Okay, last picture for the day! If you guys want to download this program, it's free! Click on the funny little icon with the pop-up that says "Hello"... what I like about it is that it keeps your pics full size when you click on them, and you don't have to worry about webspace... as far as I know! The only pain is that it doesn't look like you can post multiple pics in one post... unless of course I stuck them together in photoshop! =P This particular picture is from the family reunion I went to in early June at Annie's place. Although this picture is far away, I think it's a really nice one of my family. Oh man! I just noticed I'm wearing the same thing as the last one! =D Oh well, it would be too expensive to have lots of "dress-up" outfits, so that'll have to do! Back to studying. Blessings! 

Ack! I'm trying to figure out how to post three pics in one blog!! Sorry for all the separate ones!  

More pictures from Dad's 50th... which was incidently one month ago today! =) 

Becki (my sister!) and I at Dad's 50th Birthday party 

Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you so much XOXOX

Wowzers!

It's coming up to TEN HOURS that I've been writng this lab report! It's the first time that I've had to miss prayer meeting all term, but I absolutely had to get this thing done. I haven't even had dinner. Thank heavens though, I'm done writing, and now, it's done to the proof-reading. I'm really thankful that I had quite a focused day. I would have been done for if I had writer's block or something. As it stands now, I wrote 11 pages discluding the title page and the reference page. And that's a lot of text! Only three figures in there =O I'm still wondering whether or not I should scan in a picture of a galvanostat, but there are two and I'm not sure which one we used, so I don't think I will =P Anyways, it's about time for a little break!

This weekend was a really great weekend. My physics midterm went pretty well on Friday, though I now I mixed up a couple things. Oh well! In the past now... I got to CCF two hours late and missed the guest speaker completely, which is really too bad. Still, it was really nice seeing everybody that came back for convocation, like Yu-Ling, Toby, and Jesse. You should see Toby's tan! He's so dark... I guess that's what Egypt does to a person ^_^

We ended up eating pretty late and starting hockey even later. I actually didn't play any hockey. I stood and talked the Yu-Ling the whole time, catching up on the last few months. He had a couple really good ideas about the Philospher's ministry that I'm going to think about acting on.

On Saturday, I got dressed up and walked to school for convocation. I made it just in time before everybody left. I'm lucky that I got a couple pictures in. Then it was off to the library to research my best friend, Karl Fischer (hint of sarcasm...). Three hours and 12 hand-written pages later, I emerged from the library and made my way home. That evening, Karen came over, and we had a movie night watching Pirates and Prince of Egypt. The movie night was 3 months overdue, (it was planned for March I think), but better late than never! It was also great to see Prince of Egypt again... I haven't been able to sit down and just relax for a long, long time.

When I hand in my report tomorrow, it will mark the end of my three-week long "Hell week". But next week is just the calm before another storm, so I'm praying that I'll stay focused, and mix my relaxation with a steady amount of studying and work so that I don't get killed on my Thermo midterm and my next Analytical report... not to mention that molecular assignment that was given to us two weeks ago. So much to do!

Canada is quickly approaching, which means I get to go home for a whole 4 days! And I think we're actually going downtown this year, which is where I always want to spend Canada Day, but my friends usually want to stay around the neighbourhood. I wonder who's performing on the Hill this year...?

Well, it's semi-official... as long as the job doesn't mysteriously get cancelled...

Marianne's going to Montreal! ^_^ I did a lot of thinking, and the more I thought about not returning to Toronto, the more I wanted to stay in Toronto. But, something inside me feels very attracted towards the job at Merck Frosst. And it'll be such a bonus being so much closer to home and stuff! And the biggest bonus of all is that Jeanne also decided to take her offer at Merck too, so we're going to be living together!! I'm really excited about that =) I admire Jeanne so much. She's so smart, and so good in the lab. I'm really looking forward to getting to know her even better.

Anyways, would love to blog more, but I have too much bloody homework to do! Gahh!

Once again, a huge thank you to God for always providing me with jobs that will draw me closer to my purpose and subsequently to Him. I am so blessed with the opportunities He has given me.

Must first survive this term... thank goodness I'm not in it alone =)

Interviews and rankings and offers, oh my!

Well, this past week was interesting, to say the very least. Interviews were challenging, and I am very thankful for the experiences I have had because they have taught me alot about God and about myself.

And now, today is ranking day. I am very blessed with two job offers to decide between. Unfortunately, neither of those offers are located in Waterloo or in Ottawa, so once again, my plans have been supersceded by Greater plans. It's disappointing that I won't get to be here or home in Fall term. I was extremely excited about both possibilites, but it appears that perhaps that's not the plan for now. I do, however, have an almost definite place to work for next summer term here in Waterloo, so I'll be able to stay on and help with committee stuff.

So yeah, I have been offered a job at U of T where I worked last term (but under a different supervisor and doing different research) or in Montreal with Merck Frosst. I don't know what to do! Well, I'll rephrase that. I do know what to do. I have to pray, and pray hard! Both have advantages and disadvantages. For example, I'd love to be able to spend time with my old co-workers from last term. I know Toronto pretty well now, and I'd be able to stay with Annie again, which would be awesome! Living with her was better than I could have hoped for. And, I'd be able to pop over to Waterloo every now and then, plus meet up with Victoria (as seems to be our co-op term tradition... sleepovers and fine dining ^_^ ). But then there's Montreal... I have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment, get experience in industry, and go to Montreal! I get excited when I think about it! And I'd only be 2.5 hours away from home. I could go home at least once a month. The pay of course, is great because it's industry. The only thing is, I'd be so far from Waterloo. It will be tricky to find a place to live, and that will for sure be pretty expensive. And though this really isn't a deciding factor, my long distance plan won't work in Quebec =P

But it would be cool because I could get my French fluency level back up to snuff. Merck pays for moving costs, so I wouldn't have to worry about renting a truck and stuff. But it could be very lonely over there, though I'm sure that there will be great people I will meet. There's a possibility that my friend Jeanne may work there as well (we got both the offers). But I think she's leaning towards NPS Pharmaceuticals in Mississauga.

Anyways, I have lots to do, and time to think and pray about this. It's exciting, that's for sure! Must go to DP now...

Whew! Here goes nothing... it's my all-so-not-looked-forward to "crazy day"... prayers that I will be calm... my stomach tends to do strange things when my nerves are going =(

God, I hand today over to you. I've done my part to prepare for all the obstacles I am facing. Please carry me through them, and may everything happen according to your plan.

In Jesus' name,
Amen