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Thankful Thursday 11: Taking a Break

Welcome to the eleventh instalment of my Thankful Thursday, Taking a Break!

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for taking a break, I’ve definitely been doing in many areas of my life over the past two weeks. I even skipped a week of posting this series!

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the weeks of June 22 – July 5, 2018!

Things I am thankful for over the past two weeks:

My carbo-loading dinner with Andrew on Saturday evening before the half marathon (pretzel bites with cheesy dip, chicken pot pie with salad, and yam fries).
Finishing my half marathon just 40 seconds past 2:30, my goal time due to my hip injury
My hip injury being finally COMPLETELY HEALED!
The new Panic! at the Disco album, which is really great
My two other new favourite songs, Not a Love Song by bülow and by Jocelyn Alice.
The amazing teacher book club meeting we had about reading a non-fiction book about a person who inspires us (I read I Am Malala, which I will be reviewing on my book blog in the near future)
Tom’s contribution was particularly amusing.
The fun but exhausting weekend of Provincial Regional Championship (PRC) rugby where I coached the VRU N-E-W U16 girls.
My U16 girls, and my co-coach, Georgia!

The U18 team, which I helped coach at practice, who won bronze!

My two Sentinel girls who made the U18 team, love them so much <3
The amount of sleep I’ve gotten over the past few days since work and rugby ended (I slept 10:30-5:30 on Monday night, then went back to bed Tuesday morning at 7:30 and didn’t wake up until 2:30.. bliss).
Finally, the amount I’ve read since work ended. I’ve already finished three books this month, and I’m starting another today!
My happy place.

And the theme for these two weeks, Taking a Break!

Two major areas in my life are taking a huge break this week: work and running.

First, work!

The first week covered in this post was the last week of the school year, and aside from invigilating a provincial exam and prepping a modern language educational activity, it was all admin work and prep for next year.
I don’t usually realize how much work takes out of me until I take a break. I typically get sick right at the start of the Winter holidays, of Spring Break, and of the Summer holidays. It was really nice to have this transition week from full-out working to more relaxed working, to fully off.
I was so tired by Friday that I fell asleep at my desk after arriving at 7:30 (Good thing I technically don’t start work until 8:30! Don’t get me started on traffic, I’ll go on for days.). It was nice to have no other real responsibilities aside from helping set up at the staff end-of-year party which I helped plan as part of the Social Committee.

Second, running!

My training for my second (and last) half marathon of 2018 finished up and I ran the race on June 24. The weather was as perfect as could be for the time of year (it did get quite hot toward the end). Along Cornwall Ave, people were on their front lawns spraying us with sprinklers, it was awesome!
It was a really great way to end off 6 months of training, and now I’m going into my six month off-season with a couple of weeks of post-race rest and planning for my cross-training months which will see me through December. It’s been nice to give my body a break; half-marathon training is quite intense. I don’t think I could ever do a full marathon.

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Thankful Thursday 10: Wrapping up

Welcome to the tenth instalment of my Thankful Thursday, The Little Things! No, I’m not wrapping up the series, but I am wrapping up some other stuff!

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for wrapping up – quite a few things have neared the end of their life span for me.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of June 15 – June 21, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

My new sloth mug, which is giving me child-like glee to sip out of:

Thursday was the last day of scheduled classes for the year
Andrew and I went to see Incredibles 2, which is the funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time. I came away with sore stomach and cheek muscles, and cried laughing more than once. Here’s a gif you’ll appreciate if you’ve seen the movie.
It was really hot early in the week, but it’s cooled down right on time for my half marathon tomorrow
Andrew and I went to Red Robin for a nice (not so) little dinner, and we got these amazing Chocolate Hazelnut (mine) and S’mores (his) milkshakes.

I made it through report card week, albeit with a couple nights where I was working straight through until bedtime

And the theme for this week, Wrapping Up!

I finished up most of the requirements for the teaching year this week, and I also started wrapping up my half marathon training for the year.

First, the school year.

