all the provincial tests and do some review but after that (and a few parties and fun days) there are only report cards to finish... wah wahhhhh!

It has been such a year of growth, challenge and adventure for me. I felt like the start of the year was fighting to earn respect from the students, the parents and from co-workers. Proving yourself "worthy" can be quite exhausting. Despite my youth (I am the youngest teacher by 13 years) they all managed to find confidence in my abilities. I am still questioning their sanity!

I was so busy with mentors and worrying about teaching that it took me until probably February to be able to relax and enjoy my time learning with the students. They are a fun group.... so fun in fact that they make unruly students. I have really enjoyed the last 4 months with "my children" and I think I have learned a small part of what it is like to be a parent. I am sad to say goodbye because it might be a forever goodbye but I hope that they will keep in touch. I am excited to see how they grow and mature.... mostly I hope that they will work hard to reach the potential I have seen in them. They have each blessed my life and helped me to grow a little bit towards the type of person God wants me to be.

Lonely days...

I miss my husband so much.... I don't like being alone. I will survive though as I have enough to do with school and packing to move at the end of the month. You know what I miss the most about Ian....... His hugs. What do you miss the most about the one you love when they are absent?

The good old days!

(Aw, I used to be so cute!)

Remember back in the day when our biggest worries were about where we should put the boogie after we picked our nose! I miss those days. I have been feeling more and more like a grown up this last year as I have had a "real" job. I haven't yet decided though if I want to feel like a grown up. Often times all the responsibility just makes me feel old. I keep thinking "I'm 25 I shouldn't have to deal with this... yet". Sadly, I am mistaken. I guess shirking responsibility wouldn't make me younger, it just would make me irresponsible.

I dedicate this blog to my lost childhood.... I am officially an adult!

Looking back at a few of these pictures reminds me of the good times with my siblings. We were a creative bunch that spent more time outside than in. I remember the numerous plays, dances and performances we would put on for our parents, neighbourhood and ward. The Laycock's were always into something dramatic.

Christel was our ring leader (at least until she was "too old" to play with her younger sisters). She was our aerobics instructor, dance choreographer and play director. Christel was great at this job and we are still proud of her skills in the arts.

This is the perfect picture of Christel being her dramatic self


(The first 4 girls - Janelle, Stephanie, Jennifer, Christel)

I just realized that I don't remember much about Janelle from when she was very little!?! I seem to recall that she really liked to climb things and to do things on her own. I do remember her continuous desire to be the zombie/monster in our family plays. She has since switched her role of monster for Prosecutor (and sometimes Defense).

Stephanie and I were found together more often than most. We are 15 months apart and had (as children/teenagers) a love/hate relationship. I apologize now as I know that I always tried to assume the "older sister" role with my bossy nature. Steph was smaller than me (of course not when I was really little, I had to catch up first) probably until high school. I remember she cried a lot but I think that had to do with my devious attempts (and successes) at getting her in trouble. I know now that she is blessed with a sensitive spirit and I am grateful for her sweet and genuine concern for those she loves. I miss my Stephy so terribly as she lives so far away in Switzerland.


(Steph and I at our school Crawford Plains - "The Place to Be")



(of course I had to stick in a nudy shot - I loved that bathtub toy, I would still play with it today if we had it)

After Stephanie, I came along. Being the 4th daughter in a row I really had to fight for my place in the family. Being born stubborn and determined really helped me with this. I was also very talented at getting others in trouble (especially when they didn't do anything). I don't think Mom figured this out for quite some time. I remember playing Barbie's with Steph and I didn't like how she was playing so I would start screaming "Stephanie, stop hitting me...Ow... MOM!" Then Mom would come in (not even asking what was going on) and send Stephanie to her room. Mom never believed it when Steph told her she didn't do anything to me. I am SO sorry again Stephanie, I was really evil.

My Mommy loves her little Jenny so much! I was the luckiest (besides Katrina) to be the youngest for the longest. After I was born another baby didn't come for 3 years. I got a significant amount of cuddles and love from Mommy before I became a big sister.

I think the family was worried that I would be jealous when David came along. I'm sure they were pleased (maybe not David) when I loved him to pieces. David was my baby! I was a mom from the very moment David came into my life. The first son became my favourite "toy". I used to push him around in my doll stroller and would love to bounce him in his bouncy chair. There are so many pictures with us together where I have this indescribably, loving look in my eyes, as I held, rocked or kissed my little brother. David was a very quiet child (and still is to this day). I think he was resigned to the fact that he had 4 very talkative sisters and gave up before even putting up a fight. David was always so smart. I remember how he would follow Dad around and do whatever Dad would do. Whenever David wanted to do or learn something he was very determined to do it and always found success. He had an amazing knack for computers and has since extended his skills to video games. David is a very loving man, though he likes to hide that fact. I am sorry he never had a brother to take his side but I hope now that "brother's" are joining the family he won't feel so outnumbered. I love my little brother so much it hurts. I hope he has a fabulous 23rd birthday in a couple weeks.


