Jobs

I was thinking today about how my friends have a LOT of different jobs. Cool Jobs, random jobs, fun jobs. And NONE of them work in a field even remotly related to mine.

Nikki: I'm a teacher. I teach fifth graders about spelling and try to make them love reading books as much as me. As a bonus I can infiltrate them with Dr. Quinn stories unntil they are as passionate about it as I am.

Bethany: Is an Out-tripper. She takes people rock climbing, and camping in the bush, and kyaking and white water rafting, and caveing. Her bonus is that she gets to be all buff and pretty.

Tiersa: Is an Administrative Assistant for the Continental Singers. She does paperwork and books hotels and flights and makes posters and brochures and gets to do awesome things on the computer. Her bonus is that she gets to live in California part of the year.

Tom: Is a fish wrangler. He wrestles fish out of the water in rivers all over BC so that the gov't can know what types of fish are in what rivers and in what quantity. His bonus is that... he gets to play with fish all day.

Mike: Walks around the bush (and there is a lot of it here) and maps out cut-blocks for logging companies. His bonus is that he gets to be as back-woodsmany as he wants to be and no one can say anything. And he gets to take his dog to work with him.

Ferin: Is a clothing store manager. She gets a sweet discount.

Bowen: Is a miner. I don't know exactly what he does. But neither does he half the time. His bonus is that he gets paid a lot.

Erik: Works Rockey Mountaineer Vacations. He serves and is in a musical. His bonus is that He is in a musical!

My Inspiration

Yesterday was an awesome awesome day. My sister Bethany and I headed to the Shuswap with her friend Rita for a day on her boat on the lake. (Side note, where do British Columbians go to trade their shoes??? the Shuswap)

We boated on her speed boat in 37 degree weather with no clouds and a bright sun. We stopped on a random beach for lunch, stopped at a store that floated in the middle of the water so you could only get their by boat, we found an awesome swimming beach. We boated some more and then swam off the boat with a waterfall tumbling down the mountain on my left, and a view of the coastal mountains and rocky mountains on my left. Amazing. We boated some more and then went over to Copper Island in the middle of the lake where people often cliff jump. I hummed and hawed about doing it, because it was really high and dangerous and you had to free rock climb to get to the cliff. But then I thought to myself "You just swam at the base of a waterfall looking at the Rockies. You have to do this! You are in BC. This is an awesome opportunity that might not come along again."

So I jumped out of the boat and swam toward the rock cliffs jutting out of the water. I climbed to the top of the cliff very carefully, knowing that a) i was wet and b) the crevaces in the the rocks would mean broken bones for sure if I slipped. Very treacherous. I got to the cliff and stood there looking out over the lake and the mountains and then I looked down. And it was VERY high. Very high. I stood there for a few minutes getting my courage up and the yelled to my sister that it was too high and I couldn't do it. i climbed down a bit. Bethany started heckling me. "Nikki, theres 10 year olds jumping off the cliff. You are a teacher you should be the example DO IT!"

Her pressure made me climb back up. I looked down. It was too high. I climbed down again. Bethany continued heckling me. I climbed back up. It was freaking high. VERY high. I climbed down again. This time Bethany said something that really stuck with me:

"NIKKI! IF DR. QUINN CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU. SHE JUMPED OFF A CLIFF THAT WAS WAY HIGHER THAN THIS ONE."

It was so true.

"You're right!" I yelled back. "She did! I'm doing it!" Seriously, if Dr. Quinn could do it, so could I. I climbed back up and jumped realizing on the way down that Dr. Quinn jumped off a cliff because some crazy renegade Indians were trying to kill her AND Sully held her hand the whole time. I had a) no indians chasing me and b) no handsome backwoodsman holding my hand. Even ONE of those would have been a better reason for jumping than just doing it for 'fun'.

But I did it. I can officially call myself a cliff jumper.

Seriously, Dr. Quinn IS my inspiration. Time and time again she inspires me to do different things, move west, jump off cliffs, have crushes on boys with tight deerskin pants, just wonderful wonderful things.

I feel bad because I totally have sucked at blogging this summer. I know facebook has taken over my personal internet life, and I know that other blogs have fallen by the wayside in the wake of this new fad, but I have to remember that there are people out there who do not have facebook and want to read my oh-so-amusing stories. (Seriously though, doesn't everyone have facebook now?)

AND SO, lucky you, I am blogging 2 times in less than 24 hours.