As I mentioned above, this was the last week of scheduled classes. Thursday was the last day. We are still providing opportunities for students to come in and do some fun learning activities next week, and of course there are some provincial exams to invigilate, but the school year is almost complete. And a lot of the usual stressors are gone, like planning lessons and marking.
I had a couple of students in the bands performing their year-end pieces in Player’s Hall one morning, and I was so proud 🙂

My student is the girl on bass guitar! This is the senior jazz band

That’s my student on trumpet in the grey t-shirt!

That’s my student on piano! These two photos were of the junior jazz band.

I posted my final grades on Friday morning. Then, I got my last couple of students across the finish line who hadn’t been passing.
The LSP teachers hosted a picnic on Friday at lunch, and one of the VPs got his head shaved for Cops for Cancer.
The awards ceremony was on the last day of scheduled classes. I got to see the final product of the amazing paintings a couple of students had been working on in the cafeteria for a couple of weeks. They are the banners on the sides of the stage.

One of my favourite students (I know, I’m not supposed to have faves) gave me this beautiful bracelet as a gift on the last day. Not only does it suit me super well, it went along with a lot of what I taught my Planning 10 students this year about mindfulness and mental health. I won’t miss the I-Reports that come along with teaching Planning 10 as I switch over to a fully French subject assignment for next year. But I will miss the course’s meaningful content and the connections I was able to make with students because of it. Thank you Anna <3

Finally, I’ve been collecting textbooks, organizing binders, and cleaning my office. It’s been really nice to have a bit of a change of pace.

Second, the training!

My training for my second (and last) half marathon of 2018 is wrapping up as well. On Tuesday I did my 10k race pace at dawn, with this beauty around me:

Then on Wednesday, I did my 6k race pace, at dawn again, with this view:

On Saturday, I’ll be doing 3k slow, and that’s it for the training! It’s been a long 7 weeks of battling to come back from my hip injury and still try to finish this half in a reasonable time. It looks like my goal will be sub-2:30. It’s a bit of a disappointment for me as I spent most of the training season doing really well at the 2:00 pace. C’est la vie. I’m going to work on cross training and keeping up some distance for the next six months leading into the 2019 season. Next year, I’m hoping to run both the BMO and Scotia again. I’ll perhaps join my parents for Edmonton in August, too! Fingers crossed!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Thankful Thursday 8: Healing

Welcome to the eighth instalment of my Thankful Thursday, Healing! I’m really late this time, even with the best of intentions. I actually finished the post a while ago and then forgot to actually hit the button. I think I’m going to stop making promises, considering I’m in the thick of the last two weeks of school!

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for healing that has happened this week, both mentally and physically.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of June 1 – June 7, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

I got a yummy donut and coffee for Camp Day at Tim’s
We celebrated #nationaldonutday with Lucky’s

It’s been kind of grey but still warm
I’ve been really busy (more on that in a minute) but I haven’t dropped the ball on anything, which feels awesome
I went to this lovely café called the Corner Stone with some friends from work whom I worked with on an innovation grant project this year to wrap up
I also went to an awesome bike-themed café with a friend

And we walked on the seawall after

The Capitals won the Stanley Cup (fight me, Ovechkin deserved to finally win)
Registration for my first year MEd courses went reasonably well (one class didn’t work for some reason, gave me a mild panic attack, and then worked on the second try – as usual)
This crazy large brussels sprout (I bought a whole bag of them, all this big)
My friend Joy got me the most beautiful paint-by-numbers for my birthday
Joy and I went to our favourite Starbucks, the fancy Reserve one on Main Street, for reward Nitro Cold Brew floats and we got the best table in the place!

The title of this post, Healing!

First and foremost, this week I’m really grateful for physical healing: MY HIP AND QUAD ARE FINALLY WELL ENOUGH FOR ME TO RUN! And this is what I got to see on my first trip back to the seawall… baby geese!

So cute. Anyway, at three weeks to race day, I finally felt well enough to give my legs a try. At this point in the program, Tuesdays are 6k fast, Wednesdays are sprints, Thursdays are 8k steady, Saturdays are 6k steady, and Sundays are looooooong distance. The geese photo is from Tuesday evening when I did a slow 3k, which felt stiff but good.