(look at this poor boy, you can't help but feel sorry for him with 5 mothers - look at that face of horror)

The last precious addition to our family came along two years after David. Katrina entered the world as the last of 6 children. She was always so cute and all of the siblings were so protective of her. I don't think she appreciated our "concern" all the time as she didn't feel like she needing protecting. Katie was a tough kid that knew what she needed to do to get what she wanted. Katrina also, has always been the kind one. As a small child she was so willing to do anything to help anyone. I used to make her my slave (of course she didn't know it). I would always ask her to bring me things and do things for me. I will always remember that she would jump up and be so excited to help her big sister. She did this for years with a smile on her face. Kate finally realized one day that I was using her and she would have nothing to do with it. I remember it clearly: We were watching TV together and I wanted a drink so I told Katie to get me one. Katrina had been sitting on the floor, I was back on the couch and I remember her turning around with this sudden fierce expression and she said "NO, I am not getting it for you because you are using me and I don't have to do it." She never again would be my slave from that moment on. I love my Katie and her kind, giving spirit. She still helps all that she can and I am so proud to call her my sister.


(Katrina and Steph on the beach in Ontario - was this before? or after Katrina filled her swimsuit with sand?)

Green Thumb? Maybe a green pinky!

I have never been the gardening type. As a child my mother always had a garden planted in our yard. We all had to do our part and help with the weeding, watering and harvesting. Lucky for me I learned early on that I was allergic to grass/plants. I would break out in hives if my skin made contact with the lovely green stuff. Though this was a great excuse it didn't always save me from my duties as gardening gloves were purchased. Now it wasn't just the itchy reaction that made me dislike being in the garden. A large part of it was the high bug quantity in that particular region of the yard. I do not "do" bugs. Of any sort really... I was the type of child to freak out if a ladybug landed on me. I still have to get someone else to kill anything from a teeny house spider to a harmless fly. Whenever it rained I would stare at my feet to make sure that I didn't get any worm guts on my shoes. Really it is a bit ridiculous but I just can't seem to get over my dislike for the creepy things of the earth.

So, the point of that little excerpt was to give you a little background about my experience/inexperience with growing things. Now things haven't improved very much since then.... I seem to be very talented at killing things and that was okay with me cause I didn't care to grow anything (I have since realized that any recent attempts were hopeless as I have a NORTH facing apartment that gets zero direct sunlight).

I don't know what has changed since September but I seem to have this desire to nourish something and see it grow. In the fall I bought a few plants for my classroom to make it seem more 'natural'. I think I started off with 6 (4 were together in one larger pot). I didn't pay much attention to them as they often had too much or too little sunlight as well as too much or too little water (thanks to my students who are in charge of the watering). It didn't take long for 2 of the plants to wither away and die leaving me clueless as to the reason for their demise. It was around this time that I was also getting additional plants as gifts from my students parents and they were all dying too, and very quickly. I was determined at that point that I would NOT let this be my defeat and that I would PROVE that Jennifer Isackson can indeed keep a living thing alive (oh-I had a fish once and it died too-but that was somewhat intentional-another story another time).

From that point I would check up on my plants almost daily to make sure they were doing well. I moved them to better places in the room to get the ideal amount of sunlight and I oversaw the 'watering process' by my students. They really started to perk up at this point and the 2 remaining that were combined in the large pot (which had been dying themselves) started to show signs of improvement. It came to the point last week that I realized I needed to re-pot the plants (is there a word for that? transplant?) so I made a visit to Sunnyside with my friend Tanya.

While having such a nice visit we found some beautiful pots for me and some nice flowers for Tanya (including a little cactus for Teo). I got these pretty new pots to school and transplanted them the first chance I had. Now this is the lesson of the story.... when you get that feeling that you shouldn't put something somewhere because it might get broken, you should heed that warning. I put the plants in some nice spots around my beautiful classroom trusting that the students wouldn't break them...... and I was right, THEY didn't, but I DID!

There was one casualty at school today and that was my bright pink two-tone pot (thankfully my least favourite of the bunch). I was moving the table with the plant on it for our provincial exams this morning and I tipped the table up too far and watched in UTTER HORROR as the plant slid and crashed to the cement floor. At least I can only be mad at myself for breaking it. So the poor plant, that is in desperate need of TLC, is back in its plastic pot where it will now remain to be passed on to the teacher who takes over my position next year.

Now if anyone read this far, you must really like gardening or you will use it against me at some future time when I try to pretend that I am Mother Nature.

I have included a couple pictures of the three plants that are thriving and looking good in their new pretty pots!

The time is fast approaching...

One year ago - May 5, 2007 - I was sealed to my husband for time and all eternity.

Tomorrow Ian and I celebrate our first anniversary. This year has been one of many happy moments and memories. I still can't believe that it has only been one year because it feels like Ian has been a part of my life forever. I can't imagine life without my dear husband. He is such a source of safety, strength and support for me.

My love has grown more than I imagined possible since I met Ian. I love his smile, his real one, when his eyes shine and his face wrinkles. I love that he loves to cook. I love his passion for learning which he shares with me almost daily. I love his willingness to help with anything. I love that he enjoys playing soccer and being active. I love how hard he worked in school and I know that he will work just as hard in his new job. I love holding his hand and dancing with him. But MOST of all I love Ian's hugs. There is healing power in them and I will miss him dreadfully as he leaves this weekend to start work in Lloydminster.

I must stay behind in Calgary to finish teaching my school year. We will be able to see each other on most weekends until then but I will still have to get through many lonely weeks. I was so fiercely independent before Ian came along and now I seem to have gone to the opposite extreme. I don't want to face waking up all alone and coming home to an empty house. I pray for courage and strength to make it through these next two months.