I feel the need to share something a little more serious today. But joyful too. I've been thinking over the past few weeks about how incredibly filled with joy I am. I just have joy bubbling up inside of me. I love to laugh, and smile and have fun and be friendly and live the life here in Kamloops that God has called me to live. I like my jobs (all three of them) love my family, am appreciating more and more my good friends, and am growing very attached to my church. I am relaxed (usually), busy and serving the Lord in ministry and it has blessed me abundantly.

Today I sat beside a pool on the banks of the South Thompson River (don't ask me why you put a pool beside a body of water - but it was super nice), Anyways, I was sitting by the pool with a couple of friends just talking and swimming, and reading and discussing and as I sat there in the glorious sunshine I thought to myself that this is fully, without a doubt, where I am supposed to be. I looked at my life and realized that I am a fun, mid-20's, single female with a good job, great family, friends, social life, ministry and a nice car. Am I living the all-canadian single girl dream? Yes. I am. And it makes me happy. It makes me happy that I know that it is a gift that HE has given me. It fills me with joy knowing that this is just another great section in my life that God has blessed me with.

Serving and following Christ is not a barter system - I'm not working in a church or Christian school because I want Him to bless me. I'm doing it because I am called to - and some days it is really really hard. Some days I can't understand for the life of me why I am working in ministry. The by product of the work I try to do for the kingdom is that I am generiously and graciously blessed.

My Summer Thus Far - In Photos.

Karmyn and Ben came for a visit. I took them ALL over Kamloops.




And we had a bonfire at Kamloops lake.





Then I went camping with my friends at Isobel Lake





This is me learning how to fish:


This is me not catching anything:


Then I went camping again with my friends a few weeks later at Knuff Lake.
This is our SUPER awesome dinner the last night that is becoming a tradition. Everybody brings stuff, then we share it all and have a great big dinner.


This is me with my real sister Bethany, and my almost-sisters Laura and Jenny.


This is a picture of Jenny playing "tinfoil triangle Square ball" Its like baseball only with a triangle instead of a diamond and a square ball of tinfoil instead of a baseball. And a lawn chair instead of a catchers glove.


Then it was Canada Day (Oh yes, we haven't even hit July yet!)






The Alieda came to visit.


We went on a train and were robbed by bandits on horseback!




We played with their horses after the show




We went hiking in the mountains and climbed to the top of the world.





Then we went to the creeeeeeepiest place in the world. An old abandoned mental institution. It was FREAKY FREAKY FREAKY. This is Alieda being freaked out.





And we went to a random inn and pretended that we were guests and had every right to swim in their pool.


Then I made a new friend named Lillian and we spent the weekend together.
This is us with our friend Mike jumping into the pool at the Inn where I work.


This is me being cute


I had a housewarming party and saw went to see an excellent fantastic movie with Tiersa, Esther and Bethany:



Then Sandy, Ray, Curtis, Brianna and Chelsea came to visit. We had SO much fun with them.


Then I went camping again in Enderby. This time with my extended Gerrits Family.








And then I came back to Kamloops and floated down the river.




NOW it is July 31. Still to come this summer: Shuswap x 2, Lillian's Birthday party in Penticton, My Birthday.

During my many hours on the road each week it is not uncommon for me to see any variety of home made signs. Signs on overpasses, poles, or hanging from bridges. Usually they are just birthday wishes to somebody, or a memorial of someone who died. But today, I saw one that made me smile.

Driving to work, hanging off one of the bluffs by the river was a large sign painted on a bed sheet. It simply stated to the world "You are beautiful"

It made me smile. And it made me appreciate the people who had made the effort, to make someone smile today on their drive to work.

People I need more of in my life.

Here is a non - exhaustive list of people that I flat out, need more of, in my life. Also known as people I miss. Or people I would like to hang out with for an afternoon.

Karmyn Bokma. Mikey Arce. Laura Stewart. Rob Joustra. Steven Gelensey. Mark Sinke. Rebekah Fluit. Rebekah, Daniela, Samuel, Amy, Abby, HyoBin, Joel, Cameron. Aura Opris, Aimee Ridley, Whitney and Luke, Deborah Sedjo, Costin Keenan, Marian Christian Comax, Kari Glennan, The Mathers, Jenn Lipp, David Akim. Kim Furtney. Matt McKenna. Nathan Stretch. Hayley Morgan and wee Aven. Linda, Shawn, Natalie and Avery. Jill, Greg, Paul, Aunt Chris and Uncle Steve. Aunt Dianne. Uncle Bill and Aunt Amy, Uncle Henry and Aunt Lieda, Aunt Dianne and Aunt Marg, Chief Christy, Sara-Beth Fava. Ben Shingler, Spencer LeBlanc, Jackie Thompson, Gosia Szok, Gosia Szok, Gosia Szok, Bethany Sartorious, my Granny.