Then on Thursday, I decided to test my distance and was able to do the scheduled 8k (but a lot slower than target pace). I got this great view!

My hip is a ton better, but my quad still has some progress left to go. It’s not getting any worse from the running, which is great. I’m going to be my stubborn self and train and race, and then I’ll make sure it’s fully healed before I do anything else. I’ve done weekly physio and bi-weekly chiro this whole time, so don’t worry about me! 🙂

Second (and last but not least), I’ve really noticed some mental healing this week.

It’s obvious to me that this has been progress that I’ve made over the last almost two years on medication. However, it’s often things like these that we don’t really notice until we get thrown in hot water. Which is where I am now. Well, I wouldn’t say hot water. Just slightly uncomfortably warm water. It’s the last two weeks of scheduled classes at work. I’m coaching a rep rugby team, my report cards are due, and I’m getting things sorted for the MEd I’m starting in September. Oh and all the rehab and training that’s happening for my half that you just read about.

Anyway, the healing that I’m trying to get to is that I’m not panicking. I’m still sleeping eight hours a night. I’m able to get out of bed in the morning. I’m not crying. I don’t have daily headaches. I’m eating properly. It’s amazing. It used to be that when I was working through a really work-heavy, stressful time, I would start to self-combust. Now I’m fully functioning, albeit a bit more tired!

Another thing I’ve noticed is that I’m functioning better socially. This week, I had 4 social events after work. Now, I’m not going to go so far as to say that I was excited for them (I still dreaded them as usual), but I managed them especially well IMO. I’m an introvert, and I usually use most of my extrovert energy at my job as a teacher, so being required to go socialize with coworkers or other volunteers, etc. is often incredibly difficult for me. This week, although I dreaded each event, I quite enjoyed them while I was there. Healing!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Thankful Thursday 7: Birthday Week

Welcome to the seventh instalment of my Thankful Thursday! This week’s theme is my birthday week. Sadly, I’m a day late again, but I’m vowing not to make it a trend! Next week’s Thankful Thursday will come out on Thursday.

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for my life in general and what turning 27 has meant to me.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 25-May 31, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

The awesome birthday I had on Wednesday
- Work was a low-stress day, and I had my prep block (on day 1 I teach all 4 blocks, but on day 2 I teach 3)
- I got my free Starbucks birthday drink (Triple Venti Caramel Macchiato)
- Andrew and I went to dinner at Earl’s and watched the hockey and tennis
- Then we went to see Deadpool 2 which was HILARIOUS

The title of this post, Birthday Week!

Every year on my birthday, I naturally get retrospective about the last year. Usually this leads to gratitude. My 20s have been incredibly eventful so far, and I have so much to be thankful for, this year especially!
- I finished my Diploma in Guidance Studies, the first step to becoming a counsellor.
- I got a full-time continuing contract with West Vancouver Schools, at the school I’m at this year. For all you NB’ers, this means a B contract. I’m here to stay!
- I got accepted to my Master’s program of choice at UBC, School Counselling. This will be my fourth (and last!!!) university program. I’m very excited to start in September (and excited to finish May 2021).
- I coached three rugby teams (girls’ age-grade club, high school girls, and girls’ PRCs).
- I signed up for two more half marathons and ran one (the next is June 24th, and I’m rehabbing my butt off to be able to run it!).
- Andrew and I got to spend a rejuvenating weekend in Whistler around our second wedding anniversary.
- We also got to go to Calgary for Christmas and spend a week with family.
- I travelled to Cuba with Mom for a week over Spring Break.
- Both Andrew and I are feeling happier than ever and really excited about our life plans.
Life is pretty good, and on my 27th birthday I was and am feeling really grateful for my past 27 years of life. I’m working in a professional field that I love, and I get to write and be creative and read like a fiend in my spare time. I’m active and do community activities, and I hang out with friends virtually and in-person often. Mental health is a struggle as it always has been, but I’m really getting good at appreciating what I have. Here’s to my 28th year!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

Thankful Thursday 6: Organization

Welcome to the sixth instalment of my Thankful Thursday! This week’s theme is organization, but ironically, this is the week that it went off the rails a little (considering today is actually Friday). I knew it would happen eventually. It also makes a lot of sense to me that the first time it would happen during a holiday week.

