Showered with love!

I know its been over a month since I've posted anything, but all thats been going on is a non-stop cycle of sort, shred, pack, garbage, take to recycling.  And then sort into keep, sell, donate, and a pile of I-can't-decide-right-now-my-head-is-about-to-explode-so-send-to-mom-and-dads.  My mom was here for a little over two weeks and we really got alot accomplished. Well, SHE got alot accomplished. My mom is amazing, I absolutely could not do any of this without her.

Including trimming my Merryweather family heirloom veil!
 

She is in there, I promise!
So I was awefully glad that she got to fill up the back seat of the truck with stuff that she really wanted of mine; clothes, shoes, books etc.

While mom was here my good friend Shalene, threw me a beautiful bridal shower. We've been friends for over ten years, old room mates, road trippers, confidantes and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding.  Which might not have happened had I not encouraged her to give Dan a chance!  ;)

Yes, that is red velvet cake with purple stripes.  She is a cake genius!

Its still feels strange for all this to be about me, but I so loved my shower!  It brought together friends and family from literally all parts of my life.  Friends I've know from almost the day I moved to Edmonton in 1992, to new ladies from church that I've just been getting to know better, and love and respect so much!

I'm still amazed at the generosity and love shown by the gifts given to Dave and I at the shower.  And the lovely messages left in the cards, and in my 'Wedding Book' that I started to collect addresses and stories and memories made me laugh, and cry! Sometimes at the same time.

 
The little girls that I work with at church were so sweet as well, as they suprised me with the most beautiful white roses! That are still absolutely gorgeous a week later!

Even my respiratory students gave me a card and Purdy's chocolates to say goodbye.  Just before I gave them their final!!  How sweet is that?  Good thing they all passed with flying colors!
I have been feeling rather overwhelmed and verclempt sometimes at all the love I literally feel showered with over the past few weeks.  Its interesting to think about all the different people I'm leaving behind.  I hope I've left good impressions and feelings of love on these people I've had the pleasure of interacting with here over the years, especially the young ones I've worked with.  There is a catchy little church tune that has been running through my head called "Have I done any good in the world today?", and I think about that in all aspects of my life.  Church, friends, collegues, students...
As this era ends, and another begins, I know I will take all that I've learned and done here with the people I've known and continue to grow and become a better person.  Certainly I know that I will be a better Respiratory Therapist in the hospital because of my time teaching and interacting with the students so much, and I really look forward to that.  I hope that I will be able to serve well in my new church family as well.  They are a much smaller group than I have been used to here in Alberta, so I really want to be useful.
 I am so excited to start our new life, with new people, and new experiences that Dave and I will have together!!