AND just so you all know. I do miss you and think about you, and you all impacted my life at some point in time and in some great way.

10 months later

So school is winding down - only two more days and then it is summer vacation and I have been noticing how well I have gotten to know my students over the last ten months - and them me. They think they are SO clever and it always makes me smirk just a little bit on the inside. I know that when one student thinks the work is too hard, he will refuse to do it. I know that another one needs constant affirmation about the trivialest things, I know that another student thinks she is smarter than the rest of the class, but really isn't. I know that almost all of them have no concept of "Miss. G and Mrs. Huckulak are the authority in the classroom" They all will do whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it. It gets tiring.

The students know how to soften me up when I am frustrated with them. They know that when I get really frustrated and either talk too loudly in anger, or too softly in exasperation that I have reached my wits end and am going 'bonkers'. They will sweetly put up their hand and say things like:

"Miss. Gerrits, you look pretty today"
"Miss. G, I like your shirt. It is nice"
"Mrs. Gerrupps, You are the best teacher ever!"
and my favourite from today:
"Miss G, I changed my mind today. You are my favouritest teacher ever now!"

Thanks very much. That means alot from someone who has had all of two other teachers in their life. And you still have a detention for hitting your desk partner.

Offical Countdown

2.5 days with students
4. days in school
5. days till staff brunch and staff fancy dinner and I get to wear my new dress.
7. days till I move in with Tiersa into the sweetest apartment ever named and forever referred to as S-Club 2.
9. days till VBS starts
12. days till VBS is done
17. days till the Ontario Gerrits' start filtering into BC
23. days till vacation
26. days till Gerrits Family Reunion BC style.

funny is better

Here's my thoughts of the day.

What is better? A funny boyfriend/girlfriend or a nice-gentle boyfriend/girlfriend?

Here is my theory.

The nice-gentle significant other:
Will be nice and gentle till you die at say 70.

The funny significant other
Will make you laugh your butt off for yeeears. AND we all know that laughing add years onto your life. So you live - with laughter and - to be like 116. SO the little skills the funny partner has in being gentle and nice, will actually equal, over time, the hard core skills of person number one just spread out over more years.

Yeah? Thats what I think. Funny is better.

big beetle.

Today I saw a BIG BIG BIG beetle. It was amazingly huge. Seriously, like something out of the rainforests in National Geographic.

Vanessa's reaction when I showed her:

"Holy Cow! Thats a cross between a beetle and a turtle!"

Yes, it was that big.

Ok. I'm blogging more.
Seriously People. Facebook has taken over my life.

But I'll post something.

CAMPING
By. N. Gerrits

On the weekend I

went camping with my good friends

It rained the whole time.

Fun Parts Of Camping:

• Everyone getting their native names. I was originally Crafts on Clouds. Which very quickly deteriorated to Craps on Clouds. Quite Funny.
• Campfires. (People who can build campfires in the rain are cool)
• Playing this game called 'Things' where you write down THINGS you shouldn't say to your grandma, THINGS not to say on a first date (will you scratch my bum) THINGS not to say when proposing (I looove you man, whats your name again?) etc. In the pouring rain, but fun.
• Fantastic supper on Saturday. Full course meal.
• Tinfoil Square Ball. (resourceful use of leftover tinfoil a stick, a small campsite and similar baseball rules)
• Napping.
• Nature.
• Showers and real bathrooms this time!
• Lauging A LOT. My friends are funny.

Not fun Parts of Camping

• Getting lost. Which made me lividly angry
• Rain Rain Rain.
• KNOWING that I shouldn't drink hot beverages before bed because it makes me pee, and doing it anyways. SO having to get up in the middle of the night to drive to the bathroom in the rain when it was 5 degrees. BUT I did sit in my car with the heat on for 10 min which helped with the most freezingest I have ever been.

Reasons why I don't like rain.

1. Wet Feet
2. Wet pant legs
3. dirt on the back of your pant legs from walking in the rain
4. FUZZY hair
5. Arthritis

I like Kamloops. We only get 20cm of rain every year. I think we got 18cm of it today. ON MY FIELD TRIP.

I will make you fishers of men.

Yesterday,
The sporting goods department at Wal-Mart.
Made me a Fisher of Fish.
I'm officially and leagally a fisherwoman.