This week I’m focusing on gratitude for the organization I’m making happen in my life.

Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 18-May 24, 2018!

Things I am thankful for this week:

All of the amazing food I’ve eaten this week
- Drinks and appies at Uva with my best friend, and then pizza and a s’mores calzone at Firecrust!
  Drinks at Uva.
  
  The arancini we ate at Uva.
  
  My build-your-own pizza.
  
  The s’mores calzone!
- Brunch (and dessert) (and coffee coffee coffee) at Craft Beer Market in False Creek (this is my husband and I’s favourite weekend spot).
  The beautiful view near our favourite brunch place in False Creek.
  
  It’s called “dessert in a jar.” It’s awesome. Banana, chocolate sauce, toffee, ice cream, brownie, and whipped cream. Two spoons, of course.
- Free popcorn and pop (and nachos we paid for) at the advanced showing of Solo: A Star Wars Story that we got to see through Andrew’s work. I’m also grateful for getting to go see the movie early!
- Coffee at Matchstick with another best friend!
- A delicious Starbucks breakfast with Andrew on the holiday Monday
I had a guest speaker in for most of the week in my Planning 10 classes, which meant that I got a bit of a break at work. Of course I was still in all of my classes, but I didn’t have to plan the lessons, which was really nice for a change.
As I mentioned above, we had a long weekend for Victoria Day, and I’m really thankful for that! Andrew now gets his holiday Mondays off, which is really nice because we get to spend time together.
In addition to the holiday Monday, Friday was a Professional Development Day (in BC we call them Pro-D), which meant that I got to go to work and get a lot of things done and organized. Speaking of which…

The title of this post, Organization!

There are two main reasons that I chose organization for this week’s gratitude theme. One is that because I had a guest speaker in many of my classes and a Pro-D on Friday, I had a lot of opportunities to get organized at work. The other is that I got a burst of inspiration over the long weekend for how to further organize our home.
I’m always grateful for the opportunity to do some organization for work. Teaching 7 different classes with only 1h20 to prep once every two days leads to a lot of organizational backlog sometimes. It’s hard to stay on top of things. The Pro-D day really helped. Most of the time we have organized activities on these days, but this time we just got time to work on new curriculum implementation, and I got a lot of things done. It felt great!
Also, now and then I start to go stir crazy in our apartment. So I’m really thankful for the spark of inspiration and motivation I got over the weekend to change things up a bit. We have a kind of useless space between where our kitchen and entryway are, and our living room. We’ve had a small dining table there for the last while, but we never eat at it – we tended to use it for food storage instead. It was really a wasted space. So I decided that it would be a great idea to do away with the table and get a big shelving unit for that wall area instead. We decided on Sunday, and off we went to IKEA on the holiday Monday. I had the shelf together by Monday evening, and I’ve spent the rest of the week moving things around and organizing. It’s been great! Here’s the process:
BEFORE: The awkward space in our apartment. At this point, I had already taken apart the dining table, but for reference, that square piece of glass was the top of it, and the table was in the left-hand corner.

The shelf, put together!

The shelf, mid organizing! This is about where we’re at right now. More to come later!

There you have it!

So, that’s my Thankful Thursday list for this week. I hope it inspires you to make your own, and get on that gratitude train!

Peace and love,

Bee

And the theme for these two weeks, Taking a Break!

First, work!

Second, running!

There you have it!

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And the theme for this week, Wrapping Up!

First, the school year.

Second, the training!

There you have it!

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Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of June 1 – June 7, 2018!

The title of this post, Healing!

Second (and last but not least), I’ve really noticed some mental healing this week.

There you have it!

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Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 25-May 31, 2018!

The title of this post, Birthday Week!

There you have it!

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Here’s my Thankful Thursday for the Week of May 18-May 24, 2018!

The title of this post, Organization!

There you have it!

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