This one time last week when I played a quality prank.

My family is mildly obsessed with watching Crime Drama's. We watch: CSI New York, CSI Las Vegas, CSI New York, Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Cold Case, Law and Order Special Victims Unit. And I'm not around that much so there probably are a few more that get tuned into on occasion.

LAST week, for a special change that doesn't happen very often, we ALL sat down - at the same time, to watch Criminal Minds. (very rare occurance in the Gerrits House). WELL on this particular show there was a serial killer that was severely derranged. Every time he killed someone, he would take a rib bone from the victim and then he made windchimes out of all the ribs - and gave them to his girlfriend. She didn't know they were human rib bones and she probably had about 30 windchimes full of bones - thats hundreds and hundreds of victims. It was pretty sick.

WELL, the other night 4 out of the 6 of us sat down to dinner. A dinner of mashed potatoes, veggies and... ribs. (pork, not human) As The pile of ribs grew I thought... "what a perfect opportunity to freak out one of my little sisters."

So after dinner, I, Nikki Gerrits, made a windchime out of the rib bones, unscrewed the light bulb in my littlest sisters room, and hung the rib windchime above her bed with a solitary flashlight shining up on it.

Vanessa came home at 11pm. I waited up, and it was well worth the "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT DISGUSTING THING!!!!!"

Everyone got out of bed and laughed.

What a good prank.

And its still hanging there a week later. She's saving it to be a baby mobile for her kids when she grows up.

I was thinking - that there really is NOTHNG good about mornings.
I mean I can't really appreciate anything in the mornings. The sun, the clouds, the mountains, the view, the river, the drive, music, good hair.
There is nothing to look forward to early in the morning.
I don't like anything in the morning. Or anyone.
I cant see what will be good in the day.
Even my pupply licking my chin isn't cute in the morning.
The one possible thing that could maybe make me smile in the morning - is french toast.

But I do like afternoons - starting around 4pm. And Nights.

FYI

Gas prices here in "beautiful/gas guzzling BC" has reached in Kamloops an astonishing 1.26/Litre. (1.30 in Vancouver)

I drive over 100km/day.

But I get 550km/tank.

Thank you Fee-B the excellent Toyota Yaris.

For my American friends - and for Jay Leno who complains that gas is 'nearly 3.00 a gallon' that is FIVE DOLLARS per gallon.

20 Things I like to do.

1. LAUGH. I like it the most bestest of anything.
2. Rub my dogs belly.
3. Restore furniture.
4. Read novels
5. Watch TV and movies
6. Keep up to date on current world and entertainment events.
7. Be friendly
8. Hang out and mentor pre-teens and teens.
9. Hang out with my friends.
10. Play games (but not sport games. I'm talking cards and board games)
11. Drive my car.
12. Clean out the inside of my car.
13. Sing. Sing anything.
14. Sing in my car. Loudly. With made up, unharmonious harmonies.
15. Be in the sun.
16. Nap. Nap. Nap.
17. Tell stories and entertain people.
18. Go to church.
19. Spend time with my family.
20. Make up worst-case-senario and 'what-if-this-happened' stories in my head.

KarBen (Carbon) in Kamloops for the first time!


Campfire out at Lake Kamloops. Bethany made the massively impressive fire.

I found this picture and was reminded yet again, that I am short.

A Little Survey

Here is a little survey about me. All random things. Things that you probably didn't know.

Fav. Cheese flavour: OLD Cheddar
I have a freckle between the toes on my left foot.
I get stomach aches when I am really tired or really stressed out.
I can always sleep. Anytime, anyplace.
I can not sleep with a repetitive noise around me. (ticking clock, snoring etc.)
I can drive stick shift.
My middle name is Janette, (Juh-net) not Janet (Jan-et)
I have an unusual knowledge of words to songs.
I can spell my name backwards (all three names) in less than 4 seconds.
I don't puke. Ever.
I've never seen the ocean.
I've never been fishing.
I've never waxed my legs.
I don't know my 6, 7 or 8 times tables.
I have serious road rage issues.
I just learned how to use chopsticks in January.
I don't like soft fruit. Ever. (Especially things like pie, jam, booster juice etc)
I really like Roast Beef and Gravy. Like really a lot A LOT.
I don't have a dresser.
I can never justify buying jewlery for myself.
I've never been to the east coast.
I really like ghost stories.
I have to fall asleep facing the door, laying on my stomach with one leg hiked up.
I wear flannel PJ's all year round.
It annoys me when people misspell my first name.